To Hell in a Coach Bag

by M. J. Schiller

  I put my hand on her shoulder. "I'll explain later."

  We didn't get much farther than stepping out of the booth and figuring out which direction to go in when someone yelled, "Dani."

  I turned, and Kyle hurried toward me in a black buttoned-down shirt and jeans. "Kyle," I squealed, and took off running in his direction. He enveloped me in a big hug, swinging me around. "How are you?"

  "Good. Good. I'm glad to see you." We walked back to the others with my arm around his waist.

  "Me, too. I couldn't believe it when Sam called and said you guys were in town. You guys did make up, didn't you?"

  "Oh. She told you about that?"

  "Yeah. She was pretty upset about it."

  "Well, yeah. We kissed and made up, and had another little spat, and now everything is fine. We can never stay mad at each other for long."

  He shook his head with a smile. "I don't know about you two."

  By this time, we'd reached the others. "Max, Alex, I'd like you to meet Kyle the Canadian. Kyle, this is Maxine Shutwilder, and Alex Stampf, two of our fellow lunch ladies." I leaned in closer and whispered loudly, "Alex is the angry one." She punched me. "Well, someone had to stand in for Sam."

  "Ladies," Kyle gave them a suave little bow, taking each of their hands. "Nice to make your acquaintance."

  Max and Alex bubbled. "Ooh! What a gentleman."

  At which, I was pretty sure, I saw Tucker roll his eyes. I turned toward him. "And this is Tucker McCord. Tucker, Kyle the Canadian, who I'm sure has a last name..."

  "Scofield," Kyle offered, shaking Tucker's hand. They eyed each other like two prizefighters, sizing one another up, puffing their chests out, dropping the tenor of their voices, and straightening to their full heights, though Tucker clearly towered over Kyle. I could have sworn the next thing they would do was exchange "ughs," like a pair of Neanderthals. "I hope you enjoyed the box," Kyle said, and Tucker was forced to respond.

  "Yeah. Thanks."

  "It was fantastic, Kyle. Thanks. Umm. I think Sam is inside waiting for you."

  He gave me a smile and a peck on the cheek. "Then what am I doing out here? It was nice meeting you all," he said more loudly to the rest of the group, then he looked at me again. "Call me if you guys end up going anywhere for drinks."

  "But I don't have your digits, remember? Sam does."

  "You can say that again," he countered with a wink. "Okay, we'll call you." He leaped up the short set of stairs to the booth, and we all kept our gaze locked on him. He turned with his hand on the doorknob. "Are you all going to watch me?"

  We exchanged a glance, and then nodded, grinning. He rolled his eyes with a smile and opened the door a fraction. He slid in, denying us a view of Sam's reaction.

  "He's cute," Maxine said.

  I'm pretty sure Tucker grunted, so I thought it best not to respond.

  "Let's get out of here," Alex said. "I'm ready for a real drink."

  I grabbed Tucker's hand as we turned to leave, throwing a glance over my shoulder at the closed door. He leaned in and whispered, "Wondering what's going on in there?"

  "Hell, yeah."

  He chuckled softly, his warm breath tangled in my hair. He was silent for a little while. "He's not what I expected for Sam."

  I thought about it. "Well, yes and no. He's not her typical pretty-boy. She usually goes for much taller men. But he's still built. She likes that. And what I think she likes about him, now I think about it, and this is all a guess mind you... but I think Kyle is a lot like her. He's a ref, so he floats from town-to-town, and I think he's had to be a little bit of a player to score some action. But I get the sense he's had enough of that life now. So, who knows?" An idea struck me. "That's why she was drinking so much. She was nervous about seeing him again." I smiled at the thought. Our Sam, nervous around a guy? "He's really nice, though. I hope it works out."

  Tucker grunted again and after a few minutes drew me to his side so we walked hip-to-hip. My arm was around his waist and his over my shoulder. I gave him a squeeze and gazed up at him. He kissed the top of my head.

  When we got back to the car, they told him to climb in back. Max said she was tired and had Alex drive. Alexis winked at me before I climbed in next to Tucker. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

  And then, not to be outdone, Max called over the top of the car, low enough so Tucker couldn't hear, "And if you do, make sure you clean up after yourselves or Todd will kill me."

