Solid Soul (14 page)

Bas chuckled. “Yeah, better broken rules than broken noses. We need this game every week to work off frustrations. Otherwise, we’d be at each other’s throats at some point during the week.”

“So I heard.”

After a few moments of silence, Bas, who had a habit of shooting straight from the hip, said, “Chance
has never brought a woman to watch us play before, so I figure you must be special.”

Kylie gave him a wry glance. “Do you?”

“Yes, I do.”

“That’s good to know because I think he’s special, too.”

Bas shook his head and chuckled softly. “You don’t seem too happy about it.”

Kylie let out a sigh. “We should be concentrating on our kids.”

“Hey, Marcus is a smart guy and from what I hear your Tiffany is a smart girl.”

“Yes, but trouble has a way of finding even smart people.”

“You’re talking to someone who knows. Trouble used to be my middle name.”

Kylie caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “Chance is a nice guy,” she said quietly. “Marcus is lucky to have him for a father.”

“That’s the same thing Chance said about you.”

Kylie glanced over at Bas. “What?”

“That you were a nice person and that Tiffany was lucky to have you as a mother.” Bas then leaned forward. “Hey, do me a favor, will you?”

“And what favor is that?”

“You’ve made him happy and—”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. I’ve never seen him in such a good mood. Sometimes I think that smile is plastered to his face.”

Kylie shook her head. “I have nothing to do with it.”

“Yes, you do. At first he was all bent out of shape at the thought that Marcus’s attention had gotten off his books and shifted to a girl, but once he met you then he saw why.”

Kylie’s eyebrows pulled together in a frown. “What do you mean?”

Bas smiled. “He was so taken with you that he could see how Marcus could be taken with Tiffany.” When Kylie didn’t say anything, Bas said, “Now getting back to that favor…”

“Yes?”

“Keep making Chance happy. He’s had a lot of sadness in his life and if there’s anyone who deserves to be happy, it’s him. I think he’s a pretty great guy.”

Before Kylie could say anything, Bas stood, jumped off the bleachers to the court and called over his shoulder, “I’ll go see what’s keeping him.”

Kylie leaned back and thought about what Bas had said. Before she could give it too much thought, every nerve ending in her body came instantly alive when Chance walked out of the locker room. He had changed
into a pair of jeans and another T-shirt. He crossed the gym to her with a heart-stopping smile on his face.

Catching her breath, she decided to go down to meet him. As soon as she got close he leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. “Sorry for the delay. I had to talk to Morgan about something.”

She nodded as he took her hand in his and led her out of the gym. “That’s okay. I enjoyed chatting with Bas while I waited. Is Morgan okay? He was playing a mean game today. He committed a lot of fouls.”

Chance’s smile curved into a full grin. “Yes, they were intentional. He had a lot of frustrations to work off.”

“Oh.”

Snaking his arm around her waist, Chance snuggled her closer to his side as they walked to the car. “What were your plans for today?”

“I was going grocery shopping.”

He laughed. “Hey, so was I. Do you want to go together?”

When Chance opened the car door and she slid inside, she glanced up at him and smiled. “Why not? It just might be fun.”

Later that evening as Kylie finished getting dressed for dinner she thought that grocery shopping
with Chance had not only been fun, it had been educational as well.

He had known what fruits were in season, he made sure she checked the expiration date on everything she purchased and he advised her to stay away from the generic brands, claiming there was a difference in taste.

And she had discovered that they liked the same foods, and the same flavor ice cream. In fact, they had almost argued about who would get the last half gallon of chocolate-chip cookie dough until one of the store clerks assured them there was a case in the back.

After their shopping adventure he had brought her home to unload her groceries and indicated he would return around seven to take her to dinner. It was almost seven now and she was ready.

Kylie smiled as she glanced at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a dress she had purchased earlier that year when she had attended her father’s retirement party. Her mother had complimented her on how good she’d looked in it, and now she hoped Chance shared that same opinion. She was just about to add strawberry lip color to her lips when the phone rang. She quickly picked it up. “Hello.”

“Hi, Mom.”

“Tiffany! I’m glad you called. How’s Disney World?”

“Disney World is fine but I think Gramma had too much of Mickey and Minnie for one day. Me and Gramps are going to leave her at the hotel and go to Epcot later. How was the ball last night?”

Kylie was surprised her daughter remembered anything about the ball. “It was nice. Your godmother’s committee did an excellent job.”

“Was Marcus’s father there?”

Kylie raised an eyebrow, wondering why Tiffany wanted to know. “Yes, he was there.”

“So you saw him?”

“Yes, I saw him.”

“Was he with someone?”

Kylie refused to answer that. “Tiffany, why are you asking me questions about Marcus’s father?”

“Oh, just curious. Marcus and I talked before I left and he’s concerned that his dad doesn’t date much.”

