Just This Once (25 page)

“You’re looking more fit than last time I saw you,” he
commented, when she opened the door to him the next day. “I didn’t ring. Didn’t
want to hear you tell me to stay away.”

“Too thin, though,” he frowned, stepping inside and giving
her a gentle hug.

 “Still a little tired,” she admitted. “But I’m much better.
It must be those Southern Hemisphere germs. I don’t usually get sick. Come in
and tell me about the game.”

“Maybe I should take you to my house this weekend instead,”
he decided. “That way I can feed you.”

“I don’t have much in my fridge,” she agreed. “I’m not sure
I have anything to fix us for lunch, even. So if your entertainment standards
aren’t too high today, then yes, please.”

“I think you’d better take me home at the break,” she sighed
that evening, resting in Drew’s arms as they lay on the couch and watched
another rugby game on TV. “I’m falling asleep.”

“No worries. I’ll carry you up to bed if you do.”

“I’m not sure I’m up for much tonight,” she told him
hesitatingly. “I should probably just go home and sleep.”

He shifted position so he could look at her. “Do you think I
only want you around if we can have sex?” he asked bluntly. 

She dropped her gaze, not sure how to answer. “Yes” seemed a
little too honest, even for her.

“I want you here because I enjoy being with you,” he told
her, as gently as he could manage. “It was pretty hard going, this week. Just
want to relax, now I’m home again. You help me do that.”

“Besides,” he added with a grin, “If I take good care of
you, maybe you’ll be feeling better tomorrow.”

“You’re looking a bit more flash today,” he told her
approvingly when she arrived in the kitchen the next morning as he was
finishing his breakfast.

“A lot more rested.” Still in her nightgown, she stepped
across to the electric jug to make herself a cup of tea. “I can’t believe I
slept till eight-thirty.”

“It’s good for you. We’ll have a quiet day, let you finish
getting well.”

“I meant to ask you about that—well, sort of about that.
Last week, before I got sick,” she said cautiously, sitting down next to him.
“Reka said I should talk to you.”

“About what?”

“About whether we’re exclusive. Or if we have—what she
called an open relationship.” Hannah frowned into her mug of tea. “It’s
important to me. And I realized we’d never discussed it.”

“No,” he said immediately. “No open relationship. Definitely
closed.”

“I know Reka’s curious,” he went on, not pleased. “Surprised
she’d say something like that, though. How did this come up?”

“Not out of the blue. She wasn’t really being nosy. I’d
mentioned that some of my coworkers had invited me to do things. We were
talking about how I’ve been settling in here. And then she asked, I guess if we
were dating other people. And I realized that we should have that conversation.”

“Because fellas at work are asking you out,” he said flatly.

“I should have guessed that’s the one part of what I just
said that you’d hear. No big deal. A couple guys asked. I’m new there. And I’m
young and single,” she said dismissively.

“Sounds like I should come by tomorrow, pick you up after
work,” he decided.

“No,” she told him firmly. “No, you aren’t going to do that.
Because, first,” she said when he would have argued, “I can take care of
myself. I know how to say no. I should be more worried about whether you do.
I’ve had years of practice, remember? I don’t think you have.”

He took her hand, threaded his fingers through hers. “I know
how to say no. And I am,” he promised. “Still, I’d be happier if I could show my
face around there.”

“And terrify all those poor guys with your Laser Eyes?” She
shook her head. “No thanks. For the same reason I didn’t want you to ‘put in a
word’ for me when I was looking for a job. I’m just establishing myself.
Building some credibility. Having you turn up would be a distraction. It would
keep people from evaluating me on what I can do, on my own performance.”

“Right, then,” he agreed grudgingly. “But if anyone bothers
you, you need to tell me, and I
will
turn up.”

“Don’t worry.” She moved closer, stroking his cheek. “If
anyone is so overcome by my great beauty that I can’t get rid of him, I’ll send
in my big, strong, fierce rugby player to sort him out.” She punctuated her
words with delicate kisses, enjoying the texture of his skin under her lips.
She’d missed him so much this past week. It was wonderful to be able to hold
him, touch him again.

