While she was still chuckling, she touched his arm. “Don’t feel bad. How old were you then?”
“It was senior year, so seventeen,” Lucky answered, still feeling gross.
“See? You were a teenager, too. It’s fine. Really.” She continued giggling, and he had to admit that the sound made him so happy that he didn’t even care that it was at his expense.
“It still feels wrong.” His shoulders shook as a chill ran through him, and it wasn’t the good kind. It was the grossed-out kind.
“I think it’s hilarious,” she said, clearly enjoying seeing him squirm.
“I’m so glad I can amuse you,” he said flatly.
“Well, I think it’s only fair since I seemed to have offered hours of amusement for you—”
Without even thinking, he reached over the seat and started tickling her. She wiggled and laughed, begging him to stop. He did, but only because a call came in.
When he saw the picture on his console’s display, he knew he had to answer it. Pressing the answer button, he extended his patent greeting to his publicist.
“Hello, beautiful.”
“Why can’t you just play nice with others, especially the press?” Jessie Sloan-Courtland asked in her usual no nonsense tone. Jessie wasn’t one for niceties. She was all business, all the time.
Deciding to ignore her rhetorical question and her dislike for small talk, he pushed on undeterred. “I’ve been good. How about you?”
“Lucky. You can’t treat the press like that.” Jessie seemed to have the same game plan as he did.
This conversation was going to happen, so he figured he might as well just get it over with. “I wasn’t there for them. I was there for the kids.”
“It doesn’t matter. They were there, and whether you like it or not, you have a responsibility—”
“I had a responsibility to visit the kids and their families. I had a responsibility to protect the people I brought with me. And I lived up to my responsibilities.”
“I’m not going to argue with you. You’re supposed to be cleaning up your act. We agreed. And your image is your responsibility. When you elbow photographers in the nose, you open yourself up for lawsuits, and that is not something new sponsors really think is appealing. You know what’s on the line with this bout. Don’t screw it up.”
“Yes, Mom,” he answered—his normal response for when Jessie was right.
“You know, you’re not nearly as cute as you think you are,” she said, sounding less than impressed.
“Awww, you think I’m cute. Does Zach know? I don’t want to come betw—”
“Goodbye, Lucky.”
“Bye, beautiful.”
When the call disconnected, Lucky felt a little twinge of guilt that Jessie had even had to make that call. He knew better.
“Wow. She’s awesome.” Unlike Jessie, Deanna did sound impressed.
“Yeah. She is pretty awesome,” he agreed.
“And so beautiful.” Deanna was still looking at Jessie’s picture on the console.
He didn’t want her to get the wrong idea just because he’d called her beautiful. “Her husband sure thinks so. He’s actually a friend of mine. Have you heard of Zach Courtland?”
Deanna was quiet for a beat. Then she snapped her fingers. “Was he the one in the Calvin Klein ads?”
“That’s him.”
“Wow. She’s married to him? He’s…hot.”
Well, this conversation had taken a turn Lucky didn’t like. Not one little bit. They only had a half hour until they would be back in Hope Falls and the last thing he wanted was to talk about how beautiful Jessie was or how hot Zach was.
Deanna lifted her hand to the back of her neck, stretching it from side to side. Now that he thought about it, she’d been doing that a lot today.
“Do you have a headache?” he asked.
She sighed. “Yeah. I haven’t been sleeping that well, and when we were doing drills yesterday, I tweaked my neck carrying equipment the wrong way.”
Lucky saw a way to get this conversation back on track, so he steered them towards it. “I can help you with that.”
“That’s okay,” she dismissed him. “I don’t want a massage, but thanks.”
“I wasn’t offering a massage, but you’re welcome.”
“But you said you could help me…”
“Yeah, I did. And I can. But I didn’t say anything about a massage,” he corrected her.
“Oh, no, I don’t want to take anything. I try not to take medicine unless I absolute—”
“Ehhh,” he interrupted her, making the sound of a buzzer. “Wrong again. Do you want to try door number three, or should I just tell you what I was offering?”
She chuckled, and his heart swelled with pride. The fact that he had made her laugh so easily made him feel like Leo on the Titanic—like he was the king of the world.
“Fine. Tell me,” she replied, her tone in full sass mode.
“Well, since you asked soooo nicely,” he overemphasized. “I was going to say that I could get rid of your headache if you wanted me to.”
Sounding more than a little skeptical, she asked, “How?”
“By going down on you,” he stated plainly and confidently.
“What!?” she shrieked. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about me between your legs for a good thirty minutes or so. You’ll feel the scratch of my stubble on the side of your thighs, and all you’ll see is the top of my head. I’m talking about touching and kissing and licking you—”
“Okay,” she cut in. “I get the point.”
“Well.” He shrugged. “You asked what I was talking about, so I figured I should be clear.”
Laughter filled her voice as she asked, “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Say those….things… and make them sound so casual? Normal? Not dirty?”
