Thrown by a Curve (21 page)

“Why is it so difficult to describe it?”

“I don’t know. We’ve never defined it. It just kind of happened between us. There’s really nothing going on.” She realized even as she said it that her explanation sounded stupid.

“You seem afraid.” Savannah offered up a serene smile and rimmed her wineglass with the tip of her finger. “Do you have reservations about this relationship?”

“Well, we do work for the same team. And I’m currently his therapist. There’s a major conflict of interest going on here.”

“I understand. Believe me. I had much the same problem with my relationship with Cole. Not in the same way as yours, of course. But you can’t let that mess up what the two of you have. If, in fact, you have something you think is worth the risk.” Savannah paused and shot Alicia a direct look. “Is it?”

Alicia glanced across the table to where Garrett was bent over in conversation with Cole. Just looking at him caused butterflies to take flight in her stomach. In the short period of time she’d known him, he’d completely wrecked her well-managed, orderly routine. Now, she couldn’t imagine that life without him in it.

She returned her gaze to Savannah. “I’m crazy in love with him.”

Savannah’s lips curved. “Does he know that?”

“Oh, God no. We’re not there yet.”

“Well. Learn from my experience. Cole and I did everything wrong, and it cost us both a lot of pain. Talk to him. Tell him how you feel.”

Somehow, Alicia didn’t think Garrett was ready to hear those words from her yet. Inviting him here to meet her family was a big step. That he was gracious enough to show up was a move forward.

That was enough for now.

*   *   *

OKAY, SO MAYBE ALICIA’S FAMILY WASN’T AS UNCOMFORTABLE
to be around as Garrett had imagined. Once they’d gotten past the initial discomfort, he and Cole had bonded fast over their mutual love of golf and poker, and then they’d launched into a discussion of some of their favorite video games. He probably could have spent all night talking to him, except Cole’s fiancée, Savannah, had dragged him away, claiming the current band up on the stage was playing a slow song she wanted to dance to.

Garrett realized he’d pretty much abandoned Alicia, though she and Savannah had seemed engaged in an animated conversation of their own. He shifted to face her.

“Sorry to leave you hanging. I like your brother.”

She grinned. “So I noticed. I think he likes you, too.”

“Would you like to dance?”

Both her brows went up. “You dance?”

“Not really. But I like having my hands on you, and that’s about the only way I’ll be able to do that with your whole family watching.”

She laughed. “Then by all means, let’s dance.”

He pulled her onto the jam-packed floor and drew her into his arms. There was a band with a lot of horns playing something slow and jazzy. He stroked up her back, liking the dress she had on. It was short and sexy and clung to her body, showing off all her curves and her great legs. He hadn’t yet told her how good she looked tonight.

“I like this,” she said.

“The band, or my hands on you?”

“Definitely your hands on me. But the band is good, too, now that you mention it.”

There wasn’t much room for maneuvering, which suited him just fine since he had no finesse on the dance floor, so they mainly swayed back and forth in time to the music. What he really liked was having Alicia’s body pressed up against his, her breasts pillowed against his chest. With her high heels on, she was much taller. He didn’t have to bend down so far to see her beautiful eyes.

“You’re quiet.”

He smiled. “Doing inventory.”

“What?”

“Feeling you. Watching you. Thinking about how beautiful you look tonight, which I failed to mention earlier.”

“Wow. Thank you. You feel good, too. And you look amazing. Though I have seen you in ads all dressed up before. There was that one in the tux. You were hawking men’s cologne, I think.”

He grimaced. “Damned uncomfortable photo shoot.”

“Yeah. All those half-naked models draped over you. I’m sure it was a hardship.”

“Seriously. Those things take hours, and the models were unfriendly as hell. In between takes they would sip water, text on their phones, and otherwise look bored. They had no idea who I was and thought I was some newbie model dude at my first shoot. They couldn’t be bothered with me.”

She laughed. “Really?”

“Really. It was kind of embarrassing. But not as embarrassing as the one commercial I did for a razor where I had to spend an entire day with my face coated in shaving cream while wearing nothing but a towel around my waist.”

“Oh, I saw that commercial. Lord, you looked hot with that towel slung low on your hips. I had fantasies about you while watching that commercial.”

He grinned. “Yeah? Would it burst your bubble to know I had my boxer briefs on under that towel?”

“Totally.”

“No way was I going commando with twenty crew members there. Doing those commercials and print ads are never as fun or as sexy as the finished product. It’s all work.”

“Oh, poor you.”

He squeezed her hand, then twirled her around as the music picked up. “I can tell I’m not going to get any sympathy from you.”

She laughed. “No. Poor famous guy.”

