“Like you just got off your shift working the pole.”
“How dare you.” Tiffany’s eyes bulged with outrage. “I’m not a stripper.”
“Could have fooled me.”
Tiffany put her hands on her hips. Her nostrils flared as her cheeks turned bright pink. “I don’t have to stand here and take this. I’m out of here,” she said with a theatrical flounce of her head and brushed past them to stalk down the hallway.
After Tiffany rounded the corner, Kelly tried to keep a straight face, but couldn’t quite manage the feat. “Was it something I said?”
Matt’s lips twitched in amusement. “I think the pole comment hit a little too close to home.”
“I can’t believe you were with her.”
“Me either.” His smile faded and his expression turned solemn. “Thanks for your help.”
Meeting his gaze, she realized his arm was still around her. The heat from his body seemed to burn through the fabric of her blazer and she was so close to him that she could see the faint stubble on his jaw. Primal desire bombarded her senses. This couldn’t be happening. Not now and not with him. Needing to put some distance between them, she moved to her left which forced Matt to relinquish his hold on her waist.
“Why didn’t you just tell her to get lost?” she asked as Matt leaned against the door frame and shoved his hands into the pockets of his faded jeans. Try as she might, she hadn’t been able to forget that brief glimpse she’d gotten of his naked body in the locker room. Hot tingles erupted low in her belly and inched downward. Damn it. The man was too appealing for his own good.
“I didn’t want to be rude.”
“Are you kidding? You’ve been rude to me since the minute we met.”
“Jesus.” He scowled. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
“I might if you apologized.”
“I tried to apologize when I got to San Francisco.”
“When?” Kelly demanded. “I don’t remember any apology.”
“Maybe that’s because you were too busy rubbing in the fact that you were right about me being traded. It’s hard to apologize when someone’s gloating, you know.”
“I wasn’t gloating.” She paused, trying to remember their first encounter after that night in L.A. Her defenses had been up, she knew that much. She’d been nervous as hell, and right now she couldn’t remember what she’d said. “Was I?”
“Yes. You were.”
“I was still angry with you.”
“I know. And I don’t blame you for that.” She stared at him, the pounding of her heart filling the taut silence that stretched between them. His eyes searched her face; the intimate gaze caused a quiver to surge through her veins. “Is it too late for me to apologize for that night?” he asked.
“No.”
“I’m sorry, Kelly. You didn’t deserve the things I said to you.”
“Then why’d you say them?” she whispered. His hurtful words had nearly caused her to relapse.
“Because my life was pretty fucked up and I was taking it out on just about everyone who crossed my path.”
Stunned by his admission and by the vulnerable expression on his face, she wasn’t sure what to say. She’d glimpsed this side of him at lunch with Lily and Dorie. She hadn’t expected to see it again. Not with her.
“Will you accept my apology?” he asked before she could speak.
“Yes.”
A flicker of relief flashed in his eyes and his mouth tipped in a roguish smile that had, no doubt, charmed the panties off many a woman. “Any chance you might let me slide on that little deal we made a few minutes ago?”
Shaking her head, she grinned. “Hell, no. I fulfilled my end of the bargain and got rid of Tiffany for you. Now you have to fulfill your end.”
“Shit,” he grumbled.
“I told you I was tenacious.” Still smiling, she checked her watch. “It’s late and we’ve got an early flight. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“G’night, Kelly,” he called after her as she headed for her room. At her door, she glanced over her shoulder to find him watching her. Unnerved by his dark eyes, she whipped her head around and with trembling fingers, unlocked the door.
* * *
Lying on the king-size bed and propped up against the rustic oak headboard, Matt stared at the day’s sports headlines on the television screen, his empty plate next to him on the bed. He’d wolfed down the Philly cheesesteak sandwich and fries like he hadn’t eaten in a week. Which wasn’t true. His last meal had been an early lunch. Like the majority of his teammates, he was convinced he played better on an empty stomach.
Eating this late wasn’t good, but it couldn’t be helped. A cheesesteak sandwich wasn’t the best choice either, but he was in Philly and couldn’t pass it up. Just like he couldn’t pass up barbecue in Kansas City, or pizza in Chicago. There was little time for sightseeing on the road, but he sure as hell knew the culinary treats in each city.
In the past year he’d also sampled the available women each city had to offer. Or he had right up until the moment the Dodgers had traded him. Tonight he could have indulged in a night of no-strings sex but as hot as Tiffany definitely was, he wasn’t even tempted.
Instead he was thinking about the one woman on the planet who couldn’t stand him, and with good reason. Kelly had accepted his apology but it still didn’t erase the insults he’d hurled at her that night. Looking back, it was easy to see he was out of control and she had borne the brunt of it. It wasn’t her fault he was a mess, but she’d been the perfect punching bag because she hadn’t fawned all over him like every other woman who crossed his path.
Thankfully, the ringing of his cell phone distracted him from the woman who’d been invading his thoughts more and more as each day passed. Reaching for it on the nightstand, he picked it up and grinned when he saw his best friend’s name on the caller ID.
“I figured you’d still be up,” Sean Barrett said when Matt answered the phone. “Good game tonight.”