He pulled her into his lap, his hands moving over her in her
nightgown. “Seems to me, since you’re obviously feeling better, that I’d better
take you back to bed, work on making sure our relationship stays closed.”

Lying with her later, holding her against him, he frowned,
remembering. “What was that bit about my Laser Eyes back there?”

“You know,” she answered, relaxed and a little sleepy again
now. “When you stare somebody down like you do. Coming out onto the field,
especially. Or during the game. That fierce thing you do. You look really
scary.”

“Wonder why you never do what I say, then,” he grumbled.

She laughed, snuggled closer, and kissed his cheek. “Because
it wouldn’t be good for you. And because you don’t use the Laser Eyes on me,”
she added honestly.

“Good to know I don’t scare you, anyway,” he said, stroking
his hand down her side, and then sliding it back up to a breast.

“You thrill me a little, though,” she sighed, her breath
catching as his hand explored. “That’s better, don’t you think?”

“Definitely,” he agreed.

“It hasn’t been much fun for you since you got down here,” Drew
commented the next Sunday. He had a leg propped on his coffee table, with an
icepack on his thigh, badly bruised during the previous night’s game. “Hardly
taken you out at all, have I.”

“I went to the game last night,” she pointed out. “Watching
you play is about all the excitement I can handle. When you limped off there, I
was plenty stirred up. Besides, I told you, I’m not used to going out much.
Having dinner at home with you works fine for me.”

“Still,” he persisted. “Some of the younger boys are going
clubbing Tuesday night, before we leave for Jo-burg. Somebody needs to be there
anyway, make sure it’s not too much of a piss-up. I thought you might enjoy
it.”

“Chaperoning, huh? That sounds about my speed,” she
conceded. “I might have to work late, though. We’re finishing a project. Can I
meet you there?”

“If you wear something pretty. You’re not
my
chaperone.”

She did take some extra time getting dressed that Tuesday.
Mindful of Emery’s frequent strictures, she chose a flirty pale blue dress that
landed above the knee, shorter than she would normally have worn to work. Tiny
shell buttons ran from the V-neck to the hem, while the nipped-in waist and
softly draping material showed off her curvy figure. She would keep her hair up
until after work, she decided, and would wear a jacket over the dress during
the day. Still, the extra looks she garnered from a few of the men at work made
her uncomfortable. Back to the Wicked Queen tomorrow, she vowed.

She stepped into the noisy club with its pulsing music at
eight that evening, feeling a bit frazzled and not sure this was still a good
idea. When she looked around without seeing Drew or anyone else she recognized,
she thought for a craven moment about turning around and leaving again.

“Hannah!” She turned at the call and saw Kevin hurrying
toward her.

“Good to see you,” he beamed cheerfully. “Drew’s held up for
a few minutes, asked me to look out for you. We’re over here.” He motioned her
to a corner table where four or five of his young teammates sat with several
women, one of whom she recognized from Reka’s party. Kevin quickly introduced
her to those she didn’t know.

“Good to meet you,” said a striking young man, his Maori
ancestry showing in the bronzed skin and strong, chiseled body, whom Kevin
introduced as Koti James. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Beer sounds good tonight,” she smiled at him. “Whatever’s
on tap. Thank you.”

Koti came back with two glasses and slid in beside her. “So
how do you know our boy Kevvie? You aren’t together, are you?” he asked, watching
Kevin chat up a pretty blonde at the table.

“I’ve met him a few times. And I’ve seen him play. I’ve seen
you too, I think, haven’t I?”

Koti flashed a dazzling smile, white in his handsome face.
“Reckon so, if you’ve been going to the games. Glad you noticed me. You’re from
the States, eh. Just visiting, or do you live here?”

Too late, Hannah realized he was flirting with her. She had
to get better at this, she thought in despair. “I’m living here now,” she
smiled cautiously, unsure how to explain. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw
Ben nudge Kevin and nod in her direction.

“I’ve been enjoying learning more about rugby since I’ve
been here,” she went on, trying to keep the conversation neutral. “The games
are exciting, though I’m afraid I don’t understand the rules very well yet.”

“I could explain them to you,” Koti said confidently. “I’d
look forward to it.” Then turned at a tap on his shoulder from Kevin.

