Too Hot to Handle: A Boys of Summer Novel (10 page)

Dangerous. That was the word to describe him. She’d been playing with fire and didn’t have a single regret, especially when she was back in his arms once more. Her legs were on either side of his muscular thighs and he took each of her hands and put them on his shoulders.

“Jake, we can’t.” She tried to reason with him even as her head was beginning to swim. He was slowly unbuttoning her blouse, his fingers caressing her skin as he went. They lightly brushed her collarbone, teased the curve of her breast peeking through the silk, slid to the firm muscle of her rib cage. When he reached the bottom, he let the silk drape open as he stepped back to openly admire her feminine lingerie.

“Wow,” he said, gazing at her breasts encased in lace. His eyes met hers with a sexy promise. “You just lost any hope of talking me out of this.”

The rush that went through her was as strong as if he’d actually touched her. And she didn’t have long to wait for that. He made her feel beautiful and wanted in a way she’d never experienced in her life. And this wasn’t just any guy; this was Jake Baldwin, ace shortstop for the Sonics. Even New York had taken notice of him.

His hands were positioned beneath the underwire of the demi-bra and his thumbs began a sensual assault, brushing against her rock-hard nipples while she squirmed on the desk. If it felt good last night, now, with the knowledge of what he could do to her, it was even better. When he lifted her out of the bra, leaving it still hooked, she was helpless to stop him.

“Jake.” It was a halfhearted plea as she struggled for a coherent thought. This was madness. Anyone could overhear them, discover them…

It took them several minutes before they realized someone
was
knocking. Scrambling off the desk, they both quickly reassembled their clothing. Jake had to help her since her fingers were clumsy and couldn’t seem to find the buttonholes of her blouse. Both of them smothered laughter as Nikki innocently opened the door while Jake pretended to busy himself with reviewing a press release.

Thankfully, she saw it was Pete. He stepped into the room and his eyes went immediately to the desk, where Jake had hastily rearranged her papers. He glanced at the Bose sound system just as Jake turned down the music. Amusement twinkled in his blue eyes and a suspicious twitch curved the side of his mouth. But he was all business.

“Good, you’re both here.” His eyes met Nikki’s, and with that same quirk, he averted his gaze. Self-consciously, she realized her hair was totally disheveled, and she tried to smooth it back as he continued to speak. “We are planning a road trip to Vegas next week. We want you to come with us. Jeffrey is pleased with the new regimen and wants to make sure that the team sticks to the rules.” He gave the floor another look. “I don’t think that will be a problem, right?”

“No.” Nikki cleared her throat. “I just have to move a few things on my calendar.”

“Okay then.” He gave Jake a narrow glance. “We have a game starting, you know. Would you like to join us?”

He stopped at the door on his way out and glanced at the lock. “That thing looks a little loose. I’ll have maintenance take a look at it.”

He closed it behind him and Nikki felt her cheeks getting hot. “He knows.”

“Of course he does.” Jake grinned, indicating her blouse with a nod of his head. Apparently, he wasn’t as together as he had seemed, for the buttons were fastened wrong.

Nikki’s blush grew even deeper as she hastily adjusted her cleavage. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“I do.” Jake gave her a wicked grin. “It’s probably a good thing he came in when he did. Otherwise…”

She didn’t need to fill in the blank.

“What the hell do you mean you’re taking her on the road?”

John Palmer looked outraged as Pete shrugged, focused on chewing his wad of gum.

“Makes sense to me,” Pete said, blowing a bubble and popping it expertly with his tongue before sucking it back into his mouth. His eyes were focused on his team, his hands in his pockets as he leaned forward, watching intently. “Ms. Case is having a good influence on the boys. I don’t want that breaking down once they’re away. We’re traveling to Sin City next week. It will be too easy for them to fall into old patterns. Fighting, drinking…J
effrey likes the way things are going, and I intend to support that.”

“This is bullshit,” the director continued. “If you feel like we need someone to cover a story or something, we have a team of people that can do that. Why her?”

“Nice to see Jake hit so good,” Pete said, as if they were having another conversation. He gestured to the batting coach, switching the gum to the other side of his mouth. “Hey, Matt. Looks like he’s seeing the ball, just like we talked about. Let’s move up Ryan in the lineup next game. I want some power behind that.”

“Did you hear a word I said?” John fumed.

Pete’s eyes switched back to him as if surprised he was still there. “There’s a game going on, in case you hadn’t noticed. I’m a little busy. If you want to have a hissy fit, do it on your own time. Or take it up with Jeffrey. I’m sure he’d be happy to discuss the matter with you.”

