She’d finished her drink five minutes ago. “Ready.” Cat hopped off the stool and waited as the bartender spoke to Tony again.
“Cora seems to like you,” Cat said as they walked toward the exit.
Tony pushed open the door and held it for her. “We went out a few times in the spring. Tonight’s the first time I’ve seen her since June.”
Judging by Cora’s behavior, she wanted to see more of Tony. “I think she’d like you to take her out again.”
Tony shrugged as they stepped outside. “It’s a nice night. We could walk to the Seaside Steak House,” Tony said, referring to a restaurant about a block over.
“I don’t like red meat. Never have.”
“Are you serious?” Tony looked at her as if she’d admitted she worshiped the devil. “Okay, how about Turin? It’s just down the street.”
“Perfect, I get takeout from there all the time. They have the best eggplant parm.”
“I’ve never tried it, but their homemade pasta is good,” Tony said as they crossed the street.
“Do you work nearby?” Cat asked as they entered the restaurant. At some point, her brother or father may have mentioned where the gym Tony owned was located, but she couldn’t recall, and it seemed like a good question. In all honesty, she didn’t have a lot of experience starting up conversation with men that didn’t involve whatever current project she worked on.
“Boston, but I stop in O’Leary’s once in a while. Sometimes it’s nice to walk into a place where you don’t recognize every single face.”
“I know the feeling. That’s why Zack and I originally got a place in Salem instead of moving back to town.”
“Since you were meeting some doctor tonight, I’m assuming you’re not with Zack anymore.”
Cat figured everyone in North Salem knew she and Zachary Cummings, her high school sweetheart, had split after almost ten years together.
“No. We haven’t been together since Valentine’s Day. I’m surprised Pop didn’t say something. I think he was more upset than me.”
Tony laughed. “That’s not the kind of thing he’d mention at practice.” For a moment, Tony looked confused. “Didn’t they go deep-sea fishing together a few weeks ago?”
“Yep. I know, weird, right? Zack looks at Pop as almost a father. Even before we got together our senior year, he saw my dad as more than just a football coach. He’d come over and talk whenever he needed a man’s opinion. They even go hunting together.”
“The football players have always loved your dad. I think that’s why we’ve always had such a great team. No one wants to let him down.”
She agreed. Pop had a way with the guys on the high school football team. They gave 100 percent because they wanted to, not because it was expected of them.
“Pop says the players love you.” Well, those weren’t his exact words. It had been more along the lines of idolize. According to her father, half the guys on the team wanted a life like Tony’s someday. A successful small business owner who had a different attractive female on his arm every other month and a new Corvette parked next to a Harley in his garage.
“He’s glad you came back this year as an assistant coach.”
“This might be my last season. I already told him that.”
Cat waited until a waitress took their orders before she spoke again.
“And has he already started trying to change your mind?” She knew her dad well. Pop had had many assistant coaches over the years, but Tony and her older brother Striker were his favorites.
“How’d you guess?”
Tony smiled at her, a dimple appearing in his cheek, and Cat wished she had a fan handy. Wow, was she suddenly warm.
“Lucky guess.”
“I suggested he talk to Sean if I don’t come back.”
She could picture Sean O’Brien, Tony’s BFF, as Pop’s coach. At one time, Sean had been North Salem’s star quarterback. Even now after all these years, Pop mentioned what a shame it was that Sean hadn’t played in college. Pop strongly believed if Sean had, he would’ve made it to the NFL.
“Doesn’t he work at MIT’s Lincoln Lab now?”
She’d overheard a conversation at Peggy Sue’s one morning about how Sean had secretly graduated from MIT and landed a job at the well-known laboratory in Lexington. She probably wouldn’t have remembered if it hadn’t surprised her, as well as the entire town, so much. While she’d never considered Sean stupid, she hadn’t pictured him the academic type. Evidently, she’d underestimated him because he’d earned a master’s degree in physics from MIT.
“Yeah, but I think he’s got some flexibility with his hours. He’d be good at it too.”
