Let Me Be The One (11 page)

Damn it. He’d just hurt her feelings. It was the last thing he wanted to do.

“Actually, a massage would be great.” When she hesitated, he said, “Where do you want me?”

“One of the kitchen chairs is probably best, so you’re the right height.”

He willed down his erection as he sat on the chair. He could smell her fresh, clean scent as she moved behind him and had to brace himself for the moment her hands touched him. By the time she laid them down on his shoulders, his muscles had never been tighter.

“Let me know if you need it harder. Or softer.”

His erection immediately told his ideas of what was right and wrong in a friendship to take a hike.

Vicki started rubbing him and heaven and hell rolled into one as pleasure and torture came at him in crashing waves. Fortunately, she didn’t speak, so he didn’t have to, either. She’d opened the French doors out to his deck and he worked to focus on the surf hitting the shore rather than how good she smelled...or the fact that she seemed to know exactly how he liked to be touched. Because if she knew how to rub his shoulders, did that mean she’d also know exactly how to rub his—

He cursed aloud.

Vicki jumped back. “Did I just hurt you?”

“No.” How the hell was he going to stand up without her seeing what her innocent touches had done to him?
Down, boy!
“It was great. I just remembered something I should have taken care of last night.” Namely, beating his desire for her into the ground.

By the time he had his erection under control enough to turn around, she was picking up her keys and bag from the counter.

“I should get going now, anyway. I’ll see you at the stadium this afternoon.”

She was gone before he could apologize for being a jerk.

His phone rang just as he was about to get into a very cold shower. When he saw it was Rafe, Ryan turned off the water and picked up. “You found something.”

“Maybe. James Sedgwick is into some pretty creepy things. Heavy duty S&M mostly, which isn’t that out of the ordinary considering some of the things I see.”

“But you’re still not convinced he’s clear.”

“This friend of yours he was hassling is a sculptor, right?”

A muscle jumped in Ryan’s jaw as he unclenched his teeth long enough to say, “She is.”

“I’m guessing she’s pretty, huh?”

Ryan thought about the way she’d looked the night before on the couch, her big green eyes slightly dilated from the darkened room, her mouth plump and begging to be kissed. “You can’t even imagine how pretty.”

“As far as I can tell, every year he picks a girl just like your friend to be his. And then at the end of every year, after sending the girl on her way with some career prize, he gets a replacement. I’m guessing he’s wanting your friend to fill his current vacancy.”

Ryan nearly crushed his cell phone in his fist as he stared blindly out at the ocean. “That. Is. Never. Going. To. Happen.”

Just the thought of letting the pervert look at Vicki while fantasizing about tying her up and hurting her to get his sexual kicks, had Ryan’s fists tightening.

Vicki thought they could “break up” and everything would still be fine. She’d thought she’d overreacted to the creep’s advances.

If anything happened to her, Ryan would not only never forgive himself, he’d end up in jail—because he’d kill James without even blinking an eye.

That was when the truth hit Ryan hard enough to jolt him with the force of an earthquake rolling beneath his feet.

Of course Vicki’s friendship meant a great deal to him. And it was also a given that he’d always wanted her, right from that first moment he’d landed on top of her in high school. That was why, these past few days, it had been easy to focus on first their friendship and then the wanting, the bottomless desire he felt for her, as his reasons for wanting to protect her and keep her close.

But the real reason went so much further, so much deeper, than friendship.

Ryan didn’t just want Vicki, didn’t just crave her laughter, her curves, her mouth beneath his.

He loved her.

And every other woman he’d been with since that day she’d come into his life had only been a placeholder for the real thing.

Chapter Ten

Ryan timed his arrival at the Hawks’ parking lot perfectly in order to intercept Judy, a reporter for ESPN.com. Some of the reporters were all business, but since he was pretty much responsible for introducing her to her husband a few years back, they’d always had a friendly rapport.

Still, just because they were friendly, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t release any and all dirt that she could dig up on him.

Today in particular, he was counting on Judy to do her job.

“How’s John?”

