Head Over Heels

by Crystal B. Bright

  This time Thane sat stunned. His blood pumped throughout his body so hard that it felt like his flesh pulsed. Had she touched him, she would probably be shocked.

  “I’m impressed. Most fans don’t know my stats like that, much less a—”

  “Agent?” She cut him off, probably before he could say something stupid like assuming a woman wouldn’t know anything about sports.

  “Yes, an agent.” The longer he stared into her eyes, the more he wanted to kiss her, a strange reaction to a woman he’d only met a day ago.

  Somehow, in that short amount of time, she’d managed to worm her way into his thoughts. He enjoyed talking to her as much as he savored her beauty and the heavenly scent swirling about her that lulled into comfort and lust.

  “You said you had talked to my mother before. When was that?” Thane leaned back on the couch.

  Kari laughed a little before she adopted the same position, leaning back on the opposite end of the couch. “Shortly after I graduated college, I hopped on a train and came up to New York by myself in hopes of wooing this amazing college star athlete who was meeting with major baseball teams at the time. I was in the bathroom talking to my grandfather when this beautiful woman walked in. She asked me what I was doing. I told her that I was there to sign the next big thing in baseball, Thane Wells.”

  As she told the story, Thane sat up taller.

  “I had on what I thought was my best dress. It was this red wrap dress.” She stared at him. “It was one of those dresses that’s kind of like a robe, and women—”

  Thane held up his hand. “I know what a wrap dress is. Owner of a clothing boutique, remember? Pardon my interruption.”

  “That’s okay. Anyway, she introduced herself as Elizabeth. Then she said although she admired my determination, she didn’t think I would be the right agent for you.” Kari looked down at her outfit. “She even accused me of trying to seduce you to get your business by dressing in what she thought was too risqué.”

  “My mother said that to you?” He felt his heart pounding hard.

  Kari nodded. “She said it in a nicer way than that, but in a nutshell, she let me know that she was protecting her child and wouldn’t let someone like me take you down.” She smiled. “I must admit, even in that short meeting, she got to me. I don’t know if you even remember me. I tried passing myself off as part of the Yankees’ team that was there to meet you. You came out of a meeting room with a couple of Yankee recruiters and your mother. You looked at me and—” Kari stopped.

  “What?” Thane went back through his memory bank to recall that moment.

  He remembered the many trips he’d taken to meet with recruiters. His mother had never told him that she’d talked to an agent in the bathroom.

  “You stared at me.” Kari gazed at him. “Kind of like the way you’re looking at me now. Before I could approach you, hotel security dragged me out. If you remember me at all from that moment, it’ll be because I was pulled out like I was some hooker looking for a john.”

  Thane nodded. “That’s why you looked familiar. I do remember that security took you away. But that’s not what made you memorable. You told me to finish college. That sounded like something my mother would say.”

  She scooped more cheesecake onto her fork. “Elizabeth was powerful. I told you she got into my head. She asked me what I would tell my son if I were in her spot. She was right.”

  “I now understand why she never told me that she talked to you. You looked really good in that dress.”

  Kari stared at Thane for a moment. The action on the TV became background noise as tension filled the room.

  Kari cleared her throat and broke her stare. “I have something else for you.” She reached into her purse and pulled out some papers. “It’s my standard contract.”

  Thane covered his eyes and leaned his head back. “You really do not give up, do you?”

  “Not when I really want something.” She held the contract up to him. “I really do want you.”

  That line had him thinking of all the ways he wanted her. As quickly as the sinful thoughts entered his head, he remembered his mother. What would she think about him lusting after a woman right after her funeral? He recalled the disappointed looks from his brothers when they viewed the video of him groping Kari outside his hotel room.

  “I guess you and I have something in common.” He accepted her paperwork. As soon as he saw Kari’s eyes widen, he brought her back down to reality. “I don’t call them rules, but I have a code for my dating life. Right now, I don’t have one. I have to keep my head in the game. I can’t do that if I’m in a relationship and have to think of someone else. It sounds selfish, but it’s better than trying to start something you know you can’t finish.” He placed the contract on the coffee table. “I also don’t mix business with pleasure.”

  Kari struggled to keep a cheerful expression on her face. “Looks like we’re both speaking the same language as far as a working relationship. If I can get you to sign that contract, we could really talk some business.”

  “You’re missing the show.” Thane nodded toward the TV.

  She picked up her plate and slipped off her shoes. Like a cat, she curled her legs up on the couch. Then she settled back as she kept her stare on the screen.

  When she downed another bite, she turned to him. “Is that why you use women?”

  “Excuse me?” Thane sat up straight. He felt his blood pressure rising for all the wrong reasons again.

  “Wrong choice of words. Is that why you, um, date a lot? Word on the street is that you don’t like to be tied down…to a relationship.”

  Kari’s meaningful pause had the wrong effect in him. He knew she wanted to say that not only had she heard he liked to screw around, but that he also liked it kinky.

  “I wouldn’t believe everything you read or hear. My last relationship with Anjana ended almost a year ago.” He’d started falling for the exotic beauty hard until she started questioning him every time he had any kind of association with another woman. Thane couldn’t stay in a relationship without trust.

