Even though she’d just sworn off men in general and Matt in particular, she didn’t trust herself to say “no” without that excuse. The desires of her heart and head were in two hemispheres these days, and they were nearly impossible to reconcile. Every time she thought she’d relegated Matt to the friend zone, something changed her mind.
She found a parking place right across the street from the bar, not at all strange on a Tuesday night. She cut the Bug’s engine and, out of habit, checked her hair in the mirror.
She needn’t have bothered. Every hair was still in its place. She looked as polished and professional as she had before walking out the door that morning. No matter what she thought of Matt, his brother truly was a miracle worker. At least he’d told the truth about that.
Yep. She was driving down to the Valley regularly for trims.
She banished her smile to apply a coat of her favorite frosty-pink lipstick. With that done, she rushed to catch up with Stephanie. Despite Steph’s complaints about the guys’ lies, she seemed eager to see Greg again. Meg grinned to herself. Maybe her friend was giving up on Perry.
“I can only hope,” she muttered under her breath. It was tough to see Steph keep wasting her time and effort on the ad rep when she deserved better.
As they neared the Crazy-I, Matt and Greg started toward them. They met at the curb, which Meg—for the first time ever—had trouble navigating. Her toe caught the sidewalk and she lurched backward.
Matt wasted no time grabbing her elbow, steadying her before she teetered back into the street. Something like that changed her mind. A sweet, thoughtful gesture her ex never would have made. Tim would have let her fall, and probably laughed about it. She smiled her thanks. “I think you just saved my life.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
Maybe she exaggerated a little. She grinned. “You’re right. But you have to admit you did just save me from major embarrassment.”
He grinned back. “That I can live with. Less paperwork to file that way.”
They stood there, smiling at one another like goons, until Meg shook herself out of her reverie. They couldn’t spend all night standing on the curb in front of the Crazy Irishman. “What’s on our agenda?”
“Salsa dancing on the Square.”
She glanced at Matt, surprised. “How’d you know I’ve been wanting to try that?”
“I didn’t.” He shrugged and looked down at the sidewalk. “It just sounded like fun.”
“The most fun you can have on a Tuesday night without hitting the clubs,” Greg chimed in.
Meg linked her arm through Matt’s, once again amazed at how comfortable she was with him. Whether they were joking around or arguing in the closet, she was always at ease. Maybe it was the way he looked at her—really looked at her, not at a spot on the wall behind her. When his eyes were trained on her like that, she felt like the most precious thing in his world—not an afterthought to the elusive royal flush her ex always chased. “Let’s go, then.”
With Heritage Square just a few blocks from the bar, the walk took no time at all. Meg was surprised to see how many people waited for the free lesson to start.
She glanced around at the other wannabe dancers, wondering if they all had more salsa skills than she did. Probably. She’d count herself lucky if she didn’t trip over her own feet. Or Matt’s. Oh, well. Even if she ended up on her butt, she intended to have fun trying.
“Looks like they’re ready to get started.”
Her gaze followed Matt’s pointer finger. Sure enough, a black-clad couple wearing microphones on their heads waited for the crowd to settle down. “Ready if you are.”
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
A puzzling response. “You don’t seem too excited.”
“I’m not much of a dancer.”
Somehow, Meg doubted that. He moved with natural grace. “You’re an athlete.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t have two left feet on the dance floor.”
“I guess not,” Meg conceded. There she went, stereotyping again. She needed to work on breaking that habit before she gave birth. She froze, wondering if Matt would still be around by the time she gave birth. It scared her how much she wanted him to be after knowing him for just a few days.
Maybe you’re just afraid of single motherhood.
The thought stunned her to momentary stillness. Was that the truth?
When the music started, Matt prodded her back to life by taking her in his arms the way the instructors demonstrated. She suppressed an excited shiver. How could such a simple, innocent touch affect her so much?
She needed to put the kibosh on reactions like that—fast. Matt wouldn’t be content to play minor league ball for the rest of his life. If he were as good as he claimed, that’d be a waste of his talent.
Meg wasn’t about to fall for another dreamer who’d end up dumping her when opportunity came knocking. She’d been there, and done that. It wasn’t an experience worth repeating.
She kept reminding herself of that as the lesson progressed. As she suspected, Matt was a much better dancer than he’d let on. She was the one who had trouble getting the steps right while he moved as if he’d been born to a Latin beat.
“Two left feet, my ass,” she muttered after stumbling for what seemed like the thousandth time in five minutes.
Even as his eyebrows shot up, Matt tightened his grip on her waist to steady her. “You caught me.”
Unfazed by his sheepish expression, Meg giggled. “I didn’t think you’d be a bad dancer.”
“Just call it the curse of being a natural athlete. I’m good at everything I do.”
Whether he’d intended it or not, the comment conjured a distinct picture in her mind. It produced another shiver and her breath caught in her throat. “Everything?”
When he nodded, the shiver doubled in strength. Meg had no doubt he was telling the truth this time. Matt would be amazing at anything he tried—in or out of bed.
She stifled a groan. So much for her plan not to go there with Matt. Thoughts like that made it increasingly impossible for her to think of him as just a friend.
