People always thought I was younger than my actual age. “Wow.” And then. “Are those still your own teeth? So many people lose them when they get close to your age.”
He flashed me another one of his wicked grins. “The better to eat you with.”
That did it. My lady parts were swinging from the chandeliers at the thought of his mouth on me.
My face burned. Hugging myself, I strolled over to the magnificent view. I’d grown immune to it while in Star’s apartment but suddenly it seemed sophisticated and romantic and made me happy to be home in Colorado.
He refrained from turning the lights on and walked up behind me. “This is what sold me on the apartment. I never get tired of it.”
“Where did you go?” I asked. “After college?” He was so close I could feel his heat at my back. If I leaned back an inch I could lay my head against his chest. I imagined how good it would feel and I almost let myself go. I didn’t understand how I could feel so comfortable and yet excited at the same time.
“Atlanta.”
“They’re pretty good, aren’t they? Their baseball team, I mean?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. We were damn good.” Something about the way he said that turned my bones to butter. Gruff. Proud. All. Man.
“So, why’d you come back?”
Oh God, now his arms wrapped around my middle and his chin rested on top of my head. At first, I didn’t think he was going to answer me… My heart raced and I tried to remember what I’d asked him, anyway.
“I missed home.” His throat moved at the back of my head.
I wanted to reach my hands up behind me and stroke the muscles in his neck… and then slide my fingers into his hair.
“Coffee?” I practically croaked the two syllables. I’ve never been so tempted so quickly in my life. I didn’t think it was the Lemon Drops anymore either. It was all him.
He pulled back taking his warmth with him. I heard a click, and then a soft glow illuminated the room.
When I turned around I watched him in the kitchen. His floorplan, although a similar open concept, felt smaller than Star’s. It felt more intimate.
He turned on an instant coffee maker and set some different colored coffee pods on the granite bar top. “What’s your poison?”
I climbed onto one of the barstools and watched his backside while he poured water into the machine. I wasn’t the sort of girl who ogled men. I never had been. This attraction though. It kind of boggled my mind.
When he turned around, I pointed to a light roast. “So other than your grandparents, you have family in town?”
He warmed to this subject. By the time he set a steaming cup of coffee in front of me I knew that his dad was a local physician, and his mom had stayed home to raise him and his two younger twin sisters. Gert and Ralph were his dad’s parents. His mom’s parents lived in North Carolina.
“That story. About my grandparents. I’ve never heard it before.”
I smiled thinking about Gert and Ralph. “I loved her stories. And your grandfather. He just nods and agrees with everything she says. They’ve been together half a century. Can you imagine that?”
“Did you know them before tonight?” He looked thoughtful.
“Nah.” I smiled. “I think they took pity on me.”
“Tell me about you.” He took a sip from his cup. I’d noticed he’d made decaf for himself. “You graduated from CU, what did you major in?”
That shouldn’t be, but it felt like a dicey subject for me. “Psychology.”
I remembered my days up in Boulder. I’d loved my field of study. I’d thought I’d found my place in life… my destiny…
I knew the question was coming before he asked it. He wanted to know how a degree in Psych lead me to a job purchasing sexy bachelors for my boss.
I wasn’t quite ready to disillusion him about me yet.
“I know you probably played ball, but what did you major in?” I tried to be flirty… “Last I heard you couldn’t exactly major in baseball.”
He watched me steadily. His eyes weren’t only mesmerizing, but intelligent. I could tell I hadn’t fooled him with my change in subject. “Micro Biology.”
Wow. That shook me. That had been Bernadette’s undergrad degree. She’d been working on her master’s in environmental health sciences. Neither were easy subjects to study. I searched for something to say but whenever I thought about Bernadette all my insecurities seemed to short circuit my brain.
Now I probably looked like an idiot.
“Holly?” He spoke my name softly. I studied the liquid in my cup. When I finally got the courage to look up at him again, I noticed that hint of vulnerability I’d though I’d seen before. Was it my imagination?
He seemed serious all of a sudden. Like he wanted to make sure he had all of my attention.
“Yeah?” I licked my lips. I needed to get out of here. I was so out of my league with this man.
“Will you let me take you to dinner sometime?” His question stole my breath. I would love to go to dinner with him. It’s just that I was such a mess right now. And he was… well… he was practically a celebrity.
He was a celebrity.
“I want to,” I admitted. I wanted to wipe that look off his face. He seemed to be putting himself out there with me.
It scared me. It made me think a rejection from me could actually hurt him somehow.
“Then say yes.” He reached across and touched my hand, his thumb gently stroking my wrist.
I had so many reasons for saying no.
“Okay.” I barely whispered.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Hunter
I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to push to find out more about her.
“I’ll put my number in your phone,” she offered.
Her voice touched something inside of me. Sweet and lilting but not so high as to grate on my nerves. I unlocked my I-phone and slid it into her hand. I didn’t let go of her hand right away though. I liked touching her, even like this.
At a high society bachelor auction, she’d spent the evening chatting with my grandparents. And she’d listened to gran’s stories. She remembered how long they’d been married. It didn’t make sense. It couldn’t be just about her looks. She had this quirky personality that was reeling me in little by little.
