Chapter 23
NATE
The car rolled to a stop as we pulled into the empty parking lot.
Becca peered through the windshield, her eyes widening at the driving range in front of us. “Why does this place look closed?”
The place was empty for a Saturday afternoon, but it was exactly how I preferred it. There would be no phones shoved in my face. No kids asking for autographs. Just me and the beautiful woman at my side.
“It’s not technically closed. It’s open for a private event.”
She pushed her sunglasses up into her hair. “There is literally no one here.”
“That’s the point.” I grinned.
She twisted her body sideways. “What did you do?”
I turned the car off and unbuckled my seat belt. “I rented it out for a few hours.”
Her mouth parted open. “You did what?”
I shrugged like it was no big deal. “I thought it would be more fun without a crowd.”
The corner of her mouth lifted. “You mean fewer people staring and asking you for selfies?”
“That too,” I admitted.
Renting this place might have been overkill, but watching her step out of my Audi in a pair of tight jeans and a form-hugging top, while the afternoon sun shone down on her, was totally worth it.
Becca turned slowly in a circle as if she were trying to make sense of my outrageous idea. “I’ve never been to a driving range before.”
“Really?” I said, grabbing her hand and leading her to the entrance.
She shook her head. “Not once. I’ve done mini golf but never this.”
“Well, you’re in luck. They have a mini golf course too.” I bumped her shoulder playfully. “You can show off your skills.”
“Don’t get too excited. I only went a few times while on vacation with my parents. Once with my friends in high school.”
The place smelled of freshly cut grass as we walked through the gate and stepped inside. There was a young kid behind the counter, greeting us with a smile.
“You know, most people go on normal dates.” There was amusement in her voice, but I think she liked the idea of it being just the two of us.
“That is true, but if you’re looking for a normal guy, that ain’t me, sweetheart.”
I passed the kid a one-hundred-dollar bill and thanked him. He grabbed his backpack and scattered off, leaving us with the whole place to ourselves.
She laughed softly as she watched the kid jog out the door. “I still can’t believe you did this. You don’t think this is a little over the top?”
“Nah. An empty driving range means that I have you all to myself without any interruptions.”
I grabbed two buckets of balls while Becca went over and picked out her club. I tried hard not to stare at how her hips swayed in those fitted jeans.
I needed to focus and behave and not come across as a creep who couldn’t keep my hands to myself.
Becca grabbed a club without hesitation. She walked over to the green tee mat like she’d done this a million times.
I stood back and crossed my arms, watching her line her ball up with way too much confidence for a girl who had just grabbed the wrong club.
“Want some help?” I asked, trying to hold back my grin.
“I didn’t realize you were a golf instructor too.”
I chuckled and pushed away from the divider. “Feet apart and bend your knees,” I said, stepping up behind her, which was a big mistake. The scent of her shampoo hit me. It was something light and sweet, making it hard to concentrate.
She glanced at me over her shoulder. “I know that. I don’t need instructions.”
I held my hands up and backed away, not bothering to mention that she grabbed a wedge instead of a driver.
“I’m probably a little rusty. So, do not make fun of me.”
My lips twitched. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Becca adjusted her grip on the club, which was all wrong. It looked like she was holding a garden hose instead of a club, but I didn’t dare say a word. She pulled the club back and swung. The ball skimmed across the grass, probably no more than twenty feet, before it came to an embarrassing stop.
She turned to me and winced. “That was just a warm-up.”
I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. “Gotcha.” I grabbed my 3-wood from the stand and wrapped my hands tightly around the rubber grip.
I adjusted my shoulder, lining up the stance, and took the club back.
I could feel Becca’s eyes on me as my club connected with the ball with a sharp clicking sound.
It flew across the open field, landing about two hundred and fifty yards in the open green.
She let out a little huff. “You are so annoying. Do you have to be good at everything?”
I set my club down. “I golf a lot during the off-season.”
She walked back up to the mat, still clutching the same useless wedge.
“Give me that.” I took it from her hands and swapped it for an oversized driver. “Here,” I stepped closer, “try this.”
