Caitlin's Hero

by Donna Gallagher

  Brodie had yet to speak with Caitlin. She had disappeared as soon as he’d stood up from the table. He would find her, though. She wasn’t going to leave before he had a chance to talk to her, that was for sure. That was, if he could manage to speak and not just drag her into his arms and kiss that adorable mouth of hers. His angel with her heavenly voice was going to talk to him, and soon. In fact, he was going to do more than just talk to her—he was going to have her. It might take patience, but Brodie could do that. He’d use some of that ‘Brodie James charm’ on her.

  He would have to make sure she got the message that it wasn’t anything permanent. He was not the relationship type. He figured that they could have some fun, enjoy pleasuring each other, then move on. No harm, no foul. So why did the thought of Caitlin moving on have such an unsettling effect on him?

  It’s just my empty stomach playing up, he decided, trying hard to convince himself.

  Brodie managed to finalise the payments and hand over all the purchased items to their new owners, while the remainder of the guests finished their desserts of tiramisu or crème brûlée. Brodie didn’t really have a sweet tooth, but as that voice sang seductively to him as he worked, he could think of a few sweets he would like to taste right then. But he tried to rein in the fantasies. He had to finish what he was doing first—making sure the fundraising paperwork was complete.

  Chapter Eight

  Caitlin returned to the stage after the auction had finished and the coast had cleared. She was amazed and a little shocked at the prices some of the lots had sold at. She’d have loved to get something for Riley, as he still hadn’t forgiven her for making him miss out on his chance to chat with Brodie. He wouldn’t be happy about missing out on tonight either, so a souvenir would have cheered him up, but the prices of the donated items had quickly gone well out of her reach.

  She and Roberto had received a few requests and were preparing to accommodate them. Van Morrison’s Moondance, an all-time favourite, was requested so often they purposely left it off the playlist so it could be dedicated in a more intimate way. Not many nights went by without Caitlin performing the song, and it was first up.

  Caitlin, as usual, quickly forgot all her troubles as she found herself getting lost in the words and music of the song. She was swaying in time with the rhythm, enjoying the feeling as she looked around the room, and her eyes stopped when they reached him. Caught up in the moment, she sang to Brodie, gyrating sensually in time to the music like a siren sending out her call. She had attracted the full attention of everyone in the room, men and women alike. She couldn’t help herself and didn’t know what had come over her. When had the heat been turned up again?

  She had spoken to Angelo about the heating problems during her break, but he had looked at the sensor on the wall and informed her all was fine and just as it should be. So why was she feeling so hot again, and why was she acting so strangely? Maybe she was coming down with something. She drifted back into her song and performance.

  As the song ended the applause began. People were actually standing and applauding her. She couldn’t believe it and did the one thing Caitlin seemed to do best these days—she ran. Quickly, she moved off the stage and into the kitchen as the applause started to fade. She leaned both hands, palms down, against the stainless steel sink. It felt cool under her hot skin. She knew her face was burning up and she was contemplating turning on the cold tap and dunking her head right under it when a large hand clamped down on her shoulder.

  Caitlin felt the electric current spark to life in her body at once. It raced from her shoulder to her very core, making her nipples pebble as the feeling continued down to curl her toes. Even before turning around, she knew the hand belonged to Brodie and that she had embarrassed him again.

  The look of fire coming from his eyes, scorching her, was almost frightening. He was angry with her. Caitlin could see it in the tense way he stood in front of her, the way the square line of his jaw had tightened. She could even see the pulse throb in his neck. In musical terms, his pulse was beating allegro, she thought irrationally, as she tried hard to take control of her emotions.

  She felt herself moving but she didn’t understand why. Before she had completely realised what was happening, she found herself enclosed in his massive, strong arms. Caitlin could hardly breathe, and wasn’t sure if it was due to his hold on her or her body’s reaction to him. Either way, she was breathless.