When she finished, I took the phone back, pulled up her name and hit send. I wanted to make sure she’d input the number correctly.
I was also gonna give her shit if she put in a fake number.
When a buzzing came from her phone a strange relief hit me. She’d already gotten away from me once today. I wanted to follow up on whatever this was.
“Now you have my number too.”
She edged off the stool. “It’s after one. I really should go.”
I grabbed my car keys from a drawer.
“No. I can’t let you take me home. Seriously. I’ll just call an Uber. It’s too far and it’s too late.”
I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, and at this point decided to give in. “On one condition.” I still had my phone in my hand and I pulled up the Uber App myself. “I’m paying. What address do you need to go to?”
She sighed but then recited an address about ten miles south of Downtown. A small, older community.
The Uber drivers around here showed up super quick so I felt like we were running out of time.
“Hold on a second.” I disappeared into my bedroom and came out with one of my favorite warm up jackets. “Take this.” I held it up behind her and she slipped her arms in the too long sleeves.
“I can’t take your jacket.” She looked so damn cute. It nearly covered her dress completely. It made me feel like she was mine.
I ignored her and rolled the sleeves up three times before her hands peeked out. Satisfied to see her in my jacket, I moved closer to her. “I’m glad I found you again.”
Her head tilted back, exposing the creamy white of her delicate throat. My eyes homed in on her lips
though. I couldn’t let her get away before I could get a taste. Just one taste.
When I leaned forward she pressed up on her toes. I didn’t have to ask. She wanted this as much as I did.
“Hunter,” she breathed my name just before my mouth closed over hers.
If I had any doubt before as to why I needed to see her again, this kiss quickly put them to rest.
Her tongue tasted like warm, sweet coffee. I tilted my head to delve deeper. By now one of my hands was in her hair and the other low on her back. I wanted to get closer to this woman. No way could she ignore my arousal. My cock was so fucking hard. I wanted to taste her everywhere. My hand slid to her ass and I clutched her against me.
She wrapped her hands around my waist and moaned. We’d been dancing around this all night. Hell, since she’d thrown lingerie all over the lobby.
My mouth left hers and trailed down her throat. Her hands were in my hair now. One of my hands dropped to her leg and slid up, under her dress, under my jacket. I lifted her leg and wrapped it around me. I pressed into her center. I wanted to be inside of her. Tonight. Now.
My phone tinged.
And then it tinged again.
It would be the Uber driver waiting downstairs.
I drew back, surprised at how ragged my breathing sounded. Her eyes were closed and her lips swollen and shiny from my kiss.
I had to swallow hard before I could talk again. “The driver.” My voice sounded hoarse so I cleared my throat. “The driver’s downstairs.”
By now her eyes had flown open and she’d dropped her leg. She also slipped behind that little wall I wanted to chip away at.
“Oh yeah.” She hugged her purse in front of her.
Grabbing her bag, I followed her downstairs and walked her out to the sidewalk. I knew we had great security in the building but wanted to be sure she made it safely into the vehicle.
The driver was in a newer Nissan. I should have just driven her myself. She climbed in and I held onto the door for a minute.
“Thank you, Hunter.” She looked a little sad. “For everything.” It was almost as though she was trying to tell me goodbye. I wasn’t ready for that though.
“I’ll text you.” I returned her stare confidently. “For that dinner.”
She looked a little pained but nodded.
I forced myself to close the damn door and watched the driver’s lights disappear down the empty street.
There was no way I’d let her duck out of our date.
She had my jacket.
And besides. Her shoes were still on the floor in my living room.
“Late night DeLuca?” Cannon had already worked up a sweat by the time I dragged my ass into the training room almost a half an hour late. I tossed my towel onto the floor and balanced myself on the large inflated ball. The trainers wanted me to focus on core strengthening. We were careful with what I did with my upper body. I needed mobility and stability.
Cannon was doing bicep curls and I was rolling around on a big rubber ball. “Later than I planned.” I didn’t want to tell him about Holly. Felt like I’d jinx things if I mentioned her to anyone.
“So how much did you go for? Did a little old lady win you? Or will you be fighting off a cougar?”
This I could answer.
“Ten K.” I grinned. Holly had been the highest bidder of the night. I wiped the smile off my face though when I remembered she probably was going to lose her job.
She hadn’t sounded too upset about it though. Which hadn’t made sense to me. When she’d mentioned studying psychology, her eyes had gone bright for all of two seconds. She hadn’t told me who her boss was. I had no idea who I’d be taking on the auctioned date.
The committee coordinators would send the details to both parties on Monday.
I’d get through it. Old lady, corporation or cougar. Right now, my mind was on Holly. I’d make it perfectly clear to whoever had paid that the auction date would be platonic.
I was isolating my obliques and rolled the exercise ball back and forth with my hips. I wanted to set up something special for my dinner with Holly. Something comfortable but memorable. I hadn’t ‘dated’ per se in years. I’d gone clubbing… shown up at events with beautiful women on my arm, and of course made the occasional booty call. But I hadn’t really dated.
