Hard to Hold (14 page)

“What the hell is up with him?” Logan turned to the defenseman Marcelo Andreas as the head coach tore their goalkeeper a new one during the halftime break.

“You can't keep conceding goals,” the head coach berated Erik, pointing to the net as if he couldn't see it. “Two or three per game and we're done. He slotted that ball right past you! What the fuck are you thinking? Or are you?”

Erik Blake simply got up and walked away, completely disrespecting the man, while a few of the other players sniggered.

“I heard upper management thinks he can't handle European talent,” Marcelo said, giving Logan an eye roll.

“Why's that?”

“Because he doesn't have international
eexpeeerience
.” He drew out the phrase in a mincing manner, and Logan chuckled. “He's too
American
,
and what do you all know about
fútbol
? Nothing except for the fucking NFL.”

“Heard that shit for years when I lived in Europe,” Logan said, remembering the Whites. “You assholes all try to act superior to us, when at the end of the day, every country is represented here.”

Marcello grinned. “For god's sake, don't talk rationally. This is all about having your dick out, and then some.”

“So you think they are pressuring him?” Logan glanced at the head coach.

“Big-time. His job's up for grabs if we don't make the playoffs, and it's not looking good. For last place Virginia Redcoats to kick our ass? Brutal.”

“You and I know the real deal,” Logan said. “It's not his coaching or how we're playing. Too many guys are hurt. He's had to change the formation almost every other game, and that's fucked up. No one knows what to expect, and we can't get a rhythm.”

“Yeah, and Guy wasn't exactly allowed to build his own team like he did in Georgia. The chairman of this club is from the U.K., and he thinks only the Brits know how to play. He brought up a couple of players, Simon Cooke and Ian Boswell, never taking into account how different conditions are here.”

“You got that right.” Logan grinned. “Remember when I had to room with Simon when we went to Denver? Found him passed out on the fucking bathroom floor from altitude sickness. He had probably never been more than a hundred feet above sea level.”

“Yes. And Ian couldn't breathe in Houston with the humidity. But the board seems to think they can transplant these guys without taking any of that into consideration.”

“And Guy's taking the heat. No wonder he's pissed.”

Marcello nodded. “Sucks to be him. He's being set up to fail.”

Logan glanced across the locker room and, for the first time, felt sorry for the head coach. The man was a pain in his ass, but at least he understood why now.

And to be honest, he and Guy had clashed from day one. Logan was used to playing with the Europeans, who valued aggressive action on the field, creating opportunities, while the coach valued planning and strategy.

Not that he was wrong, but his approach tested Logan's patience. And the Hurricanes had lost momentum. Too many teammates, including the goalkeeper, had mentally written the season off. It was very likely the head coach would get fired and they'd start all over again next year.

Then there were guys who were underplayed, like the Latino kid, Pablo Martinez. Logan had seen him in drills and he was fast, aggressive, had talent.

“I've been sucking ass lately,” he admitted as Marcelo looked at him in surprise. “But I intend to fix that.”

“Good to hear,” Marcello said, giving him a shove. “About fucking time.”

“Fuck you,” Logan said, but he grinned. “But Guy's right about one thing. We're getting too close to the finals to blow off these games. It isn't all Erik's fault.”

Marcelo nodded in agreement as Logan's eyes cut to his teammate.

“We need to be openly supportive of the plan. You guys need to step it up defensively, get them the hell out of our zone, and the forwards have to start creating plays. I can talk to the other strikers, get them on the same page. It's all about taking control of the ball, driving the play into their zone.”

“Fuckin' A,” Marcelo agreed. “We not only need to protect our zone, but we need to guard specific opponents. Soriano has been effective in the first leg of this match. We need to neutralize him as well as Trujillo. MacFarland and Cooper would have been all over their shit, but with them out, we need to get better coverage.”

“We can do this, especially if we engage some of the rookies like Pablo who are dying for a chance.”

Marcelo nodded. “You talk to Sergio and Steven. I'll talk to the other defensemen. They thought we'd be a winning team this year and are not thrilled with the idea of going home in October. Maybe we can get something going.”