The director stormed away as Pete turned back to the game and leaned against the fence. Matt Leon, the batting coach, broke into laughter.

“Man, he’s pissed.”

Pete shrugged as Jake jogged the bases. “He’ll get over it. He’s just got his nose out of joint because that little girl,” he indicated Nikki with the tip of his baseball cap, “has done more for this team in a couple of weeks than he’s done in years. Jeffrey’s taken notice.”

“Well, you know he isn’t going anywhere, not with his father owning a stake in the team. But I agree with you. I think we needed some new ideas. Palmer thinks if he has a beer with a reporter, he’s done his job.”

“The organization wanted a change. That’s why I think they went outside to another company. Jeffrey thinks Palmer will either step up his game or move on. Wow, look at that.”

The hitting coach grinned as Jake hustled to third. “What’s gotten into our boy there? He’s unstoppable today.”

Grinning, Pete put his hand on the other man’s shoulder when the shortstop slid into home. “Let’s just say he’s found some inspiration.”

The game ended late as the Dodgers tied it up in the ninth. Thankfully, Cody Jones drove in a triple, allowing Jake and Ryan to jog home for a walk-off win.

The stadium was euphoric. Even though it was ten o’clock on a weeknight, many of the fans stayed for the win. They cheered their team, letting the Sonics know in no uncertain terms that New Jersey loved a winner.

The media swarmed the ballpark, capturing interviews and reporting on the team’s success. Twitter was building, and the fans were Facebooking with their friends about the win. A groundswell was beginning; Nikki could feel it in the energy surrounding her as she directed the reporters and assisted the players in their responses.

She’d spent the evening working on her communications plan, and she could feel it was all coming together. The one sore point that remained was the communications director. John refused to share his own work and did everything he could to distance himself from her. Nikki knew he felt competitive with her and was threatened by her success. Somehow she had to get him on her side; otherwise it would be impossible to leverage the resources he had at his disposal.

She’d scheduled a meeting with his team in Outlook, only to have him delete the appointment without an explanation. All of her emails to him went unanswered, and he never returned her calls. It was nearly impossible for her to build any kind of relationship with him as long as he stubbornly used these tactics to keep from engaging with her.

The best thing she could do, she decided, was continue to get good press and improve the team’s image. Maybe once he realized her plan was working, he would hitch his wagon to hers.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a ruckus behind home plate. Jake was giving an interview, and Nikki realized a group of his female fans had forced their way over the fence and onto the field. “
Baldwin’s Beauties
,” they were called, and they showed up religiously at every home game clad in bikinis and heels.

They raced toward their idol while security appeared right behind them. “Jake!” Two of the girls broke free from the burly guards and ran up to the shortstop. The reporter snapped his camera as the girls enveloped Jake in their heated embraces even as he tried to disentangle himself from the flailing limbs.

Security pounced, wrapping thick arms around the two young women, wrestling them away from Jake. With their platinum hair and heavy makeup they looked a lot older than their years, Nikki realized, and the extravagant jewelry only added to that impression. A shot of something uncomfortably close to jealousy surged through her as she took a closer look at the girls. She saw that the gold bikinis they wore were skimpy, fully exposing their surgically enhanced breasts and perfect round bottoms, and though the mercury registered only 60 degrees, Baldwin’s Beauties didn’t seem at all affected by the chill. If anything, Nikki thought in annoyance, they seemed overheated.

“Jakey! We love you!” they screamed as they were dragged kicking and shrieking toward the gate. Suddenly, a bikini top hit Jake in the chest, and Nikki realized one of them had stripped off her bra and was now almost totally naked in an effort to get his attention.

The guards and the reporter loved it, but Nikki was grateful to see that security quickly ushered the groupies away. Yet the remaining fans roared their approval, cameras flashed, and the scene was videoed by countless phones. By morning, the topless girl would be an Internet sensation.

The reporter chuckled and gave Jake an understanding grin. “I don’t suppose that ever gets old for you,” he said, snapping a couple more pictures.

“Nope. Not even when I’m ninety,” Jake admitted, returning the grin.

His eyes met hers, and Nikki busied herself with her notes as she walked off to speak with a television reporter. He was playing to the media, making a joke of it all, giving them what they expected. And unfortunately, fans were part of the deal when it came to a public persona. She wasn’t naïve enough not to know that, or that there were dozens of Baldwin’s Beauties all over the country who would do anything for a night with a sexy ballplayer.

