“How about the truth?” Unable to keep his hands to himself any longer, Tyler caressed her hip.
“Is your ego so fragile you need to fish for compliments?”
Tyler didn’t even try to hide his smile. She was so damn cute. “No need to fish for what’s right in front of me.” He held her gaze. “Your body speaks for you.” He cupped the side of her neck. “Your pulse is racing. If your nipples were any harder, they’d bore right through that suit. You want me, sweetheart. I know you do. Admit it.”
She leaned back and clutched both fists against her chest, effectively putting a little distance between them. “Pretty and arrogant. Be still my heart.”
He didn’t know about pretty, but arrogant? Yeah. He wouldn’t deny it. A man didn’t get to the big leagues without a bit of an ego. But the last few months had changed him, made him even more grateful for each day he was able to do what he loved and for the living it provided. Made him take a hard look at his future. A future he didn’t want to think about while he had a beautiful woman in front of him.
“Your heart will be anything but still once we get started.”
“Them’s big words,” she drawled.
God, her smart mouth got to him in the best way. It was cute how she tried to goad him. If she smart-talked in the bedroom, he’d be a goner. “Would you like a demonstration?”
She bit into her plump bottom lip. “If I agree to keep you on as a client, do I have your word you’ll take the work seriously?” She poked him square in the chest. “That means you do what I say. No arguments. No complaining.”
With her on his rehab team, he’d be back to work in no time. “I’ll agree to follow your protocol, as long as we’re clear your rules apply only to my rehabilitation.”
Let her make of that what she would.
She studied him, obviously trying to work out some shit in her head.
Tyler kept his expression neutral and his mouth shut. He wanted to fuck her—was already anticipating the feel of sinking into her—but sex wasn’t the priority here. If she wanted to keep their relationship professional, he’d get on board with it. His dick might disagree, but work always came first. A lesson his father had drilled into him from a young age.
After what seemed like an eternity, Gabriella bobbed her chin and smiled.
Tyler tightened his grip on her hips.
“All right, then.” She peeled his hands away and pushed him back. She jumped to her feet. “Let’s see this demonstration of yours.”
* * *
What the hell am I doing?
Gabriella had clearly lost her mind.
It wasn’t her fault. Tyler had a way of filling a room with an undeniable … maleness. He wore those darn cargo shorts as if they’d been made for him. And his naked chest was so close, she itched to pet him.
Keep the hanky-panky out of the office, Matt had said. She could do that. Her house had plenty of other rooms.
“How far would you like to go with this demonstration?” Tyler asked, stepping comfortably into her personal space.
The edge of the counter bit into her lower back. She had nowhere to go. “It’s your show.”
A predatory grin spread across his face. “Oh, baby. Never give a man like me carte blanche.”
“A man like you?”
A tug loosened the towel at her waist. “A man with a vivid imagination and an insatiable appetite.”
Gabriella’s thighs quivered as he worked the towel from her hips. Her heart kicked her ribcage. Her skin felt as though it was vibrating, humming its approval of the picture he painted.
“I can’t say I’m familiar with the type.” A tragedy, really. One she was more than ready to rectify. She shimmied her hips, and Tyler muttered under his breath when the towel finally fell to the floor.
She frowned and glanced down at herself, wondering what had caused his jaw to tighten.
Her bathing suit was modest to say the least, and he’d already seen her in it. She thought the boy-short bottoms made her thighs appear more athletic than thick. She wasn’t overly tall, but she had a long torso and a slight rounding through her midsection, which made the tank top portion of her suit a great addition. The tankini covered the parts of her body she hated, accentuated the parts she didn’t. Plus it didn’t cost her a wedgie every time she moved.
It wasn’t sexy, but it flattered her figure. So why was he scowling?
“Something wrong?”
“On the contrary.” Tyler stroked a palm over her wet hair. “You take my breath away.”
“Oh.” That felt nice. Drizzled-in-warm-chocolate-and-licked-clean nice.