  Brodie held her tightly. She could feel his muscular chest pressed to her breasts, and she rubbed her nipples against him, causing more currents of electricity to spark through her body. He was cradling her head into his neck as if it had been made for her to fit there. She could feel his lips on her hair as he placed kisses repeatedly on top of her head. She wondered why he wasn’t kissing her lips or breasts. That last thought shocked her. She hadn’t ever imagined something like that before, but the image seemed so irresistible.

  Brodie pulled her away from his neck, holding her face gently on either side with his big hands. He looked deep into her eyes and spoke in the sexiest voice Caitlin had ever heard.

  “I want you.”

  Caitlin wanted her mind to stop spinning. She tried to focus on Brodie, on what he was saying and what he had meant. She tried to think. As she stood there, not knowing what to do, Brodie let go of her face. Caitlin immediately felt the loss of the connection—she wanted it back. Should she reach out to him and put his hands back on her face?

  Chapter Nine

  “I want you.”

  Damn it, that’s not what I meant to say, he thought.

  Her eyes said it all. There was a slight frown on her beautiful face and her lips were pinched shut as she continued to look at him. Innocence was written all over her. He wanted to soothe that frown line from between her eyes and run his fingers, or tongue, over those soft, plump lips. As he reached out to touch her, a voice from behind caught his attention. He turned to find Angelo, the restaurant owner, glaring at him.

  “I said, Mr James, what the hell is going on here? What exactly do you want our Caitlin to do for you?” Angelo said angrily as he continued to glare at Brodie.

  He realised the mess this was turning into and couldn’t help smiling. Not exactly the smooth move he had been hoping for. That old James charm seemed to have deserted him for the moment.

  “Sir, I assure you I do not mean any harm to this beautiful angel you have working here,” he said confidently. “In fact, I have met Caitlin before and was just trying to reacquaint myself with her when you arrived.” When a reply wasn’t forthcoming, he continued. “Perhaps you would allow me to step outside with her for a few moments, away from prying eyes.” Brodie nodded back towards the main room and added, “I was hoping to convince our angel here to come dine with me sometime.”

  Brodie smiled broadly at the owner, whose eyes seemed to smile back at him in return. Angelo pointed to the door off to the side of the kitchen.

  “You could go out to the private car park and talk if you like,” he replied. “I think you may find the night air quite refreshing, Mr James. You look like you need to cool off! Just remember, giovane, I will wait right here until Caitlin comes back in,” the restaurateur said protectively.

  Through the whole dialogue Brodie noticed Caitlin had not moved or made a sound. Her eyes were large and bright as she stared straight at him. Brodie grabbed her hand and gently tugged.

  “Come outside for a few minutes, angel. I need to talk to you,” he said as he started for the door. He was relieved to find no resistance from Caitlin. As he followed her, Brodie could not stop himself from checking out her butt one more time. When he’d entered the kitchen to find her leaning over the sink, her back to him, legs slightly apart, knees bent and her bottom tantalisingly jutting out at him, with her palms face down flat on the sink bench in front of her, he’d nearly lost it. The pose had been so sexual it had almost driven him mad with need. His thoughts had nearly made him blush. Angelo was right—he did need to cool off.<
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  A rush of wind hit them as they exited the warm kitchen. Brodie felt Caitlin shiver and cursed himself for not bringing something to wrap around her. Her dress was not enough to keep her warm—although it was certainly doing it for him. He was on fire with need for her. He tried to dampen down his feelings, not wanting to scare her into running again.

  Brodie guided Caitlin over to the side of his big, black car, hoping the size of the vehicle would serve as a windbreak of sorts. He caressed her gently, massaging up and down her arms, trying to warm her. She felt so soft against his rough, battered fingers, and he enjoyed the sensual feel of her skin. A picture of her—naked, hair splayed upon his pillow as he tasted her from the top of her pretty head to the tips of her toes—flashed into his mind, and his cock jerked again.

