If she did that in this skirt, they’d be screwed...or screwing.
Her hand rested on the hard muscle of his thigh. She squeezed and was seduced by the power vibrating through his tense muscles. His slow tasting turned into a more insistent kiss, robbing her of breath and leaving her with no choice but to be lost in the delicious pleasure of his lips on hers.
Voices near the door. They jerked apart, their breathing hard and heavy. The voices trailed away. He licked his lips. Angela groaned and took stock of how completely he’d turned her body into a throbbing nerve of desire, her nipples hard and aching, panties damp, breathing uncontrollable. If she didn’t leave she would straddle his hips and slide him right into the spot that longed for attention.
“I’ve got to find Cory.” Her voice was a husky whisper.
He nodded. “You should.”
Unease crept through her. Was he ashamed or upset by what happened? She stood on shaky legs. Isaiah took her hand in his. When he met her eyes she gasped. Raw hunger reflected in his gaze. He squeezed her hand, then let it go.
Angela bit her lip to keep from smiling. She nodded and hurried out of the locker room. Thankfully no one was there to question her. She wouldn’t have been able to come up with a good excuse. Isaiah Reynolds had kissed her. And based on the look he’d just given her, it wouldn’t be the last time. The very idea made her heart soar.
Chapter 7
Isaiah called Bridget as soon as he got out of the shower after arriving home. He needed to solidify his resolve. He’d thought of Angela nonstop since kissing her. Her sparkling brown eyes, heart-stopping smile, captivating curves and seductive voice. Everything about her tempted him. Temptation wasn’t what he needed. Stability, trust and mutual respect born from friendship—those were the things that made relationships last. Sure, he could sleep with Angela—he could really sleep with her—but that would ruin the strong foundation he had with Bridget.
He sat on the massive king-size bed in the bedroom of his home and waited for Bridget to pick up.
“Isaiah, hey.” Bridget’s voice was cordial but confused. Voices in the background made hearing her difficult.
“Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No. I’m out with some friends. We’re celebrating the end of school. They wanted to wish me well before I embark on the next chapter in my life. Is everything all right?”
Isaiah leaned forward and rested his elbow on his thigh. “Everything is good. I just wanted to talk to you.”
“About what?”
He let out an incredulous laugh. “About nothing. Just to talk.”
“Oh.” There was a pause. The conversation of her friends in the background was the only response.
“Is that a problem?” Was he wrong to feel a little uneasy by her lack of a response? Maybe he was just looking for trouble where there wasn’t any.
“No, um...hang on a second. Let me walk away from the group.”
He waited a few minutes while the muffled voices of her talking to her friends came through. Things quieted down and he guessed she’d either left the restaurant or found a quiet spot.
“Are you sure everything is okay?” she asked when she returned to the phone.
“Why wouldn’t it be okay? I’ve called you to talk before.”
“I know. I’m just making sure.”
Did he need a reason to call her now? He had just asked her to move to his city. “So you’re celebrating the next step.”
“Yeah. They’re all really happy for me.” Excitement entered her voice.
Isaiah perked up. Excitement was good. “Are you as happy as they are?”
“Of course. I didn’t expect things to turn out so well.”
“I always figured this was how things would work out.” When they’d taken the break before her last year of law school it had been with the understanding they would see how things felt once she finished. She’d told him then she couldn’t imagine spending her life with anyone else.
“You did? Because I had my doubts,” Bridget said.
“Why would you have doubts?”
Isaiah hadn’t burned to have her back the way Kevin thought he should, and he had casually dated one other woman in the year since they split, but he’d always known when he settled down, he’d go back to Bridget. She knew him. He didn’t feel flustered or out of control when he was with her. Their families got along great. They made sense.
“Because, Goldman Schultz is one of the top firms in northern Florida,” Bridget said in a voice that indicated she hadn’t been thinking about their relationship at all. “They represent the interests of a lot of high-profile and substantial businesses in the area. Even with my GPA and family name, I wasn’t sure they’d take a chance on me.”
Isaiah’s resolve flopped harder than an opponent trying to force a foul. “You’re talking about Goldman Schultz?”
“Yes. I told you they offered me a job.”
“You told me you applied and interviewed, but I didn’t know you had it.”
“Oh...well that’s why we’re celebrating. What were you talking about?” She really sounded confused.
“You moving here.” He hesitated a second. “Us getting back together.”
“Oh, right. Of course I’m happy about that, too.” She laughed but it sounded forced. “I mean, our parents practically have us married already.”
Doubt slithered into his brain. “If you hadn’t landed the job with Goldman Schultz, would you still have come to Jacksonville?”
There was a moment of silence that was a shade too long. “Yes. I would have at least considered coming.”
“At least considered.”
“Come on, Isaiah. We both knew how hard it was for us to work out when we weren’t in the same city. If I hadn’t gotten the job, us getting back together would have been unreasonable. Neither of us like long-distance.”
She was right. They wouldn’t work if she lived elsewhere. “What if there was no job here and I still wanted you to move so we could get back together?”
