Too Hot to Handle: A Boys of Summer Novel (18 page)

Jake heard her breathing change and he leaned back, allowing her more space as he tenderly pulled the sheet over her, and just admired her. She was so damned beautiful, so hot and sexy. Her black hair spilled all over his white sheets, over her lashes and across her cheeks, while her lips were still red and swollen. She looked like a woman who had been well loved, and a warm feeling rose inside him.

She was his. He had claimed her in front of the team, in front of his fans, management, everyone. And although he was in unchartered waters, he found the emotion was not at all unpleasant. Pride swelled within him, and he gently touched her cheek, wondering what he had done to deserve someone like Nikki.

There would be fallout, for sure. He’d seen the look on one of the Baldwin’s Beauties when he kissed Nikki on the dance floor, witnessed surprise on the faces of his team members and shock as Jeffrey seemed to understand what was going on. Only Pete remained unflappable, and he’d given him an odd smile before turning back to the batting coach.

Then he remembered Ryan. And the bet. Jake stared at the ceiling as he recalled the knowing smile the first baseman had given him when he claimed Nikki. He’d obviously thought this was Jake’s way of showing that he’d won, that he had managed to seduce and win their gorgeous PR rep.

He’d correct that notion the first chance he got. Jake realized that while he had focused on Nikki originally because of the wager, all of that had ceased to matter a long time ago. Once he got to know the woman beside him, he had to have her, and not because of some silly bet.

Because it was Nikki.

She awoke shortly afterward and made her way shyly to the bathroom. To his surprise, when she returned, she was dressed once more in her gown.

“I should go,” she said softly as he reached for her.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he said decisively, pulling her into his lap. “It’s late, and you’ve got a long drive home.”

She appeared surprised that he expected her to stay. “But I don’t have anything with me,” she said, laughing as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back into bed. “I can’t sleep in my evening attire.”

“You’ll never guess what,” he said with a grin. “In addition to all of these modern conveniences, I even have a shower here, along with a drawer full of tee shirts. I know I roughed you up, so why don’t you get comfortable. I’ll pour us a glass of wine and light the fire. We can hang out for a while, get some sleep, and I’ll take you back to the hotel in the morning.”

“Are you sure?” A wicked glint appeared in her eye. “I wouldn’t want to harm your rep by having a sleepover. Someone might think you were serious.”

He smacked her bottom and then hoisted her out of bed. “I’m afraid that train already left the station. I’ll get the wine, you get the shower.”

When she returned to the bathroom, he pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms, and then dug out a tee shirt and put it on the bed. Venturing into the kitchen, he opened the stainless-steel fridge and retrieved a bottle of white Burgundy. Uncorking the wine, he then placed the bottle on the quartz countertop and grabbed two glasses that were hanging beneath a cabinet.

He didn’t question that this felt very right. Ordinarily, he didn’t entertain overnight guests. He liked having his place to himself, and had made it a cardinal rule not to ever lead a girl on, or make her think he was interested in anything other than fun. But everything with Nikki was totally different, including his protectiveness toward her. No way in hell would he allow her to drive an hour at this time of night just to get home.

And if he had to be totally honest, he was looking forward to holding her during the night, feeling her softness and warmth beside him as he cradled her while they slept, and waking up next to her in his bed. It was a stunning experience for him to feel these things, and he wasn’t about to question any of it.

When he returned to the bedroom, he thought she looked adorable clad in his Sonics shirt, sitting up in his bed like a teenager. She had taken the pins out of her hair and was shaking it out so that it fell over her shoulders, and he had to restrain himself from running his fingers through it, knowing where that would lead.

“Thanks.” She accepted the glass, and he joined her in the bed, putting his own on the nightstand. He opened the drawer and took out the remote, igniting the gas fireplace. He marveled at that as well, realizing he hardly ever used it. But with Nikki beside him, he felt the urge to impress her with everything he had to offer.

“It’s beautiful,” she said softly.

“No, you are.” He took a sip of the drink, and then put his arm behind her, pulling her closer. “So I was wondering something. Do you ever hear from your ex-husband?” When she looked at him, startled, he shrugged. “I can’t imagine anyone walking away from you.”

Her mouth parted, and she squirmed uncomfortably. He’d never admit that he hated the fact that another guy had dared to call her his own, and then just tossed her away like an old newspaper. It was unfathomable.

“No, not in a long time. Since we never had children, there was really no reason. I mean, he tried in the beginning. Once he figured out that he had screwed up, he made an effort to get me back, but by then I was so over him I didn’t see any reason to continue communicat
ing.”

“Good.” When she looked at him questioningly, he grinned. “First of all, the guy would have to be a total idiot to let you go. But I was also hoping I wasn’t competing with an ex.”

“No way,” Nikki laughed. “You know, I think I only married him because I was trying to fix something that had nothing to do with him.” She took a sip of her drink, and then continued. “When my parents broke up, my father forgot about us. I mean he always favored Natalie because she was so pretty, would call us on our birthdays and that sort of thing, but once he remarried it was pretty clear he wasn’t all that interested. I think I felt driven to find someone to get that male approval and fill that void. It wasn’t until we broke up that I realized the man I had married was just like my father.”

