Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Max
Sun streamed in the patio doors overlooking the ocean, making me blink when I opened my eyes in the morning.
But I couldn’t complain. It was a beautiful sight.
After a few beats while I oriented myself to the unfamiliar environment, the previous night’s events flooded in.
Sitting up in bed, I looked over and found her staring at me, eyes and smile wide as she lay on her side looking comfortable and beguiling at the same time.
Looking like she wouldn’t mind if I jumped in bed with her. My cock sure as hell got ready quick.
“Good morning.” My voice came out rusty and I was about to get out of bed, but thought better of it. I needed to give my dick enough time to get over the open invitation in the next bed. Like that was ever going to happen.
“It is a good morning. Sun’s shining and I’m here with you.”
I sat all the way up and swung my feet over the opposite side from her. If I stepped outside without facing her, I could go out on the deck and douse the erection with some bracing ocean air. I stood and reached for the door.
“I think I’ll check the weather.” One of the lamest lines I’ve ever uttered to a woman in the morning.
Not that I could remember the last time that woman was not my ex-wife.
Opening the door, I slipped outside. Between the cool breeze and the thought of Liz-the-ex, I was cured quickly of my overexcited cock.
And it was a good thing because Red followed me through the door and stood beside me at the rail.
Dressed in only the borrowed T-shirt, she was undaunted and proceeded to stretch like a cat. A very sexy cat. Shit.
“How about some coffee?”
“Perfect idea. Let me brush my teeth.” She reached a hand out and ran it across the stubble on my jaw. The warm touch of her hand lit me up like I was a live wire. I suppose I was.
“I like the morning-after look on you.”
“Too bad there was no night before the morning after.” I couldn’t believe I let the fucking words leave my lips uncensored, but staring into her passion-filled eyes, with the total lack of guile, only raw sensuality in every molecule of her, affected me.
I was not immune to her evocative nature in the least.
She let me off the hook with the quirk of one brow and went inside.
I attributed my luck to the chill in the air since I saw her shiver as she padded quickly to the bathroom.
I went back inside and got the coffee maker started.
I threw on some gym shorts, socks and sneakers, and a jacket in record time.
It didn’t take her long and she came out of the bathroom with her dress on and hair still wild. She looked like a wet dream, like a centerfold. I kept my mouth clamped shut before I said anything else stupid. Instead I handed her a cup of coffee.
“Thank you. I appreciate a man who knows how to make coffee.” She took a sip, black. So did I. She sat in the chair and looked ready to talk—or in her case, flirt.
I set the coffee down, barely touched. “Well, I better get in the bathroom. I’ll only be a minute.” I had to get out of her presence. If I didn’t, I’d rip the dress off her and start the morning off the way I knew we both wanted.
I escaped behind the door and took care of business. I thought of taking a shower. If I took long enough, she might leave.
But was that what I really wanted? We were both guests at this wedding and I had to deal with her for the duration.
I ought to deal with her and enjoy myself while I was at it.
But there was Coach’s warning. And there was Red’s vulnerability, if I was honest with myself, stopping me in my tracks more than anything else.
She was no heartbreaker. She was more likely to get her own heart broken.
And there was no way in hell I wanted to be guilty of that sin. Skipping the shower, I went back into the room with her to finish my coffee.
“So you said you teach kindergarten. What school?”
She put aside the brochure she’d been perusing and flashed her bright blue eyes and perfect teeth at me.
“In Revere, where I live. I’m a hometown kind of girl. Never strayed far.”
A spike of understanding hit me.
“I consider myself lucky to be back in Boston, my hometown. I was gone, floating around the league for far too long it seemed. It feels good to be back, to give my girls some roots.”
“Tell me about your girls.”
“Twins. Tori and Trish. The tempest and the teapot.”
She laughed big at that, one of my stock lines, but a perfect summary of my two little ones.
I drained my coffee, trying to keep my blood from simmering while I enjoyed the sound of her laugh, enjoyed the special light in her eyes, the pale perfection of her skin.
So much of it exposed above the bodice of her dress. I cleared my throat.
“They sound so wonderful and interesting. I’d love to—”
“I have to get going,” I stood, cutting her off.
I didn’t want to get into a ridiculously premature discussion about her meeting my girls.
“I need to go for my morning run. Gotta stay in shape. No days off.” Then, because I was out of my flipping mind, I asked, “Would you like to join me? I’ll be running along the beach. It’s a gorgeous morning.”
“Yes, I’d love to. Walk me back to my room first. Wait for me while I change. I’ll take a shower after we run.”
She made it all seem so simple, so natural, so much like we were together.
And I wasn’t going to get rid of her for the rest of the weekend.
Even if I’d wanted to. Which, because I’d vowed to be completely honest myself since my marriage fell apart after eight years, I had to say that I did not want to get rid of her.
Not that I wanted to openly defy Coach either, we’d need to be discreet.
Taking a long look over her anything-but-discreet body and her brilliant, flashing, far from innocent yet genuine smile, my heart sped up exponentially, taking off faster than a wide-out on a run to the end zone.
It was only half caused by the excitement of Natalie.
The rest was smart trepidation about Coach’s reaction should he notice we were together.
“Let’s go—but remember—we need to be inconspicuous.”
She nodded, but took my hand anyway. I let her because . . . I had no idea why. Didn’t want to dwell on it when I opened the door and looked both ways down the hall as if we were thieves in the night. I said over my shoulder to her with a wink, “Coast is clear.”
She giggled and my cock jumped. Again. Damn.
I was going to need to recite The Cat In The Hat in my head if I wanted to calm my cock enough for a run.
We left the room and I let go of her hand.
She let me as we walked back to her suite.
When she went to slip her card in the door, I covered her hand and stopped her.
“Let’s give them some warning. It’s only seven-thirty.” I knocked on the door. A few seconds later we heard muffled voices.