“If I don’t start pitching again, I’m going to be has-been guy.”

“You are pitching, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“I’m practicing. That’s different. I’m reserving judgment until I pitch a minimum of six innings in a real game.”

“Oh, is that a challenge?”

“Would it help if I said yes?”

“It’s not going to make me work any harder on you, so no. We’re doing the best we can to get you ready, Garrett.”

“I know you are. But this is my career. Hell, it’s my life.”

She pulled away from his embrace. “Do you think I don’t know that? Do you think I approach any of my clients any differently than I do you? That I don’t take this seriously?”

She walked off the dance floor. He followed. “Alicia, that’s not what I meant.”

She turned to face him. “Then what did you mean? See, this is the problem with you and me.”

How the hell had they gotten from a dance to talking about his rehab to some kind of issue in their relationship? “What problem between you and me?”

“This. What we’ve been doing. You think after we—” She paused to glance around, then moved in closer. “You somehow must think that us sleeping together has caused me to approach your therapy differently. Like I’m on some goddamned vacation. Like I’ve slacked off with you instead of giving it my all.”

“That’s not what I said. When did I say that?”

She pointed her finger at his chest. “Well, let me tell you, stud. At no time have I ever given you less than everything I’ve got to give. In fact, I’ve given you more. A hell of a lot more.”

She went to the table, grabbed her purse, and headed for the exit, leaving him standing there with several sets of Riley eyes zeroed in on him.

Shit.

The only one to come up to him was Cole, though.

“What was that about?”

He dragged his fingers through his hair. “Hell if I know. We were talking about some of the PR work I used to do, and then we started talking about my rehab, and the next thing you know she’s pissed as hell at me and making a fast dash for the exit.”

Cole followed Garrett’s gaze toward the front door where Alicia had walked out. “Huh. Women. Who can figure them out sometimes? And my sister? I wish I could offer some advice, man, but she’s always been a big mystery to me.”

Garrett had thought for sure Cole would take a punch at him for upsetting his sister. “I don’t know what I did. I swear I wasn’t trying to upset her.”

Cole offered up a wry smile. “Don’t worry about it. I can get her from zero to rage demon in about four seconds just by saying hello.”

Somehow he figured Cole was exaggerating. “I’m sure I did something or said something that irritated her. I need to say I’m sorry. Well, first I need to figure out what I did wrong. Then I need to apologize.”

Cole laughed and patted him on the back. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

TWENTY-FIVE

MAYBE SHE WAS PMSING. THAT WAS ALICIA’S ONLY EXCUSE
for her lunaticlike behavior at the club.

She’d built up a good head of steam heading out of the club, carried a body full of smoke to the car, but by the time she’d gotten home and into the driveway, the fog had cleared, and she was, unfortunately, much more clearheaded.

And mortified that she’d let her emotions get the best of her, that she’d stormed out of the club, out of Jenna’s opening night, without saying good-bye to her family and without thanking Jenna and telling her what a great success the club was going to be.

Alicia owed Jenna a big, fat apology. If she ever left her house again, which at this point was debatable considering what a spectacle she’d made of herself.

This was the reason she’d spent the last several years focusing on her education and her career and most definitely not on men and relationships. Men made women crazy. Or at least they made her crazy. Okay, one man in particular was making her lose her ever-loving mind.

As she sat at her kitchen table sipping the cup of hot tea she’d made to try and mellow herself out, she replayed their conversation over in her mind. What had the trigger point been?

Having Garrett show up at the club had been wonderful, and she’d been grateful and thrilled that he’d gotten along so well with her family, especially with Cole. And when he’d asked her to dance, she’d been happy to be able to touch him and feel his body close to hers. They’d talked, and he’d made her laugh with his stories of advertising and commercials, until they’d gotten on the topic of therapy . . .

That’s when everything had gone awry, and she’d gone up like an erupting volcano because he’d challenged her abilities. Or at least that’s what she’d thought she’d heard. In a packed club with the music blaring and people talking all around her, for all she knew he could have been talking about the hottest new brand of goat cheese.

She decided she’d blame it all on the wine. Alcohol made people do dumb things all the time. Too bad she’d only had two glasses spread out over four hours with multiple waters in between, so she wasn’t even drunk. Not even slightly buzzed, as a matter of fact.

The bottom line was, she’d overreacted.

“Ugh, Alicia. You’re an idiot.” She laid her head down on the kitchen table, deciding at that instant to become a hermit. She’d give up her career and become a hoarder. She enjoyed shopping online anyway.

A knock at the door interrupted her self-pity party. She picked up her phone to look at the time. It was pretty late. Who could be here at this hour? Alarmed, phone in hand just in case it was someone she didn’t know, she crept to the door and looked out the peephole.

