Chapter 14
SPENCER
Why can’t I stop watching her?
All night, I’ve kept my word, and April hasn’t left my side. Instead, I’ve played a part that I’m not exactly used to… Prince Charming.
I fill her glass with wine when it needs a refresh, I keep my arm permanently on the back of her chair as we watch the auction, and I listen with a keen ear when she talks to the table about her trip to Italy and adopting a dog.
April wanted gentlemanly and I’m giving it, but I’m not sure why I care so much. Probably because this woman is possessing my thoughts.
“I’ll be back.” April breaks my moment of being lost in my head.
“Huh?”
“Ladies' room. I’ll be back. Am I allowed, dear master?” she taunts me, clearly entertained. I stand up to help her pull her chair back, and her eyes turn strange. “Who are you when you wear a tux?” She seems astonished, and quite frankly, so am I.
“Cute. Real cute. I just believe I’m obeying your request that I be a gentleman tonight.”
She hums a response before swaying away, just as Ford is walking back to our table and holding out a glass of scotch for me.
“You are completely enamored.” Ford smirks to himself before taking a sip of his own glass.
We both sit down.
“She may be getting under my skin a little,” I admit. Assessing the area, everyone is busy eating desserts and sipping wine. There are a few sports stars here, but in true Lake Spark fashion, it’s the town mayor who takes center stage.
“I would be worried if she wasn’t. Besides, she looks completely into you. It’s funny watching you two together, like two teenagers with a crush.”
“Come on, Ford, it’s not that bad. Besides we’re just comfortable around each other since she is staying at my place.” I lean back in my seat and stare into my filled tumbler.
“And why is she staying with you? Oh yeah, because she already took a ride with you, consequences be damned.”
I flash him an unamused look. “Enough about me. Why are you here solo? Wasn’t the memo to bring a plus-one?”
His brows raise, as if he's surprised I asked, as I should realize the answer. “You know I don’t bring dates to my home turf. It wouldn’t feel right.”
Biting the corner of my mouth, a wave of empathy hits me. I’m an ass for asking, because he treats Lake Spark like holy ground, as it’s where he had his first real love and heartbreak, and if he had his way, then Brielle Dawson would also be his only love.
“How are you going with that?” I wonder.
He sighs a breath. “I see her every few weeks for ten minutes to discuss our boy and that’s it.”
I slap a hand on his back. “It'll work its way out. Besides, hockey season is about to start and will keep you busy.”
“Thank fuck for that.” He tips his head in the direction of the exit. “April is back. You’re good if I ask her to dance?”
Shooting him a warning glare, it causes him to chuckle.
I slide out of my chair and quickly charge a few steps to meet April halfway, and in a flash, I loop an arm around her middle.
She startles from surprise. “What in the world?”
“Let’s dance.”
“Really?” She seems skeptical. “You dance?” But she doesn’t protest and follows me to the dance floor where a slow song is playing.
A faint smile graces her lips when our eyes meet as we face one another, her arms finding a home around my neck as we move our bodies to the music.
“How was your temporary escape?” I joke.
“Not bad. Listening to the old ladies debate if the hockey player or baseball player is better suited for their granddaughter was absolutely amusing, especially when they realized I was standing there in line.”
I relax into this moment. “You’re the threat, clearly.” I feel my phone vibrate in the front pocket of my suit. “Sorry, let me quickly check that in case it's Hadley related.”
April’s eyes have a sort of admiration hinted in them; they sparkle, but that’s probably the light. “Absolutely.”
Reaching into my tux jacket, I slide out my phone and see that Piper texted. I swipe my thumb across the screen, and I can only internally celebrate the development.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” I tuck the phone back into my tux. “Piper took Hadley and Pickles back to her house, as the baby needed an extra change of clothes. Hadley is going to sleep there tonight since it's easier.”
“Lies, I tell you. There is no way that baby needed an extra change. Piper never leaves her house without at least three outfits for the kid.” April laughs.
Sounds about right. Piper did insert a winking emoji that I didn’t tell April about.
“Ah well, we are now in no rush or anything.” I pull April flush since I feel like I can let go tonight without restrictions.
“Or anything,” April barely echoes in a whisper.
It makes me scoff, as I like where her mind goes. “Having a good time despite being stuck with me?”
“Actually, this is kind of fun. Thank you for insisting I be your plus-one against my will.” She clicks the inside of her cheek with her tongue.
“I brought you flowers,” I remind her.
“You did, and you paid an exorbitant amount for the private chef at the Dizzy Duck for one night in the auction. I may soften my stance on you if you let me be your plus-one for that so I can assess if it’s a good menu.”
I twirl her around. “I think you’ve already softened your stance on me.”
“Maybe true,” she replies point blank, and her honesty catches me off guard.
I bring her hand to rest against my chest, near my heart that has been prodding me lately. “You would want to go back to the Dizzy Duck with me?”
“It is a dangerous location, but I do what I must for good food and conversation.”
“So now I’m good at conversation too?” I tease her.
She playfully swats my chest. “Sometimes. Outside of Hadley and baseball, you’re still kind of a mystery to me.”
“Really? What do you want to know?”
“Hmm, what would you do if you didn’t play baseball?”
I try to suppress my grin. “I only know baseball, but I’m not blind that at any moment it could all end, so I guess in the back of my mind, I would want to invest in a hotel or something. I studied business in college.”
“Okay, I guess that’s straightforward. Can I ask something else?” She focuses on her finger playing with the button on my white shirt. I nod. “Why are you so… unapproachable to most?”
I chortle a laugh. “Wow. Are you asking why I’m grouchy?
I’m not always. I just worked hard to get to where I am, I need to be focused.