“I can understand that,” he said, that protective feeling swelling inside of him along with outrage. What kind of a screwed-up father would do something like that?

“Yes, though it took me some time and distance to see it. Natalie tried to talk me out of marrying him, but at the time I felt so compelled I couldn’t listen. I even think that’s why I tried so hard in school, thinking that maybe if I did really well, my father would then be happy with us and come back. Silly, isn’t it?”

“Not at all,” he said, gently stroking her cheek. “I don’t think any of what you said is silly. Most of us never understand what’s driving us. I just think it’s remarkable what you’ve done with your life, how you’ve moved forward in spite of everything. A lot of women would’ve taken the easy way out and just found another guy.”

“It was tempting,” Nikki admitted. “After all, it was scary as hell to be out there alone. My mother remarried, and since then moved to California. It’s really just me and Natalie, and while she would always help me, I couldn’t impose on her. I also realized I had made a big mistake and needed some time not only to heal, but to try to understand why.”

She yawned, and he took the glass and put it beside his. “Thank you,” he said as she settled onto the pillow.

“For what?”

“For telling me that. I know you aren’t the kind of woman to share your thoughts with everyone.”

Nikki smiled sleepily, and then her eyes closed as he pulled her against him. She was asleep within a matter of minutes, while Jake lay awake for a long time.

She heard the shower when she woke. Nikki slowly opened her eyes and glanced around the opulent bedroom. As she surveyed the luxurious quilt, the king-size bed, and the gorgeous fireplace and elegant dresser, she remembered where she was and the night before.

Jake. He had publicly claimed her at the dance in front of his teammates, friends, management
—everyone. If anyone had been suspecting that something was going on between them, it was certainly clear now.

And yet she found she didn’t mind in the least. Like a kaleidoscope, everything had shifted once she realized she was in love with him. Now she understood what Natalie was trying to tell her when she said her position with the Sonics was just a job, and she could get another one tomorrow. And while she knew Pete didn’t mind when her relationship with Jake was secret, she wasn’t so sure now. And Jeffrey was another story altogether.

So if they decided they weren’t comfortable with the relationship, she would have to leave. But she really didn’t think that would happen now. She’d been ready to walk after that bench-clearing brawl, yet they made it very clear that they wanted her to stay. She had proven her worth, and at the end of the day, she felt that would matter most.

Because no way in hell was she going to choose the job over Jake. Last night she felt as if she were on the brink of something wonderful, something she’d been searching for her entire life. They’d made the first step by going public, and then leapt into the chasm by having a sleepover at his place. There was no turning back.

Stretching on the fine linens like a contented cat, Nikki suddenly had the urge to see Jake, to touch him, to feel his arms around her. She envisioned him in the shower, his amazing body slick with bubbles and warm, soapy water. She could picture her arms around him, washing his back, hearing his breath catch as he turned toward her…

The fantasy became too much. Climbing out of bed, she removed his tee shirt and tossed it on a chair beside her before entering the bathroom.

His look of surprise changed to a warm, welcoming smile as she stepped into the shower, naked. As she stood behind him, the water hitting her just below the face, she could feel the warm rivulets cascading over her breasts and down to her waist. She heard him suck in his breath as he reached for her, but this time she stopped him.

“It’s your turn,” she said, squirting a handful of liquid soap into a back brush.

Jake was a quick study if nothing else, for he quickly acquiesced, groaning with pleasure as she scrubbed his back. Nikki smiled, just enjoying the sight of him, hard, hot, and fully masculine as he braced against the wall and threw back his head, feeling the brush caress every inch of him. When she finished his back, she paid special attention to his butt, loving the way it curved and displayed his taut glutes.

“Spread ’em, mister,” she said teasingly, putting some pressure on his inner thigh until he complied. She replaced the brush with her hands and heard him groan once more as she stroked him beneath.

“You’re playing with fire, sweetheart,” he said roughly. “I was going to take it easy on you this morning after last night. But now…”

His breath caught his words as she took him into her hands. Soapy water was the perfect lubricant as she stroked him, sliding her hand up and down the thick, hard length of him as she positioned herself around the front. Jake blocked the water, keeping it away from her face as she pleasured him, and his eyes closed in sheer ecstasy as she pumped him.

A sense of power surged through her as she saw his reaction. In the past, he’d been the seducer, taking pains to arouse her in their lovemaking. Now, it felt incredible to become aware of what she could do to him, to watch her big, bad baseball player melt into her hands.

The added bonus was that she could see him, the way his eyes closed, the tightness of his jaw as he held back, prolonging his pleasure. He really was magnificent, his shoulders broad, biceps thick, while his waist was slender and his abs rock hard. The well-defined muscles in his chest and legs flexed in the warm water as he stepped slightly forward, trying once more to reach for her. When she stepped back, his eyes opened.

“Nikki, I can’t hold back…”

“Then don’t,” she said, stroking him more firmly.

Her words seemed to do him in, for he moaned, threw back his head, and came. Immediately, she cupped him, aware that his pleasure increased, every one of those toned muscles straining in that one moment of sheer ecstasy. Pride swelled inside of her, as well as confidence. She could do this. She could make him feel as good as he did her.