Their waitress returned with their meals, and Cat didn’t miss the quick glance the waitress threw over her shoulder as she walked away. Looking back at Tony, Cat was about to tell him the waitress seemed interested in him, but the words never made it past her lips.
She wished she could capture Tony’s expression in a picture and pull it out whenever her ego needed a little boosting. Men gave her the once-over on a somewhat regular basis. As a computer engineer, she worked in a predominately male field, but, until now, she’d never had a man eye her as if she were his favorite sports car and dream swimsuit model all rolled into one.
Unable to hold his gaze, she looked at the eggplant parmesan on her plate, a bizarre combination of embarrassment and excitement washing over her.
He’d stopped at O’Leary’s Pub for a drink–– nothing else. Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t walk into every place with the intent of leaving with a woman. Sure it happened, but he did often stop somewhere for a drink or meal and leave alone. That had been his plan tonight.
Even when he’d recognized Catrina Striker at the bar, the idea of leaving with her hadn’t occurred to him. A former resident of North Salem, he’d never looked at her as anything but his buddy’s kid sister. Tonight though, when she’d sounded rather down because her date bailed on her, he’d felt like he should do something.
Now, as he watched Cat walk back to their table after a trip to the ladies’ room, he found himself noticing, for the second time that night, things he’d never noticed before. She might not have on skintight jeans like Cora at the pub, but her outfit highlighted all her curves. Tony didn’t know what her day-to-day routine was like, but he suspected she didn’t sit in a chair all day eating cookies. No one got a body like that from sitting in a chair.
“Our waitress stopped by. She asked if we wanted dessert.” Tony watched as Cat brushed her long hair over her shoulder again, and he wondered if it was as soft as it looked.
“I’m not interested in dessert, but go ahead if you want something.”
He wanted something, but it wasn’t dessert. Unless by dessert she meant some whipped cream and her naked body. Since he doubted that was on the menu, he pulled his wallet out. “All set.”
His body definitely had the desire for something it shouldn’t want, considering who sat across from him. Cat was Striker’s kid sister. While he didn’t consider the guy his closest friend or anything, they were friends. They hung out from time to time and coached football together. That alone made Cat off limits.
He also coached with her father. Starting late in the summer and continuing until at least Thanksgiving, he saw her father five or six days a week on the football field. He liked and respected Edward Striker, which meant he shouldn’t be thinking about how the guy’s daughter would look naked with nothing but her long hair covering her breasts.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t get the thought out of his stupid head.
Tony placed enough cash to cover the bill and a tip inside the folder containing the guest receipt. “Lets go.”
“Wait. What’s my half of the bill?” Cat pulled a wallet from her shoulder bag.
Pushing back his chair, Tony had no intentions of answering. Dinner had been his idea, and in hindsight, it had been a bad one. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Tony, c
ome on.” She reached for the folder, but he pulled it away.
“Next spring you can buy me a burger or something at a block party.”
Cat grabbed the folder from his hands. “I don’t think so.” Without looking at the total, she pulled out one of the twenties he put inside and slipped in two tens.
“Now we can go.” She shoved the twenty she’d removed into his front pocket.
Of course, the head residing south of his belt took notice and decided now was the time for a full and proper hello. Tony mentally cursed.
“You’re bossy, aren’t you?”
Cat smiled and nodded, her hair brushing against his arm.
Yeah, just as soft as it looks.
Tony followed her outside without further argument. It seemed the wisest decision.
“I’ll walk with you back to O’Leary’s.” Since they’d met inside the pub, he assumed her car remained in O’Leary’s parking lot, and it was getting dark.
“No need. I walked there tonight. My car died on my way home and got towed to R&M Garage, but I only live on Curtis Street. I can walk.”
He didn’t know where Curtis Street was, but he wasn’t going to let her walk home alone. Maybe if they were in North Salem he would. The worst thing that happened there was a yard got covered in toilet paper during homecoming week. The city of Salem was a different story.
“Then I’ll drive you home.” He anticipated an argument, but unlike a few minutes ago, he wouldn’t give in this time.
Not a single comment against his idea materialized. Instead, Cat turned the corner and walked toward O’Leary’s.