“It’s not the end of the world for a person not to date, Tiffany.”

“I know and that’s what I told Marcus since you don’t date, either. Okay, Mom, I got to go, Gramps is waiting for me. Talk to you later.”

“Okay, sweetheart, have fun and tell Mom and Dad hello.”

After she hung up the phone Kylie decided to
cover all her bases in case Tiffany hit up her godmother for answers about the ball. She quickly picked up the phone and dialed Lena’s number. “Don’t be surprised if you receive a call from Tiffany asking questions about last night’s ball,” she told her friend.

“What kind of questions?”

“Like who Chance was with.”

Lena chuckled. “He was with you.”

“Yes, but I prefer her not knowing that, Lena.”

“Sure, if that’s the way you want it.”

“It is.” Something in Lena’s voice made Kylie wonder if her friend was all right and she decided to ask.

“No, not really. I met this gorgeous man last night at the ball. He asked me out and I turned him down.”

“Why?”

“Kylie, you know the score. Do you know how many times I’ve been dropped, sometimes even before the first date, when the guy finds out Mom and I come as a pair.”

“Not all guys will make a big deal out of it, Lena.”

“Yes, but I’m tired of trying to figure out those who will and those who won’t. I don’t plan on dating for a while.”

Kylie frowned. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

Lena chuckled. “Looks who’s talking.”

“My situation is different and you know it. I don’t date because I prefer not to. You want to date but you’re afraid to.”

“I am not.”

“You are, too.”

“Okay, so maybe I am. What’s wrong with me protecting myself against heartbreak?”

“You don’t know that will happen for sure. And if a man doesn’t want you because you care enough to see to your mother’s welfare, then screw him.”

“Umm, speaking of screw…where did you and Chance disappear to last night?”

Silence pulsed over the line for a brief second and then Kylie said, “He took me home.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“And why do I think there’s more to this story?”

“There is but I’d rather not discuss it now.”

“Okay, just know that I’ll be all ears at lunch on Wednesday.”

“I doubt if you’ll let me forget. Goodbye, and remember what to say if Tiffany calls asking questions.”

As soon as Kylie hung up the phone she thought about her conversation with Lena. Lena was her very
best friend, but there was no way Kylie would confess to her all she’d done with Chance last night and this morning. Just thinking about it made her feel mortified on one hand and giddy with pleasure on the other. Still, some things had to be kept from even your best friend. She could just imagine the look on Lena’s face if she told her what had happened in the shower this morning, and how Chance had taken her against the wall while water sprayed down on them.

She glanced at the overnight bag on her bed. Chance had asked her to spend the night at his place and she’d agreed. Since this weekend was the only one they would share, she planned on making the most of it.

“I
hope you enjoyed tonight, Kylie.”

She glanced up from studying the wine in her glass, locked gazes with Chance and smiled. “How could I not? Everything was wonderful. The food, the service, the location…my dinner date. Thanks for bringing me here, Chance.”

A smile touched the corners of his lips. “I wanted our first real date to be special, somewhere that didn’t serve hamburgers.”

Kylie grinned. “And it was special.” She was suddenly filled with regret knowing this had been
their first real date and also their last. There was no way they could continue seeing each other after Marcus and Tiffany returned, but she didn’t want to think about that now. They still had tonight and all day tomorrow.

“Do you want any dessert?” he asked, and she thought his voice had a kind of husky purr to it. The expression in his eyes wasn’t helping matters any, either. She’d have dessert later, she thought. Chance wanted the same thing she wanted. A bed with both of them in it.

“None for me tonight, but thanks for asking. What about you? Do you have a sweet tooth?”

He shook his head and grinned. “No, not exactly. I think I’ll pass, too.”

He leaned over the table to make sure she was the only one who would hear his next words. “What I really want is to take you to my place, strip you naked and make love to you. All night long.”

Only the flicker of her eyelids told him she had been shocked by such honesty. But then the heated look in her eyes told him how much she wanted what he wanted.

With self-control, she neatly folder her napkin and placed it on the table. Then she looked up and shot him a sexy grin. “Then I guess we should leave now, don’t you?”

Kylie found herself glancing around Chance’s home for the second time that day. She had given him her overnight bag and he had taken it to the bedroom.

He had surprised her. With the heated looks he’d been giving her all evening, she’d figured he would have pounced on her the first chance he got. She’d even expected him to pull the car to the side of the road like he’d done last night and kiss her senseless. If nothing else, she had fully expected him to strip her naked the moment she had stepped inside his home.

But he hadn’t done any of those things and she thought he was controlling himself admirably. So much so that she was tempted to see just how far that control could go.

“Would you like a cup of coffee or anything?”