Nikki caught one last glimpse of the half-naked girl as she tried to break free. The guard had attempted to wrap her in a jacket, but Nikki got a clear picture of bouncing boobs as he finally lifted her physically over his shoulder to get her out of the ballpark, where she flashed a full moon.

Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that they wanted her to go on the road with the team. It was crystal clear to her that to clean up the Sonics’ image, she needed to make sure they didn’t act like a bunch of frat boys. She had already instituted a “no girls” rule while away, which the owner of the team was very enthusiastic about.

Nikki grinned.

Too bad, Baldwin’s Beauties.
Sister Mary Teresa’s twin was about to join the tour.

Jake walked into the coffee shop early Saturday morning and ordered breakfast. He wasn’t expecting Joaquin to show up; he had been around enough to know that the boy’s story, about not wanting to be part of the gang, was probably bullshit. Still, he felt he owed it to the kid to give him the benefit of the doubt just in case. If anyone knew what it was like to come from a small town with limited possibilities, it was Jake.

So he was doubly surprised when a few minutes later, the boy entered the restaurant and glanced furtively around as if uncertain he belonged there. Dressed in a black tee shirt and jeans, he appeared if anything even thinner than the first time Jake had seen him.

“I didn’t think you’d show up,” Jake admitted, sipping his coffee. He indicated the vacant stool beside him.

Joaquin slid onto the seat, his eyes wary. “I told you I’d be here.”

His tone wasn’t defiant; it was as if he was simply stating a fact. And he didn’t seem at all surprised by Jake’s assumption. Obviously, he’d gotten used to people judging him based on appearance and circumstance.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” The boy’s brown eyes met his.

“People don’t usually surprise me,” Jake said. “Pleasantly, yet.”

The boy said nothing, only turned to stare at the countertop.

When the waitress appeared, her eyes shifted from the lanky ballplayer to the young Hispanic boy. “I told you kids not to be hanging out here,” she began, hefting the coffeepot in disapproval. “We’ve got enough problems without the gangs.”

“He’s my guest,” Jake said, indicating the menu. “He’s going to have some breakfast.”

Joaquin looked at Jake in astonishment, and when the waitress put down the coffeepot and turned to him, she seemed taken aback.

“Oh, I didn’t realize—”

“No problem,” Jake said quickly. He looked at Joaquin. “You like eggs?” When the boy nodded, he glanced at the waitress. “He’ll take the bacon and eggs also. And a glass of orange juice.” When he saw the boy swallow hard, Jake pointed to the plate of toast. “And we’ll take a couple extra slices.”

Joaquin was obviously uncomfortable with his kindness and kept his eyes glued to the counter. “So what do you want me to do today?”

“My mother’s got a big house in Clementon,” he said, chewing on a piece of toast. He shoved the plate toward the boy. “She refuses to move, even though I’ve offered to get her a nice townhouse in Marlton or Medford. I can understand why; we grew up there, and the place has a lot of good memories. But still, it’s a lot of work for her.”

“What about your dad?”

“He passed away.” Jake still found it hard to say the words. “I have a maintenance man who comes in and takes care of any issues with the plumbing, electrical, that sort of thing. But the property needs a good cleanup after this winter. Are you up for that?”

Joaquin nodded and fell hungrily upon the food when the waitress shoved the plate in front of him. Jake’s heart went out to the kid when he realized that a breakfast like this was obviously a luxury for him. The boy had gotten halfway through the eggs when he looked up at him as if suddenly remembering something.

“I…don’t have money.”

Jake grinned. “I already figured that out. But I can’t ask you to work all day on an empty stomach, right? Believe me, you’ll earn it.”

The boy seemed satisfied with that explanation and finished up everything in sight. When he drained the last drop of juice from his glass, Jake tossed a few bills on the countertop and got to his feet.

“Let’s go.”

The trip into the suburbs took about a half hour. Jake tried to make conversation, but Joaquin limited himself to one-word responses. Giving up, Jake turned on talk radio and listened as a fan called in discussing last night’s game. As he proceeded to critique a pitch Chase threw in the eighth, Jake shook his head.

“Idiot,” he said in annoyance. When Joaquin glanced at him, he shrugged. “Fans like that drive me crazy. It’s so easy to criticize when you aren’t the guy out there doing the best you can. There’s no way Chase would’ve thrown the heat to a fastball right-handed hitter. That’s insanity.”