“Uh, mate,” the other man muttered. “Need a word.”

“Sorry,” Koti smiled charmingly at Hannah. “Back in a
minute.”

“She said she wasn’t with you,” Koti pointed out in
annoyance as he stepped away from the table to join Kevin. “If you think she
is, you’d better tell her.”

Kevin motioned with his head toward the table. Koti turned,
surprised, to see Drew approaching. The captain bent and gave Hannah a quick
kiss, sliding into the place Koti had vacated.

“The Skip’s girl, eh,” Kevin explained economically.

“Oh. Shit,” Koti said blankly. “Thanks, mate. Reckon it’s
better he didn’t see me trying it on.”

“You ain’t wrong,” Kevin agreed with a sigh of relief.

“How’s your thigh feeling?” Hannah asked, concerned, when Drew
had settled himself.

“Still a bit niggly,” he admitted. “Didn’t practice on it
much today. May take it easy tomorrow too. Be fit for Saturday, though. She’ll
be right.”

“I know you’ll play on it no matter what. I’ve already
figured that much out.”

He smiled at her in answer, took a pull on his beer.

“Since you can’t dance much tonight, Drew,” Kevin suggested
as he joined them again, “maybe I should take Hannah out on the floor for a bit.”

“I’m not a great dancer,” Hannah told him. “But I’d like to
try.”

She needn’t have worried, she realized. Kevin made it easy.
He was so cheerful and encouraging, she found herself laughing even as he
caught and twirled her to the music, her skirt swinging and making her feel
light and more graceful than she knew she actually was.

“That was fun,” she said, dropping back down on the bench
next to Drew at last and taking a sip of her beer. “I’m a bit worn out,
though.”

“That’s what you get for dancing with a wing instead of a
real man,” Drew grinned. “Always poncing about, eh.”

“Now go find your own girl, Kevvie,” he commanded.

Hannah shook her head as the other man turned to leave. “Must
be nice to have everybody obey you like that.”

“Everybody but you,” Drew pointed out.

Another uptempo number began, and Koti came up to ask Hannah
to dance.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized as he led her out on the
floor. “Didn’t know you were Drew’s girlfriend.”

“I gathered that,” she smiled. “Never mind.”

Koti was an even better dancer than Kevin, she soon
discovered, and she found she was enjoying herself. It was obvious that she
wasn’t the only one who noticed, either. The young player’s handsome face and
powerful physique were attracting more than their fair share of female
attention as one song followed another.

The music shifted at last, beginning the intro to a slow
song, and Hannah found Drew stepping up and taking her from Koti.

“My dance,” he said, pulling her into his arms. As they
began to move together, Hannah recognized Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me,” one of her
favorites.

You sure do, she thought to herself. She was still breathing
a bit heavily from the exertion of the previous dances, but now she sighed, moved
closer, and relaxed into Drew. It felt so good. She felt his heartbeat beneath
her cheek and was as soothed by it, and by his warm body against hers, as a
puppy snuggled into a basket with a hot water bottle. The image made her smile.
She wouldn’t share that, she decided.

As he held her and she melted into him, the solid breadth of
his muscular back under her hands and his powerful thighs against hers, the
warmth kindled into something hotter. She pressed herself more tightly against
him and stroked her hand over his back just to enjoy the feeling of his muscles
moving as he slowly turned her in time to the music. That valley where his
spine ran, a ridge of muscle rising strongly on either side. That was her
special place. She ran her fingers slowly down it as they continued to dance.

Drew’s arms tightened around her as he spun her in a slow circle
around the dance floor. He held her close to his chest as the ballad continued,
the top of her head tucked under his chin. She felt so right to him there, soft
and warm and so sweet. But even as she held him so closely, she kept him at a
distance, too. He knew she wanted him, and she gave herself to him physically
with a wholehearted joy that thrilled him. But when he would have helped her,
protected her, part of her always seemed to stand back. So close and no closer.

Never mind. Someday she had to realize that she could count
on somebody else besides herself. That she could count on him.

When the song finally ended, he kissed her gently on the top
of her head, then pulled her into a slow, sweet kiss.