Sweet Spot (Summer Rush #1)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “I can always make time for you,” she said, hugging Tenley. “And I’ll text just as soon as you leave so you’ll have my cell number too.”

  “Cool,” she said, slinging her purse over her shoulder as Corrie walked her out onto the porch.

  Corrie grinned when she spotted the classic Mustang. “Oh wow, I bet Walker is green with envy. I remember how much he wanted one of those when we were kids.”

  “Actually, this is Walker’s,” she explained, opening the car door. “I’m just borrowing it for a while. My real ride is a Harley named Pearl.” Tenley winked at her before she slipped her sunglasses into place.

  Corrie laughed as she gripped the porch railing. “I love how fearless you are.”

  Not fearless, Tenley thought as she slipped into the driver’s seat and checked her rear-view mirror. Just really good at pretending.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Tenley and Rowan were working side by side in his kitchen, with her chopping vegetables for the salad while he seasoned the steaks, when he asked, “How did it go with Corrie this afternoon?”

  When she looked up at him, her smile made him feel as if he’d been sucker-punched. That was when he realized he hadn’t been off the mark when he claimed to be falling in love with her. He was falling hard and fast, and he couldn’t help but wonder whether she felt it too. Or was he delusional to think that a girl who’d been through as much as she had could ever learn to love and trust completely?

  “It was so good to see her again. Thanks for encouraging me to go.”

  He’d do just about anything to see her light up like that, even if it meant pushing her out of her comfort zone once in a while. “I’m glad it went well.”

  Rowan reached into the fridge for another bottled water for himself and a bottle of wine to refill her glass. Now that spring training was approaching, he’d traded the alcohol for water, and he felt a hell of a lot better for it.

  “I got the impression she still has feelings for Brant,” she said, tossing the salad in a large stainless steel bowl before reaching for the eggplant and zucchini they intended to grill. “Though that may be wishful thinking on my part. I’ve never seen him happier than he was with Corrie.” She sighed. “They were so good together.”

  “Kind of like us?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her after he topped up her glass.

  She tipped her head back, smiling at him. “We are pretty good together, aren’t we?”

  “The best.” He dropped a kiss on her lips as his way of telling her that this was shaping up to be the best relationship he’d ever had. Though he didn’t have a history of long-lasting or healthy relationships to compare it to.

  As though she’d been reading his mind, she said, “You told me about your last girlfriend, the one who cheated on you. But what about the others? Any other serious relationships in your past?”

  “Not really. Baseball’s been my life for a long time now. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for relationships. Soon I’ll be training several hours a day again and the press will be all over us for interviews about the upcoming season. After winning the division championship last year, expectations are high for us this year.”

  The start of a new season meant he’d be working almost every day and on the road more often than not. He hated the thought of leaving her, even for a few days.

  “Duty calls, huh?” she asked, faking a smile. He could already tell the difference between a real smile and a forced one. When it was real, those gorgeous blue eyes of hers sparkled like sapphires, making him hope what they’d found could last.

  “Yeah, my agent’s been on me about some endorsement deals too,” he said, reaching into the salad bowl for a slice of cucumber. “I really should look those over. See if anything grabs me.”

  Rowan was pretty selective about the products he endorsed, which drove his agent crazy because it meant a smaller paycheck for him. Most of the athletes he worked with would slap their names on anything for a six- or seven-figure payday.

  “I get the feeling money doesn’t really motivate you,” she said, arranging the veggies on a platter.

  “It doesn’t really.” He looked around the kitchen, which was bigger than some of the places he’d lived in when he was growing up. “I have more than enough already. Of course, in my position the arm takes a hell of a beating, so you have to invest, you know, plan for the day when your body can’t take the abuse anymore.”

  “Have you thought about what you’d like to do when you retire?” she asked, carrying her wine and the vegetable platter outside while he grabbed the steaks and cooking utensils.

  “Maybe get into coaching.” He couldn’t imagine giving up the sport he loved. It was one of the two things that still got his blood pumping. That and Tenley.

  She grinned when she plopped down in a lounge chair and put her feet up, flashing him those tanned, toned thighs in a pair of faded jean shorts.

  “Damn,” he said, turning on the barbeque and closing the lid. “How the hell am I supposed to keep from burning our dinner with you looking so sexy?” He leaned over to kiss her, trapping her between his arms.

  “We could always put dinner on the back burner and have dessert first,” she said, watching him with hooded eyes as his hand trailed up her leg.

  “Baby, I’m gonna need all that protein for fuel.” He flicked his tongue over her earlobe before tracing the shell. “Given what I have in mind for you.”

  “You’re such a tease,” she whispered breathlessly as he pulled away.

  Rowan tried to distract himself by cleaning the grill, but the blood pumping south encouraged him to get this dinner over with in record time so they could get on to that dessert she’d promised him. “You ever think about opening a martial arts studio?”

  Tenley slipped the oversized sunglasses perched on her head into place over her eyes as she tipped her head back to enjoy the early evening rays. “I’d love to someday if I can scrape together enough money. But right now, Walker still needs me at the club.”