She turned when he reentered the room. He had removed his dinner jacket and tie, and now her gaze lingered on his white shirt as she thought about the chest it covered and remembered how she had smothered her face in that chest while he’d rocked back and forth inside her body, making her moan, groan and scream.

“No, I don’t want any coffee. Thanks for asking. But there is something I want.”

“What?”

“A kiss. It seems I’ve gotten addicted to them.”

“Kisses?” he asked, slowly crossing the room to her.

“Yes, but only yours.”

When he came to a stop in front of her, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist. In response, her arms wound around his neck. She raised her chin and looked him dead in the eyes and almost melted at the heat she saw there. When he leaned forward, she lifted her lips up for the kiss she knew she would get.

As soon as his mouth touched hers, she let out a deep, satisfied moan that she felt all the way to the pit of her stomach. And when he began stroking her tongue, with all the mastery that he possessed, she moaned some more. He tasted of the wine they’d had at dinner and of the peppermint he had popped into his mouth while walking her to the car. She enjoyed the flavor of both. When he deepened the kiss she forgot everything except for the way he was making her feel.

His arms were no longer around her waist. At some point in time they had moved and his hands were now cupping her bottom, pressing her closer to him, letting her feel the strength of his growing arousal.

He released her mouth long enough for her to draw in a breath. The same breath that hitched when his lips trailed to her throat and he branded her neck again.

“Chance,” she whispered.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

She tilted her head back and met his gaze. “I thought you wanted to strip my clothes off.”

“I do.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“You never said that I could.”

Kylie stared at him, remembering that last night he had asked if it was okay to undress her. It seemed that Chance Steele operated with a code of honor and that endeared him to her even more. “All right, then, I’m giving you my permission.”

He took a step back and she watched his gaze travel slowly over her body, from head to toe. When he looked up, his eyes lingered on the curves of her breasts visible in the low V-neckline. He realized she wasn’t wearing a bra. She could tell by the look in his eyes. That same look made her nipples harden, become sensitive to the point where she could actually feel desire roll around in her stomach.

His gaze then moved to the hemline of her dress. It was longer than the one she’d worn last night, but
he seemed mesmerized by the front split, probably wondering what she had or didn’t have on underneath.

“Last night I thought you looked simply gorgeous in black. But tonight I think you look sexy as hell in red,” he said in a husky voice.

She blinked when she watched him back up a few steps and then walk over to the sofa and sat down. “Come here, Kylie,” he said in a voice that sounded strained even to her ears.

She stared at him, confused. How was he going to strip her bare while sitting down?

“Kylie?”

Deciding she would soon find out, she crossed the room to him.

“Lift your leg in my lap so I can take off your shoes.”

She did what he asked and he took off her shoes one at a time. When she was about ready to place her foot back on the floor, he kept it in his lap, resting against his hard erection while he slid his hand up her leg a little farther, going underneath her dress to touch the center of her thighs, only to discover her panty hose was a barrier.

Apparently deciding a pair of Hanes wouldn’t stop him from doing what he wanted, he placed her foot on the floor then eased to the edge of the sofa and
reached both hands under her dress to work the panty hose down her hips. She stepped out of them and then kicked them aside.

“Now put your right leg back in my lap.”

Again she did as he requested and this time he was able to slide his hand a little farther up her leg than before. She moaned out loud when his finger touched her center and slowly stroked her.

“Ahh, just as I thought,” he leaned in closer to say. “You aren’t wearing any panties.”

His words hardly registered. All she could think about was the feel of his fingers inside of her, making her even wetter.

“Let me see just what else you aren’t wearing tonight, Kylie.”

Before she could gather her next breath, he reached up with his free hand and yanked the top part of her dress down. Her breasts spilled free right in his face.

“Place your hands on my shoulders, bend your knee a little more and lean toward me.”

The moment she did so, he captured a breast in his mouth and his tongue stroked it, just like his fingers were stroking her.

She clutched at his shoulders, unable to hold back just how his mouth and fingers were making her
feel. Chance definitely knew how to work both ends at the same time. She was melting from the inside out. If he continued doing this for much longer she doubted even his shoulders would be able to support her.

He let go of her breast and leaned forward. “Are you ready for me, Kylie?” he whispered hotly in her ear.

Unable to answer, she nodded.

“That’s good because I’ve been ready for you all day. And tonight at dinner it was hard for me not to spread you out on the table and make you the only entrée I wanted to feast on.”

At his words an all-consuming need raced through her body and she cried out his name when she felt the first sign of an explosion on the horizon. “Chance, I need you.”

“And where do you need me, baby?”

“Inside of me,” she whispered.

He suddenly lifted her in strong arms, and she closed her eyes and pressed her face against his chest.

Her eyes opened when she felt herself being placed on a hard, solid surface. He had sat her on his kitchen counter. “Chance?”