“I don’t—”
A woman’s voice interrupted. “Come on, Bridget. They’re bringing your cake out.”
“Okay, I’m coming right now. Look, Isaiah, let’s talk about this later when I’m in town.”
He ran a hand over his face. “See you next week.”
“See you soon. Can’t wait. ’Bye.” The words were automatic and held a hint of relief.
He stared at the dark phone screen. Well, that hadn’t gone as he expected. Being unsure wasn’t supposed to be a part of his relationship with Bridget. His brain said this was the right move, but something about the decision still felt...off. One conversation didn’t mean he should start up anything with another woman. Bridget would be there next week. Maybe things would be different when he saw her again versus talking on the phone. He would work out his feelings for her before doing anything else. Rash decisions lead to rash actions, like chaining himself to a fence to save the home of a girl. That rash action had cost him his first college scholarship offer and nearly cost his parents their jobs at the university. No more rash decisions for him in life or love.
He stood and strode to the kitchen for something to drink, satisfied he would trust his judgment over his hormones. Though he still wondered what Angela was doing now.
Chapter 8
Angela slid a drink across the bar. The man barely threw her a glance. His eyes were glued to the woman dancing on the stage.
“Enjoy the show, sir,” she said in an encouraging tone.
She looked at the two other men at the bar to see if they needed anything, but they too were captivated by the dancer. Getting ignored because of the dancers was the ultimate goal. The Thursday-night crowd was decent. Thursday night was half-off wings-and-beer night
, which meant a bigger crowd going into the start of the weekend. All the guys at the bar seemed satisfied, so she decided to enjoy the breathing room. There were a few drink orders from the waitresses serving customers on the floor so she got to work on those.
“Why in the hell are you humming?” a female voice said from behind Angela.
Angela glanced over her shoulder at her friend and one of the dancers, Vicki. Onstage, Vicki went by the name Honey, and played up the name by wearing a sexy bear costume that consisted of a faux-fur bra and skirt that barely covered her behind. Glitter body oil made her brown skin shimmer in the lights of the club, and long blond highlighted hair hung loose around her slim shoulders. Every dancer, waitress and bartender at Sweethearts wore something to play up their stage names. Angela became Angel and always wore sparkly white wings with her tank top and skirts.
“I’m not humming,” Angela said before concentrating on the rum and Coke she was making.
“I can hear you humming over the music.” Vicki leaned against the bar next to Angela. Her whiskey-colored gaze analyzed Angela from head to toe. “And you’re grinning. What gives?”
“Why are you over here? Aren’t you next onstage?” Angela asked without any heat. Vicki always came over to chat during the night, but until her friend pointed it out, Angela hadn’t realized she had been humming and smiling. Cupid had definitely speared her with one of his arrows.
“Sapphire just started, and based on the amount of money being tossed onstage, I’ll be lucky to get pennies after she’s done.” There wasn’t a lick of hate in Vicki’s tone. There was still plenty of money to be made and Honey never failed to have guys reaching deep into their pockets.
One of the waitresses came over and Angela put the drinks she’d prepared on her tray. After she walked away, Angela faced Vicki.
“So, go ahead and tell me. Why are you humming? Is it a man?” Vicki twirled a lock of hair around her finger and eagerly watched Angela.
“Why does it have to be a man?”
“And you must like him a lot.” Vicki pointed at Angela and bounced on her toes. “You’re blushing and trying not to grin from ear to ear. You’re crazy about him.”
Angela put a hand on her hip. “Am I that easy to read?”
“Yes. Now tell me who he is.”
Angela glanced at the men sitting at the bar. None of them paid her or Vicki any attention. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Vicki slid close. “Now I’ve got to know.”
“You’re going to think I’m crazy.” Angela thought the entire situation was crazy.
Vicki rubbed her hands together. “Finally, you’ve got something juicy in your love life. I can’t be the only one with a story.”
“My situation is nowhere near as intriguing as yours.” Vicki was sneaking around with one of the bouncers named Bruno. Their boss, Z, had a strict policy of no fraternizing between employees. Vicki and Bruno had been seeing each other on the sly for almost a year. Which meant Angela had spent the last year living vicariously through Vicki and her we-almost-got-caught-in-the-dressing-room stories.
Vicki raised a shoulder and batted her eyes in an exaggerated fashion. “What can I say, the forbidden excites me.” The both laughed.
Work and school had kept Angela’s dating life to a few coffee dates that weren’t worth progressing to lunch, never mind dinner. Listening to Vicki’s stories made her yearn for her own illicit encounter. The memory of Isaiah’s hard, hot body next to hers. The hum of desire vibrating below the surface when they’d kissed. The I’m-going-to-explode-if-I-don’t-touch-him feeling right before they’d kissed.
“I can understand the temptation of wanting what you shouldn’t have,” Angela said breathlessly.
Vicki’s eyes widened. “Okay, start talking right now. No one is paying us any damn attention. Go.”
Angela laughed at Vicki’s customary direct nature. “You remember when the Gators came in after their championship win?”
