Chapter 8
8
The limo pulled up in front of Lila’s complex a few minutes before six. Climbing out of the car, Nando checked his cufflinks then checked his reflection in the window. Brushing his hand over his hair, he nodded to the driver before heading up to her door. Nerves that he thought only came out before the games started his shoulders tensing up. He flexed his hands before pressing the bell.
“Nando?” The voice came over the small speaker.
“Yeah, babe. It’s me.”
“Come on in.” He heard the lock click and he let himself inside.
“I’ll be out in a second!”
Nando raised his hand to his lips to check his breath. Hearing the footsteps from the hallway, he turned to smile and was suddenly struck speechless.
Red silk clung lovingly to the curves of her breasts, cinching tightly to her waist before falling in graceful folds over her hips. Crystals and sequins decorated the bodice, sparkling in the light. A tiny string of clear crystals hung from her ears, the matching necklace with its large red pendant drawing his gaze to her shadowed decolletage. Her hair, which he’d only seen in either a messy bun or up in a clip, tumbled over one shoulder in curls that brushed the top of her bodice. She smiled up at him, eyes sparkling, filled with mirth.
“Lila, you look…” he swallowed hard. “Wow, you look beautiful.”
“Thanks.” Her voice was soft and throaty. “You’re looking pretty amazing yourself.”
“The limo is outside if you’re ready to go.” He checked his watch nervously.
“Just let me get my purse.” Lila went to the dining table and picked up a matching red purse and a red silk wrap. “I have to take real pictures tonight. When I told my cousin where I was going tonight, she said ‘Pics or it didn’t happen’.”
His hand settled on her lower back as he guided her out the door, securing it behind them. “There’ll be plenty of photographers there tonight, and once we get in, everyone takes pictures for the socials and for PR, so I hope you don’t mind smiling for everyone.”
“Photographers? Like paparazzi?” she half-squeaked. “Why?”
“Because it’s the team, and the guys are celebrities.”
She gave a nervous giggle. “Does that mean I’m gonna be in the newspaper?”
He nodded. “And on tv probably.”
“Well, shit.” She started laughing.
“What’s wrong?” Nando asked, a puzzled smile on his lips.
“That bitch is gonna want ice cream.”
“What?”
“Jo and I have this deal. Whenever either of us is on tv or in the news, we owe the other person ice cream. I get on the news sometimes because of the blood drive, but she was on the news all the time when she came back from deployment, when she was interviewed by the Navy Times, even when she was graduating early. And I always demanded gelato from her.” At his grin, she continued, “And now she’s gonna demand some fucking ice cream.”
Their laughter followed them into the car.
Photographers were nothing new for Nando. When he was in college, he was one of their poster boys and ended up on several of the athletic recruiting brochures. Once he was drafted, the photographers followed him like any of the other prospects. The PR folks liked him because he took direction well. He ended up on the posters and banners for the team, making him one of the more popular players. Luckily, he had the skills to keep his popularity.
To keep Lila from being overwhelmed, Nando kept his hand on her waist, turning with her, nodding to the photographers and smiling with her. Being one of the new guys, he wasn’t asked very many questions, but was polite and personable when responding to the reporters. Overall, it was pretty painless for both of them.
Once inside, Nando introduced her to his teammates. Lila smiled and shook hands with the gentlemen, traded air kisses with the ladies, and chit-chatted with everyone as they made the rounds. Finally, they took their seats and dinner was served.
Around them, the conversation was mostly about what everyone planned on doing during the off season. This was when Lila found out Nando was heading back to Arizona to be with his family for the holidays.
“When are you leaving?”
Nando shrugged. “I haven’t bought my tickets yet, but I was planning for in a week or two.”
“You’re not sure?” she asked.
“I need to make sure my place is all taken care of while I’m away.” Nando drained his water glass and called the waiter over.
“Don’t you have a service or something that takes care of that?”
“Usually, I just ask my landlord to keep an eye on things, but I have to come back early and talk to him about my lease.”
“Lease?” Lila was confused. “Don’t you have like a ridiculously huge house like all ball players?”
Nando just laughed. “Babe, I just signed my first multi-year majors contract. Before that, I was making minor league money.”
“But you’re making more money now, so you can get yourself a stupid big house.”
Brooks watched their conversation with interest. “Would a stupid big house be a turn on for you?” he teased.
Lila shook her head. “I have my own place, I understand why folks would want one, but I never understood those stupid big houses unless you had a family like that one football daddy with eight kids.”
“Not looking forward to a big family?”
She snorted. “Not that big.” Shaking her head, “Even with the right guy, eight kids are too much. Four, maybe five at the most.” Raising an eyebrow at Brooks, she asked, “Why, are you volunteering?”
“I would,” Brooks teased, “But I think my man here would have an issue with that.”
“I most definitely would,” Nando said, smiling at Lila.
“Well,” Lila drawled, “since I hate causing issues, I’ll guess I’ll see what this guy has planned, but keep you as a backup, if you’re interested.” She winked at Nando.
Nando just shook his head. “I can go if you want…”
Brooks patted Nando’s shoulder. “I’m just busting your chops, rookie.”
Lila just laughed and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. “Dude, please. You promised me dancing and good dessert.” She leaned back into him, pulling his arms around her waist.
A crooked smile curled on his lips as he felt her relax into his chest. He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Speeches and team awards first, then dancing.”