Tyler gathered her hands and cradled them against his chest. “I’ve never lied to a woman. I won’t start now. Getting back to work is my top priority. My schedule is hell. I’m planning to head back to New York the minute I’m cleared to play. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“What? No marriage? No babies?” She squeezed his fingers as a sign of reassurance when his scowl returned. “Newsflash, Tyler. Getting you back to work is my top priority, too. As it should be. My schedule isn’t a picnic, and I know your stay here is temporary.”
“As long as we’re on the same page.”
“Of course we are. Same page. Same book. I’m not looking for forever, Tyler.”
“You aren’t?”
“Why is that so surprising?”
He raised her hands to his lips. He nipped her knuckle, then placed a warm, lingering kiss against her fingers. “I don’t know. You don’t seem the love ’em and leave ’em type.”
“If you believe that, why bother messing around with me?”
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. We’ve got some serious chemistry.” As if to prove his point, he pressed his mouth to the inside of her wrist. His warm, wet lips lingered a moment before moving up her arm. “I’d like to see where it takes us.”
Us, for now.
Gabriella thought she had found forever once. Time to try something new. New and exciting.
“Love doesn’t have anything to do with this,” she replied honestly. She wouldn’t fall for another man who would uproot her world. Tyler wasn’t staying, and she wouldn’t give up her life for a man. Not again. “As long as we both know the score, then no harm, no foul, right?”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
Gabriella was touched by the sentiment, but understood he wouldn’t want to jeopardize his recovery. She bit back a groan as he reached the sensitive tissue at the crook of her arm. His tongue darted out, searing her skin.
“Then don’t.”
God. Did he have this talk with all the women he slept with? It must be exhausting.
Gabriella didn’t want to think about tomorrow, or how she would feel later, or worry about anything more than why he wasn’t kissing her right now.
“Hold up your end of the bargain, Tyler. Don’t discount my job and what it means to your recovery. As for the rest? We’re adults, not horny teenagers who don’t know any better.”
People had flings all the time. Having one with Tyler wouldn’t change her as a person. The desire she felt for this man didn’t make her shallow or needy or a whore.
It made her human.
She was a strong, caring woman. Moderately pretty. Independent. And she was tired of going to bed alone. “Is this part of the demonstration? Because I’ve gotta say, you’re off to a slow start.”
His nostrils flared. “Put your hands on my shoulders.”
“What are you going to do?”
Gabriella squeaked a protest when he lifted her, placing her backside none too gently back on the counter. “Your shoulder!”
“Not your concern.” She gasped as he shoved her knees apart and stepped between them.
“How can you say that? Didn’t we just establish your shoulder is our concern?” Finally free to touch him, she ran a palm up his chest, settling over his injury. She wished her touch alone was enough to heal him.
His f
ingers slid into her hair. Shock stole her breath as he tightened his grip, forcing her to follow his lead or lose a chunk of hair. “You’re off the clock.” He tilted her head, using the fingers of his other hand to trace down her neck. “There are other parts of my body that need your attention now.”
Gabriella was momentarily speechless. No man had ever handled her that way before. Confident and controlled. Unapologetic. With the gentle force of restrained desire.
He wanted her. Other men had wanted her before, but this … this was different. Intense. The power of it raced a shiver through her body, sensitizing her skin, building her need to get on with it.
“Show me.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “My pleasure.” Wrapping an arm around her waist, his warmth surrounded her.
She hooked her feet around his thighs. Approval glittered in his eyes as he rocked his hips against her.
He was hard. So hard.
It occurred to her she might be in over her head with this man. If she were to believe what she read, Tyler had way more experience with casual relationships than she did. What if she couldn’t measure up? Roger was the last man she’d been with. A pity fuck that last time. How sad was that?
“You’re thinking too much,” he muttered against her lips. “How about I give you something else to do?”
Yes, please.