“You caught it?”
“It was on the MLB channel.” Sean paused. “By the way, the Dodgers lost.”
“I heard.” Matt reached for the remote and turned off the television. The screen faded to black. “It’s getting easier for me to be okay with that.”
“Speak for yourself. You may be playing for San Francisco now, but there’s no way I’m rooting for the Blaze.”
Matt chuckled. “I totally understand. Hey, how’s Kayla?”
“She’s good. In fact, she’s leaving for Hawaii tomorrow to shoot some exteriors for the miniseries.”
“What about that psycho who was stalking her?”
“Locked up. The trial won’t start for several months.”
“I’ll bet she’s breathing easier.”
“We both are.”
“So things are good between you two?”
“Couldn’t be better.” Sean hesitated and then continued, “I’m going to ask her to marry me.”
“What?” Surprised, Matt sat up. “Marry you? Isn’t it a bit soon for that?”
“No. I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”
“But...”
“I know what I’m doing. Trust me, when it’s right, you know.”
“When are you going to ask her?”
“I have a few days off from the show so we made plans for me to join her in Hawaii. I’m going to pop the question there.”
“You don’t waste any time.”
“I almost lost her in Savannah. I’m not taking any chances.”
“Then I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks,” Sean said and after a lengthy pause asked, “So, how are you doing? Really?”
“Better.” Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he ran a hand through his hair. “I haven’t been tossed out of a game since I got here. I’m keeping my nose clean and staying out of trouble. I even turned down some primo pussy tonight.”
Sean laughed. “What about
Kelly Maxwell?”
“What about her?”
“Did you apologize to her?”
“As a matter of fact, I did.” Okay, so the apology had come a little late, but he’d done it. That had to count for something.
“Does that mean you two are getting along?”
Rising from the bed, Matt walked to the window and pushed back the heavy drapes. “Sort of.” He stared out at the dark night sky sprinkled with bright white stars. “At least we’re not at each other’s throats.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Sean said. “Well, I’ll let you get some shut-eye.”
Matt let the curtain fall. “Good luck in Hawaii,” he said and hung up.
Moving to the dresser, he put the phone down and picked up the baseball he took with him whenever he went on the road. Gripping it tightly, he stared at the crayon scribbles on it. Tears pricked the backs of his eyes. He’d just told Sean he was getting better and there were days when he really believed it. Then, during a game, he’d catch a glimpse of some little boy sitting with his dad and the pain would hit him all over again.
Until last year he had no idea of the depths of despair he could sink to. Even with parents as dysfunctional as his, he’d led a fairly comfortable life in the upscale beach community of Pacific Palisades. Behind the veneer of a perfect marriage, his parents were cold and unfeeling. They weren’t normal, he’d figured that out pretty early on. He’d spent a lot of time at Sean’s house before Sean’s mom had died. Laura Barrett had treated him like a son, and she had doted on Sean and Sean’s father.
That was the kind of parent he wanted to be. Kind, loving, involved. Only it hadn’t worked out that way. That’s when he discovered what real agony was. It was sharp, brutal and cut into his soul like a knife. He tried to escape it, but no matter how much he partied, no matter how many women he slept with, and no matter how many fights he got into on the field, he couldn’t outrun it. It was always one step behind him, its breath hot on his neck.
Not long after that night in L.A. when he’d insulted Kelly, it finally caught up to him. He’d hit rock bottom and when he’d pulled his head out of his ass, he found his entire life was in shambles.
There wasn’t a chance in hell of getting back what he’d lost, but maybe, just maybe, he could salvage his career. Right now, it was the only thing he had to hold on to.
Chapter Eight
Two days after the Blaze had returned to San Francisco, Kelly was at her desk going through her emails when a soft knock sounded on her office door. Turning her head, she found Katherine poised at the threshold with a warm smile on her face. “May I come in?”
“Of course.” Kelly swiveled her chair around as her boss moved forward to take a seat on the chair opposite the desk. As always, Kelly admired Katherine’s chic style. Today she had paired a slim gray pencil skirt with a pale pink cashmere sweater and her auburn hair was pulled back in a sleek chignon.
Katherine crossed a slim bare leg over her knee and leaned back in the chair. “How was the road trip?”
“It went well. I met with a local reporter in Philadelphia. He requested an interview with Trey Gentry. Trey’s from the area and there’s a lot of interest in his career there. You know, local boy makes good. I approved it and it turned out to be a really nice piece. Surprisingly, there are a number of Blaze fans in Philly.”
“Were there any PR issues I need to be concerned about?”
“No.” Kelly pushed aside the stack of pink message slips she still needed to get to and folded her arms on the desk. “Everyone behaved themselves.”
“Scanlon has started going into the media room after the games. He’s been pretty adamant about not doing any press. How did you manage to convince him?”
Not wanting to divulge she’d resorted to blackmail, Kelly shrugged. “I didn’t do anything special. I think he’s getting more comfortable with the team.”
“Why do I think there’s more to it than that?” Katherine asked with a speculative gleam in her eyes and then waved her hand. “Never mind. I’m not going to question it. I’m just thankful he’s finally talking. I was starting to get some heat from the GM.” She sighed. “Not that I blame Doug. The press has been pressuring him pretty hard. The longer Scanlon kept mum, the worse it got.”
