Unexpected Rush (Play-By-Play #11)

by Jaci Burton

  He brushed his shoulder against hers. “Water lover.”

  “You’re damn right I am. And I’ll work my tail off until I get what I want.”

  “I don’t doubt that about you.”

  “You love the water, too, obviously, since you bought the house right on it.”

  “Yeah. I like to take the boat out. Mom and Dad always had us out there fishing, taking trips out on the lakes to water-ski. We’d go tubing all the time in the summers.”

  “See what a good match we are, Barrett?”

  He laughed. “Well, we have water in common, anyway.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I’ll bet we have a lot more than that.”

  She’d paused to look up at him. They were alone out here and as he looked at her mouth, her lips parted, and all he wanted to do was take a taste of her.

  Bad idea.

  “I don’t know about you,” he said, “but I’m thirsty. How about we head inside to the bar for a drink?”

  Her lips curved. “I think you’re trying to avoid kissing me.”

  Harmony was way too smart for her own good.

  “So is that yes or no to the drink?”

  “A drink is fine, Barrett. But before the end of tonight, you will kiss me.”

  They headed up the beach toward the bar. “If that’s some kind of challenge, or you think you might be able to get me drunk enough, you’re going to lose.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Did he think walking away from her was easy? She was beautiful. Sexy. Magnetic. And the pull she had on him was strong.

  But he could resist. He knew mixing it up with her would be disastrous, and would hurt not only her in the long run, but also his best friend.

  He was doing the right thing by keeping his distance. And he was a strong man. He could resist temptation. Even if that temptation was as hot as Harmony.

  The room was crowded when they walked through the doors. “We could sit at the bar,” Barrett suggested.

  Maybe they could find Ted and strike up a conversation. Keep things light and easy that way.

  “No, there’s a table over there in the corner,” Harmony said.

  Great. Nice and remote. Intimate. Just what he didn’t want, but he followed her to the table and held out her chair for her to sit.

  “Thanks.”

  “What would you like to drink?”

  “Vodka and cranberry juice.”

  “I’ll go get us drinks.”

  He wandered up to the bar and ordered Harmony’s drink and a beer for himself. He ran into Ted.

  “Hey, how was dinner?”

  “Fantastic. Really appreciate the recommendation.”

  “You’re welcome. Where are you two sitting?”

  Barrett pointed out their seats.

  “I’ll have drinks brought over.”

  “Thanks.” He took his money out to pay, but Ted waved him off. “Tab’s on me.”

  “Not necessary.”

  “Hey, it’s my pleasure. I like you two.”

  “Well, thanks again.”

  He headed back to the table. Harmony pulled her attention from the window and onto him, giving him a quizzical look as he took his seat.

  “Ran into Ted. He’s having the drinks sent over. And he’s comping them.”

  She smiled. “Isn’t he a nice guy?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’d love to meet his girlfriend. I’ll bet they’re perfect together.”

  “Really. What makes you think that?”

  She shrugged. “The way he described her—their relationship. He’s almost giddy about reconnecting with her, as if he almost can’t believe it happened. He told me he feels really lucky that she was available at the exact moment in time that he came back home.”

  “That was a nice thing to say.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  A waitress brought over their drinks and set them down.

  “My name is Donna. Ted said to just flag me down whenever you want a refill. Drinks are on him the rest of the night.”

  “Thanks, Donna,” Harmony said. “There will definitely be flagging.”

  Donna laughed. “I’ll be looking for you.”

  After Donna ran off, Barrett cocked a brow. “Planning on doing some drinking?”

  She shrugged. “My first appointment isn’t until noon tomorrow. I might indulge.” She took a sip from the straw. “Besides, cranberry juice is very good for you.”

  He shook his head, then tilted the bottle of beer to his lips. She might be trying to play coy with him, but he could see right through her. Her intent was to get him shit-faced drunk, then take advantage of him in their room tonight.

  Though the thought of it made him push back a laugh.

  She was tiny. He was a big guy. It would take a lot of beers to get him shit-faced, and he had no intention of drinking that much—or letting her take advantage.

  And talk about role reversal. Why was he even thinking about his “virtue” anyway? It wasn’t gonna happen.

  Not that he had any virtue to protect.

  When he focused his attention back on Harmony, she was weaving back and forth as if she was trying to look behind him.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Looking for the smoke that must be coming out of your ears. I’ve been talking to you for like the past three minutes and your head is somewhere else. What have you been thinking so hard about?”

  How not to have sex with you tonight.

  “Nothing. Football. The house. The trip to San Francisco. You know how it is when your mind wanders all over different topics, right?”

  “I . . . guess.”

  He could tell she didn’t believe him.

  “Sorry to be so distracted. What were you talking about?”

  “I was asking you about your brothers and if any of them will be coming to the ranch when you’ll be there.”