Garrett. She laid her head against the door.

She couldn’t face him. She was a moron. What would she say?

Oh, I’m dramatic like that all the time. Wouldn’t you love to continue having a relationship with me?

“Alicia. I know you’re there. I heard your shoes on the floor.”

Even worse, she sucked at stealth, too. Good thing he wasn’t a burglar. Unsure what to say to him but knowing she wasn’t going to leave him standing out there, she opened the door.

He stood there, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants and his head cocked to the side. He wasn’t smiling.

“Hey,” was all he said.

So she gave him a “Hey” in return.

“Can I come in for a minute?”

Despite having no idea why he’d want to be within miles of her at the moment, she stepped away from the entrance. “Sure.”

She closed the door and locked it after he walked in, but she stayed near the door, just in case she’d have to let him out right away.

He turned to face her, looking about as miserable as she felt.

“I’m sorry,” he said right away. “I was a jerk. I shouldn’t have made you doubt that what you’re doing for me—what you’ve done for me—has been anything less than a goddamn miracle.”

Great. Now she felt even worse. She moved toward him. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I behaved terribly, acted like the type of woman I absolutely loathe, the kind who throws tantrums and acts like a diva because things don’t go her way. I can’t apologize enough for overreacting to what you said.”

“You didn’t overreact. I was an asshole.”

“You weren’t an asshole. I’m just doing my job, and you have a right to feel about it however you feel about it. It’s natural for you to have concerns about your career. I made it about me. Even worse, I made it about you and me. I should know better.”

He swept one of the escaped tendrils of hair behind her ear. “I think it’s okay to talk about you and me like there really is a you and me.”

Something fluttered in her belly. “Is there?”

“I think so. Don’t you?”

“I don’t know what to think sometimes. It scares me.”

“Hell, everything scares me, Alicia. The fact I might not pitch again scares me. Being in a room full of your family tonight? That was terrifying, given how I feel about my own family. You and me? That definitely scares me. That argument we had tonight was minor in comparison.”

She loved that he was being honest with her. Knowing what frightened him—that the two of them and their relationship ranked at the top of that list—helped her understand him better. It scared her, too. Her feelings for him absolutely petrified her, because they gave him the power to hurt her. “You’re right, and I handled it badly. It won’t happen again.”

His lips lifted. “Don’t make promises you might not be able to keep.”

She laughed. “Okay, I won’t. I have some hot tea made. Would you like some?”

“No. I want to kiss and make up.” He pulled her close and cupped the back of her neck, drawing her lips to his. There was power in this kiss, a desperate passion she grabbed on to like a lifeline.

Maybe it was an apology, but every time they came together, it always seemed more powerful than the time before. It could be that it was all in her mind, that her love for Garrett was growing and that’s why touching him, kissing him, and being with him felt so all consuming to her each time they were together. But there was something incredibly magical about the way he stroked her neck. Surely those goose bumps she felt weren’t her imagination.

He slid his fingers along her scalp to release the clip that held her hair up then trailed his fingers down to find the zipper of her dress.

With her zipper drawn halfway, he led her into the bedroom where he turned on the beside lamp, then stood her at the side of the bed and pulled her against him again to take her mouth in a searing kiss that left her breathless.

“I’ve been waiting all night to get you out of this dress, to see what kind of underwear you had on,” he whispered against her ear, finishing what he’d started in the living room by pulling the zipper of her dress the rest of the way down.

When she stepped out of the dress, his gaze roamed appreciatively over her black push-up bra and matching thong panties. She hadn’t expected to see him tonight, but she’d selected the underwear anyway, secretly hoping he’d be there.

“Uh . . . fucking wow,” he said. “And with those sexy high heels? Double fucking wow.”

She blushed under his heated gaze. “Thank you. You next.”

He unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off, then slipped off his shoes and pants, modeling his black boxer briefs for her.

She laughed. “Sexy.”

“Yeah, not even close. He dropped his briefs, his erection bobbing up and making her quiver in anticipation.

He teased his fingertips over the swell of her breasts. “This underwear is very hot, Alicia. Did you wear it for me, hoping you’d see me tonight?”

“Yes.”

“I like that. Thank you. Why don’t you lie on the bed and let me show you how much I appreciate you?”

She sat and started to take off her shoes, but Garrett put his hand over hers and grasped her ankles. “Oh, no, babe. These shoes have to stay on. I want you to dig them into my back and my ass when I fuck you tonight.”

Her pussy quivered. She laid her palms flat on the bed. “God, Garrett. You make me wet when you say things like that.”