  “Yes, and since then you’ve been linked with a Playboy Playmate, another model, a yoga instructor, and a couple of actresses.”

  He wanted to be angry with Kari, but she had some facts correct. After breaking up with Anjana, he and a buddy from the team had gone to the infamous Playboy mansion. He’d met a beautiful, leggy blonde. Although he had a great make-out session with her, he’d never slept with her, or with the model or the fitness instructor or even the actresses.

  “Like I said, I wouldn’t believe everything you read.” Thane directed his attention back to the TV in hopes that Kari would do the same.

  When she did, he felt a wave of relief. He didn’t want to answer any more questions about his mother, his career, his dating life, or Sharp. What the hell would he do with the business?

  After the show, Thane and Kari watched a college basketball game. She cheered the team he opposed, which didn’t surprise him. Kari seemed to be all wrong for him. She’d come to him at the worst possible time in his life. She dared to disrupt his idyllic world. Yet, somehow she fit.

  The more she hung out with him, the more he wanted to get to know this woman on every level. When he imagined himself kissing her, his body jerked up with a jolt. He’d gotten so comfortable with Kari that he’d fallen asleep.

  When he looked down, he discovered that she probably felt as relaxed with him as he did with her. Kari rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. He had to smile when he heard a small snore come from her mouth.

  Thane wriggled from under her so that she lay flat on the sofa. He tiptoed to his bedroom and pulled down the sheets and comforter. He returned to the living room and turned off the TV first. He didn’t want her waking up prematurely.

  He picked her up in his arms, amazed at how easily he could carry her. She nuzzled her face into his chest as he made his way t
o the bed. Thane placed her down carefully and covered her gently.

  Thane stared at her for a moment. He brushed her hair back from her face. Had he been in a better place in his life, he could see himself trying to start something with her. Bad timing.

  Chapter 10

  Kari felt like clouds cradled her as she stirred awake. She rubbed her hand over the softest set of sheets she’d ever been on, better than what she had in her hotel.

  Wait. She sat up and glanced around the room. From the four-poster bed to the Oriental rug on the floor and the luxurious comforter covering her body, she knew she hadn’t woken up in her hotel room.

  Kari peered down at her attire. She still wore her sensible black pantsuit. Everything remained buttoned and zipped up, thank God. Then again, after the amazing connection she made with Thane last night, she kind of wished he would join her in bed if only to hold her.

  She liked that she surprised him by spouting his statistics to him. She knew her job. She’d done her research. Most importantly, she liked Thane Wells, the player, the man, everything.

  Kari looked out of the bedroom door to see if she could find Thane. Maybe he’d taken a shower and would be walking around naked like he’d done yesterday morning. She blinked when she saw the multi-million dollar baseball pitcher on the couch with a blanket over his body.

  He certainly could have left her on the couch and had his own bed. Or he could have slept with her. With how polite and gentlemanly he’d been with her in his sober state, she knew he would never do anything to make her feel uncomfortable, not on purpose.

  The lingering stares they had given each other had stirred feelings within Kari that she’d hadn’t felt in years. She shook her head. She had to get her mind back in the game. Thane meant money and prestige. She could become a full agent. She couldn’t see anything else in Thane other than work.

  Kari crept out of bed and padded to the living room. As Thane slept, she picked up her purse that held her precious morning-after kit. She padded to the bathroom and closed the door.

  In a short amount of time, she cleaned herself up, managing to wash her face and brush her teeth while fluffing out her hair again. Her hair no longer appeared disheveled and tousled. Now she looked like she had regained some control. She glanced one last time at herself in the mirror before she opened the bathroom door and released a bloodcurdling scream.

  Thane stood on the other side of the door. Even half asleep, he looked hot. His heavy-lidded gaze liquefied her. His short, brown hair stood on his head in an odd, spiky manner. The five-o’clock shadow on his chin gave him a sexy and scruffy appeal.

  Before she could say anything, he took a step closer. Kari peered down. Damn. Even his bare feet looked good.

  “Thank you for letting me have your bed.” She clutched her purse close to her body to create a barrier between the two of them. “You could have left me on the couch.”

  He shook his head. “Never.” His voice sounded deeper than normal.

  It didn’t take long for Kari’s knees to buckle. “And you definitely didn’t have to carry me.”

  “How else could I get you into bed?”

  Damn. Did he really have to ask that? Kari noticed right away how rapid her breathing had become.

  “Done in there?” Thane pointed into the bathroom.

  “Yes.” She stepped around him.

  Even in the early morning, he smelled like a man, all delicious and musky and heady. Her mind raced with thoughts of him rubbing his stubbly face against her bare skin.

  Stop it, girl. He’s a job. That’s it.

  Once Thane closed the bathroom door, Kari wasted no time in getting her stuff together. With luck, she’d be out of his room before he could reemerge.

  She found her shoes by the coffee table. She remembered slipping them off while she watched TV with Thane. As she thought about how they cheered along to the college basketball game, she couldn’t help but smile.