She smiled, looking just as happy about her marriage now as she had a couple of years ago when he’d attended their wedding. “Great, thanks, although we’ve recently adopted a puppy who is running us in circles. And pooping pretty much everywhere.”

“Let me know if you need a dog trainer. I know one of the best.”

“Honestly, I’ll take any help I can get at this point.”

After he gave her Heather’s name and the number for Top Dog, she got down to their standard order of business. “It’s been another great year for you so far. One more game to go before the playoffs. How are you feeling about tonight’s game?”

“Never felt better.”

Her eyebrow rose at his emphatic response. “Really? Any particular reason why?”

Ryan grinned and leaned in closer. “Actually, there is.”

* * *

Despite all the nonsense with James and Anthony, Vicki couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a good day in the studio. It was probably all the repressed sexual desire she was channeling into her work that had her kicking it up a notch.

Lord knew she had to put all that tamped-down lust somewhere.

She stopped to stretch her back and neck and enjoy the way the sun was filtering into the windows in her small room, when she jumped up out of her chair with a curse, her iPod and headphones clattering to the floor.

Crap, it was already six p.m.!

She’d been planning to go back to Ryan’s house to take a shower and blow-dry her hair into submission, maybe even put on some makeup before heading out to his game. Instead, she barely had time to wash her hands and change out of her clay-stained leggings and tank top to put on the old, faded flowery sundress and flip-flops she’d worn into the studio. Vicki groaned as she realized her breasts were half falling out of the dress. She hadn’t been planning to wear it in public, but consoled herself with the fact that no one would be looking at her. Especially not if any of Ryan’s brothers or sisters came to the game and were sitting near her.

Ryan had been the best friend in the world to her this week, and she couldn’t even manage to get to one of his games on time. She sucked.

Since there was no time to make a difference with styling products and mascara, she didn’t bother to look at her reflection in the window as she grabbed her bag, sunglasses, and Ryan’s car keys from the tiled counter. She didn’t even want to know how bad her frizzed-out hair was.

Fifteen minutes later, when she’d arrived at the special lot behind the stadium that Ryan had told her to come to, she had to scramble around in her bag to find the special key card that would let her past the gate. By the time she’d dealt with the guard’s rigorous round of twenty questions and ID checking, a loud roar of applause from the stadium told her that the game had begun. A bead of sweat trickled down between her breasts as she parked between two shockingly expensive imported cars. No wonder it was like Fort Knox getting in here.

She was making a dash for the stadium entrance when she felt buzzing against her hip. She rooted around in her bag again for her phone and was surprised to see several text messages and missed calls from Ryan.

Call me as soon as you get this.

Ryan’s first text had come in several hours ago, but she’d had her headphones on all day while she’d been working and she hadn’t thought to check her phone. He knew she always listened to music while she worked, but he probably didn’t realize she couldn’t blare it in a group studio the way she used to in her parents’ garage, and always had to wear headphones.

After fifteen minutes he’d texted again.

No cell reception for a while. If I don’t pick up, come by the stadium early and ask for me.

And then, five minutes ago, he’d sent one more.

Game’s about to start. Where are you?

Picking up the pace, she showed her ticket at the door. The bowels of the stadium were a maze of dark hallways and it took forever to find the right door and emerge into the light.

She was still hunting for her row and seat when she felt strong arms wind around her neck.

“Vicki!” She instantly recognized Ryan's sister, Lori. Aka
Naughty.
“I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve seen you. I was so psyched when Ryan told me you were coming today. He asked me to keep an eye out for you.”

As Lori grabbed her hand and pulled her down the steps to their seats, she quickly filled her in on everything in the same rapid-fire way she’d had as a girl.

“Sophie wasn’t feeling up to the game today. I swear she’s been pregnant forever. You know she’s having twins, right? Good thing she’s having two, because I’m totally out on the whole kid thing after watching her and Chase’s wife get so huge.” Lori stopped a step before their row. “You remember Zach, right? This is his fiancée, Heather. I won a bet that he’d fall in love with her.”