“And dessert?”
“I have gelato at mine, angel.” He glanced back at Brooks, who waggled his eyebrows and held his drink up in a silent toast.
“So back to your place for dessert…” Her voice was soft and husky. At his cough, she added, “After dancing.”
Nando won “Rookie of the Year” from the coaches, and “Good Puppy” from the team. He also won a case of instant ramen for being the bargain pay-wise compared to his success. Finally, Brooks won the “Player of the Year” award, awarded to the man with the most hook-ups in the season. Nando watched him accept the award with good humor, leering at the base bunnies and cleat chasers in attendance before coming back and tossing it on the table.
The ladies at the table excused themselves to the restroom. Brooks watched Nando as Lila left and chuckled. “Why do I get the feeling you won’t ever be in the running for my award?”
Nando returned to the table with a beer for himself and a rum and cola for her. She stood up as he approached, set the glass on the table and wrapped her arm around his waist, looking up into his eyes. He smiled down at her as the DJ started the first slow songs. Lady in Red started and they walked to the floor where he swung her out then twirled her into his arms.
Her perfume was warm and sweet, and all he wanted to do was run his tongue over the bare skin of her shoulders to see if she tasted as good as she smelled. Taking a deep breath, he pulled her closer, moving them across the floor with the music. They moved like water, as if they were perfect puzzle pieces fitting together. He swung her around, eliciting a breathy giggle from her before pulling her back into his arms, smiling down at her. She rose up on her toes and brushed a kiss across his mouth.
Everything faded away with the feel of his lips on hers. His arms tightened around her body, lifting her into the kiss, her arms curling around his neck. His cologne was warm and spicy, and her body curved into his. She felt safe, protected in his embrace, like she was something precious.
Wolf whistles and calls of “Get a room!” broke through the moment. He gave her a crooked smile.
“I’d apologize, but I’m not really sorry.”
“Me either.”
The rest of the evening was a blur. They danced to almost every song. His teammates partnered her whenever he stepped away to get drinks, much to his chagrin. Even Brooks took a turn around the dance floor with her. She seemed a bit nervous dancing with his friends, but he gave her a nod and smiled. “Just save me a few dances.”
As he watched her lead a line dance with a few of the wives, Andy Rodrigo, one of the team captains, came up, handing him a beer. “I see your girl found my wife’s weakness.”
“The Electric Slide?” Nando laughed, taking the bottle from him.
“The DJ played that damn song three times at our wedding reception, and I had to drag my ass across the dance floor the whole time.” Andy shook his head. “Better her than me.”
Nando clinked his bottle with Andy’s.
“She seems like a nice girl.”
“She is.” Nando watched her shimmy across the floor with Andy’s wife.
“How did you meet?”
“She’s a vampire.” At Andy’s confused expression, “She was one of the phlebotomists at the blood drive. She kept me from passing out and we just kind of hit it off.”
“You did look a little green that day.” The music changed to the Cha Cha Slide, and more folks went to the floor. Andy’s wife caught his gaze and waved him over. Andy swigged the last of his beer and set down the bottle, then clapped Nando on the shoulder. “Come on, rookie. We’re being summoned.”
Nando set his bottle on the table and followed Andy to the dance floor, taking his place next to Lila. “You weren’t kidding about dancing, were you?”
“Nope. What about you, ‘ney?”
Smiling, he waited for a beat then continued the next set of steps, moving along with her. They danced a little longer before he took her hand in his and led her back to their table. Handing her a drink, he asked, “ Did you call me Knee?”
Her giggle was soft. “Ney, short for Honey. You’ve been calling me babe and angel; I can’t keep calling you ‘poseur…’ unless you deserve it.”
The beat changed again, and he pulled her into him, his lips barely brushing hers. “I like it, angel.”
She shifted against him, pressing her warm body against his. “When can we blow this popsicle stand?”
“Soon,” he promised. “The team always rents the top floor rooms for an after party. As a rookie, I need to make an appearance and say my hellos and goodbyes to the guys that are leaving the team.”
“Then after that?”
“Dessert.” He kissed her, nibbling her lip. “Then maybe gelato, if you’re good.”
“Baby, I’m always good.”
He smiled widely then. “I’m sure you are.”
The pleasant alcoholic buzz he had going from the party faded as they arrived back at his place. In its place was another kind of energy that had him wanting to keep touching her, keep her close. Her perfumed warmth made him impatient to get her home and into his arms.
He grabbed a few peppermints from the afterparty and crunched on them as he helped her out of the limo and into his building. His apartment was on the fourth floor; he guided her into the elevator and pressed her into the corner as the doors closed.
“So, dessert,’ he purred, pressing kisses along her neck.
“Am I dessert, Nando?” she sighed, leaning into him.
He couldn’t get to his door fast enough.
Once they were inside, he pulled her into his arms again, kissing her with an urgency he hadn’t felt with any of the other girls he’d been with. Her hands slid into his coat and slid it off his shoulders, the heat of her palms warm against his body. He pulled impatiently at his tie as she slowly unbuttoned his vest, sliding it off his body.
“I thought you wanted gelato…” he murmured against her skin, his hands skimming over her body.
She nibbled his lip as she toyed with the buttons on his shirt. “I want my dessert.”
His mouth was on hers as he carried her into his bedroom.