  “They should all be there. Tucker will be on break from baseball, and Flynn and Grant are just like me, on vacation. Plus two of my brothers are planning weddings right now, so I’m sure that’ll be a hot topic of discussion.”

  “A lot going on in your family, isn’t there?”

  “Yeah. The family focus right now is on Grant and Katrina’s and Tucker and Aubry’s weddings.”

  “When are they getting married?”

  “Grant and Katrina next March. Tucker and Aubry in November.”

  “That’s so exciting for them. You must be so happy for your brothers.”

  “Katrina’s pretty great. So are her brother and sister. Grant’s built himself an awesome family. We all love them. Tucker was damn lucky to find an awesome woman in Aubry. She’s fantastic.”

  “I’ve met all your brothers before, but the women sound lovely.”

  “Yeah, they are.”

  She’d finished her drink and set it aside. Miraculously, Donna appeared, whisked the empty glass away and returned within a minute with another drink for Harmony and a beer for Barrett.

  “You’re really good at this,” Harmony said.

  Donna smiled. “Thanks. It’s my job to keep an eye on you two tonight.”

  “We’ll make sure to be on our best behavior, then,” Harmony said.

  Donna looked from Harmony to Barrett. “Now what fun would that be?”

  Harmony laughed as Donna disappeared. “Ted has good staff.”

  “He’s doing it right. Keep the customers’ glasses filled. That’ll keep them in the bar.”

  She took a long swallow of her drink. “I don’t intend to spend all night in the bar, unfortunately for Ted.”

  “Really. And where do you intend to go next?”

  “Up to the room.”

  Now he was concerned. “Are you tired? Are you feeling all right?”

  She gave him a tender smile. “I’m fine, Barrett. But I would like to go up to the room if that’s okay with you.”

  He stood. “Let’s go.”

  Barrett left a generous tip for Donna, then la
id his hand on Harmony’s back as she stepped in front of him.

  He wasn’t sure what was going on with her, but he didn’t want a repeat of this morning.

  When they got upstairs, he opened the door and she walked in and headed straight for the bathroom.

  “I’ll be right out,” she said, shutting the door behind her.

  Leaving all the lights off, Barrett stepped out onto the balcony and took in a breath of fresh air, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore.

  When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned around.

  And nearly swallowed his tongue.

  Harmony had undressed down to her underwear. Sexy, barely there lace and silk red panties with a matching bra.

  “What are you doing? Are you okay?”

  “I’m more than okay, Barrett.”

  And when she leaned up and wrapped her hand around his neck to draw his lips to hers, all that restraint he’d held in check blew away with the Gulf breeze.

  Because her mouth was on his, her body against his, and his restraint was long damn gone.

  He wound his arm around her, tugged her close and crushed his lips to hers.

  Sixteen

  It had been a calculated risk, for sure, but Harmony knew she had to take it. The worst that could happen was Barrett telling her no.

  This didn’t feel like no.

  His mouth on hers, his hands on her body were a definite yes. And the groans he emitted as he kissed her made her nipples tingle and her sex quiver. She felt damp and needy and her body throbbed with anticipation. His hands roamed her body and with each stroke of his tongue against hers, she felt weak and desired and deliciously turned-on.

  She’d had high expectations about him kissing her, had fantasized about it for years. First, they’d been girlish fantasies. As she’d gotten older, her fantasies about Barrett had receded, but she’d always noticed him at Mama’s. He was a formidable, attractive man. What woman wouldn’t dream about a man like this putting his mouth on her?

  He’d exceeded all her fantasies. He had a great mouth and he knew all the right things to do with it, brushing his lips across hers, teasing her with his tongue and drawing her into a sensual web that was heady and provocative. His hard body pressed against hers, his hand roamed over her back, grabbing her butt and drawing her against his erection.

  Oh, his erection. He was supremely hard as he backed her into the room and laid her down on the bed. She felt all that delicious, steely evidence rubbing against her sex when he lay on top of her, yet still held his weight off of her.

  And he continued to kiss her, a dizzying array of kisses.

  The man had an amazing mouth, making her wonder what else he could do with it.

  And when he lifted her arms over her head and nuzzled her jaw, then licked along the side of her neck, she arched her hips, rubbing her clit against his erection.

  He raised his head to look at her, his eyes dark with passion.

  A very good look for him.

  “Harmony.”

  She undulated her hips against him. “Barrett.”

  His breathing was harsh, and she hoped his pulse raced fast like hers. She felt out of control, breathless, and she really, really, wanted to see him naked.

  “We shouldn’t do this.”

  Not at all what she wanted to hear. Not right now, not when things were just starting to get good.

  “Which part? You kissing me or you rocking your damned impressive cock against me?”

  He kissed her neck, groaned, then raised up on his arms. “Any of it.”

  The sexy, sultry mood evaporated. “You are not going to bring up that man code thing again right now, are you?”