  We laughed. "You're sick." I got in and squeezed next to Tucker.

  We resumed our position from earlier in the booth, me leaning against him with my legs spread over the seat. After a couple of minutes, Tucker put his mouth to my ear. "You feel so good leaning against me."

  "Mmm..." I mumbled, closing my eyes for a minute. Tucker laid his head back against the seat. On a whim, I scootched so I sat across his lap. He lifted his head and brought one of his arms around my back to support me and ran his other hand along the leg of my jeans, setting me aquiver.

  I laid my head on the back of the seat and so did he. For a minute, we simply gazed at each other. His eyes sparkled in the streetlight. Without speaking or even really thinking about it, I lifted my head and brought my lips to his. The kiss was long and sultry. I reached up and placed my hand on his face. It was like a perfect set of chords, the right mix of harmony and melody. When we released, I closed my eyes, savoring the moment.

  His hand rubbed my back, and when I opened my eyes, he was smiling at me. He brought a finger to trace my lips. He made a tsking noise before he laid his head back with a frustrated sigh. I giggled.

  "You two behaving back there?" Alex asked, glancing in the rearview mirror.

  "Yes, ma'am," Tucker said too quickly, his head popping off the seat like one of those blow-up punching bags.

  Quiet chuckles drifted to us from the front. Tucker laid his head back once more. He crooked his finger at me, and I moved closer, rubbing my nose against his. His breathing was uneven, his body tense. He took my lips and drew me into a kiss that made me breathless and filled with urgency. Like we were two kids parked in the woods in the backseat of someone's parents' car. My heart pumped wildly for him, but we spent the rest of the ride with our heads near each other on the seat, staring into each other's eyes with longing.

  Chapter 23

  Tucker

  I was caught off-guard for a moment when she kissed me. But the fire from that kiss traveled from my lips to my groin in record time. She'd slowly opened her eyes afterward, letting the desire within them slide away in their depths. I still couldn't believe a goddess like this wanted to have anything to do with me. But here she was, draped across my lap, bringing those honeyed lips of hers to mine, and stealing my breath away. I let my gaze stray from her face and wander down her long, vulnerable throat to the curves of her breasts, partially-hidden beneath her tank. Then it glided along those long, sensuous legs. I imagined what she must look like without those clothes to hide her. That dark as night hair falling against her skin... Ouch! I wished I was alone with her now.

  I wanted to initiate the next kiss, so I silently called her over. When she rubbed her nose against mine and brushed those voluptuous lips over my lips, she drove me crazy. I angled my head and claimed her mouth, pulling her into me, drinking it all in; her scent, the warmth of her breath, her nails on my face. I could very easily lose control here. Very easily. The only thing keeping me from pushing for more of her was the fact that two nice ladies occupied the front seat. I didn't want to make them uncomfortable, so, out of respect, I tried to cool off.

  But the sexiest part of all was simply sitting there, staring into her eyes, watching those lips, and thinking about all the things I wanted to do with her when we were alone. I think it took me a while to realize the car had come to a stop. When I did, we scrambled out, straightening clothes that hadn't been touched.

  Max studied us. "How 'bout we go into the bar for a drink?"

  Dani and I exchanged a glance. I saw the disappoin
tment in her eyes and knew what the answer had to be. "Sure."

  "For a little while," Dani amended quickly, and she grinned at me.

  Chapter 24

  Kyle

  When I slipped into the box, Sam already had her purse in her hand, a coat slung over one arm. She hurried toward the door, and then froze when she saw me, her mouth hanging open.

  She was running out on me.

  "Going somewhere?" I crossed my arms and glared, angry she would leave without even waiting to see me. I'd been thinking of her all night, except when I was on the ice, when hockey automatically took over. But during period breaks, I scanned the box I called in favors for, hoping for a glimpse of her.

  "Kyle." I sensed the forced enthusiasm in her voice. She ran up the stairs and hugged me, but my arms remained crossed. She let go and stepped back. I marched past her, trying to cool down, walking and walking until I ran out of space at the back of the box. I turned to face her, spreading my arms along the outer rail and leaned against the half-wall with my feet crossed in front of me.

