Everything But (8 page)

John, the tall football player who’d been helping emcee the night before, brought a carafe of ice water to their table and poured the two goblets full.  He was dressed in a black and white tux (quite unexpected)
,
and he had a white linen
towel
draped over his arm.  Exactly how much money was coming out of the coffer
for this thing
?  Would the
cheerleaders
really make money
when all was said and done?  She wondered, seeing how no expense was spared here.  But she knew maybe
appearances w
ere
deceiv
ing.
  Maybe it wasn’t as costly as it looked.
  She couldn’t really judge, considering this was the first one of these she’d been to.

“Can I get you anything else to drink?  We have iced tea and coffee.”

Erin said, “I’ll have some tea.”

“Me, too.”

John turned and walked out of the gym, probably to the cafeteria which was right down the hall.  She guessed that’s where they’d be holding the food.  Erin leaned over the table and said, “Crap.  I had no idea they went all out on this thing.”

Riley smiled, a look clouding his eyes that Erin couldn’t quite translate.  “I’m waiting for more.  I’m not leaving till I get what I paid for.”  Erin wrinkled her brow, not sure what he was saying, but then he laughed and shook his head.
  Oh, his strange sense of humor.
  “I paid for the company.”

She looked down, feeling that stupid blush crawl up her neck again.  When she looked up again into his eyes, she said, “I hope I don’t disappoint you.”

He licked his lips.  “Oh, you won’t.”

Chapter Nine

RILEY HAD MANAGED
to be a perfect gentleman throughout the evening.  Not one curse word and he never raised his voice.  He even managed to not upstage all the lovely young ladies at the event, including his own date.

But he hadn’t been able to keep his eyes—or his mind—off her. 
He’d asked her a lot of questions about her job as a high school English teacher, and he’d been able to process about half of what she’d said.  But
the
fuckin
’ thoughts swimming in his brain…
Jesus Christ
.  He didn’t know that he’d be able to contain himself if she ever let him get his hands on her.  Still, he’d have to try.  Surely, she’d let him kiss her good night at least, especially considering all the money he’d spent on her.

Based on what she’d said earlier, he
didn’t know that dancing would be a good idea.  But she asked him for
just one dance and then we’ll go
, and how could he say
no
?  He didn’t know that a fast dance would be a good idea, especially if she had some killer moves.  He wouldn’t be able to stand watching her gyrate her hips and run her hands through her hair or whatever it would be she’d do, but he knew for certain that a slow dance was a bad idea.  He’d be pressed up against her…too close, and she and everyone else there would expect him to maintain the G-rating put on this event.
  But he managed…he kept his hands firmly locked at the small of her back and enjoyed the feel of hers around his neck.  Her hair was next to his nose and he kept breathing it in, slowly, deeply…couldn’t get enough of the way she smelled.
  And he could see her milky white shoulders up close, that delicate, soft skin he’d love to sink his teeth into.
  And he wished he wasn’t wearing the goddamned suit jacket, or he’d be able to feel her a lot better through the shirt.  He should’ve taken the stupid thing off before getting on the floor, but he hadn’t thought of it. 
Again, though, probably a good idea.
  Any
more lascivious thoughts and he’d be popping a boner like an out-of-control kid.  That probably wouldn’t set very well with her, so it was for the best.

Bad enough the thoughts in his head.

So when the number ended, Erin said, “Thanks for that.  We can go now.”  What a sweet smile.

“You sure?”

“Yeah…it’s probably better we get you out of here now, don’t you think?  You don’t want to be accosted again at the end of the evening.”

They started walking back toward their table.  “You think that’d happen now?”

She shrugged.  “You
wanna
take that chance?”

“Good point.”  But he hated the idea that their time together was almost over.  Is that what she wanted?  After all, she could have had him all night
long and even more,
but
she
was the one calling the shots; she was the one who’d decided she’d had enough.  He supposed he could be a dick and demand his money’s worth, but he knew that wouldn’t score him any points.

So they walked out into the cool evening.  She pulled her flimsy shawl about her shoulders.  “Are you cold?”

“Just a little chilly.”

“Want my jacket?”

“No.”  She shook her head.  “I’m fine.”  But she didn’t object to his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as they walked to his car.

She stood beside the passenger door and he asked, “Did you have an okay time tonight?”

“I had fun.”  She smiled.  “You’re okay when you’re not being an incorrigible ass.”

He raised his eyebrows, letting go of the door handle. 
“An incorrigible ass?
  I don’t think I’ve been called that before.”

She bit her bottom lip.  God, he wanted to do that
to her lip
too.  He forced his eyes back up to hers.  She said, “Sorry…I don’t want to ruin the evening.”  Her eyes were searching his and he thought to himself,
now or never
.  He leaned forward, slowly
,
so he could take it back if he needed to, but she tilted her head just a fraction of an inch, so he was pretty sure she would be receptive.  Really, though, there was only one way to find out.

And that was by going for it.
  He leaned forward and touched his lips to hers and she didn’t push him away.  In fact, she pressed her lips to his and opened hers just a little, an invitation he couldn’t resist taking.  But he needed to approach it with a little finesse.  Erin wasn’t some groupie he could just throw it to and walk away from.  She would need a delicate touch, something Riley hadn’t had to care about in a long time.