“Tell me about it,” Kelly said. “Trevor Jackson was going to go over both of our heads.”
Katherine rose from the chair, smoothing out her skirt with her hands. “Whatever you did, I’m glad it worked.”
After Katherine had left her office, Kelly got back to work. While on the road, she’d prepared several letters in response to public-appearance requests for several of the players, and the team as a whole. Quickly attaching them to an email, she sent them to Alexis who would format them for signature.
By noon, she’d written several press releases, spoken to three local media editors and updated the injury report. The team was healthy. Only Rick Taylor was on the disabled list. She hoped it would stay that way. The Blaze were locked in a three-way tie for first place in the Western division. They would need every single player they had if they were going to make it to the postseason.
Her stomach rumbled, reminding her it had been a long time since her morning bowl of shredded wheat. Instead of leaving the ballpark, she decided to grab a salad at the team’s cafeteria adjacent to the clubhouse and bring it back to her office for a working lunch.
An hour later, she’d finished her Chinese chicken salad and was in the middle of preparing a new post detailing the Blaze wives’ online auction for the team’s website when a knock on her door startled her. Looking up, the sight of Matt standing in the doorway sucked the air right out of her lungs.
It really was criminal for a man to be that hot. He wore loose gray sweats that didn’t do much to disguise his rock-hard thighs, and a Blaze T-shirt that clung like a second skin to his well-defined torso. She’d spent a good deal of time in the Blaze clubhouse around players either buck naked or close to it, but not one of them had ever affected her like Matt was affecting her right now. The intensity of her attraction to him was damn unsettling.
“May I come in?” he asked.
“Sure.” She swung around as he moved into the office and lowered himself onto her visitor chair.
“Nice office,” he commented, surveying the room with interest. As offices on the floor went, it was one of the smaller ones, and one of the few with no view. In fact, there wasn’t even a window. It didn’t bother her, but several of her coworkers, including Angie, said it made them claustrophobic.
“Thanks,” she said as he checked out the framed pictures of her family on the pale yellow wall behind her. “Are you here to tell me you want to do more interviews?”
“Hell no.” Since his hair was damp, she surmised he’d recently showered. It curled at the ends as it dried and he smelled of shampoo and soap—a clean scent that drifted into her senses and sent a shiver of awareness over her skin. “It’s bad enough I have to go to the media room after the games.”
She leaned back in her chair. “C’mon, it’s not that painful, is it? I’ve sat in on most of those sessions and I think the press is going pretty easy on you. It could be worse.”
“They’re just waiting for me to fuck up.” Matt scowled. “They’re going to have a long wait.”
“Then you don’t have anything to worry about.” Kelly grinned. “Unless you fuck up, of course.”
A smile quirked his lips before he sobered. “Do you think I will?”
Kelly hesitated before answering. She wanted to believe his current good behavior would continue, but his track record spoke for itself. “To be honest, I’m not sure. Ask me again in a few weeks.”
“That’s fair.” He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. The move drew her attention to his powerful arms. How would those arms of his feel wrapped around her? The mere thought of it caused a flutter low in her belly. “I’m here because I have an invitation to extend to you,” he said.
“Invitation?” She shifted in her chair, grateful he couldn’t read her mind.
“From Lily. She wants me to bring you to her birthday party tomorrow night. Can you make it?”
“Really? She wants me to come?”
“Yes. I think she’s in awe of your softball prowess.”
“As well she should be,” Kelly said with a grin. “I’m damn good.”
Matt rolled his eyes and chuckled.
“Hey, I just know what I excel at, and softball is one of those things.”
A half smile curved his lips and the intensity of his dark gaze caused her stomach to do a full somersault. “I’ll bet you excel at a lot of things.”
Hold up. Put the car in park. Was he flirting?
Flustered, she picked up her pen and began doodling hearts on a notepad in front of her. “To answer your question, I can go to Lily’s party with you. I have a softball game tonight but tomorrow night is wide open.”
“Great. Lily will be thrilled.” He rose from the chair and stood before her desk. “So, you have a game tonight? Is it at the park you were telling me about?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “It’s our last game of the season. If we win we’re the fast-pitch champions.”
“Sweet.” Matt smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I hope you kick their ass.”
“That’s the plan.”
“I should go.” His lingering gaze made her tingle in places that shouldn’t be tingling while she was at work. “Morgan doesn’t like it if we’re late for our pregame meeting.”
“So I’ve heard.” She tried to keep her gaze from traveling down his impressive body. “I’ll see you in the media room after the game.”
“You’re pretty pleased with yourself about that, aren’t you?” he asked, noting her amusement. He didn’t look angry; in fact, his expression was quite the opposite. For the first time since they’d met he seemed completely relaxed.
“Maybe a little,” she admitted with a wry grin. “And I owe it all to Tiffany. I may send her a thank-you card and a gift certificate to Macy’s so she can buy a skirt that covers her ass.”
Matt let out a short laugh and shook his head. “I don’t think she shops there.”
The Winning Season Page 9