“It’s part of my charm, really. I can make the most innocent things sound dirty and the dirtiest things sound completely innocent,” he explained.
“I believe you.” She was shaking her head and looking out the window, but with the moonlight streaming in, he could see that her face was flushed with what he was going to believe was arousal.
“Just think about it. The offer’s on the table.” With that he turned up the music, which happened to be R&B. He figured a little Marvin Gaye couldn’t do anything but help his cause.
Chapter 17
‡
“How did you know where I live?” Deanna asked when he turned onto her street.
“I run by here on my way to the gym. I’ve seen you a few times.” That was the absolute truth. He did run by on his way to the gym. And he’d seen her a few times.
He’d also asked around and known where to look.
“Oh, okay.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “I don’t think that’s the whole story.”
Normally, being caught in a partial truth wouldn’t have been high up on the list of things Lucky liked, but the fact that she knew, or at least had a feeling, that he wasn’t being totally forthright made him happy. He liked that she had called him out.
“I may have asked Sue Ann, Nikki, and then finally Lauren, who hooked me up with my rental, if anyone knew where you were staying.” He smiled the smile that usually got him out of the stickiest of spots. He called it “old faithful.”
And it didn’t let him down.
A smile spread across Deanna’s face even as she was shaking her head. “Jessie’s right. You’re not as cute as you think you are.”
“Does that mean you think I’m cute?”
“I think you’re trouble.” She blushed as her hand reached for the door. “Goodnight.”
“What?” he asked, purposely sounding offended. “You’re not even going to ask if I want to come in for coffee?”
She stared at the door handle and licked her lips, which made his solider stand at attention. With only the moonlight streaming in through the wi
ndow, he could tell by her hesitancy that she was battling an internal war of whether or not she should.
He waited. Though he wanted to use his charms to give her a gentle, or not so gentle, shove in the direction of green-light-go, he didn’t want her to do anything she didn’t want to. So, as much as it killed him to know that, within a few sentences, he could have her laughing and inviting him in, he remained quiet.
After inhaling deeply through her nose, she opened the door, and his heart sank as his balls turned bluer than a Smurf.
He smiled up at her to hide his discomfort and disappointment. He would walk her to the door, but he didn’t trust himself to be that close to her and not touch her or kiss her or do a lot of other things he’d been dying to do to her. Things he knew she wanted and, with a little encouragement, would be begging for.
But that’s not how he wanted this to be. Not with her. She was too special. This was too special.
“Goodnight. Thank you for coming with me today. You were great with the kids. They loved you. I…” He stopped himself.
Had he been about to say that he loved her?
No.
Maybe?
Shit.
He didn’t have time to think about that. Trying to play it off, he finished his thought, “I really loved having you there.”
A small grin pulled at her lips. “Fine. You can come in for coffee.”
He didn’t need to be asked twice. He was out of the SUV and beside her so fast that it made her laugh.
“Okay,” he agreed. “I’ll come in, but only because you asked so nicely.”
She was still chuckling and shaking her head at him—which she did a lot—as they made their way up to the door.
Once she’d opened it, he stepped inside. Small and cozy, it smelled like clean and fresh, just like Deanna. A small couch rested against the far wall, and a longer one, with a knit blanket thrown over it, was near the window. A flat screen television was on the wall opposite the larger couch, and a small fireplace took up one corner.
Lucky could picture Deanna curled up on the couch, in sweats with her hair pulled up, showcasing her sexy neck, the fire roaring as she watched television. At the thought, the same word that continued to pop up in his mind made an appearance.
Mine.
“Do you want decaf or…” she asked over her shoulder as she closed the door.
“Oh, I don’t want coffee, but thanks.” He grinned and took a step closer to her.
Stepping back, she was flat against the door. Then she pointed accusatorily at him. “You said you wanted coffee.”
“No. I didn’t.”
Planting her hands on her hips, she tilted her head as she insisted, “Yes. You did.”
“No, I simply pointed out that you weren’t even going to invite me in for coffee. Then, when you asked me so nicely to come in for coffee, I didn’t say anything about the coffee. All I agreed to was the coming.” He took a step forward.
But her finger was back up, poking him in his chest this time. “See! Like that. Totally innocent, but you make it sound so…”
She stopped as her eyes scanned down to his lips. Her pupils dilated, and the light pink rose on her cheeks. Her breathing grew more and more labored. Placing one hand on the door beside her head, he leaned closer until their bodies were only an inch apart. Her breath fanned his face as her eyes rose to meet his.
When their gazes locked, need raged through him. Need to touch her. Need to kiss her. Need to hear her say what he made things sound like.
He asked, his voice gravelly with arousal, “I make it sound so what?”
She nervously licked her lips and his dick jumped. He was so hard that if they even just kissed, he was a little afraid he might come in his pants. Her breath was choppy as her chest rose and fell in a seductive rhythm.
She swallowed, and then her voice shook as she said, “Dirty. You make it sound dirty.”
He couldn’t help but smile. She was just so damn adorable.
