Taking a deep breath, she swallowed the grief before heading back outside.
“Here, you can put the manly meat on this.” No, that didn’t sound cheesy. Oh, damn it. She’d forgotten the cheese.
“Wow. Colorful.” He was teasing her again. And checking her out as he flipped the burgers. “I think there’s more to you than meets the eye.”
Before she could come up with a clever retort, every head in the back yard turned. Clayton had arrived, with his wife, Annabelle. She’d been featured in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue three years in a row. Twice on the cover.
“Thank you so much for inviting us.” Annabelle swept across the yard in her oh-so-stylish emerald green silk blouse that dipped elegantly in the front and tied in a big bow in the back. She wore crisp white linen cropped pants and wedge-heeled sandals. “What a great idea to give the players a family style picnic.”
“I’m glad you could come.” Hunter wiped her hands on her cargo pants. She’d wanted to take a break from the suits and go with a more casual style. So she wore a black three quarter sleeve T-shirt, graphite cropped hiking pants, and light-as-air trail shoes. She’d pulled her hair back in a simple braid instead of her usual twist. She was trying for the carefree going-for-a-hike-on-Mt. Tam look. Next to the supermodel, she felt more like she was wearing a digging-through-the-dumpster-for-aluminum-cans kind of style. “You’re part of the Goliaths’ family as well.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet of you to include me.” Annabelle brushed an air kiss across Hunter’s cheek. “I haven’t really paid too much attention to the team since the girls were born.”
The girls were five-year-old twins, Sophie and Olivia. Two perfect little princesses.
“Did you bring them?”
“Oh, no. They had a play date. Besides, the last thing a bunch of single ballplayers want is to have little girls underfoot.”
Hunter used to be that little girl underfoot. When her father had first bought the team, he took her with him to every game, scouting opportunity and media event. She was kind of an unofficial mascot.
“Maybe when we have a get-together for players and their families, you could bring them.”
“Sure. Or we could host the next party,” Annabelle suggested. She turned to survey the rest of the crowd. She smiled graciously as some of the players recognized her. Then she broke into a huge grin as she caught sight of one player in particular.
“Marco Santiago!” The supermodel practically launched herself at the left fielder. She kissed him lightly on the cheek. “How long has it been?”
“Seven years.” He smiled that charming grin of his. “You’re beautiful as always.”
“Please, I’ve gotten so out of shape since having the twins.” She patted her perfectly flat abs. “But look at you. You’ve been working out.”
She actually reached up and squeezed his biceps.
“Yes, well, that is my job.” His cheeks colored slightly.
“Oh. My. God. I can’t believe I didn’t know you were a Goliath.” She shook her head, making her perfect golden locks bounce. “I guess I should pay more attention.”
“So what are you doing here? Are you a friend of Miss Collins?” He met Hunter’s eyes, offering a slight smile.
“Oh, no. My husband is one of the owners. Can you believe that?”
“He’s a lucky man.” Marco stepped back, hooking his thumbs in his jeans’ front pockets. “I hope he appreciates what he’s got. Well, it was good seeing you again, Annabelle.”
“What, no hug?” She pouted, and Marco leaned in for a quick embrace.
“Get your hands off my wife!” Clayton chose that moment to make his presence known. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“Oh, Clayton…” Annabelle let go of Marco and went immediately to her husband’s side. She placed a soothing hand on his arm. “Don’t be dramatic. Marco’s an old friend of mine.”
“Old friend, huh?” Clayton glared at the other man. His jaw twitched, and Hunter was sure he was about to lunge for Marco’s throat.
“Um Marco, I need you in the kitchen.” At the moment she didn’t care if he took that as an invitation. She just wanted to separate the two men, before she had to scrape blood off her patio.
“Sure. No problem.” He stared down the shorter man and followed Hunter back into the house.
“So, what do you need?” Marco looked around her kitchen, waiting for direction.