She planted her feet together. I could see the determination in her stance, but it was still off. So, I stepped behind her, adjusting her grip on the club. “Loosen your fingers,” I said, sliding my hand over hers.
She stiffened from our close proximity. “Like this?”
I reached around her, flexing my hands on her hips, making sure she was aligned right. “There. That’s better.”
She inhaled a deep breath. “Are you sure you’re trying to help me improve my golf swing or are you just looking for excuses to touch me?”
“Both. Now spread your legs a little wider,” I said into her ear, guiding her hips into position.
She gasped. “Jesus! Thank God there is no one here. That came out all wrong.”
I laughed into her hair. “Actually, it came out pretty good when I said that to you last night.”
She gave me the side-eye. “Stop trying to distract me on purpose. If I miss this shot, I’m blaming you.”
I stepped back, giving her some space. She moved around me, lined her ball up, and swung the club.
The ball actually went into the air this time as opposed to rolling along the ground. It wasn’t as far as mine, but it was a decent shot.
Her head snapped to mine. “Did you see that?”
I smiled at the pride lighting up her face. And damn, if that didn’t hit me square in the chest.
“See what a difference using the right club can make?”
We spent the next thirty minutes swinging clubs and sending balls flying across the range. Her game didn’t improve much, but Becca was a good sport. She was laughing, happy, and having a good time. Which was exactly what I wanted.
I glanced down at my watch. “Okay. We only have an hour left. Do you want to keep hitting balls, or move over to mini golf?”
“Mini golf, and you better not show off over there too.”
“I can’t make any promises.”
We walked side by side toward the mini-golf course, adjacent to the driving range. I was thankful that the weather held off today. There was a slight chance of an afternoon shower, but so far, the sun was still out, and the temperature was warm enough that we didn’t need a jacket.
The day couldn’t be any more perfect in my opinion.
“You know,” Becca said casually as I opened the gate to the fenced-in area, “I think we should make things more interesting. How about the loser has to buy drinks later?”
My forehead creased slightly. “You feel confident enough to pull that off?”
She looked smug for a girl who had barely hit half of her shots straight. “I do, why? Afraid you’re going to lose?”
I shook my head, fighting back a grin. “You’re on, Press Girl. Let’s see what you got.”
Becca practically sprinted to the empty counter like she had something to prove. She grabbed a putter from the bucket and held it out. “See, I know which club to use this time.”
“Good job. I’m proud of you,” I said, trying to keep a straight face. I wasn’t sure if she knew it or not, but the only difference between the clubs was the length and grip colors.
She rolled her eyes but smiled as she stepped up to the first hole with a serious expression on her face. She pushed her tongue out between her lips. She was so damn cute.
She lined up her first shot, paused, and looked up at me. “You ready to lose, hotshot?”
I crossed my feet at the ankles and leaned against the fence. “Do your worst.”
She tapped the ball lightly, and to my absolute surprise, I watched the ball roll straight down the green and drop into the hole.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered.
She threw her hands up in triumph. “Yes. Eat dirt and die.”
I shook my head with a laugh. “Don’t get too cocky. That’s what they call beginner’s luck.”
She stepped away, still grinning. Her smile was bright and cheerful, like she was seconds away from giving her victory speech.
I stepped up to the green and slanted my legs. I lined my ball up like I’d done this a thousand times. Because I had. There was nothing challenging about this. I could make this putt in my sleep.
I glanced at Becca, who was off to the side watching me. “You ready to be impressed with my skills again?” I winked.
“I don’t know. What are the chances we both get a hole in one?”
I licked my lips when she adjusted the string of her blouse, revealing the outline of her black lace bra. When I lifted my eyebrow, silently asking what she was doing. The woman was messing with my head, and she knew it too.
“Becca, are you trying to distract me?”
“I’m just making sure you don’t cheat.”
I made the mistake of glancing over at her. She pushed the neck of her top aside to adjust her bra strap. That’s what I saw when my putter connected with the ball. It rolled forward, veered to the left, and slowed about an inch from the cup. Motherfucker, it stopped an inch short.