  Kari froze when she spotted her agent contract pages flipped over. Had Thane seriously reconsidered signing with her? She hoped he had because of her sports knowledge and her passion, and not because of some sexual attraction.

  When she heard the toilet flushing and water running in the bathroom sink, she quickened her movements. Kari slipped into her shoes. She scanned the place to find her coat and remembered that Thane hung it in the closet by the door. She rushed to it and pulled out her coat. As soon as she slammed the door, she felt a tug.

  Kari turned around and saw Thane standing behind her.

  “Let me help you with that.” He secured it from her grasp and held it up for her. “I was hoping you would at least stay for breakfast.”

  “You don’t have to do that.” She kept her back to him, afraid that if she looked at him again, she would make a stupid mistake.

  “I feel like I owe you. You did the same for me. I’d like to return the favor.”

  “That was different.”

  “How?”

  Kari turned around. She had to look up to stare him. “You were in need.”

  He closed into her personal space. “I still am.” Thane dropped his gaze for a moment before reconnecting with her again. “I appreciate your tenacity to get my business.”

  “I saw you reviewed my contract.” Kari nodded toward the living room area. “I would protect your interests. I could make sure to set you up for the rest of your life.”

  “That’s a big promise to make. I’m not sure if I’m the right”—he paused as he sought his words carefully—“client for you.”

  She nodded. “Thanks for dinner. Most athletes would have stood me up and not felt sorry about it.” Maybe she meant some men, or rather her child’s father.

  Kari approached Thane, stood on tip toes to kiss his cheek. She didn’t know what had come over her to do that instead of shaking his hand. After the night they’d had, she wanted to show him that she had listened to him. She understood the pain he felt right now with the loss of his mother. She appreciated the way he cared for her.

  Her lips brushed against his stubbly face. The tiny, prickly hairs tickled her sensitive flesh. When she pulled back from the kiss, she made the mistake of connecting her gaze to his. A strong magnetic pull forced her to plant another kiss on his other cheek. Pure selfishness ruled her senses. She’d wanted to bond with him again, take in his manly scent, touch him.

  Kari lowered herself while still maintaining her close proximity to his body. Before she knew what happened, Thane swept her hair away from her face. Then he framed her face in his hands, pulled her in close, and pressed his lips against hers.

  Kari’s breath caught in her throat at the idea that Thane Wells had her in his hotel room. His kiss made her feel lightheaded and grounded all at once, like a fantasy that became realized.

  She dropped her purse to the floor with a thud and put her hands on his chest. His muscles flexed under her touch. In turn, he lowered his hands to her waist and pulled her against his body. When he slipped his tongue into her mouth, she accepted it. She wanted it. She wanted him. Everything about this connection felt right, like they should be together. Kari imagined where this passionate moment would take them.

  Maybe he would ease her back to the door and have his way with her there, ripping off clothes and imprinting himself in her mind and on her body. Or maybe, like last night, he’ll lift her into his massive arms and carry her to his bed.

  As he kissed her, letting his tongue touch and tease hers, she imagined the sex. She pressed her body against his harder. She didn’t have to dream about the size of his penis. His erection pushed against the zipper of his jeans and her stomach.

  Juices oozed from her core into the red panties she’d worn specifically for Thane, even though she hadn’t thought there would be an opportunity for him to see her undergarments. Wearing them gave her a sense of sexiness and the confidence she needed to deal with this A-list athlete.

  Like she had imagined, Thane
eased her back so that her back hit the door. He moved his mouth over her jaw and toward her ear. The tickling sensation had her curling her toes in her shoes.

  “Don’t go,” he whispered.

  Kari wanted to stay in the room with him. She wanted to see where this moment would take them. If she stayed, would that mean he would sign with her? If he did, would she want him as a client, knowing why he’d signed? Would he accept Michael?

  Michael. The thought of her child sobered her to the situation. She hadn’t mentioned him at all to Thane because she didn’t want her clients involved in her personal life. Kind of hard for her to support that rationale when this man had his tongue in her mouth. She pushed him back as hard as she could.

  “We can’t do this.” She shook her head and secured her coat around her body.

  “Why not? You felt it last night, didn’t you? We have chemistry?” He put his hand to her chin and lifted it so that she would look at him. “I haven’t felt this way since—” He stopped. “Stay.”

  She stared at him. Besides thinking about her son, she also recalled the stories about Thane. His love-em-and-leave-em tales had become stuff of legends. Although he’d refuted them last night, the thoughts lingered in her mind. Did he want her, or did he need someone warm next to him to ease his ache. She wouldn’t allow herself to be a pacifier, a placebo for love.

  Kari shook her head again. “No.” She knelt down to get her purse. “I’m not going to be a notch on your headboard.”

  The comment had Thane taking a step back. His eyebrows furrowed. “What did you say?”

  “It’s no secret that you love the ladies. I think even Leonardo DiCaprio feels inferior to you when it comes to the women you’ve bedded.” She hung her purse from her shoulder.

  When she stared at Thane, she got a return glare that felt like he’d punched her in the gut. He took a few more steps back from her.

  “I told you the truth last night. I know we haven’t spent a lot of time together, but have you ever gotten the impression from me that I would treat any woman like that?”