Vicki couldn’t hold back her laughter at Lori’s runaway-train-of-thought soliloquy as she said hello to Zach and Heather.

She was just getting settled in her seat when a low, instantly recognizable voice said, “Sorry I’m late.”

Oh God. Vicki couldn’t believe Ryan had neglected to tell her that Smith Sullivan was coming to the game. He was going to pay for that little surprise.

But before she could turn around to say hello to one of the biggest movie stars in the world, the inning turned over and Ryan walked out to the pitcher’s mound.

He stopped halfway out to look up into the stands, and she could see the relief on his beautiful face as he caught sight of her.

She waved before she thought better of drawing attention to herself like that. He winked at her before heading out to do his job.

As dozens of eyes turned to her—not only because Ryan had just winked at her, but also because Smith Sullivan was sitting right next to her—Vicki realized how surreal her life had become.

One week ago, she’d been renting a studio apartment in Prague while making a daily tradeoff between food and clay.

Now, not only was she living in an oceanfront mansion and driving a sports car around San Francisco, she was also hanging out with the coolest kids on the block.

On the surface it looked like she’d come a
really
long way from being the freaky-geeky art girl in high school.

Funny how deceiving appearances could be.

Of course, now that she and Ryan didn’t need to pretend to be dating for much longer, all of this strange fun of fancy cars and famous friends would soon be over.

Truly, she wouldn’t miss any of the luxury.

It was Ryan she’d miss.

“I can’t remember,” Lori said. “Did you ever meet Smith when we were kids? Or was he already in college?”

When all Vicki could manage was to shake her head like an idiot, Smith smoothly said, “It’s great to meet you, Vicki. So, how do you know this unruly lot?”

Smith was even bigger, even better looking in person than he was on the screen. But strangely, although his fame made her feel more than a little nervous, she was stunned to realize she wasn’t getting all hot and bothered for him. Only one Sullivan made her girly parts tingly.

Too bad
that
Sullivan was too good a friend to even think of screwing things up by adding any benefits to it.

“Ryan and I were friends in high school. I just moved back to San Francisco.”

Smith grinned at her and she lost her breath a little. Okay, so maybe she didn’t want to jump him, but she was only human. And billions of happily attached women around the world would have just gone breathless if they’d been in her flip-flops right then.

“Moved from where?”

“Prague was the last place I lived.”

“She’s a sculptor.” Lori shoved a handful of Jelly Bellies into her mouth. “An awesome one. Want some?”

Vicki took a few of the colorful candies, but didn’t dare put any in her mouth just in case she did something super embarrassing like start choking on them.

“What does Ryan think of your sculptures?” Smith asked.

Vicki felt caught in Smith’s gaze, was sure he could see exactly how she felt about his younger brother. She flushed as she finally replied, “He’s always been really encouraging.”

Lori leaned over to say, “He has a bunch of them and thinks her sculptures are the freaking bomb, Smith. And so do I. We all do.” She turned back to Vicki. “After Ryan mentioned you were back in town and working on the fellowship, Heather and I went by the fellowship gallery last night and bought a couple of those gorgeous river sculptures for my place. One day when I’m loaded, I want one of the big ones. I had to pull all my tricks to buy them out from under Heather, didn’t I?”

Heather smiled at Lori with what Vicki could only describe as affectionate irritation. “I saw them first and then she bought them when my back was turned.”

“Sorry my sister’s such a brat,” Zach said to his girlfriend, and Vicki couldn’t miss the way he looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the entire world.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t teach her everything she knows about being sneaky,” Heather murmured, which made Zach laugh before he kissed her as if they weren’t sitting in the middle of a sold-out baseball stadium.

“They do that
all
the time,” Lori said with an eye roll that had Vicki laughing again.

Zach’s girlfriend was very pretty in an un-flashy way, and utterly down to earth. Who would have thought lady-killer Zach, who had been a year ahead of her and Ryan in school, would settle down with such a lovely, unpretentious woman? One who seemed to give it back to him as good as he dished it out.