Still, for the Pea’s sake, she had to try. Didn’t she?
To dispel the mood woven by the sultry music, Matt’s touch and the way he was looking at her, she grinned at him and said the most unromantic thing she could think of. “I’ll remember that and call you the next time the toilet needs plunging. I’m horrible at that.”
****
Matt’s eyebrows shot up again. That seemed to be a recurring thing when he was with Meg, since she kept saying things that shocked him. However, keeping him in mind to plunge her toilet beat all.
He could think of a few things he’d like to plunge all right, but her toilet wasn’t one of them.
Steady there, Thatcher. He and Meg hadn’t known each other long enough for him to be assuming they’d end up doing the horizontal hokey-pokey. Still, there was something about her…something that made him want to pull a caveman routine and drag her off to his hotel room so they could make love until she begged him for completion.
Matt gulped and tried to push that vision out of his mind. He needed to think with his head, not the head between his legs. Unlike some of his teammates, he preferred to take time to get to know a woman before taking her to bed.
When he focused on Meg, her eyes searched his face. She seemed to be waiting for a response, so he wanted to make it a good one. His raging hormones wouldn’t cooperate. The best his addled brain had to offer wasn’t all that great—but it was all he had, so he delivered it with his most seductive grin. “I wasn’t talking about being a good handyman.”
“I didn’t think you were.”
The light laugh that accompanied Meg’s comment was infectious, and Matt found his own grin spreading. “You have a great sense of humor.”
“You, too.”
Greg’s voice broke the spell they were weaving around themselves. “The music stopped a while
ago.”
Matt looked around. Apparently, the lesson was over because people milled around, waiting for open dance time. The hour sure had gone fast.
He glanced back at Meg. “That wasn’t so painful, now was it?”
“You know it wasn’t.”
Greg cleared his throat. “Are we hanging around for the next part?”
Matt looked back at his teammate. Greg and Meg’s friend were standing awfully close—and they were holding hands. Meg must have noticed, too, because she edged closer to him to whisper in his ear: “I’d like to stay, but it looks like those two are ready to leave.”
Matt could go for some more quality time with Meg—and dancing in the square was a safer alternative than that hotel room thing he’d rather do. “You guys can go if you want, but we’re staying for the dancing.”
He didn’t miss the glare Stephanie shot Meg. “You brought me. Remember?”
Shaking his head, Matt reached into the back pocket of his jeans for his wallet. He grabbed a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to Greg. “Go wherever you want. The cab’s on me.”
Greg pocketed the money and smiled at Stephanie. “Let’s ditch these guys. We can have more fun on our own.”
Meg’s gaze followed their progress down the street. When they were out of earshot, she turned to him, worry clouding her eyes.
“Are you sure Greg’s a good guy?”
Matt studied the bricks under his feet as he considered the question. While Greg wasn’t the biggest womanizer on the team, he did have a reputation for loving girls and leaving them. The question was, how much detail should he share with Meg? Was she worth a blatant violation of the guy code?
He glanced at Meg. The clouds in her eyes had darkened and she was biting her lip. Putting her at ease meant more to him than protecting a teammate who was old enough to know better.
“He’s a minor-league player.”
“I was afraid of that. Maybe we should go after them. Steph doesn’t need a guy like that.”
Matt grimaced. Forget breaking the guy code. That was what he’d been more afraid of: His quality time with Meg evaporating. He tried to backpedal. “He’s not the worst guy on the team. I think his last relationship lasted more than a month.”
She glared at him. “Not good enough, Matt.”
Meg started in the direction they’d headed, but Matt caught her by the wrist. He was tired of sharing Meg tonight. Selfish as it was, he wanted her all to himself. “Isn’t Stephanie old enough to take care of herself?”
“I’d expect her to look out for me if Greg told her you were a jerk.”
“Good thing I’m not.” He paused. “Did you see how cozy those two looked? I doubt anything you could say would change her mind.”
Meg sighed and stepped back toward him. “You’re probably right. I just hate to see her get hurt again. She has a knack for picking real losers.”
Wanting to tease her into a better mood, he grinned. “Greg’s no loser. He plays on one of the winningest minor-league teams in the country.”
Meg rolled her eyes, even as she tried to hide a small smile. “That’s not what I mean.”
“I didn’t think so—but it was worth a shot.” He adopted a more serious countenance and continued. “Greg’s not a bad guy, Meg. He just hasn’t found the right woman yet.”
“He won’t unless he’s looking.”
“I disagree. Love happens most often when you’re not looking for it.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “You think so?”
He nodded. “I do.” With that, he let go of her wrist and settled his hands on her hips. “What do you say we get back to the dance floor?”
Meg hesitated for just a moment before relaxing into his embrace.
Matt relished the chance to hold her close. She was just tall enough that her head fit comfortably under his chin. He breathed in her scent, something fruity he couldn’t quite define—strawberries, maybe. Or perhaps cherries. Whatever it was, it was about to become his new favorite fruit.
They stood like that, swaying to the music, for what could have been minutes or hours. All Matt knew was that with every passing second, it was harder and harder to stop himself from kissing Meg.