“I need you to not get into a fight in my backyard.” Her heart was still pounding, both from the fear that the two men would go to blows and the thought of Marco and Annabelle as once-upon-a-time lovers.
“I’ll behave. I don’t know if I can say the same about your partner.” His mouth twitched into a little smile. Not enough to bring out his dimples, but enough to show her that he found this amusing.
“You don’t understand…” She couldn’t tell him about the bet, but… Oh, she had a bad feeling this was going to end in disaster.
“I think I understand well enough.” His expression lost all hint of amusement. “The guy didn’t want me here in the first place. And now that he knows I have a history with his wife…”
“A sexual history?” Damn, it was none of her business. Except for how it could affect her business. Her team.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a little jealous. But that would mean you were interested. And clearly, you’re not.”
Hunter felt a warm flush creep up her cheeks. She knew if she tried to protest, he’d see right through her. He seemed to have x-ray vision where she was concerned.
“We dated, briefly, when I was first called up to the majors.” He chuckled, clearly enjoying this.
“So you did sleep with her?” Her cheeks flamed.
“Does that bother you?” He moved closer, his damn blue eyes boring right through her.
“I think we should check the burgers on the grill.” She tried to move past him, but he caught her arm.
“Hunter, the burgers are fine.” His hand was warm, his voice even warmer. “You’re jealous.”
“She was on the cover of Sports Illustrated.”
“Now, I’m jealous,” he teased. “I’ve never made the cover.”
“She does look better in a bikini.” Hunter tried to laugh it off. Pretend her gut wasn’t twisting at the thought of him and Annabelle together.
“You think so?” His features became more serious.
“She’s beautiful.” Hunter couldn’t help but sigh. What woman wouldn’t be envious of the two-time cover model who looked like she could make a third appearance—even after giving birth to twins?
“She’s not the only one.” He stared directly into Hunter’s eyes. “But I haven’t thought of her once since we broke up all those years ago.”
“Oh.” Hunter had to wonder how many other gorgeous women he’d replaced Annabelle with.
“Yet, I can’t get you out of my mind.” He reached out to touch her hair. “You, with your pulled back hair. Your drab wardrobe. Your barely there makeup. You haunt my dreams.”
He muttered something in Spanish. A crude, suggestive remark. He obviously didn’t realize that she’d been around enough Latino players to have picked up on slang.
But before she could tell him she also spoke Spanish, his tongue was in her mouth. Hungry. Insistent. Possessive.
He kissed like he played: full throttle. He explored her mouth as thoroughly as he covered the outfield. Diving deep. Lunging. Taking her breath away. He slid his knee between her legs. Instinctively, she pressed against his hard, muscular thigh. He ran his hands up her back. Rubbing. Pressing. Claiming. He shoved one hand through her hair, loosening the carefully braided strands while his other hand continued to pull her closer.
“Marco.” She gasped, trying to catch her breath.
He kissed her again. Harder. Deeper. He rubbed his thigh against her most sensitive spot, sending small shudders throughout her body. She was this close to having an orgasm, fully
clothed, with a yard full of people just outside.
“Marco. Please.” She pulled away, even as her heart—no, her body—wanted to protest. “Someone could walk in here any second.”
“Right. Sorry.” Marco let her go with a heavy sigh. Then he muttered a curse in Spanish.
“Yo hablo Español.” She barely managed a smile, her lips were so swollen from his kisses.
“I should have known.” He stared down at her. Stared right through her. It was almost enough to make her forget she had company, including her partners, several members of the team, and Marco’s former lover.
“I need you to take out the trash.” She indicated the cabinet door that hid the kitchen garbage can and showed him the back door.
“You’re the boss.” Marco gave her a quick nod.
Hunter made a dash for the bathroom. She ducked into the nearest powder room, hoping she could make herself presentable.
* * * *
Damn.
Damn. Damn. Damn.