“Yeah, and you spent all night talking to the preppy one at the bar.”
Angela nodded but didn’t say anything more. Vicki’s jaw dropped. Her hand covered her mouth. “You and the preppy one?”
Vicki was the closest thing to a sister Angela had and the words spilled out of her. “Cory is in the camp they put on every summer. He recognized me. The vibe is still there.”
“So you’re hooking up?”
“We can’t. If we hook up, Cory’s out of the program.” A new drink order printed on the bar printer. “But I think he likes me.”
“Okay, tell me what he did and I’ll tell you if he likes you.”
“He kissed me. Well, I kissed him. But my kiss was real quick and then he really kissed me back.” Her body flushed.
Vicki slapped Angela’s arm. “Yeah, chick, I think he likes you.”
“I know. Which is crazy, right? It has to be crazy. Guys like that don’t come in places like this and really fall for us.”
Vicki rolled her eyes. “Says who? Hollywood or some backward ideology of who deserves to be happy? We aren’t doing anything wrong and we aren’t hurting anyone. We have just as much right to have a dream man as any corporate lawyer.”
“I know that, but this is real life. What if I can’t trust him?”
Vicki’s eyes softened. “Trust yourself. If he seems like a creep only out to get some, then move on. If not, seriously, why would you not take a chance with a professional baller? Even if he is the preppy one.”
Angela poured shots of tequila. “There’s nothing wrong with being the preppy one.”
“True. The good guys always fall in love fast and hard,” Vicki said thoughtfully. Her eyes widened again. “You could be on the next reality show with athlete wives.”
Angela held up a hand to stop her friend. “No one’s talking about love or marriage. I’ve worked too hard to get my degree and take care of myself to give it up to become some baller’s trophy wife. I’m just thinking we might date for a few months and even in that time, I’m not planning on taking his money.”
“Why not?”
“Because when it’s over I don’t want to owe him anything. I won’t be dependent on anyone but me. I like Isaiah, and if the vibe is still there when camp is over, I’m willing to date him after Cory finishes the program.”
Vicki crossed her arms and pouted. “Only you would hesitate at the chance of being a baller’s wife. You know half the women in here would be setting the trap to land him for life.”
Angela placed the shots on a tray for the waitress and chuckled. “I’m not half the women in here. I’m me.” And she’d worked too hard to stand on her own feet to entertain the idea of giving control to anyone else.
Chapter 9
She’d kissed him.
He’d kissed her back.
Damn! The kiss had been good. Great. Not enough.
A week later and he couldn’t stop thinking about her lips, so soft and delicious. The slight weight of her curves barely pressed against his body. The struggle to not lift and turn her until she straddled him, not run his fingers through the thick softness of her hair and not press his dick into the heat at the juncture of her thighs, was very real.
“When does Bridget come to town?” Kevin’s voice broke into Isaiah’s thoughts.
Isaiah blinked and slightly shook his head. He glanced around at the camp kids as they took dozens of pictures in the Gators’ locker room. His focus was on hiatus today. Instead of making sure the kids were enjoying their tour of the stadium, he was still thinking about a kiss that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
“Tomorrow,” Isaiah said. “She’s supposed to be in town by the time I’m finished with camp.”
Exactly why he shouldn’t be thinking about Angela’s kiss. He had to talk to Angela and
apologize for kissing her. But the idea of saying the kiss was wrong seemed ridiculous.
Nothing that good could be wrong.
Yet, kissing her back, especially like that, had been wrong. Bridget was on her way. He couldn’t break things off with her before they’d even started just because he was attracted to Angela. Could he?
“No offense, but you don’t seem that excited,” Kevin said.
Kevin was dressed casually for the tour in a yellow T-shirt and camouflage cargo pants. The kids had gotten a kick out of asking about Kevin’s tattoos. Especially the newest one of the championship trophy on his right forearm. Thank goodness Kevin was focused on what they were supposed to be doing.
Isaiah tugged on the collar of his navy-and-white-striped shirt. “I’m looking forward to seeing her.”
“Why don’t you sound convincing?”
Isaiah knew why; it was because he wasn’t convinced. Keri announced it was time for the group to move up to the executive suites for food, mercifully sparing him from having to answer Kevin.
The tour was one of the scheduled times for parents and guardians to interact with the team. A good time for him to talk with Angela without drawing suspicious looks from Keri, which reminded him of the other reason he shouldn’t have kissed Angela. He didn’t want to jeopardize Cory’s chance to remain in the program any more than she did. He’d had to leave camp early the day after the kiss and hadn’t gotten a chance to talk with her the rest of the week. But in the days since he’d known he needed to address what had happened in that locker room. He didn’t want to lead her on.
The problem was, he didn’t want to let her go, either.
They made it to the executive suite, where business moguls and movie stars typically watched the Gators play. Many of the parents were already there. The kids ran to them, showing pictures on their phones and telling stories about behind the scenes in the auditorium with bright smiles and excited voices.
Overtime for Love Page 6