He smiled as he began taking off his shirt and removing his pants. “When I saw you in here today,
standing in this very spot, I knew I had to do this. I want to take you right here. Right now,” he said, quickly putting on a condom.

“Here? Now? Are you serious?”

“Oh, yes.”

He then pulled her dress over her head and tossed it to the floor to join his own discarded clothing. Before she could say another word, or let out another breath, he took hold of her hips, opened her thighs and guided his shaft inside of her.

And then the thrusting began. She wrapped her arms around his neck as delicious sensations began engulfing her. “This is insane,” she said, leaning forward and nipping the corner of his mouth.

“No,” he said in a husky voice as his body continued to mate with hers. “This is a dream come true. A fantasy in the making. So enjoy.”

And she did. He drew her closer and she spread her legs wider to accommodate him. He kissed her deeply. Then he released her mouth to pay homage to her breasts again, flicking his tongue across each nipple, sucking one and then the other, causing a sensuous tension to coil deep within her womb.

“Chance!”

The explosion hit and she cried out, dug her fingers deep in his shoulders as sensation after sen
sation engulfed her. She thought she would die then and there from consuming so much pleasure.

And then she felt his body jerk and knew he was experiencing one hell of an orgasm as well. She reached out and held him as he shuddered uncontrollably with his release.

It was awhile before either could catch their breaths, and when they did, neither seemed inclined to move. So she inched closer, and with as much strength as she could muster, she tightened her legs around him, enjoying the feel of him still buried inside of her. When he was finally able to lift his head to meet her eyes, she gave him a sated smile. “I’ve heard that things can get pretty hot in a kitchen, but this is a bit much, don’t you think?” she whispered with barely enough breath.

He reached out and caressed her cheek. “And this isn’t as hot as it will get for us.”

That bit of news made her inch even closer to him. “It’s not?”

“No, it’s not. You haven’t seen or experienced anything yet.”

Kylie wondered what else there was. They had made love in a bed, in the shower, on the kitchen counter…

“You ever do it in a hot tub?”

His question got her immediate attention. “No.”

He smiled. “Good. Then this ought to be fun.”

Late Sunday afternoon after returning home, Kylie stood in front of her bedroom mirror and gazed at her reflection. With her messed up hair, kiss-swollen lips and hickeys on both sides of her neck, she definitely looked like a woman who had let go and indulged in her sensuous side. Naughty was too mild a word to describe how she had acted this weekend. Wanton and loose were probably better.

“Hey, what are you doing? Looking for a spot that I missed?” Chance asked, entering the room. He walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her and settled her body back against his.

Kylie thought him missing a spot was impossible. It had started out very innocent with them enjoying a bowl of ice cream after lunch. Then for no reason at all he had squirted caramel topping all over her, and moments later began licking every inch of her skin to get it off. And she had reciprocated, squirted him and licked every inch of him. She had to admit that for once in her life she had thrown caution to the wind and yielded to temptation.

“What are you thinking about, sweetheart?”

She met his gaze in the mirror and leaned back against him when he tightened his arms around her. “You. Me. And what a wonderful weekend we had. I wish it didn’t have to end.”

“It doesn’t.”

She shook her head and grinned. “Yes, it does. Have you forgotten the kids will be back tomorrow?”

“No, I didn’t forget but that shouldn’t have any bearing on us.”

She turned around to face him. “Of course it does. Surely you don’t expect us to still swap beds with the kids around?”

He frowned. “No, but I do expect us to continue to see each other. And if we have to be discreet whenever we do share a bed, then we will.”

“And what about the kids?”

“Tomorrow we can tell them that we’ve decided to start seeing each other.”

She took a step back. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Chance rubbed his hand down his face. “Don’t tell me we’re back to that again.”

“As far as I’m concerned we never left it.”

“Then what was this weekend about, Kylie?”

“It was about us indulging in our fantasies. But now it’s time to return to the real world, Chance, and
there’s no way I can let Tiffany know that I was involved in a weekend affair with you.”

Angrily, he reached out and gripped her shoulders. “A weekend affair? That’s all this was to you?”

She yanked away from him. “Why? Was it supposed to be something else?”

“I had hoped so,” he said quietly, trying to get his anger and frustrations under control. “The start of a committed relationship was how I saw things.”

“But I can’t become involved with anyone until Tiffany leaves home.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t!”

“Then let me tell you what I think is your reason, which in my opinion is a damn poor excuse. Your parents have convinced you that getting pregnant at sixteen was a bad thing, and every since then you have worked your ass off trying to be a good girl in their eyes. So much so that you won’t allow a man in your life. At first I thought it was all about the men in your life letting you down and not being dependable, and that still may be a part of it. But since you claim you trust me, why are you so afraid of letting me into your life?”