He shouldn’t have done that. Shouldn’t have kissed her. Not here. Not now. Probably not ever, but the damage had been done.
He grabbed the trash bag and headed outside. He needed the fresh air. If he didn’t get himself under control, he’d be making a call to his doctor in four hours. And that was without the aid of modern medication. Even without the little blue pill, Marco knew he was in for a long, uncomfortable state of frustration.
When he could no longer avoid the crowd, he washed up and made his way back to the party. All eyes were on him as he returned. Shit. Had someone caught him and Hunter making out in the kitchen?
Bryce walked up to Marco, and handed him a beer. “So you and Annabelle? Damn.”
Right. They’d all witnessed Annabelle fling herself into his arms. They’d all heard her husband’s display of jealousy. And they’d all seen Hunter step in to keep the peace.
He’d repaid her by sticking his tongue down her throat.
“It was a long time ago. When we were both young and...” Marco wished he had something to talk about besides a seven-year-old affair.
“Still, she’s pretty hot.” Bryce had that locker-room talk down pat.
Sure. Annabelle had that classic all-American beauty. The kind that sold magazines. The kind that young men fantasied about. But Hunter was even hotter. And now that he’d kissed her, he was going to have even more trouble getting her out of his head.
“Annabelle’s married. To our boss,” Marco reminded him. “And he’s not real happy about the connection.”
“He’ll get over it.” Bryce clapped him on the shoulder.
“I hope you’re right. Otherwise, this could be a very long season.” Thirty-nine games left. Not much time to make an impression. But he realized it didn’t matter. He could hit four hundred or a buck forty. He wouldn’t be back in a Goliaths uniform next year. So he might as well make the most of it while he was here.
“I’m still new here, but I got a feeling about these guys…” Bryce lifted his bottle in salute to their teammates. “They’ve got something special. No, we’ve got something special here.”
But Marco still felt like an outsider. He sat in a quiet corner, munching on a burger, slaw, and some fresh fruit. He sipped the beer Bryce had given him and watched Hunter interact with his teammates. Every smile, every laugh, every nod of her head was like a sharp line drive to his gut. Jealousy flared like a grease fire.
Intellectually, he knew she was just being friendly. Wasn’t that the purpose of this little get-together? For her and the other owners to meet with the players, make them feel like part of the family. He’d been here less than two weeks, and he’d already picked up on the sense that making this team feel like family was important. At least it was to Hunter.
For her partner, Clayton Barry, not so much. The man had been latched on to his wife’s side, warning off all the other men and sending glaring daggers toward Marco the whole afternoon.
Who would have thought that a couple of weeks spent cavorting with a model at the beginning of his career would end up biting him in the ass all these years later? Even if he got his swing back, there was no way in hell that man would offer Marco a long-term contract. He might as well accept the fact that this would be his only stint with the San Francisco Goliaths.
“Yeah, I think we could go all the way this year.” Bryce seemed oblivious to the fact that Marco had lost interest in conversation. He’d lost interest in everything except Hunter. “It started a little rough, with Cooper’s suspension. And then Henry Collins passing away. But his daughter has done a good job filling his shoes.”
“And his suits.” Marco hadn’t meant to make that statement out loud, but damn. What he wouldn’t give to see Hunter in the flashy outfit Annabelle wore. Or one of the swimsuits from her modeling days. Or nothing at all.
“Well, for a suit, she’s pretty easy to talk to, don’t you think?” Bryce drained his bottle. “I never shared burgers and beers with any of my other owners.”
“Me, either.” He’d certainly never shared a kiss with any of them.
“It’s just one more thing that makes this team special.” Bryce looked at his empty bottle. “You want another one?”
“Nah. I’m good.” He didn’t need more alcohol to make an ass of himself. He’d already nearly started a fight with one owner and then made out with another. Maybe he could knock Marvin Dempsey on his ass, possibly break his hip. Then he’d be three for three.
“I’ll catch you later.” With that, Bryce sauntered off to the cooler to grab another beer.