Gabriella clutched his sides as his mouth slanted over hers.
Tyler kissed her long and slow. Unable to move, Gabriella relaxed into him, giving him full access to her mouth. She took his throaty groan as a good sign.
Goodness, the man was thorough.
He teased her with his tongue, his teeth, his lips. He explored her mouth until she squirmed with the need for more.
Her fingers mapped the lines of his abs, wanting to learn all the nuances of his body. His muscles tightened on contact, his grip on her tightening, his mouth becoming more insistent.
His hand moved to the upper swell of her breasts. He traced the edge of her bathing suit, then dipped into her cleavage to release her breast. She gasped into his mouth as his thumb brushed over her nipple.
He broke away from her mouth, trailing his lips along her jaw. A thrill surged through her when he tugged her head to the side, exposing her neck. Her clit swelled and throbbed in time with the fingers now fondling her nipple.
The shrill ring of a phone jerked her attention from the delightful sensations.
Tyler uttered a tortured groan. His hand dropped from her breast.
Panting, Gabriella rested her forehead against his chest. She glanced down for a quick boob check. Tyler had left her breast as he’d originally found it. Covered and aching.
Damn it.
Tyler made no effort to move away. Which was a good thing, because without his support, she might’ve tumbled right off the counter.
The phone quieted for a moment, only to start ringing again. In the vicinity of his shorts.
She straightened, took a shaky breath. His eyes were dark, shrouded with desire. His face was flushed. The scar over his right brow caught her attention. Without thought, Gabriella traced the jagged skin.
“Do you want to answer that?” He’d probably have better luck if she weren’t clutching on him. She uncurled her fingers, letting him go.
Tyler leaned in, pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Want?” He chuckled. “Hell, no. What I want is to finally finish what we started.”
“There’s no rush.” Gabriella tried for nonchalance, when one glance at the thin veil covering her sex would prove otherwise. “The best way to get whoever it is to stop calling is to answer it.” Or turn it off.
Gabriella rarely answered her phone on Sundays. It was her day to decompress. Their lives were so different, though. She suspected a big-time ballplayer such as Tyler wouldn’t have a lot of opportunity to be disconnected. The thought made her sad for some reason.
Tyler’s smile was apologetic as he reached into his pocket.
“Yeah,” he barked into the phone, his gaze never wavering from hers.
Gabriella kept touching him. He was all ripped, muscly male—too tempting a treat to resist. She spread her fingers, followed the indentations between his ribs around to his sides. He twitched, his eyes glittering as he listened to the caller.
Gabriella giggled softly. She never would’ve guessed he was ticklish.
He was, by far, the fittest man she’d ever had her hands on—in a non-professional manner. There was nothing professional about what she wanted to do with him right now. Such as use her lips to test how ticklish he really was.
“Okay.”
The single word snapped her back to attention. It was as though he’d read her mind and given his whole-hearted consent.
He hadn’t, of course. Tyler consented into the phone, not to her fantasy of undressing him like a present on Christmas morning.
She fingered the button on his shorts. He gently encircled her wrist, holding her steady.
“I got it, Maddie. Yes, dinner sounds great. Okay. I’ll be there shortly.”
The air left Gabriella’s lungs in a whoosh.
Nothing like the sound of Tyler making plans for dinner with another woman to take the wind out of her sails.
8
Tyler felt the change in Gabriella the moment it happened. Her nonchalance as she wiggled from the counter and re-draped the towel around her hips was almost comical. She’d figured out his caller had been a female and she didn’t like it.
Tyler knew women. Women like Gabriella. Women who said one thing, but meant another. For once though, Tyler didn’t feel as if he were being duped. He believed Gabriella believed she was the type of woman to carry on a casual relationship.
His buddy Garrett had gone through a similar thing in the spring with a woman as hot and sweet as Gabriella. Garrett Donovan arrived at his first spring training with the New York Empire and had promptly begun an affair with the owner’s daughter, Jessa Montgomery.