  “Speaking of your brother,” Rowan said, wondering whether he’d misread the signals when Walker met Ace. “Are you sure he’s okay with me setting up Stacey and Ace? I sensed some tension from him when I brought Ace to the club.”

  “Honestly?” she asked, turning her head to watch him. “I think my brothers may be as messed up as I am when it comes to relationships and commitment.”

  “That’s reassuring,” he muttered.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” He shook his head, feeling like a coward for not telling her the truth—that he was disappointed she still considered herself inept when it came to love and intimacy. Rowan knew they still had a long way to go, but he felt as though they’d come a long way in a short time and had hoped she felt the same way. Apparently not.

  “How about the truth now?”

  He should have known she’d call him out for trying to evade her question. “You were telling me about Walker,” he said, trying to distract her. “You think he still has feelings for Stacey?”

  “Yes. Now about you and me…”

  That got his attention. After setting the meat on the grill and closing the lid, he turned to face her. The growing knot in his stomach told him he should have thought twice before opening this can of worms.

  “What about us?”

  “You know I think you’re great, right?”

  “Just stop right there,” he advised, raising his index finger. “Because I sense a but coming next, and I really don’t want to hear that shit tonight.” He was getting frustrated that she seemed determined to keep putting up roadblocks while he was prepared to barrel full steam ahead.

  “Rowan.” She stood, walking toward him before slipping her arms around his waist. “I want to be honest with you. Always. If I told you that I wasn’t scared of this thing between us, I’d be lying, and I won’t do that to you.”

  He knew he should appreciate her honestly, especially since so many of his previous girlfriends had lie
d to and deceived him, but the truth was hard to hear, especially since he wanted nothing more than for her to tell him she had no reservations or fears about them moving forward.

  “So tell me what I can do to erase your fears,” Rowan whispered, lowering his head until his lips were grazing her neck. “Just say the word, and I’ll do it.”

  “Just keep being you.” She gripped his chin and turned his face toward hers so she could look him in the eye. “I’m pretty sure you’re the best damn man I’ve ever met. I feel more for you today than I did yesterday, and I’m pretty sure I’ll feel even better about us by tomorrow. But it may take me some time to catch up to you. I hope that’s okay.”

  He feared that was her way of telling him that while he may be falling in love with her, she wasn’t there yet and didn’t know when she would be. “Sure. It’s all good, baby.”

  Pumping the brakes sounded like a lousy idea to him, but what choice did he have?

  ***

  Tenley’s eyes widened when Rowan walked into the room with a whipped cream dispenser after inviting her to get naked and wait for him.

  “What do you plan to do with that?” she asked, fisting the sheets as her eyes darkened with lust.

  “You promised me dessert,” he said, shaking the can. “I’m collecting on that promise.”

  She rolled her lower lip between her teeth while raising her arms above her head, thrusting out her full breasts. “I didn’t realize you intended to feast on me.”

  “Most definitely.” Since he was in training, he was all about eating clean. But tonight, he planned to get very dirty.

  Rowan set the can on the nightstand before reaching for the button on his jeans and peeling them off slowly. Her tongue circled her kiss-swollen lips, making him even harder. He watched her watching him as he lifted his T-shirt, exposing the six-pack he’d worked so hard for. He was working out so he could be in top shape for the sport he loved, but the look in Tenley’s eyes reminded him of all the other benefits of going hard in the gym.

  “What about those?” she asked, her eyes darting to his black boxer briefs while she tipped her legs open. “Aren’t they coming off?”

  His erection was already straining to break free, so he hooked his thumbs in the waistband, giving her a cocky smile when the evidence of his arousal became even more obvious. “You like what you see?”

  “You have no idea how much,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.

  He had some idea. No other woman had ever turned him on the way she did, and he hoped the feeling was mutual. She set him on fire in the sack. But the fact that she could light him up outside of it had him convinced she was the one.

  “Hold on,” he said, his eyes flicking to the iron posts decorating his headboard. “And don’t let go.”

  She sucked in a sharp breath but did as she was told. Rowan knew that wasn’t easy for her. Tenley was used to giving orders, not taking them. But the fact that she trusted him with her body gave him hope that she would one day trust him with her heart too.

  He climbed on top of her, supporting his weight with his hands as he looked into the most breathtaking blue eyes he’d ever seen. He could read everything she was thinking and feeling in those eyes: trepidation, excitement, anticipation. He claimed her mouth, even more turned on by the fact she couldn’t touch him the way he knew she wanted to.

  He had a pair of handcuffs in his nightstand for occasions such as this, but given Tenley’s history, he couldn’t imagine using them. At least not until he was one hundred percent certain that she trusted not only him, but his feelings for her.

  “You’re gorgeous.” He’d told her before, but it had never been truer. With her disheveled dark hair spread over his crisp white sheets and her face flushed with excitement, she looked like the perfect combination of angel and devil. His fantasy come to life.

  “So are you,” she said, her eyes hungrily tracing his chest before dipping to his erection, which he swore grew bigger and bolder from her attention.

  He grabbed the whipped cream while she raised her hips, trying to make contact with the part of him she’d confessed was her very favorite. He hoped in time she would learn to love his heart even more than his body, but he would take what he could get. For now.