I stood there and glared, waiting for it to magically start rolling forward the rest of the way.
There was a burst of laughter behind me. “Impressive.”
I stepped forward while her laughter got louder. “You did that on purpose.”
“While I am capable of doing a lot of things, making a ball stop short isn’t one of them.” She shook her head, pretending to be disappointed in me. “That was an easy shot.”
“No, shit.”
She patted my shoulder. “Too bad. Better luck next time. You can’t win them all.”
I leaned in, lowering my voice. “You really going to make fun of me?”
“What? You were an inch short. It happens. Maybe I’ll add that into the article.”
I laughed despite myself. “Can’t say anyone has ever accused me of being an inch short before.”
Her lips parted when she realized how close we were. “Someone has to keep that ego of yours in check.”
“If you keep looking at me like that, we are never going to finish this game.”
The corners of her mouth curved in satisfaction. “I thought you always finished.”
What little restraint I’d been holding on to was ready to snap.
I slid my hand up her back and curled my fingers into her shirt.
I ran my nose along her jaw. “Oh, trust me. I always finish. You just have me rethinking my priorities right now. You can’t provoke a man like that and expect me not to want to follow through with that threat. ”
She laughed. “Pretty sure you’re the one who started this.”
She wasn’t wrong. But unfortunately, common sense wasn’t doing much for me at the moment. Not with her standing so close, looking at me like she was waiting for me to take this to a place that could get us both in trouble if we didn’t stop.
Without thinking, my thumb slipped under her shirt, knowing without a doubt if I kept going, she wouldn’t do a damn thing to stop me. “You have no idea how much I want you. It doesn’t matter where we are.”
I wanted to play it cool. I totally planned on keeping my hands to myself today because I didn’t do a very good job of doing that last night. But the girl was playing with fire, and even though I could get burned, I still couldn’t bring myself to step away.
She watched me slowly and carefully, as if she were thinking the same thing and was trying to talk herself out of this.
She moved closer, and when she brushed her hand along my chest, I lost the last thread of control I’d been holding on to.
I slanted my mouth over hers, jerking her into me. She didn’t stop me or pull away. Instead, she pressed her warm, soft body against mine, and I swear to God, my brain betrayed me.
Becca kissed me back fiercely, clutching my shoulder, like she needed something to hold on to. Her lips parted, and I took advantage and slid my tongue through the seam of her lips. I could taste the sweet strawberry lip gloss she wore. It was addicting, and the flavor was seared into my brain.
The fact that we were standing outside where anyone could see us should have stopped me, but I was so far gone for this girl, I couldn’t think straight.
Her hands slid up into my hair, tugging it gently.
“You are killing me,” I said, dragging my tongue along her lips. My cock was rock hard and ready for action.
It didn’t take much with this woman.
Her answer was to kiss me harder, increasing a sense of urgency down below. My greedy hands drifted higher up her back along the thin fabric of her top. Becca arched into me, like she was daring me to press things further.
I backed her up against the fence near the edge of the course. I was going further than common sense allowed. This wasn’t smart. It wasn’t safe. But I couldn’t bring myself to give a damn.
My mouth moved along her jaw, leaving a path of hot, warm kisses. Becca tilted her head back, giving me better access.
“We’re getting too carried away,” she rasped, though she didn’t sound like she wanted to stop.
“I always get carried away with you. I don’t know any other way.”
Her fingers dug into my scalp as I kissed my way back to her mouth, claiming her lips again.
Then a loud bang echoed somewhere in the distance.
We both went still. She jerked back slightly, looking for where the noise came from.
I glanced toward the maintenance shed. It sounded like the tractor that picked up the balls had backfired while starting.
It was just enough to snap me back to reality.
“We should stop. There is someone here.”
I brushed my thumb lightly along her side. Her eyes were a little dazed, and her lips were swollen.
That caused a smile to break out across my face.
“We’ll finish this later.” I kissed the tip of her nose and shook my head in disbelief at how carried away we got.
There was a playful smirk on her face. “You sound like you have something to prove now.”
“Damn right, I do, and I plan on taking my sweet-ass time doing it.”