Foreplay was one of his favorite things in the world. The buildup. The anticipation. But what was going on between them took it to a whole new level. He felt like every moment they’d spent together since the morning she’d run straight into him, had been a heightened game of foreplay. And he loved it.
“Have you given any more thought to my offer?” he asked as he brushed a stray hair behind her ear. He was rewarded with feeling her body tremble beneath his featherlight touch.
“What?” she asked, her eyes closing as she leaned ever so slightly into his hand.
“Do you still have a headache?” he rasped.
Her eyes popped open, and her face turned a much deeper shade of pink. Her body stiffened, and just like after their first kiss, she came back to her senses like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her.
“I’m not going to have sex with you.”
She sounded less than sure, and he wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince—him or herself.
“Whoa.” He leaned back slightly, lifting his hand from the door and holding it up. “Who said anything about s-e-x?” he said, spelling the word. Then he raised one eyebrow. “That is a little presumptuous of you. I was merely offering my services to alleviate a headache. I am not the kind of girl that puts out on the first date.”
His teasing had the desired effect—Deanna relaxed as she laughed and slapped his arm. “You brought up s-e-x of the oral variety, and you are most certainly the kind of girl that puts out on the first date.”
He grinned and put his hand over his heart. “I pledge that the only sex we will have tonight will be of the oral variety.”
She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, her full lips still pulled up in a broad smile.
His own smile grew bigger as he continued. “And I will be the only giver of said oral sex. No other sex of any kind will be happening between the two of us today. Even if you beg. Scout’s honor.”
“I seriously doubt you were a Boy Scout, and you’re crazy if you think I would beg.” She looked at him like he was, in fact, crazy.
Placing both hands on the wooden door, he framed her face and closed the distance between them. As he leaned down, she tilted her head up, and he stopped just short of their lips touching.
“Okay. You won’t beg, and I wasn’t a Boy Scout. I’m glad we got that settled.”
Her eyes widened as she began protesting. “No. I didn’t mean tha—”
He cut her off by covering her mouth with his in a devouring kiss. If someone would’ve asked Lucky this morning if any kiss could ever be hotter than the one they’d shared in the car, he’d have said no. Absolutely not.
But he would’ve been wrong.
This kiss started off urgent and intense. Her lips parted the second his touched hers and he swept inside her mouth, their tongues mating in an erotic and sensual dance. Needing to touch her, he cupped her face with one hand while the other gripped her hip, pulling her against him so she could feel how hard she made him. How badly he wanted her.
She rolled her hips against him as she moaned. He loved the way her reaction vibrated through their kiss. His own body was responding in ways he’d never experienced. He wanted her more than he wanted anything. More than he wanted to breathe or even wake up tomorrow. For him, in that moment, nothing else mattered.
All he wanted was to make her feel what he felt. He wanted her to feel as connected. To be consumed with the same unrelenting desire she inspired in him.
Not able to wait another second without touching her skin, Lucky slid his fingers beneath her shirt. She sucked in a sharp breath as her hands grasped his shoulders. He made sweeping and swirling motions across her tongue with his as he pressed his lips firmly against hers.
His fingers traced across the waistline of her jeans, and her skin was just as soft as he’d imagined all those years ago. He stopped when he came to her button. As badly as he wanted to flick it open and get her out of these pants, his desire to protect her overrode his
own pulsating need. He ran his thumb over it several times as his other hand left her jaw and moved lower. Then his knuckles brushed over the side of her swollen, cotton-covered breast, and she let out a soft, needy sound as his hand continued down to her hip.
Having her up against the wall like this might’ve been good for another night, but tonight, he wanted to lay her down and worship her body.
If that’s what she wanted.
He had to know if they were on the same page, so he broke their kiss. As Deanna tried to catch her breath and he did the same, a rush of intimacy flooded him as their intermingled breaths fanned against his face.
“I want to take your clothes off, lay you down, and kiss every inch of your body. I want to spread your legs and taste you. I want to touch you and lick you and kiss you until you come on my mouth.”
Deanna’s knees wobbled, and Lucky had to grasp her hips harder to keep her standing. She didn’t answer him, but her fingers were digging into his arms and his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. Her body signals were saying yes, but he wanted—no, he needed—to hear her say it.
No games.
“Is that what you want?” he prompted, his voice sounding like a growl.
“Yes. What are you waiting for?” she asked impatiently.
He had to smile. She was so damn adorable.
When he picked her up, her legs wrapped around his body and her hands were all over him—in his hair, across his shoulders, down his back, his chest—like she wanted to touch every part of him at once.
He knew the feeling.
Not wanting to take the time to find the bedroom, he took two short steps to the long couch and laid her down. He began kissing her neck as he started unbuttoning her pants. Apparently, he wasn’t fast enough for her, though, because her hands met his and she was shimmying out of them before he had even raised his head. He had to lift his knee so she could pull them off. They didn’t even clear her ankles and she was already tugging on her shirt.
Lucky Kiss Page 17