“Meet up for a beer tonight after we crush this game?”

“You got it.”

Isabella felt more confident after Anna left.

She cleaned up the plates, thoughtfully stacking them into the dishwasher. She should just tell him and let the chips fall. Though she knew she was in over her head when it came to Logan, walking away without giving this a chance wasn't an option.

They needed her.

If she had to be totally honest with herself, she needed
them
. Logan was an incredible, fascinating man, and she would be ten times the idiot not to see where this went. And the baby was utterly adorable.

She'd learned her name recently. Isabella had called to her that morning, and Cinnamon immediately stopped playing and looked up, as if to say, “What?” It was another great first that she felt privileged to witness.

Her cellphone buzzed, and she picked it up and saw it was him.

Heading home. Can't wait to see you. Be naked.

With a grin, she texted back.
Looking forward to seeing you, too! And regarding clothes? I already am.

She shut off her phone, glancing down at her sweatpants. It was the visual that counted.

Logan snapped off his phone as the plane took off. Bella's teasing note had made him instantly aroused, and he realized he needed to up his game in more ways than one.

They'd won the match once they got with the plan. They caught a break when a foul by a rookie allowed the Hurricanes a free kick. Pablo went in hard and sent the ball to him with a pinpoint pass, and Logan fucking nailed it. The Redcoat goalkeeper looked astonished as it sailed right past him, and that quickly the Hurricanes evened the score.

He'd kept the pressure on, dominating the Virginia team. It didn't take long for the team to get motivated, aware that something had changed, that they had gone from simply going through the motions to getting engaged.

And when he passed quickly to Sergio, distracting the defensemen with a side kick, his teammate didn't waste the shot but sent it to Marcelo, who netted for the winning goal.

Their coach seemed more surprised than anyone, and Logan simply shrugged when the man tried to compliment him. “It's a team effort. If it wasn't for Pablo, Serg, and Marc, we'd be struggling. They all got onboard, especially the kid. You need to play him more.”

He left him openmouthed, as if trying to figure out what had just happened. But Logan was tired of losing. He wanted to win, be successful.

And that meant winning Isabella, too. Logan was aware that something was going on with her, and she obviously didn't trust him enough yet to confide in him. That needed to change, and it was up to him to make it happen. Like his father, he knew he was going to have to work for this, to convince her he was the right guy for her.

It was a challenge. But there was nothing Logan loved more.

Isabella took a quick glimpse in the mirror and grimaced when she saw her soccer-mom sweats, hair in a knot, and no makeup or jewelry.

Not exactly seductive
.

So once Cinnamon was asleep, she dug out a container of lavender salts and poured them into a tub of steaming water.

How long had it been since she'd indulged herself in a leisurely bath instead of a quick shower? Or shaved her legs using moisturizing cream, making sure her skin was smooth and free of stubble?

Or trimmed her bikini line?

It was in the tub that she noticed that her toenail polish was a little chipped. When she got out and dried off, she donned her terry-cloth robe and gave herself a manicure/pedicure, painting her toes Amore!, a soft, sexy red that made her feel pretty and put together.

Finishing with a generous dollop of Kores body butter, she rubbed it into her skin, inhaling the light scent of guava. When her toes dried, she slipped on a pair of black heels. Finally, she brushed her hair into a curvy old Hollywood style with a side part, letting her blond curls fall onto her shoulder. A touch of red lipstick completed the look, and she added sparkling earrings for a little extra glamour.

A shiver of excitement raced through her as she anticipated Logan's reaction to her appearance, and she set out two wineglasses after putting a bottle on ice. She retrieved a candle from the dining room and lit the taper, then placed it beside the wine bucket.

Logan wasn't a man to tease, and her blood pounded hotter as she heard his step outside the door. Waiting until she heard the key turn in the lock, she unbelted the robe, and as he entered, let it fall to the floor.

“Hey, Bella…”

Logan stopped short and his mouth fell open.

“You said to be naked,” Isabella said with a smile, her blood racing. “I took you seriously.”