Tyler had warned Garrett about women like Jessa. Women who wanted more—whether they admitted it or not—than a quick fuck or two, and a hasty it’s been fun, but…
Garrett hadn’t listened. Now the fucker was getting married. Oh sure, Garrett was nauseatingly giddy over the whole thing. Tyler was happy for them. He was. He liked Jessa. He really liked how strung up Garrett got whenever Tyler flirted with her, which was pretty much every time he laid eyes on her.
Tyler was man enough to admit he had misjudged Garrett’s relationship. He’d only been looking out for his friend. Everyone knew sex clouded a man’s judgment. Crazy good sex made a man downright malleable
But Tyler soon discovered Jessa was special. She wouldn’t use Garrett for his position or his money—she had those things all on her own. Tyler knew Jessa had enough self-worth and integrity not to walk away if things got tough, as they inevitably would. She’d fight for Garrett.
Something deep in Tyler’s gut told him Gabriella and Jessa were cut from the same cloth.
Christ. Getting involved with Gabriella was a bad idea. A bad, bad idea.
Tyler watched her flit around the kitchen like a nervous little bee. Man, it was a damn shame to cover those gorgeous legs. He’d give anything to go back a few minutes to when she’d been almost bare and wrapped around him.
To hell with it. Bad was his middle fucking name. Time to smooth some ruffled feathers.
“That was my sister. I’m headed to my dad’s this afternoon to watch the game. Maddie wanted me to pick up a few things on the way and to check if I was staying for dinner.”
Gabriella stopped rinsing glasses at the sink and turned, crossing her arms. “I hope I haven’t made you late.”
“She’ll get over it.” Eventually. Maddie was a champion grudge-holder. “She should hope I get over the interruption. That’s twice I’ve been stopped long before I was finished with you. Next time, I’m locking us alone in a room without electronic devices—including clocks.”
Tyler moved close enough to
smell the faint coconut scent of her skin. Another half step and he could touch her. Draw the warmth radiating from her into his body, and bask in it for a few hours.
Goddamn his sister and her crappy timing.
“Come with me.” Tyler had a blast playing pool with her the other night. She knew how to have fun. He wasn’t done with her, not by a long shot. “Matt will be there. It would give us all a chance to talk about schedules. I’d like to hear what your plans are for me, as well.”
Her eyes widened. “You want me to meet your family?”
Tyler wiped a hand over his mouth, mainly to cover the smile that threatened. “Well, when you say it like that, it sounds serious. I mean, if we were more than…” Shit. What the hell were they? They weren’t a couple. They hadn’t had sex, so they weren’t exactly lovers—tack a big yet onto that one.
“Friends,” Gabriella supplied. “And if you say ‘with benefits’, I’ll punch you in the junk. What we do within the boundaries of our friendship is between us. We don’t need a cheesy distinction to create a box we can’t get out of once we’re no longer working together.”
Tyler liked the way she thought. And he liked the idea of building a friendship with her. A lot. “Yeah. Okay. As I was saying … if we were more than friends—”
“Which we’re not.”
Adorable. “Exactly,” he agreed. “So coming with me to watch the game and eat some food shouldn’t be a big deal. It’s not as if you won’t know anyone. I’ll be there. Matt and Devon will be there.”
“Devon?”
Yeah, okay. He wouldn’t take offense to how happy Devon’s presence seemed to make her. “Yep. He has to attend a charity dinner in California with a bunch of other hockey players next week, so he’ll be taking off tomorrow. Personally, I think it’s an excuse to get out of the heat.”
“Can’t say I blame him. In fact, does he need a date?”
Tyler laughed and pulled her into his arms. “You’re not available to go to California.”
She blinked. “I’m not?”
He kissed her hard and fast. “No. I need you here.” She licked her lips, tempting him to steal another.
Southern Heat (Game On Book 2) Page 7