Everyday Hero

by Jo Leigh

  He made a bad shot and she got control of the ball again. He looked at her with that cocky grin of his, like he knew his buff bod was too much for her delicate little heart to handle. That’s all it took.

  There was nothing he could do to stop her. She hit every shot, blocked his every move. After ten straight points, he had trouble coming up with original curses.

  “One more, Russo,” she said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. “Then you are history.”

  “Don’t count your chickens,” he said, circling her as she kept the ball in motion.

  She darted to her right and he anticipated the move. He nearly stole the ball, but she spun and recovered, moving quickly to her left and behind him. He swore and she felt him in back of her, so close she heard his rapid breathing.

  “Too little, too late, bub. I’ve got you beat, by a mile.”

  “Never,” he said, then leapt to block her shot.

  He missed. The ball came down in a poetic arc, right down the center of the hoop. Kate pumped her arm, exhilarated by the win, the game and, mostly, her opponent. “What do you say to that, hotshot?”

  He stood square in the middle of a circle of light. This time she could see his face, his eyes. His smile was warm, his gaze steady. “You win,” he said.

  She picked up the basketball and went to his side. For a moment she just looked at him and let her heartbeat slow a bit. Then she held out her hand. He took it. They walked to the door slowly, saying nothing. If she’d had a better moment, she couldn’t remember when.

  Chapter 11

  T. J. was in serious trouble. He’d thought the game would have lessened his desire for her, but it had done just the opposite. He wanted her in his bed and he wanted her now.

  He thought about going to his room. Shutting the door. Sensing Kate on the other side of the wall. He knew if he did that he would go nuts. He didn’t want her in his bed—he needed her.

  He needed to see her naked, to feel every inch of her body, to have her cry out from his thrusts. She might say no. He would respect that, of course. But something told him she wouldn’t.

  They moved through the big, dark main room, the squeak of rubber soles the only sound. Why was this so difficult? It wasn’t as if he’d never seduced a woman before. But he’d never seduced Kate. He didn’t want it to be like that with her. A parlor trick, a smooth move. He felt like a kid on his first date. His body was sure behaving like he was.

  He slowed his step until finally Kate stopped and turned to him.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You’re not moping because I won, are you?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I’m all broken up about it.”

  A shaft of blue moonlight came through the high windows to illuminate her face. Her smile made his groin tighten even further.

  “Come on, Captain. What’s really going on?”

  He let go of her hand and moved his fingers up her arm, tracing the delicate skin all the way to her shoulder. “We’ve got a problem here, ma’am.”

  She stepped back. The pool table stopped her. T.J. moved in, slowly, until the lower third of his body met hers. He saw her clearly in the moonlight. Her eyes wide and shiny, a little afraid, but excited, too. Her skin pale and glowing, her hair a wild halo. “A big problem,” he whispered. Then he moved that last inch.

  Her mouth opened beneath his. Willing, hot, ready. First just lips, soft, pliant. It wasn’t enough and he used his tongue to explore her heat, her taste. He moved his hips, pressing his erection against the juncture of her thighs, feeling the heat there, too.

  She moved her hand down his back and he felt electrified and the kiss wasn’t nearly enough. He found the bottom of her T-shirt and slipped his hands underneath.

  Her skin was soft and damp, warm and sleek and he explored her back until he couldn’t stand it and he undid the clasp of her bra. Her gasp urged him on and he slid his hands to her chest, her breasts. Perfect beneath his palms, he felt the hard buds of her nipples. He brushed them lightly and when she pressed herself against him, he cupped her firmly with both hands. Perfect, perfect. The word played over and over and it didn’t do them justice at all.

  Breaking away from the kiss, he moved his body down while he lifted her shirt. His lips found the rigid peak of her right breast and his tongue flicked until he heard her moan. Then he took the nipple in his mouth and sucked until he felt her tremble. Her hands grabbed at his back and her hips moved in undulating circles and she smelled hot and sweet and ready.

  One last flick of his tongue and then he stood again and kissed her mouth, her cheek, her jaw and then that exquisite neck. It was his turn to moan.

  “Shh,” she said. “They’ll hear you.”

  “Who?” he said, then went back to the important business of nibbling her earlobe.

  “The kids.”

  He felt her open palms on his chest, pushing. Not hard, though. More for show than results. “They’re asleep,” he said.

  “What if Molly wakes up? She does that, you know.”

  T.J. moved from Kate’s ears to her mouth again. He kissed her, tickled her lips with his tongue and then she was tasting him and they didn’t speak for a long, long time.

  When she absolutely had to breathe, she gasped, then said, “Someone’s going to catch us.”

  “Then let’s go to your room”

  “No! That’s right next to Molly’s.”

  “Then let’s go to my room”

  “No. It’s not—”

  He didn’t let her finish. He kissed her again and she couldn’t help herself, she had to kiss him back. What was he doing to her?

  His hand was on her breast again. Touching, caressing, tickling until she squirmed. She felt his arousal, the hot thick pressure right up against her sex. Her hips seemed to have an agenda of their own and no matter how hard she tried to be still, it was no use. She pressed against him and when that wasn’t enough, she lifted her leg around his backside and pulled him closer.