Tony followed Cat’s directions to Curtis Street, and in a few minutes, he pulled over in front of an old Victorian mansion.
“Thanks for the ride and the company tonight.”
The hair she’d pushed over her shoulder half a dozen times that night fell forward when she turned to look at him. Without thinking, he reached out to push it back.
“Anytime.”
He leaned forward, his lips intent on making contact with hers. Whatever arguments his brain voiced during dinner got drowned out by the more primal arguments the rest of his body was making now.
He could tell by her expression that she realized his intention, but she didn’t back away or make an attempt to stop him. Instead, Cat ran her tongue over her bottom lip before leaning toward him, meeting him half way.
He pressed his lips against hers, and then teased them apart as he pulled her closer. When she parted her lips, he didn’t hesitate. Tony deepened the kiss as desire and lust took hold.
Put on the brakes, the last firing neuron in his head screamed. His hand ignored it and reached under her shirt, sliding up her back and coming to a screeching halt when Cat pulled away.
He braced himself for a slap or a few angry words, both of which he deserved.
“Do you want to come upstairs, Tony?”
He opened his mouth, prepared to apologize, but snapped it shut. She’d invited him upstairs.
Hell yes, he wanted to go upstairs. First though, he had to ask. Later he might regret it, but he still had to ask anyway. “Are you sure, Cat?”
He’d be the first to admit he’d earned his reputation as a man-whore, as his friend Steve called him. However, he wasn’t an asshole. He didn’t intentionally hurt women’s feelings. He was always honest with them upfront, and if he suspected a woman might want more from him than some fun, he stayed far away.
Cat must know that.
“Positive.”
He didn’t have a degree from MIT or Harvard, but he wasn’t stupid. When a beautiful woman invited him up to her apartment, he didn’t say no.
Tony followed her up the stairs inside the converted Victorian to the third floor. With each step up, he expected Cat to change her mind and tell him to leave.
She never did.
When they reached her apartment door, she leaned in to kiss him, her mouth coming down on his hard and hot. Before he got the opportunity to really enjoy it, she pulled away and grabbed the keys from her bag.
Wall lights cast them both in shadows, but he still noticed how her hand shook as she unlocked the door. He considered asking her again if this was what she really wanted, but before he could, Cat pushed the door open and tugged him in behind her.
He didn’t need any further encouragement. Tony closed the door and reached for her at the same time.
She tugged his shirt from his waistband then reached for the top button as he kissed her.
When she managed to unbutton his whole shirt, he moved his mouth away from her hers. “Maybe we should find a more comfortable place.”
“Good idea.” Her voice came out in a breathless whisper as she pushed the shirt off his shoulders.
She didn’t bother with any lights as she led him toward one of the closed doors. Before she turned the knob, he reached around and opened it.
A large wrought iron bed bathed in moonlight took up most of the bedroom. Grabbing the back of his undershirt, he pulled it over his head. Then he reached for Cat’s top.
“I’ve been thinking about taking this off you since dinner.” At that point, he figured there was no point in not being honest. He tossed the top over his shoulder. “This too.” Tony slid down the side zipper on Cat’s skirt.
Her hands had been on his back, but as his mouth came down on hers, they moved. The material covering her breasts slipped away as she undid her bra and naked flesh pressed against his chest.
He laid her on the bed then took a step back and removed the rest of his clothes. The moon provided ample light, so he could clearly see Cat stretched out in nothing but low rise panties. Her blonde hair fanned out across her pillow, and her chest rose and fell rapidly. The sight was more than he could handle as he came down on the bed next to her.
“Beautiful,” he whispered before kissing her mouth and sliding a hand inside her panties so he could touch her.
When he did, she moaned and moved against him.
“Do you like that?” he asked, kissing her neck.
Cat nodded as she reached for him.
He captured her hand before she touched him. “Not yet. I’m not done with you.” He moved his fingers against her again and smiled when she moaned for a second time.
Yeah, tonight was turning out so much better than he’d expected.
Protecting The Billionaire Page 21