Logan couldn't believe his eyes. She was gorgeous. Utterly fucking naked and gorgeous. Isabella looked like a film star with that stunning blond hair curled over one shoulder, the other side tucked back behind her ear. He saw some kind of a sparkle there, like rhinestones that reflected in her eyes, and she wore a red lipstick that screamed sex.

“You are trying to fucking kill me,” he said, fighting to regain his composure. “You are so beautiful, I'm not sure you're real.”

She gave him that innocent smile once more, and then put her arms around his neck, pressing her naked body against him.

“Oh, I'm real all right. Want to find out how real?” Her eyes met his and he saw the heat. “Fuck me. Please.”

His control snapped, and he picked her up in one swift movement, brushing past the candle and the wine, and tossed her roughly onto the sofa. He knew he should be gentle, seduce her into feeling that same madness that possessed him, but he couldn't. He wanted her too badly for that now.

“Bella, I'm sorry, I know I should go slow, but I want you so goddamned bad—”

“Then don't,” she said as he kissed her, breathing heavily. Eagerly his mouth went to her throat and he could feel her pulse pounding even as his hands roughly palmed her breasts.

But she surprised him as she reached for his belt buckle and successfully managed to free him. Before he could react, she took him with her mouth.

Logan moaned as she tongued him, flicking over the head of his penis, and then stroking the length of him. Carefully, she gauged his reactions, cupping him beneath and controlling the rhythm until his breathing intensified. Finally he stopped her, his fingers digging into her hair and she became aware that he was close to losing control.

“Don't,” he whispered. “If you keep that up, I'll come, and I want to be inside you.”

He didn't carry her romantically to bed this time; she'd driven him so cleanly out of his mind that he took her to the floor, barely aware that he spread out her robe beneath her as he entered her.

“Bella, you are so hot, so slick, the way you tighten around me…I can hardly stand it, I want to fuck you hard…”

In response, she rose up against him, her body meeting his as he ground into her.

“Logan, that feels so good, I'm coming…”

He felt it, felt the spasms in her pussy as she rocked his world. Unable to contain himself, he orgasmed, pumping into her, shuddering with the intensity as he lost touch with everything except what was happening between them.

It was a good five minutes before he could lift up on one arm to gaze down at this incredible woman beneath him.

Her eyes flickered open, and she gave him a smile that he would never forget. “I should have thought of this a long time ago,” she said with a twinkle.

“What's that?” he asked, tracing a finger between her breasts, and then rubbing a thumb over her nipple.

“Greeting you naked. The results were unbelievable.”

He grinned. “None of this went down the way I had planned. I was thinking to romance you. I was going to seduce you, to tell you what an amazing woman you are. Then I saw you naked, and that all went to hell.”

He had the satisfaction of seeing those red lips part in surprise. Caressing her, he grinned apologetically. “Sorry if I was a little rough.”

“You won't hear me complaining,” she said softly, giving him the satisfied look of a woman who had been thoroughly loved.

A little cry came from the nursery, and Logan rose, yanking up his pants. “I'll get her.”

“Are you sure? You just got home, you must be hungry.”

“I am, but I want to see her. I'll be back.” His eyes met hers with a grin as he reached for her robe. “You'd better put some clothes on. Unless you are ready for round two? I don't want to make you sore.”

Isabella smiled, slipping on the robe as Logan headed for the nursery. She would take a quick shower, start dinner, and tell him about her infertility. Anna was right. There was no point in waiting.

Coming out of the bathroom a short time later, she headed for the kitchen, aware that Logan must be starving. Heating up the remainder of the vegetable lasagna she'd made earlier, she added a tossed salad and defrosted some rolls.

Her heart warmed even as she dressed the greens. She could trust him. Not only had he satisfied her physically, Logan touched her emotionally in ways she couldn't even begin to describe.

Watching him go eagerly to Cinnamon after being away on the road flooded her with tenderness. He was getting attached, whether he wanted to or not. Her brow wrinkled a little as she thought of him taking a DNA test. He hadn't done it so far to her knowledge, but would his feelings change about her if he found out Cinnamon wasn't his?