  Brodie rubbed his hand over his head, raking his fingers through his close-cropped hair and massaging the back of his thick neck as he tried to get his thoughts under control, so he could actually speak words that made sense. All the time, he watched her gorgeous face for any sign of her wanting to flee.

  Brodie finally spoke. “You are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. You have the voice of an angel and the body of a temptress.”

  He stopped, licked his lips. Her gaze dropped to his mouth as her tongue poked out from between her sensual lips for just the briefest moment. Brodie knew he had to make it fast or he was going to come in his pants. That was something that had never happened before, and the thought did not appeal to him. What was it about this woman that affected him so deeply?

  “Would you care to join me for dinner tomorrow night? You pick, I’ll pick… I don’t care as long as you say yes,” he finished breathlessly.

  Brodie watched and waited for any sign of hope from her motionless face. Terror filled him like nothing he’d felt before. What if she said no? What if he was just being an old fool? He didn’t feel quite as confident of the outcome as he had a moment ago. Before he could think of another approach, she threw herself at him again. It was just as well he still had quick reflexes, or he might have dropped her as she flung her arms around his neck the way she had at the pool. She was placing sweet little kisses up and down his jawline—my God, the woman is hot. She was killing him.

  He grabbed her thighs so he could get a better grip on her. He was not going to drop his angel, that was for sure. She weighed next to nothing, but her tight dress and the fact she couldn’t wrap her legs around him was making it difficult for him to keep hold of her. He moved the dress up and hitched her hard against him as he repositioned his hands on her legs. It was then he realised he felt skin—she wasn’t wearing any stockings.

  “Oh, angel,” Brodie groaned.

  He was just holding on. Any minute now he would lose control, throw her to the ground and ravage her like a caveman. He had never felt so needy. He ground his lips down upon hers until she opened for him, then sank his tongue fully into her mouth and made a thorough exploration. She was so warm and sweet, like toffee, and he could have kissed her this way for hours. She pressed her tongue against his, at first timidly, then becoming bolder.

  He had to have this woman. Brodie stroked his thumbs up her inner thighs. His hands were completely under the hem of her dress, and he could feel the edge of her underwear. Holding her cute behind with one hand, he moved her so she could sit on the bonnet of his car and immediately his cock throbbed at the loss of contact.

  Brodie cupped her mound with his free hand. It was emitting such heat, and her panties felt moist. She stilled. It was as if a bright light flashed before his eyes, and the fog in Brodie’s head cleared. He dragged his lips away from hers and gently lifted her from her perch and slid her down his aching body, brushing past his engorged and incredibly painful erection. He knew she felt it, but what could he do? It was all for her, because of her.

  “Good one, Brodie, way to take it slow!” he groaned.

  As Brodie set her back on her feet, he didn’t break the contact between them, but continued to hold her gently by the arms. Enjoying the glazed look in her eyes and the slightly kiss-swollen look of her lips, he smiled down tenderly. “So can I take that as a yes for dinner, then?”

  Chapter Ten

  Caitlin didn’t know how she managed to finish the night. As she climbed into her own vehicle she noticed the big, black car Brodie had placed her on while he’d touched and kissed her was gone. She took a moment to just sit and gather her thoughts, closing her eyes and remembering how wonderful the moment had been when she’d felt the heat of his mouth on hers. She ran her finger along her lips, imagining it was Brodie touching her.

  She felt good. No, better than good. She felt alive and warm and happy. It seemed like such a long time since she had felt this carefree—a year, at least. If Brodie had been a drug, she would have truly been an addict.

  It was still unbelievable to her that he had agreed to add Riley to his dinner invitation. After she’d explained that she couldn’t leave him alone and had already used the sitter for tonight’s event, he had happily agreed to extend the invitation. He had organised to pick them up at seven the following evening, and thoughtfully added that they didn’t need to dress formally, remarking that he always felt more comfortable in jeans.