The boy’s dark eyes squinted, and then the boy looked askance at the radio. “Is that your team?” he asked in disbelief.

“Yeah.” Jake shrugged. “They’re talking about last night’s game.”

The boy glanced from the radio back to Jake as if he’d suddenly entered another universe. When the caller began discussing the shortstop’s play, Jake turned up the knob and began to explain what had happened. Joaquin listened intently, as if trying to make sense of it all.

“So you…” He seemed to struggle to translate his thoughts. “Make a plan. Think about all those things before the game?”

Jake nodded. “Sure. The coaches, the managers, the catchers, all the players…We assess the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team, and then develop a strategy of how to win.” As they pulled up into the driveway, he glanced at the boy once more.

“You play?”

Joaquin shrugged. “There’s a field behind the supermarket in Lindenwold. Before we moved, I hit the ball with a couple of the kids there.”

“Position?”

“Shortstop.” The boy’s eyes shifted to the house outside as if he was embarrassed.

“No kidding?” Jake laughed as he got out of the car. “We’ll have to see what you’ve got.” He then indicated a trunk on the side of the house. “There are garden tools inside. Grab a rake and the leaf blower. There should also be a tarp in there. I’ll be right out.”

Joaquin obediently followed his instructions while Jake walked up the flagstone steps to the bungalow overlooking the lake. He noticed one of the stones was loose, and mentally made a note to pick up some concrete before someone got hurt. As he walked through the door, he noticed the new screens, a fresh coat of paint, and a new doorbell.

Jim,
he thought in appreciation. His boyhood friend had grown up to start a home maintenance business and took excellent care of his mother’s cottage.

“Is that you, Jake?”

Janet Baldwin glanced up from the stove to greet him. A plump little woman with short blond hair and a nervous smile, his mother had seemed lost after his father died. She’d never had the responsibility of balancing a checkbook, making important decisions, or running her own life. Thankfully, his sister had stopped by weekly to help her with the bills, doctor’s appointments, and anything else she needed. Jake took care of the house, while his brother called regularly and offered emotional support when he was out of town.

“Get down, Sadie,” his mother said to the little Jack Russell terrier that scampered around his feet. “Who’s outside?”

“Friend of mine.” Jake knew better than to tell her how he’d met Joaquin. “He’s going to help out with the yard.”

“Oh, that’s nice. Did you eat?” When Jake nodded, she proceeded to chatter on about the garden club meeting, her church group, neighbors he no longer remembered. When he went back out to join Joaquin, he thought in amusement of the way his mother managed to get her needs taken care of. She fully expected that somehow the yard would clean itself, or that she’d wake up and the steps would have magically repaired themselves. The contrast between her and the boy outside couldn’t have been more striking.

“Do you know how to work a leaf blower?” When Joaquin shook his head, Jake started it up and then put the backpack on him. He showed the boy how to direct the leaves and the rest of the debris into a pile on the tarp. He let him finish that job while he picked up the sticks and broken limbs that had fallen in a recent storm.

Joaquin learned quickly and to Jake’s surprise, performed the task very well. By noon he had completed that job and begun raking the leaves from the ivy. He didn’t want to break for lunch, but Jake insisted. Bringing back a couple of hoagies from the sub shop, they shared the meal quietly before resuming work.

By early afternoon, the property had been transformed. Jake looked around him in satisfaction. The azalea bushes were neatly trimmed, the forsythia tamed. There were still quite a few tasks that needed to be done, but overall, the place looked great.

“I’ve got to get going for batting practice,” Jake said when Joaquin walked up with a shovel.

The boy looked disappointed. “Okay.”

They put the tools away and when they returned to the car, Jake handed him a hundred dollars. Joaquin’s eyes widened at the amount of money.

“But…it is so much!”

“Want to make the same next week?” When the boy nodded quickly, Jake grinned. “There are a lot of projects my mother would like to complete and I just don’t have the time. I’ll pick you up next Saturday at the same place. Work for you?”

“Yes.” Joaquin sank back into the seat and counted the twenties over and over again as if he couldn’t believe his luck. Jake smiled to himself.

It was the best money he’d spent in a long while.

“So how is everything going with the hot ballplayer?”

Nikki smiled as she walked into her bedroom. She was engaged in the single girl’s Saturday night ritual: taking a bubble bath, shaving her legs, deep-conditioning her hair, giving herself a manicure, and watching an old black-and-white movie on cable. Tea lights flickered around the room while Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant bantered back and forth on the screen. Muting the sound, she slipped the earbud on her phone so that she could paint her toes and talk at the same time.