My parents didn’t have much, I wasn't handed a silver spoon, but now I can have it all. And besides, what went down with Hadley… I have every reason to keep people at bay.” A ping deep within my heart aches.
“I get it, and I’m not going to say sometimes we need to move on to new chapters and try again. I’ve seen people at their worst too.”
“Their loss.”
“I think so,” she agrees.
We dance in place, swaying, our eyes piercing in a locked gaze. Inside, I feel an internal battle; the fact I kept the video, yet I'm thankful I did, otherwise we wouldn’t be here.
“You don’t hate me, do you? Like really hate me because I kept the video?”
Her chin tips up as she breathes a long breath.
“Detest isn’t hate. And… I don’t know. Is it strange that I’m not mad?
Fine. I admit it. I’m not that mad. A little nervous the whole world may see it, but at least I can say it led me on an adventure, with an added bonus of benefitting from your kitchen. ”
I debate what to say next but settle on simple. “I can live with that.” In the corner of my eye, I notice the floor clearing, and then it dawns on me that the music is fading. “We should probably head back.”
“Yeah, a good idea.”
I strip off my jacket to drape on her shoulders, and she gives me a peculiar look. “You gave me the standard of being on good behavior, remember? Plus, you must be freezing.”
“I think you wanted it that way.”
We begin to walk side by side, our arms grazing. “Why would that be, April?”
“Because you like when I suffer, despite whatever is going on in that head of yours, and I’m fairly confident that your mind is going wild.” She is sure of herself, and she isn’t far off.
The only clear point in my brain right now is that I feel lucky tonight.
Looking out the floor-to-ceiling living room window, I glance at the stars while I drink a nightcap. My tie hangs loose around my neck.
We had a silent ride back, and the moment we stepped inside the house April disappeared. Fair enough. I haven’t touched her to prove a point. I could have slipped my fingers between the slit of her dress to feel her wet and ready, but I refrained because I knew that was what she was expecting.
Now, I’m taking a moment to relish the fact that Hadley isn’t here, because off-season, I don’t have many breaks from being a dad, and during baseball season, I have no breaks from being a star pitcher. It’s all one continuous grind.
“Hey, can you help with this?” I hear April approaching behind me.
Turning halfway, I see she is indicating to the zipper that conveniently rests on her lower back, causing the dress to become a second skin to the curve of her ass.
Smirking to myself, I know what she is trying to do, but I’ll play along.
“Come here,” I say and set my drink on the side table.
April slowly turns in front of me, offering her back, and my fingers willingly find the zipper to tug, but I pause. Instead, I inhale her flowery perfume and feel bold.
“I’ll help you, but you have to do something for me.”
“What?”
“Take off your panties.”
I’m far too curious if my theory is correct.
She throws me a coy look over her shoulder, hesitating at first, but quickly skims the bottom of her dress up her silky legs and reaches under to pull down the black thong. It slides down her legs, and she steps out of them, holding them up for presentation.
I grab my prize, and my smirk of accomplishment is immediate. “My, my, someone has been soaking.” The fabric feels damp, and I bring it to my nose, her distinct smell as sweet as I know she tastes. Her lips part open as she watches me.
“Will you help me now?” Her brows arch.
I step closer to her, and I’m quick to shove the ball of panties into her mouth. She mumbles something from surprise but doesn’t spit them out. “Now I will.” My smirk is now cocky.
My fingers return to her zipper, and I pull slowly down, feeling the softness of her sparkly powdered skin and the firmness of the curve of her body.
The fingers of my other hand entwine in her hair to find any form of a clip, then I slide it out, which is followed by her hair falling loose around her shoulders.
“If you’re going to play the game then go all in with your efforts,” I suggest.
She glances over her shoulder with a wicked look and spits out the fabric. “Wishful thinking.” With purpose, she brings her arm to the bow at the back of her neck, tugging, before her arms come forward to shield her breasts as the fabric hangs loose around her body.
“Night, night. I need to go hang this up, as this dress is prone to wrinkles.”
She walks away, clearly satisfied with her performance, and I watch every step as she fades out of the room.
Blowing out a deep breath, I take one last sip of my drink to calm me then scoop up the destroyed thong.
I want the upper hand, and I will not go after her. Challenging April is the highlight of my day lately, and that means not doing what she would expect. I’ll just take a shower and go to bed.
Simple as that.
Five minutes later, I’m in my bathroom unbuttoning my shirt, waiting for the water in the shower to warm up, yet I can’t seem to commit. Physically, I don’t want to step under the stream to find relief.
Not when the best release is a few doors down.
What the fuck am I doing?
Everything inside me is going crazy for this woman.
All week, I’ve wanted to lead, but the truth is, she has the ability to make me follow.
To make me not use rational thought. Hell, I’ve invited her into my home and interwoven April into Hadley’s life.
I’m not the type of guy who thinks of a future with someone, but if I think of tomorrow then April is in every second of it.
This is frustratingly new. I should be mad at her just for that.
Fuck it.
I turn the water off, and in a full-speed walk, I head straight to April’s room.
Opening the door without a knock, I stand in the doorway to find her sitting in the middle of the bed, leaning against the headboard in sexy little pajama shorts and my old team t-shirt that she must have cut because it’s hanging off her shoulder and doesn’t go an inch below her belly button.
The smirk on her face is like she won the World Series.
She was waiting for me.
“There you are.” She plays coy, pretending to examine her nails. “A minute longer than I predicted.”
I shake my head, and my genuine smile from this situation spreads. I storm to her bed, take hold of her ankles, and pull her to the edge of the mattress. She squeals in approval.
“No fucking way we are doing this here. We’re heading to my bedroom,” I tell her before throwing her over my shoulder.