  Caitlin was relieved to know the dress code was casual, as her wardrobe was limited. Riley grew inches almost overnight. She had trouble keeping him in decent clothes, but somehow she always did. She felt it was important for Riley’s self-confidence that he had clean, respectable clothing to wear, even if he didn’t realise some of it was second-hand from the local thrift store. Caitlin was always careful with her choices, inspecting each piece before purchase.

  As she drove home, thinking of how she’d break the news to him, she realised Riley was going to go nuts. Caitlin grinned. She could already see him bouncing around the flat with excitement.

  It was the thought of their flat that brought her crashing back down to reality. My God. What would Brodie think when he saw the old house and the little flat that had become their home? She shrugged. Oh, well, it’s our home. We own it, and that’s better than some people have. Maybe we can wait out in front a little before seven.

  Caitlin parked her car on the street so as not to bother the other residents, now or in the morning, when she would need to drop Riley at squads. The noise was obvious from the moment she stepped from the car. It sounded like heavy metal music. She didn’t recognise the band, but then, she didn’t really listen to that genre. It’s very loud for this late at night. As she walked down the hall to her front door, the walls were almost throbbing from the loud noise.

  New tenants. She grimaced, remembering the moving van that had boxed her car in on Monday. The flat above was rented out, and tenants were always coming and going. How on earth was she going to get to sleep? Bags under her eyes from being kept awake would not be a good look for her dinner date tomorrow night. Glancing at the wall clock, she noticed it was after midnight. She corrected herself. Make that tonight.

  That thought made her happy all over again as she folded out the sofa into her bed and quickly and efficiently added the linen. After a trip to the bathroom to wipe off the remnants of her make-up and brush her teeth, Caitlin was soon snuggled down under her pink-covered doona, and as she hugged her spare pillow she wondered what it would feel like to snuggle with Brodie instead. Caitlin fell into a deep sleep almost immediately with a little smile on her face, the loud music not annoying her at all.

  * * * *

  Brodie had a good training session—he was sharp and focused. JT just kept clapping him on the back and laughing at him. His teammates and the coaching staff were all in shock at the way he’d attacked the session with gusto. Brodie had not realised the extent of his malaise, but that was over. Now he felt good. Better than good—Brodie felt young.

  He had tried not to overthink his decision to ask Caitlin and her brother out to dinner, though he did wonder why the parents couldn’t look after the kid. But, hey, he didn’t know their
schedule. Maybe the parents worked nights or were away. Brodie managed to put a positive spin on things. The kid would be a useful chaperone. That was a good thing. He had come so close to seducing Caitlin in the car park last night that it frightened him.

  Brodie James did not lose control, ever. Not even when he’d found his wife in bed with the captain of a rival team. No, Brodie had just turned on his heel and walked away. Brodie was calm, under control, and always thought things through before taking action. That was why he had captained his country for so long. He was honoured that his opinion was sought after and he was often invited to take part in forums on how to better his beloved rugby league.

  Brodie led by example. Well, apart from when he’d married Lila, but that time was behind him now and he had managed to keep any gossip regarding his failed marriage out of the media. The mutual respect he and most reporters shared had helped, as did the money he’d bribed Lila with for her silence.

  Having given it plenty of thought on the drive home from training, Brodie concluded that the best place to take his dinner dates was some place they’d feel most comfortable, and that place was bound to be Mia’s Restaurant. It would also help him clear any bad feelings between him and the owner, Angelo, in regards to his behaviour last night. The man was not an idiot. He had seen the state of play when Caitlin and Brodie had returned, somewhat dishevelled, from their car park ‘talk’.

  As Brodie opened the door to his home and dropped his training bag on the floor, he smiled. Yes, he would make a booking now. Grabbing his phone, he scrolled through until he found the number he was searching for and placed the call. He had a few hours before he needed to leave, so Brodie sat at his desk and opened his laptop, checking emails before spending some time on his business portfolio.