  She seemed to debate strategies, and then began to saunter toward me, dropping her coat and purse on the back of one of the seats. She looked fabulous, damn it. She wore jeans and a cream-colored sweater that zipped both down from the top, and up from the bottom, with rhinestones in-between. I took a deep breath. As she moved, I could see her tan stomach and navel at the bottom of the sweater, and a tease of her bra at the top. My hands sweated, but I told myself I wasn't going to let her off the hook so easily. She had this way of walking, almost a strut, but not obnoxiously so. Just a slow, sensual, self-confident ramble that made my pulse go through the roof. But she was about to leave me. After I'd gotten the booth for her and everything. And she'd promised to wait. It ticked me off.

  She came so close I could smell her perfume. There was something about a self-confident woman that was a total turn on for me. But I wasn't into being used either.

  "Kyle." Her eyes were mesmerizing as she tried to sweet talk me, a fire in their depths that had me licking my lips. "I know it seemed like I was getting ready to leave when you walked in. But I was going to use the bathroom. I wouldn't have left without seeing you."

  "Yeah. You should have gone with that when I first walked in. It would have been more believable then," I said dryly, but I could feel my lips turn up.

  "Kyle..." She reached for me, and I pushed her hands away.

  "No, Sam. This isn't going to work." I stormed past her, but she grabbed my arm.

  "Kyle! Please!" Her face seemed genuinely pained. I decided to give it one last chance.

  "Why did you come here tonight?"

  "Why did I...?" Her eyes danced around the box, and she licked her lips. "I-I like hockey, and you were nice enough to offer the seats..." She fiddled with the zipper on her sweater, tugging it up and down and wreaking havoc on my heart rate.

  "So it wasn't because you wanted to see me?"

  Her soulful brown eyes flashed to mine, appearing startled at first, and then angry.

  "Well... that was a plus, sure."

  "But you came mostly for the game."

  "Yes. I'm a big hockey fan. I go to the Blackhawks games all the time."

  "Do you?" I asked, incredulous.

  "Yes."

  "What was the score tonight, Sam?"

  "What?"

  "The score," I barked. "The score of the hockey game you were so into."

  "Five to two."

  "And the winner?"

  "Colorado."

  "Good. The Colorado Avalanche was the winning team." She looked so pleased with herself, I almost hated to burst her bubble. Almost. "But the score was three to one."

  "Well, I'm not good with numbers. I just enjoy good hockey."

  "Oh, I see. Describe one play you saw tonight."

  "Well... oh. There was the time those guys took their gloves off for some reason and circled around each other like they were going to dance." She smiled, batting her eyelashes. She was playing me now. She wasn't that stupid. And damn it if I didn't take the bait and smile back at her. She just looked so cute.

  "That would be called a fight. The fight that earned me a sore jaw." I rubbed it unconsciously.

  "Oh," she cooed, moving closer and stroking me gently along my jaw. I didn't bat her hand away this time. "You poor baby." I wasn't angling for her sympathy, but I wasn't too unhappy about receiving it either. "Were you crying to your momma?" she teased.

  "No. But I referred to a mother a lot," I muttered.

  "Let me kiss it and make it better."

  I grabbed her wrists and gave her a little shake. "You don't get off that easy," I growled, though still smiling. I moved her hands down and set them free, grabbing her hips and hauling her into me. Her eyes sparked, and the ends of her lips curled up. "Obviously, you didn't come here to watch the game. Could it be, maybe, just maybe, you came to see me?"

  She bit the corner of her lower lip. "Maybe," she responded. Her eyes flicked to my lips, and she moved in closer, going for the kill.

  I knew I was going to kiss her. It was a kiss I'd thought about on a number of occasions since we first met. I knew those lips were kissed by many men, and that didn't bother me. I'd done my fair share of kissing, too. But I also knew I didn't want this to be simply one kiss in many. I wanted to at least make the top... twenty-five?