It might be out of character for the guy his teammates came to for sane, sensible advice, but right now he didn’t feel sane or sensible. He felt like taking a chance. With the moonlight sparkling off her new ’do, she looked beautiful—and oh so tempting.
What was that saying? Nothing ventured, nothing gained?
Pulling away ever so slightly, he reached under Meg’s chin to tilt her head up. When her lips parted in anticipation, he wasted no time covering her mouth with his own.
Wow. Fireworks didn’t begin to describe the sparks they generated. He released her to catch his breath. As great as it had been Friday night outside the hotel, kissing Meg now was a thousand times more intense.
He bent his head to repeat the kiss. Even prepared for the onslaught, its intensity took him by surprise. Meg was kissing him back like she wanted nothing more than to go back to his hotel and— Matt broke away, leveling a pointed gaze at her. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Her half-lowered lids didn’t hide the challenge in her eyes as she looked steadily back at him and inclined her head. Slipping her hand into his, she tugged him toward the street. “You know where my car is. Let’s go.”
Chapter Six
As Meg led the way to her VW, she wondered what the heck she was doing. Hadn’t she just been telling herself she didn’t want to jump into bed with Matt? Yet the moment he kissed her, here she was letting her hormones rule.
She shook her head. Impulsive wasn’t smart. Hadn’t her experience with Tim taught her that?
Oh, it had—and she was enrolled in a lifetime crash course in motherhood courtesy of Tim’s lesson. That might well be one of the reasons she found Matt so appealing. He could be her last chance to cut loose before she had to put the Pea’s needs above her own.
One last fling, if you will.
As a matter of fact, I will. Thanks for asking.
She was eager to explore every inch of this promising new relationship with Matt, for as long as it lasted. She unlocked the Bug’s doors and waited until they were both buckled in. Then she pulled out of the parking space. “Your place or mine?”
“You choose.”
Piles of dirty clothes dotted her bedroom floor, separated by color and ready for laundry night. That had been her plan for the evening when she left for work that morning. Not the mood she wanted to set. “Where do you live?”
“I’m at the Radisson.”
She froze, her hands on the steering wheel. “So the room where Stan cut my hair—”
“Was mine, yes.”
An apologetic look accompanied his confession. No doubt he thought she’d change her mind. He needn’t have worried, though. Discovering another of his half-truths didn’t dampen her enthusiasm.
Truth was she liked Matt. A lot. After Tim, she knew charming liars. And Matt was something else. What, exactly, she didn’t know. But she was willing to find out.
She drove to the hotel faster than the law allowed, pulling into the first available spot. Matt fumbled with the key card. He finally got it to work—on the third try—and she followed him inside. The room looked the way she remembered it, except this time Matt’s gear was in plain sight.
Meg had little time to register that fact before Matt had her flat on her back in the middle of the room’s king-sized bed. He loomed over her, but not in a frightening way. She was prepared to give him what he wanted, because she wanted it, too.
She struggled half upright to shed her shirt and bra and was pleased when Matt sucked in a breath. He bent his head and took her left nipple into his mouth. Meg twined her fingers through his hair, holding him there even after he stopped suckling, greedily demanding more.
When he obliged, she reveled in the sensation until it overwhelmed her. Then she urged him to the
other side. As he pleasured her, she took another moment to wonder at her sudden ravenousness. Sure, she’d always enjoyed sex. But it had never been quite like this before.
The pregnancy had to be what was propelling her hormones into overdrive.
The thought made her freeze. It wasn’t fair to Matt to let him make love to her without telling him about the baby.
His lips began blazing a trail downward. When he paused to dip his tongue into her navel while he fumbled with the button on her slacks, Meg almost forgot what she wanted to say.
But only almost. Just as he undid the button and started to push her pants out of the way, she reached down to still his hands. “Matt, stop.”
He sat up and rocked back on his heels, running a hand through his cropped hair. “What? I thought this was what we both wanted.”
“It is—but I have a confession of my own before we go any further.”
****
Matt eyed the beautiful, half-naked woman in front of him, suddenly wary. What could she possibly want to confess? He knew she didn’t like him for his on-field prowess. What else was there?
Surely she wasn’t going to tell him she had a boyfriend. A cheater wouldn’t have a sudden attack of conscience right before doing the deed. Would she? Maybe it was a jealous ex. He pictured himself punching out said ex and ordering the bastard to stay away from Meg.
Well, he wouldn’t know what she was trying to tell him until he asked. “What?”
Meg took a deep breath. She opened her mouth, then closed it and opened it again. Words finally came out. “I’m pregnant.”
Matt felt his jaw drop so far he was surprised it didn’t hit the bed. “Pregnant?”
She nodded as she, too, sat up.
“You’re kidding, right?”
This time, Meg shook her head. “The baby’s due around Halloween.”
He examined her, his eyes roaming over her firm, nicely rounded breasts and flat stomach. Pregnant. He sure wouldn’t be able to guess that by looking at her—though a bad bout of morning sickness would explain why she’d looked like hell the night they’d met.
Beauty and the Ballplayer Page 6