  Rowan leaned back, resting his weight on his calves as he took her in. She was humming with eagerness. He held the pointed tip above her taut nipples, licking his lips as he imagined how good she would taste combined with the sweet, creamy treat.

  “We’re going to get your sheets all sticky.”

  “It’s okay,” he said with a half-smile. “We would have anyway.”

  After drawing a perfect circle around each of her rosy nipples, he leaned down and lashed the swirl with his tongue until she moaned, arching into his mouth. He licked her clean before drawing a line down her tight stomach while air seeped through her teeth.

  “Jesus, Row…”

  He knew he was driving her crazy, but not half as crazy as she made him. This girl had been teasing and tantalizing him since the day he laid eyes on her, and he wouldn’t relax until he had some assurance that she wasn’t going anywhere.

  He took his time licking her flushed skin, drawing circles and figure eights with his tongue until she was spotless… and breathless. He glanced at her hands, wrapped around the brushed iron. Her knuckles were turning white, giving him some hint as to how much she wanted to touch him.

  “Hmm,” he murmured, pretending to consider his options as his eyes mapped her beautiful body. “Where should I use this next?”

  “Oh God, please…” she cried, gyrating her hips. “Don’t torture me. I can’t wait to feel your mouth on me.”

  She wasn’t the only one who was anxious. He was already salivating.

  He tilted the star-shaped point so it was mere inches from where she wanted it most, and she whimpered before biting her lip to control the sound. But she couldn’t hide anything from him. He could see how much she wanted him. He could smell it in the air, clinging to her skin, and he couldn’t wait to taste it.

  The sound of the dispenser filled the silence while the cream gathered, covering all of the delicate skin he couldn’t wait to kiss and lick.

  “It’s cold,” she whispered, her eyes locking with his.

  “And you’re melting it.”

  This woman turned him inside out, making it hard to remember his own goddamn name sometimes, and he knew they’d only scratched the surface. He would soon be so lost to her there’d be no way out. But he wasn’t looking for an out. He was looking for a way in. Her heart. Her life. Forever.

  “Please…”

  Her quiet plea did him in because he knew how hard it was for her to acknowledge she needed anyone or anything. The fact that he made her feel weak and needy and desperate, just as she made him feel, pointed to progress. But not enough. Maybe by the end of the night after he’d worshipped every inch of her body, erasing every bad memory the worthless bastard who’d touched her before had imprinted, maybe then she’d admit she needed him in her life.

  He lashed at her with his tongue, revelling in her taste and the sound of her cries as he nipped gently before devouring her. Within seconds, her entire body was trembling as she thrashed, trying to hold on while letting go.

  Kissing the inside of her thigh, he made his way up her stomach, pressing open-mouthed kisses on her warm, sticky skin. “Sweetheart,” he whispered, pressing his lips to her ear. “Are you on the pill?”

  Her eyes widened in stunned silence while he reached for her hands, then kissed the insides of her wrists. “Yeah. Why?”

  Rowan knew this would be a huge step in their relationship if she’d let him forgo the condom tonight. It would convey a level of trust he craved, but he didn’t want to pressure her. It had to be her decision.

  “Tenley,” he said, framing her face with his hands as he looked into her eyes, “I’m clean. I swear to you. We get tested every year. I’ve never had sex without a condom, but with you…” He dropped his
head to her shoulder, suddenly feeling vulnerable. “I want to feel as close to you as I can get. I want you to feel me. I want to fill you…” He nipped her shoulder. “I want to be a part of you.”

  Her palms pressed into his shoulders, and at first he thought she was pushing him away.

  She sighed. “I want that too.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He’d never do anything that made her uncomfortable, but this was as big a deal for him as it was for her. He’d dated more than a few women who’d hinted at getting pregnant with his baby. The fact that he was willing to take Tenley at her word about the pill sent the message that she didn’t have to prove anything to him. He believed in her and what they had.

  “Positive.” She kissed him passionately, tangling her tongue with his while their bodies found each other.

  “Last chance to change your mind,” he said as he probed her, waiting for her to seal the deal.

  She did with a thrust of her hips and a wicked gleam in her eye. He held her hips as he inched into her, fighting the urge to thrust into her hard and fast the way he wanted to.

  “Don’t hold back.”

  The last thing he wanted was to hurt her in any way, but his body took over while his brain short-circuited at her quiet command. When he was fully seated inside her, he had the good sense to stop for half a second to make sure she was okay. Her nod of assurance answered the question he hadn’t asked.

  “You don’t have to worry about me,” she said, sensing his hesitation. “I’m good.”

  Though a part of him wanted to unleash all of the pent-up hunger that had built while watching her all night, imagining all of the things he wanted to do to her, he forced himself to ease into it for fear of hurting her.

  Seemingly frustrated with the slow build, she lifted and pivoted her hips, drawing him deeper. She got that naughty little sparkle in her eye that said, game on, as she clenched him so hard he swore from the intensity. He finally pinned her hands above her head and gave her exactly what she wanted. Hard and fast.