What made it worse was how badly he wanted her.

But he restrained himself, slowly, gingerly sliding his tongue across her bottom lip, then venturing further inside.  He felt her hands touch his chest and, at first, he thought she was going to push him away, but instead she slid them up to his neck.  That’s when the confidence returned, and he wrapped his hands back around her waist where they’d been during the dance earlier.

God, she tasted good and she moved the fingers of one hand up through his hair.  He loved that.  But…if he focused too much on how good it felt, how good she tasted, he was going to freak her out.  He needed to chill.

So he ended the kiss and opened his eyes.  She took a few seconds to open hers.  Damn…that was a great sign.  She’d enjoyed it too.  So maybe it was even better to end it now, leave her wanting more.  Then maybe she’d ask him for an encore later.  That was the plan anyway.

A shy smile crossed her face.  He said, “Guess I better get you home.”

He couldn’t quite read her expression, but that was okay.  He was feeling pretty good about things when he opened the car door for her and she slid into the passenger seat.

* * *

Holy shit
.
  Erin settled herself in the car seat and tried to get her breathing—and emotions—under control.  What the hell had just happened?  No, Riley’s kiss hadn’t taken her totally by surprise, but her response to it had.  Not only had she liked it, she’d become instantly aroused.  Her panties were wet now, and she still had his taste in her mouth.  He tasted sweet and she wanted more.

But, God, she’d barely known him for twenty-four hours.  Jumping in the sack with this guy was
not
an option, no matter how good she might think he’d be.  That would put her firmly in
slut territory
, a place she didn’t want to be, especially because she needed to be a good example for the girls she was leading. 
So what if they’d never find out? 
She
would know, and that was bad enough.

No.  No sex.  That was final.

When Riley got in on the driver’s side, he said, “You still chilly?”

Uh…no.
  Hot
. 
Very hot.
 
On fucking fire.

She had to control these thoughts
or she wouldn’t stand a chance
.  They were going to get her into all kinds of trouble.  “No.  I’m fine now.  Thanks.”

The radio started playing as soon as
he
turned the key and
revved the engine.  The station was playing the end of a Rage
Against
the Machine song, but the DJ came on for a few minutes and talked, and then he started playing
“Closer” by
Nine Inch Nails. 
Great
.
  Even the universe was conspiring against her…a song about intimacy and not just making love but
fucking
,
and not just fucking but intimate, dirty, personal
, raw
get-into-your-head-and-soul
fucking,
something
that was
weighing heavily on her mind.

She decided she was going to play it off.  This time, though, she wasn’t going to sing the lyrics because she didn’t want to give Riley the wrong idea.

The only way to survive, in fact, would be to lay her head back against the headrest and close her eyes.  She’d be home soon enough.

And thank the stars she did, because Riley
was
singing the song.  She figured it was probably a natural reaction for him, considering singing was his career.  And he wasn’t singing at the top of his lungs; in fact, he was pretty subdued.
  Still…was he singing it on purpose, trying to send a message to her?

The song ended and the DJ switched to commercials when Riley pulled up to her apartment building.  She sat up and unbuckled. 
He asked,
“Are you tired?”

“No, just resting my head.”  She took a deep breath and then asked, “Do you want to come up to my apartment for a while?”  What the
fuck
?!
  Oh, God…her hormon
es had betrayed her.  Her brain was slacking off, and he’d even offered her the perfect out.

He grinned. 
“Thought you’d never ask.”
  She knew he would have walked her up
to her door
anyway (unless the gentlemanly act was over now), but he hopped out of
the car and bounded over to the passenger side
, snapping
the door
open.  He wasn’t wasting any time getting her out of the car now that he had an incentive.  But he was going to be sorely disappointed when he found out she was just inviting him up for a nightcap.  It would be her way of saying
thanks
for helping out the squad.

Yes, really.  Just one drink and then she would
shoo
him out the door.

But he still wrapped his arm around her waist to walk her up to her apartment.  That kiss had either made him a little bolder or had opened that door wide open, the one that made him think he had
carte blanche
to do anything he wanted with her.

Or maybe she was reading too much into it.

When they got inside, she turned on the living room light and then walked across the room to the kitchen
where she also flipped the light switch
,
and then she set her purse in
a
chair and draped her shawl over the back of it.  Riley was right next to her
and she was painfully aware of him.  She could almost feel the heat blazing off his body from a foot away.  She swallowed, shoring up her resolve.

“So, can I get you a drink?  Kind of a nightcap to the evening, especially considering we had to behave ourselves at the dinner?”

She’d started walking across the room to the cabinet where she kept a couple of bottles of liquor.  She figured Riley would laugh if he ever found out how old they were, and she couldn’t even remember exactly what she had.
  “Uh…none for
me,
thanks.  I’ll take a glass of water, though, if you don’t mind.”

She turned around and saw a pained expression on his face. 
“Oh, sure.”
  She turned back
to the cabinets and
instead
opened
one
where she kept her glasses.

“I’ve…uh…been sober for almost three years now.  I don’t touch the stuff.  Sorry.”