Marco noticed that most of the burgers had been devoured. He picked up the nearly empty platter and carried it into the kitchen. Man, he must be in a real state if he preferred washing dishes to hanging with his teammates. He rummaged around the spacious kitchen, searching for a container to put the leftovers in. He found some foil and carefully wrapped the two uneaten patties before sticking them in her Sub-Zero refrigerator.
“Thank you.” Hunter came up behind him, making him nearly jump out of his skin. “I do appreciate your help with the grill.”
“Anytime. Maybe when my contract’s up, I can get a job at one of the concession stands at the ballpark.” He said it as a joke. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to resort to that. Ideally, he’d play four or five more seasons. Then hopefully get hired on as a hitting coach on his way to ultimately becoming a manager.
“That would be making good use of that college degree of yours.” She had done her homework. Of course she had. She’d taken the time to discover that he was one of about three percent of major leaguers who actually finished college.
“Yes. I went back to school so I’d be qualified to flip burgers someday.”
“Well, they were pretty tasty.” She walked over to the sink and started filling the sink with hot water. “I’ll see what I can do about the concessions job.”
“Wouldn’t you have to run it by your partners first?” Meaning, the man who had been giving him the stink eye all afternoon.
She made a noise that gave him the impression she wasn’t on the best of terms with the younger of her two partners.
“I thought this was one big happy family.” Marco needed to know just how tight the ownership group was. “At least, that’s what they tell me.”
“That’s the way my dad ran things.” She had a wistful tone in her voice. “I know it probably seems a little strange to consider a billion dollar enterprise as a family business.”
He lowered his voice, even though no one was there to overhear. “Does that make me the black sheep?”
“No. Just one who’s trying to find his way.” She patted him on the shoulder. Not in any way meant to be sexual, yet it sent a jolt straight to his groin. Yeah, he wanted to find his way, all right. Straight to her bed.
“I’ll finish these dishes.” Marco needed to stand at the sink for a while. With his back to Hunter so she wouldn’t notice the way she affected him. “If there’s any more out there, just bring
them in.”
“You think you can just make yourself at home in my kitchen?” She sounded slightly pissed off.
“I must be the only man in America who gets scolded for wanting to help in the kitchen.” He plunged his hands into the soapy water. What he really wanted to do was plunge himself deep into Hunter.
“Marco, you don’t have to work so hard to impress me.” She gathered up a few stray dishes, stacking them on the counter before leaving him alone with his thoughts and his dishpan hands. Not to mention a hard-on that just wouldn’t quit.
Chapter 6
Annabelle swept into Hunter’s office the next morning, gorgeous as always. Now that Hunter knew she was once Marco’s lover, her envy cut a bit deeper.
“I hope I’m not interrupting too much.” Annabelle removed her oversized sunglasses and made herself comfortable in the guest chair. “But I wanted to apologize for my husband’s behavior yesterday.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for.” At least not to Hunter. If anything, the man should have apologized to his wife for acting like an ass.
“Still, I wanted to make the effort.” Annabelle leaned forward. “I guess I should have paid closer attention to the team. And its players. I was so surprised to see Marco again after all these years.”
“Were you two serious?” Not that she really wanted to know the answer.
“Oh no, not serious. We were together maybe a couple of weeks.” She sighed. It must have been a good couple of weeks. “We had fun, that’s for sure. Marco’s a great guy. A really great guy. But you know, he’d just been called up for the first time and neither of us were looking for anything serious. Even if we were, it wouldn’t have worked out. Not with my career. His career and, well…his background.”
Hunter tensed, wondering if there was a skeleton in his closet she needed to know about. As his employer, of course.
“As wonderful as he was…is…” Annabelle closed her eyes, leaning back into the chair. “My father wasn’t like yours. He’s… Well, he would have never allowed me to bring home a man like Marco Santiago.”
Worth the Trade Page 6