  So, I went for it right from the start, full-throttle, no playing around. After all, I didn't know if I'd get another chance. Nothing was a given with Sam. I threaded my fingers through the back of her hair as if to hold her there by force, pouring everything I had into this kiss. She moaned and slid her arms around my neck, pressing her hard little body into me. The kiss was like the rush of a high-speed water slide, thrilling, exhilarating, and wet. When it was over, we were still locked together, breathing hard. I was pleased to see she appeared off-balance, and surprised by how much the kiss rocked me as well.

  "Now, Kyle. Right now. Here."

  I released her in surprise and to my shock, she took two steps backward and stretched out on the long step at my feet. She leaned on her elbows and peered up at me, her chest still rising and falling rapidly. The sweater parted, revealing her magnificent midriff.

  Now, I've been around the block a few times myself, but never, never was I asked to do it in a stadium box. I stood with my mouth open.

  "Kyle?"

  Huh? Wow. It was like my mind was wallowing in Jell-O.

  "Kyle?"

  A vacuum cleaner hummed, though I thought it was still several boxes away...

  I sighed. "I sort of told your friends we'd meet them for drinks."

  She stared at me for several seconds, still catching her breath, and then resignedly held a hand up so I could help her to her feet. I reached out and pulled her up, back into my arms, kissing her again with fervor. "Maybe next time," I got out, but she wasn't ready to leave it alone. She pushed me back to the railing and grabbed it, straddling me as she feverishly kissed me. I reached behind to grab her ass, drawing her into me even more. I would never get enough of her.

  Someone cleared his throat. "Ahem." An older gentleman stood in the doorway with a jumbled loop of cord in one hand, and a vacuum in the other. "I need to... um... clean the booth. Sorry."

  "Oh, umm, okay." I relinquished my hold on her reluctantly. "Uhh, we're sorry."

  Holding hands, we skittered up the stairs. Sam grabbed her coat and purse and gave the man a giggling, "Sorry," as we passed him. I grabbed her ass once more before we stumbled down the stairs into the main corridor. I picked her up and swung her around, giving her light kisses, before we hurried out of the building together to catch a cab.

  Chapter 25

  Danielle

  We sat in a big, round booth off a tiny dance floor in the hotel bar.

  "What can I get you all?" our waitress asked.

  Tucker gave me a wink. "Tequila, straight up. Hold the lime and salt."

  "Make that two. Only I'll take the lime and salt," I added
.

  Maxine and Alex placed their orders and got into a debate over whether Rudy was the name of the little sister on Good Times or What's Happening? Usually, I would have been the first to inform them there was no little sister on Good Times, only the neighbor, Willona's, adopted daughter, Penny, who was, incidentally, played by Janet Jackson. To which, I would have added, Raj's little sister on What's Happening? was named Dee, and any fool knows Rudy is the youngest Huxtable child on The Cosby Show. That's what I normally would have added to the conversation—which was the type of conversation that could be overheard any day of the week in the school kitchen—but I was too busy falling in love with my roadie.

  "I'm sorry about this," I told Tucker quietly.

  He took my hand and kissed my fingers. "That's okay. It lets me anticipate the next time we're alone together all the more."

  The frigid air conditioning had nothing to do with the shiver that ran up my spine. I wondered what he would think when he found out about Tabitha, but, seeing as this was a first date, of sorts, I didn't think it was time to pop out the old, "So, do you like kids?"

  "You know, I never even asked where you're from." That was a safe bet.

  "Lincoln, Nebraska. And yes, before you ask, that's how I met Chase. We played ball together in high school."

  "Football or baseball?"

  "Both actually."

  "And you've been a roadie/lawyer ever since?"

  He chuckled. "No." The waitress arrived and handed out the drinks. "Thank you," he said to her. He raised his shot glass, and I licked my thumb and poured the salt, lifting mine to his. We clinked, as Maxi and Alex watched expectantly, and downed our shots, me following mine with the lime. Both of the girls gave a shiver, and returned to their conversation, which branched out to trying to name all the girls from The Facts of Life.

  Max said, "And what about the dark-haired girl, the one who was kind of a tomboy and hated the blond-haired girl—"

  "Jo," I offered.

  "And the blonde was Blair," Tucker supplemented.

  I smiled. "I bet you only knew that because you had a crush on her," I teased.