  She ran her hands over his back, the muscles beneath her fingers alive with tension and strength.

  The next thing she knew, he’d lifted her and sat her on the edge of the pool table. She wrapped both legs around him and squeezed, while he showed her the wonderful advantages of this new position.

  His hands found the waistband of her shorts and he pushed down. Just as he got them as far as he could go, the sound of a siren pierced the silence and they both jumped. She stood up quickly while he stepped back. In a second she had her pants up and her shirt down.

  She heard his soft chuckle. “I don’t think that was the sex police.”

  “No,” she whispered. “But probably an omen.”

  “It’s a sign that you and I should be making love right now.”

  “No,” she said again, backing away from him. “Not here.”

  “Where?”

  “I don’t know. Just not here.”

  “Your office?”

  “Uh-uh.”

  “The kitchen?”

  She shook her head. He kept coming toward her and she kept backing up. Eventually they would run out of room. She held out a hand and stopped him. “Look,” she said. “We can’t do this. It wouldn’t work. You and I, we’re friends. We shouldn’t mess that up. We’re both adults, right? We can be strong.”

  “Right.” But then he did a magic trick with his hands. Touched her side and turned her mind to mush.

  “Molly is just inside,” she said, barely recognizing her own voice. “So is Peter. And Bobby.”

  “They’re not invited.”

  “We’d have to be quiet.”

  “I can do that.” He stepped toward her again. Her arm weakened just a bit.

  “No, you can’t. You’ll yell.”

  He took her hand in his and brought it down past his waist. “I don’t think I’m the one who’s going to do the yelling.”

  “That’s pretty arrogant, don’t you think?”

  “Just
the facts, ma’am.”

  “You are too much.”

  “Nope. Just enough.”

  ‘Then he kissed her again and as she closed her eyes she knew he’d won. Darn.

  The second she had that thought, he broke the kiss, then grabbed her hand and led her past the pool table, out of the main room, past the preschool area, all at a clip that was nearly running. She laughed and he shushed her. She felt like a naughty kid, sneaking into the barn for a roll in the hay.

  Just before they left the kitchen, he stopped, kissed her once hard on the lips, then opened the fridge. The light nearly blinded her, but then he shut the door again, a big bottle of Gatorade in his hand.

  Then he took her arm and they went down the hall as fast as they could tiptoe. She didn’t think, didn’t dare. For once she let her excitement rule, her heart lead, her body have its way.

  Finally they were in his room, the one farthest from the others, and the door was shut. There was no lock, but it was really late and everything had been really quiet out there and damn it—She kissed him and he flailed a bit until he found the dresser and put the sports drink down. Then his hands were all over her, pulling and tugging until her shirt was off and her bra was somewhere else.

  She found the top button of his jeans and she got that open, then she fumbled a bit with his zipper. He yelped, she laughed, he growled, then she heard the unmistakable sound that can only by made by a zipper in the middle of the night. While he got rid of his pants, she got rid of hers, both of them kicking off shoes at the same time.

  It was just light enough in the room for her to make out the important parts of his body. That world-class chest. His muscled arms. The rather astonishing evidence of his desire.

  “You are gorgeous,” he said. “I’m humbled.”

  “That doesn’t look humbled to me.”

  He looked down and grinned. She wasn’t quite sure how but he moved that portion of his body and only that portion, in a jaunty little wave.

  “How do you do that?” she asked.

  “Practice, practice, practice,” he said. Then he grabbed her again and she was flush against him, feeling everything from an entirely new perspective.

  She wasn’t sure how they got there, but they reached the bed. She sat and he leaned over to kiss her and then they were both on the bed and he was lying on top of here.

  He stared at her, locking her gaze to his. “You know I’ve wanted you for a very long time,” he whispered.

  She nodded.

  “I’ve given a lot of thought to what I wanted to do.”

  She nodded again. But this time, she ran her foot up his leg and back down again.

  “I dreamed about this. Every night. You being in the next room and all.”

  “T.J.?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Shut up.”

  He laughed and she felt him shake from his feet all the way through his chest. Then he kissed her and the laughter became a soft groan. His touch went down the length of her and he lifted off her just enough so that his hand could sneak between them. He tickled her belly, then lower, until his fingers slipped inside her and she trembled.

  The pressure built slowly and she felt as though she were caught in a tornado of sensation. Every place she touched she found hot, willing flesh. Every place he touted simply Wanted more.

  She brought her hand down his back, then down his side and underneath. Taking him in her palm, she stroked him evenly, his whole length. His gasp was loud and she shushed him, and when that didn’t work she silenced him with a kiss.

  He lifted his hips and spread her legs with his knees.

  “Wait,” she said. “We have to—”

  He cursed, then rolled quickly to his left and opened the drawer of the bedside table. She heard him move things around then shove the drawer closed again. He hadn’t even looked.

  “Boy, you were sure prepared,” she said.