“Where would you take a girl on a first date?” Cannon might be a little more knowledgeable about this stuff.
“The team’s setting up the date, man. You don’t have to worry about that.” He switched the barbell to his other arm. “So, she’s hot then? You want to impress her?” His eyebrows rose in astonishment.
“Nah. Not that date. A real one.”
Cannon finished his count and then burst out laughing. “No fucking way, man! Who is she?”
Damn, I’d asked for this. I should have kept my mouth shut. “Just some girl.” Except that she wasn’t. She had the warmest coffee colored eyes, the softest lips, perfect tits and my hands itched to squeeze that sweet little ass of hers… and I couldn’t think about this while I was rolling around on this fucking ball.
“Just some girl? Eh?”
“Dinner. Man. Where would you go?” I switched to my side and had to concentrate more so I wouldn’t fall off.
“Something on South Pearl Street.” Cannon came through.
Yes. Perfect. Not too flashy. Intimate. I’d gone there ages ago. Before moving to Atlanta. “Is that Greek restaurant still there?”
“Alesandro’s? Yep.” I wondered if she liked Greek food. If she hadn’t I’d love introducing it to her. I reached for my phone and pulled up her name.
Me: Do you like Greek food?
It was barely quarter to seven. She might not even be up yet. And then the three circles inside the bubble started bouncing up and down.
Holly: For breakfast?
I felt myself grinning stupidly.
Me: For our dinner.
Holly: It’s actually one of my favorites.
Me: I can pick you up at six.
I didn’t want to push her but neither did I have any desire to play games. I watched the screen for a full minute before she started writing again.
Holly: Ok. Are you sure you don’t want to just meet me there?
Me: Nope. Same address Uber took you to last night?
Holly: Yep.
Me: What are you wearing?
Holly: Don’t be a perv.
Me: Miss me?
I couldn’t help messing with her. I wished I could see her face. God, the way she looked after that kiss last night. The way she’d felt when I pressed into her core. I wanted more.
Holly: I’m going back to sleep.
I grinned and went back to my workout. After a minute I picked up my phone again.
Me: You’ll need it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Holly
There was no way I could tell him what I was wearing.
I snuggled deeper under my covers and sniffed his jacket again.
Yes. I slept in it. It was soft, and snuggly, and it smelled just like Hunter.
I’d bottle this scent if I could.
The fact that he was already up and planning his day shamed me. Rolling over I grabbed my journal and unclipped my favorite pen. Ever since Bernadette’s death I’d been trying to document my emotions. I’d been studying psychology for nearly six years now. This crap was supposed to work.
I wrote about how I met Hunter, Gert and Ralph, the stupid auction and before I knew it I was analyzing his guilt about one single pitch and how he had so totally embraced it. Old habits die hard.
Guilt.
I had my very own toxic relationship with it.
Hunter believed his one mistake had cost them the game. I didn’t really even consider it a mistake.
And it had cost him a ballgame.
My mistake had cost my best friend’s life.
My phone vibrated as another text came in.
Paralyzing anxiety struck at the speed of ligh
t when I saw that it wasn’t another playful comment from Hunter, but Star.
Star: Tell me you got him.
Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit! I just sat there. I realized I was going to have to fess up. I just hadn’t expected my time of reckoning to come so quickly. Which had been stupid of me. Of course, Star wouldn’t wait until Monday to ask me about it.
My finger hovered motionless over my phone as I tried to get up the courage to come clean.
“Holly!” My mother knocked once and then peaked in the door. “You were certainly late last night. Simon said Miss Martin sent you to bid at the auction for her. How exciting that you’re getting more responsibilities. Simon was afraid you might make him look bad, but I told him to trust you.” She carried her cup of coffee over to the foot of my bed and made herself comfortable “So how’d it go?”
“Great.” Her comment sucker punched me. “Just great.”
“To think that my daughter is responsible for setting up an interview with a United States Senator! Oh, Holly! I’m just so proud of you.” The smile on her face dropped when she noticed my journal sitting on my pillow. “We’ve been so worried about you sweetheart. You’re going out last night couldn’t have made me happier.” And then she wiped the corner of her eyes. “You have to let things go. Move on with your life.”
Even though my mother was trying to be helpful her words had the effect of fingernails on a chalkboard. She spoke as though Bernadette hadn’t mattered! Every time she said something like this I felt worse.
Except Mom was only trying to make me feel better. This wasn’t her fault.
“I’m trying mom,” was all I could get out. Those cold icy fingers wrapped around my heart and squeezed.
I’d been going through the motions. I journaled. I worked. I even exercised sometimes. My guilt was not something that would go away anytime soon. And then I pictured myself embracing it. Like a big comfy pillow, I clung to it tightly.
Mom rose from the bed and picked up some sweats and socks that were lying on the floor. When she came to my ‘clothes-horse-chair’ she lifted my dress from last night and held it out. “Oh, wow. Is this what you wore to the auction? I bet you looked amazing!” She then brushed at a few spots. “It needs to be dry cleaned. Want me to drop it off when I go out today?”
Mile High Madness: Six Colorado Contemporary Romances Page 5