Paternity was a big deal to most men. Having taken care of all kinds of children, including those from previous marriages, she had seen that firsthand. The lack of connection, the resentment, the comparisons between biological children and stepchildren could be grueling. And while Logan had shown a lot more character than that, emotions were not always predictable.

As she finished making the meal, she made her way down the hallway and peeked through the door of the nursery. Logan was leaning over the crib, making goofy faces at the baby, while Cinnamon giggled in delight. They were clearly having a great time, and she was about to retreat, leaving them to it, when Cinnamon suddenly stopped her babbling, looked at Logan, and clearly said: “Da da.”

Logan froze, his shoulders square to the crib. He had reached for the mobile, intending to send it dancing for the baby's entertainment, but his hand stopped as Cinnamon chuckled, waving her feet in the air, and then chattered on once more.

“Da da da da.”

He sucked in a breath. She knew the baby wouldn't clearly say words until six months old, but they often babbled dada well before.

“Are you talking to me, baby girl? Are you really saying Dada?”

Cinnamon chortled in response. “Dadadada.”

Tears stung Isabella's eyes as she saw his expression. Logan appeared stunned. Obviously, this wasn't the right time for their talk. Cautiously, she retreated, closing the door, letting them enjoy the private moment. Yet as she leaned on the wall outside, she was aware of one thing:

DNA test or no DNA test, they were clearly becoming father and daughter. Legalities be damned.

Logan came out to the kitchen a few minutes later, looking like a man whose world had just been rocked.

“She called me Dada.” He gazed at Isabella, incredulous, as if unable to believe it. “Me! She looked right at me and said, ‘Dada!' ”

“That is so sweet.” Isabella grinned, her own heart throbbing as this rough-and-tumble soccer player appeared utterly entranced by the baby in the next room. “I'm so glad for you! It really is special when they begin to recognize the important people in their lives.”

“Do you think she really knows?” The look in his eyes made her throat tighten.

She laid a hand over his and shook her head. “On some level, she knows. I'd hate to think what would have happened to her if you hadn't stepped up.”

His eyes narrowed, and the bright blue faded into thoughtful crinkles. “I sent away for the test this morning. I have to know, especially after today. If I am her father, that makes things a lot easier.” His jaw tightened. “How likely is it that a court would allow me to become her guardian?”

“I know.” His eyes narrowed, and the bright blue faded into thoughtful crinkles. “I sent away for the test this morning. I have to know, especially after today. If I am her father, that makes things a lot easier.” His jaw tightened. “How likely is it that a court would allow me to become her guardian?”

“You don't know that.”

“New Jersey apparently has an agency that does a home study to see if you can provide the right environment for a child. They verify employment, that sort of shit. I don't know what they'd think of my situation.”

“I see.” And she did. Logan was hardly ever home. How would that look to a state agency? The child would be in her care as a paid nanny, as compared to a married couple, eager to have a child.

“It gets even more complicated. If we can find Desiree, and she agrees to the guardianship, she can sign a consent. But she could still change her mind, unless she appears in court and surrenders her rights. I can't picture that.”

“Me either.” Isabella thought of the paternity suit. It was obvious Desiree was looking to get Logan on the hook, one way or another. And the baby was key to that. What motivation would she have to lose that leverage?

Placing the meal before him, she paused to rub the back of his shoulders. “You don't have to figure out everything tonight. One day at a time. Have you sent the DNA sample?”

“Not yet. They are sending a kit. I called and they said I have to send them a swab of spit, and from that they process the test.” He gave her a look of chagrin, and her heart went out to him. “I have to admit, I've never been through anything like this in my life. In some ways, it's so Jerry Springer and, yet, that child's life lies in the balance. It's no fucking joke.”

“Once we know the truth, we'll deal with it.” Her gaze caught his and she hastened to reassure him. “I care just as much about Cinnamon. We will figure out the right path. But for tonight, let it go. Take care of yourself. That baby needs you. And in case you haven't noticed?” His eyes lifted to hers and she smiled. “I do, too.”