  He slid off of her and sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s more than that.”

  Refusing to cover herself, because she wanted him to see exactly what he was not having at the moment, she rolled to her side and propped herself up on her elbow. “Then what is it?”

  He threaded his fingers through his hair, looking down at the floor for a few seconds before dragging in a breath. Then he turned his gaze to her. “It’s just that I have so much respect for you.”

  That did it. She slid her legs over the side of the bed. “That is such bullshit, Barrett.”

  She grabbed her dress and slid into it, pulling the straps up over her shoulders, then marched into the bathroom, threw all her things into her overnight bag and zipped it up.

  Barrett was still sitting on the side of the bed when she came out. She slipped on her sandals, shoved the rest of her clothes into her bag and closed it.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “I’m leaving.”

  “We can talk about this.”

  “No. We can’t. If you’re too much of a coward to take what you want, then I’m sure as hell not going to throw myself at you.”

  She went to the door to open it, but he was right there. “You came with me, remember?”

  Refusing to even look at him, she opened the door. “I did. But I’m not leaving with you.”

  She walked out, hearing the door close behind her as she made her way down the hall.

  Barrett stared at the closed door in front of him.

  Okay, so that hadn’t gone like he’d expected.

  The entire night hadn’t gone like he’d expected. He sure as hell hadn’t expected Harmony to greet him on the balcony in the sexiest red underwear he’d ever seen. And he hadn’t planned on kissing her, or dragging her to the bed to touch her, inhale her sweet scent and think about fucking her.

  He finally walked away from the door and went out onto the balcony.

  Okay, so maybe he’d screwed up. He’d spent the entire day—and night—with Harmony. Everything had been going well. Maybe he’d subconsciously rented the room with this in mind.

  He turned and looked back into the darkened room.

  “This” being spending the night with her, having her in bed. They’d been so close.

  Until he’d been the one to put on the brakes. And then to make matters worse, he’d made up a lame excuse about respecting her too much.

  Not that he didn’t respect her—he did. But that hadn’t been the reason.

  He knew it. And so did Harmony.

  It was time for him to decide if he wanted to move forward with her, or forever keep his distance.

  He was going to have to have an honest conversation with her.

  Which could be difficult, because judging from the way she looked when she stormed out of here, it was possible she’d never speak to him again.

  Seventeen

  There was nothing like throwing yourself into your work to get your mind off your personal problems. And despite thinking she was going to have a light day, Harmony’s morning had been super busy. She had had an unexpected meeting with a walk-in client to discuss the potential for new business, had fielded multiple phone calls and had met with another client to cover a new kitchen and family room makeover.

  So it was well after lunch by the time she was free, and, conscious of what had happened to her yesterday, she stopped and had a great salad before heading back to the office.

  Since she hadn’t slept at all last night, by the end of today she was going to drive back to her town house, do a workout at the gym, then climb into a pair of shorts and a tank top and settle in on her sofa for a night of relaxation. Maybe she’d get back to that book she’d been reading yesterday, or catch a baseball game on TV.

  Either way, she was already wiped out and looking forward to the end of the day. All she had left at the office was some paperwork and several e-mails.

  She walked in to find Barrett having a conversation with Rosalie.

  He was the absolute last thing she needed today.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I need to talk to you.”

  Not wanting to get into it with him in front of her assistant, she nodded. “We can talk in my office.”

  She led him
into her office, then closed the door behind him. She moved to her desk, needing to put distance between them.

  “What are you doing here, Barrett?”

  She was still standing. He moved to the front of her desk. “I need to talk to you.”

  Trying to act as if her heart wasn’t pounding, she shrugged. “I think you said enough last night.”

  “Yeah, about that.” He started to come around to her side of the desk, but she held her hand up.

  “No.”

  He stopped.

  “Harmony, I screwed up last night.”

  Yes, he had. Except for the kissing her and touching her part, which unfortunately she hadn’t been able to get out of her head. Which was why she hadn’t slept at all. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  He tried to come over to her, but her “come any closer and I’ll cut you” expression made him pause.

  “Okay, look. You . . . surprised me when you came out on the balcony in your underwear.”

  “That hideous, am I?”

  He cocked his head to the side. “I think from the response you got from me you know better. But I guess I got into it—into you—a lot more than I expected to.”

  Okay, now things were getting interesting. “Go on.”

  “And I backed off because there were a hundred things going through my head at once. How turned-on I was. How I’ve known you for a long time. How I could potentially hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You haven’t mentioned my brother.”

  His lips curved. “Harmony. I had you nearly naked and underneath me. I can guarantee you I wasn’t thinking about Drake at the time.”

  She finally smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  He made it around the desk and smoothed his hand up her arm. “I’m sorry. I let all those thoughts take over what we were doing. And what we were doing was really good. I backed off because I honestly was afraid that if we went too far, it would hurt you.”