“Great,” Nikki said, looking through her box of polish. “Va-va-vroom tangerine? Or Cajun red?”

“Cajun red. You look awful in orange,” her sister said decidedly. “So?” It hadn’t escaped Natalie’s notice that Nikki hadn’t given her much of an answer.

“So…It’s amazing.” Nikki sighed dreamily as she stuffed cotton balls between her toes. “He’s so funny, and smart. He gives me good advice on how to handle the team. And he’s surprisingly sweet. The players pranked me the other night: they invited me to a team dinner, and when I arrived at the restaurant I discovered the team was me.”

“You mean they stood you up?” Natalie sounded indignant. “That’s terrible!”

“Yes, it was. I have to admit I was mortified at first. I felt so stupid.”

“What a bunch of jerks.”

“But then Jake showed up and explained that they wanted to have a bachelor party for Shaun, one of the new guys. They thought I would try to interfere, so they figured they’d get me out of the way for the night.”

“Ah,” Natalie said, but still sounded annoyed. “So he played the good guy and came to your rescue?”

Something about her tone bothered Nikki. “He actually blew off the party to come see me.”

“Right,” her sister said shrewdly. “I’m sure he was in on the whole thing, and saw a way to use it to his advantage.”

“It wasn’t like that. I think it really bothered him, what the team had planned.”

“Uh-huh.” Natalie wasn’t convinced. “So did you finally score with this guy?”

“Yes,” Nikki admitted. “Originally he wanted to wait so we could get to know each other. But things started to get out of control in the parking lot and we went back to my place.”

“Oh good. I want details. Hang on one second while I close the door.” A moment later, Nikki could no longer hear the sounds of screaming toddlers. “Okay, let’s hear it.”

“It was…hot.” Nikki felt her face heat as she recalled that night. “Honestly, there are no other words. He did things I can’t even begin to describe. I never had an experience like that, ever.”

“Not surprised,” Natalie snorted. “After all, look who you married. So the guy knows what he’s doing. I would’ve expected that, seeing that he’s a player. Are you going to continue to see him?”

It was the same question she’d asked herself when they’d come back from spring training. She took a deep breath.

“I think so. Originally I thought once we got the physical stuff out of the way, we could just be friends. But if anything, the sexual attraction is even hotter now.”

“I see.” Natalie didn’t sound thrilled. When she spoke again, she sounded cautious. “Nikki, I’m glad you’re having a good time, but be careful with this guy. As long as it’s just sex and you can handle it, that’s great. But don’t think it’s going to lead to anything else.”

“I don’t,” she said defensively, wondering why her sister’s words rattled her. “I think the fire will burn out soon,” she added firmly. “It has to.”

“Okay, but you sound a little moony, like you’re romanticizing it all. This is a guy who likes to play, a serial dater. Not exactly material for Mr. Right. With what you’ve told me about the jokes and the wigs, Jake Baldwin doesn’t have a serious bone in his body.”

Nikki couldn’t argue with that. “Look, I love that you’re worried about me. But I can handle this. I didn’t realize how much I needed this until now. And when it’s over, we both move on. The good thing is I have only a six-month contract with the Sonics. Once it’s done and I’m on to the next job, I won’t be seeing him.”

It was what she’d been telling herself for the past few weeks. There was a time limit here, a window of opportunity to enjoy a sexy fling. Yet even as she said the words out loud, an uncomfortable emotion tried to shove its way through to her consciousness.

Could she really walk away from this unscathed? The brush froze halfway to her nail, and a blob of Cajun red dripped onto her pillow.

Natalie chattered on. “I’m glad to hear you say that. So have you had an official date yet?”

“Tomorrow.” Nikki silently swore as she saw the splotch of nail polish, bright red against the white pillowcase. Putting the bottle aside, she removed the covering and rushed to her sink before the paint could travel anywhere else.

“Tomorrow? What’s wrong with today? Saturday is date day.”

“He’s playing tonight. And it sounded like he had something to do earlier.”

“I bet,” her sister said sarcastically. “Something or some
one
?”

Nikki dabbed at the nail polish with a clump of tissues. It was something she hadn’t even thought of, and yet her sister was right. She had no idea about Jake’s life, whether he was dating other women, or sleeping with them. Her mind went back to the groupies who had shown up after the game. Did he spend the day with one of Baldwin’s Beauties? Normally she would have had the conversation about monogamy, but this wasn’t a romantic relationship.