“I like making you wet.” He gave her shoulder a gentle push, and she lay back on the bed, her legs dangling over the edge.

When Garrett lifted her legs and pressed a kiss to her calves, she shivered.

“I really like these shoes, Alicia. You should wear them more often.” He swept a hand over her ankles, calves, the backs of her knees, and under her thighs, worshipping one leg, then the other, ignoring the throbbing spot between her legs that begged for his touch.

When he drew her panties over her hips and down her legs, she was ready for him to touch her, pet her, lick her until she screamed. But he only caressed her legs again, kissing his way up her calves and knees, making his way to the promised land but bypassing it again to move his lips over her hips and ribs.

“Garrett.” His name sailed from her lips on a shaky sigh.

“Mmm,” was his reply as he reached the swell of her breasts. He snaked his tongue over the edge of the cups of her bra, teasing her. Her nipples tightened, and she was so hot she felt like she might spontaneously combust. He undid the clasp at the front of her bra to draw the cups aside, releasing her breasts.

“You have the most beautiful breasts, and pretty nipples I like to suck on.”

His words sent her up in flames. She watched him as he took one nipple between his lips and sucked it into his mouth, the sensation shooting straight to her core. She reached down to touch herself, but Garrett grasped her wrist and laid her hand down on the bed next to her.

“Uh-uh,” he said, before flicking his tongue over the other nipple then grabbing it with his teeth to gently nibble on it.

“You’re killing me.”

He looked up at her and shattered her with a wicked grin. He moved up and took her lips in a kiss that destroyed what few brain cells she had left. She was limp, lifeless except for every tingling nerve ending begging for him to satisfy her, and when he made the slow trek south again, she wanted to sing with joy.

She trembled as he teased her inner thighs and dropped to his knees, draping her legs over his shoulders as he scooted her to the edge of the bed.

When he finally put his mouth on her sex, her entire world spun. She lifted up on her elbows, desperate to see what he was doing to cause those delicious, sinful sensations. Seeing her legs flung over his shoulders, his tongue gliding over her sex, and the way he devoured her pussy made her entire body convulse with pleasure.

“I’m not going to last, Garrett. I’m going to come, and I’m going to come fast.”

He murmured against her sex, laying his tongue against her and, oh, God, was he vibrating it against her clit?

She exploded in a mind-numbing orgasm, grabbing on to his hair and screaming his name as she rocked her climax against his face, unashamed to let him know just how damn good it was. And when she flattened against the bed, out of breath and out of energy, she was certain she had died.

But then he was there, framing her face with his hands and kissing her, renewing her, his erection brushing her hip as he turned her around in the bed.

Maybe she wasn’t dead after all, because his mouth and his tongue brought her back to life. His hands roamed her body, brushing her nipples and touching her everywhere. Then he rolled her to her side so she could touch him, too.

She loved the feel of his body, every muscle and ridge that she had come to know so well. She caressed his shoulder, kissed it, even took a little bite.

He growled in response, and her nipples tightened.

And then he pushed her onto her back and grabbed a condom.

“I need to be inside you.”

She reached for him, guiding him into her, loving the moment when he buried himself inside her. The sensation of him filling her, becoming one with her, was an emotional as well as a physical sensation that always brought her an amazing sense of wonder. She wanted to tell him that, to tell him how he made her feel, but now wasn’t the time, not with passion rising so fast it engulfed her.

He lifted and bent her knee toward her chest, smoothing his hand along her leg. When he caressed her ankle, he turned back toward her, and his lips curved.

“Oh, yeah. I fucking love these shoes.”

He thrust into her, slow and easy, taking his time driving her crazy, taking her right to the very brink, burying himself so deep she thought she might die from the ecstasy of it.

She reached for him and tangled her fingers in his hair, tugged on it. He groaned and powered even deeper.

He was going to make her come again, but this time she was taking him with her. And when he increased his tempo, when his brow furrowed and his lids dropped to half-mast, she knew he was on the brink.

“Come inside me, Garrett,” she whispered, and he dropped down on top of her, grabbed her butt, and lifted her hips, bringing them even closer together. That’s when she dug into him and made him fuck her harder, made him give her everything he had.

Sweat poured from him. He was relentless, muscles bulging in his arms as he rolled his hips over her, shattering her. He kissed her when she cried out, groaning against her lips as he emptied inside her. They shuddered together as they climaxed, her body tightening around his cock as they rode it out, both of them sawing out breaths as if they’d just run a marathon.

Spent, she lay with her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his heart beating. She wanted to tell him how she felt. There were so many things they needed to talk about, but right now she was content and satiated and utterly exhausted.

That big talk about important things could wait for another time.

For now, she just wanted to sleep.