  “It wasn’t hard. I kept finding the little buggers all around the place.” He ripped the packet open and she had to scoot over so he could lie flat on his back.

  “You want to give me a hand here?” he asked as he tried to put the condom on.

  She applauded softly.

  “Cute,” he said. “Never mind. I did it all by myself.”

  “Well, I hope you’re not going to do the next part all by yourself.”

  “Uh-uh. That wouldn’t be fun.” Then he was on his side and he swung his leg over hers and moved so he was on top once more.

  He looked at her for a long minute and even in the dark room, she realized how inevitable this moment had been. The first time she’d seen him he’d cast a spell, and every second since then had been leading to this man, this night, this bed.

  He moved. Slowly, surely, his hips came down and he slipped inside her. Without thinking, she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist. Her arms went around his neck. Her lips found his and as he continued the forward pressure, her kiss turned into a long, low moan.

  “Oh, damn,” he said. “Oh, damn.”

  “Shh.”

  “Kate you’re so—”

  “Shh. Kiss me.”

  “But oh, this is—”

  “Shh. T.J. Don’t.”

  “Don’t what?”

  “Talk.”

  “I’m not. But damn it.”

  She heard a clunk. Something loud. She froze. “Wait.”

  “What?”

  She grabbed his hips and stopped him. “I heard something.”

  “It was me, dying.”

  “No. I think it was one of the kids.”

  “Screw ’em”

  “T.J.!”

  He didn’t say anything for a moment. Neither did she. There was no sound. When he moved inside her again, she relaxed and brought her attention right back where it belonged.

  He was moving faster now, the pressure inside her building. She wanted him closer, tighter, not separate at all and she lifted her own hips to the rhythm he’d set. It had been so long. So worth the wait.

  They moved together as if they’d known each other a lifetime. Somehow he knew just when to slow down, to speed up, just where to touch and when to kiss. He knew everything there was to know about her.

  She knew him, too. The softness, the confusion, the anger. And she loved him. She loved him in a way that was totally new, with a different heart, a different mind. He’d changed her forever.

  The thoughts flew away until she was all sensation. It would be soon. She was climbing and he was going faster and deeper. She moaned and he moaned and then there was a thump.

  She froze.

  He groaned.

  She shushed him.

  “Don’t make me beg,” he whispered.

  “Quiet.”

  Nothing. Long seconds of nothing but the agony of staying still.

  Then she couldn’t wait. Not a heartbeat longer. She moved her hips up. He whimpered. It started again, the slow, steady, rising buildup. But it was harder this time. Hotter. More urgent. Desperate. She was almost there. Almost.

  A door closed. T.J. stopped. “What was that?”

  “I don’t care,” she said.

  “But—”

  She pushed her hips up hard. “Don’t make me beg.”

  He didn’t.

  It took a long time for her heart to stop thumping in her chest, to catch her breath. He lay beside her, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His arm was under her neck and she felt his body pressed against her side. She was satisfied beyond words and anxious for more all at the same time.

  “Wow,” he said.

  “Yeah.”

  “The East German judge gave that a perfect ten.”

  “I should hope so,” she said, smiling.

  “The only problem is, our drinks are all the way over there.”

  “Thirsty, eh?”

  “Hell, year.”

  She thought about getting him the drink, about moving at all, and decided he would live. “T.J.?”

  �
�Uh-huh?”

  “How come we did this?”

  He shifted beside her, just a little move of his hips and her stomach clenched at the thought of his leaving. When he didn’t move for another few seconds, she relaxed again.

  “I think it’s a function of biology,” he said. “Man, woman, hormones.”

  “No, I mean why now? I wasn’t going to, you know.”

  There was a long pause and finally she turned her head to look at him. He was staring up at the ceiling. “I’m not sure. maybe you did it because I needed you: ” He looked at her now and although it was still dark, she could see his face. The gentleness there made her swallow hard. More than that, his openness, his vulnerability, were heart wrenching. This from a man who’d lived behind his mask for so many years.

  “I think I needed you, too”

  He shook his head. “Not in the same way. You’re a hell of a strong woman, Kate.”

  “Not so much.”

  “Yeah, so much. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met.”

  “Yeah, me and Schwarzenegger.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  She did. Hadn’t she worked at being strong? Wasn’t that just what she wanted to be? Then why did she feel so—

  “What’s wrong?”

  She sighed, then turned on her side. She snuggled close putting her arm and her leg over his body. A quick shiver of cold went through her and by some strange magic he reached to his side to grab the comforter and tossed it over them both. Closing her eyes, she wallowed in the warmth. His body felt so good, so right. It was as if she’d found the other piece of the puzzle, the exact matching piece. Together they made a complete picture.

  “Hey,” he said. “Tell me.”

  “I’m not always strong, you know. I can be hurt and I can be wrong.”

  “You think I’m going to leave? That all I wanted was a toss in the sheets?”

  She shook her head, at least as much as she could without disturbing her position. “No. I know we’re friends. And that means a lot to you, too.”

  “Then what?”

  She sighed again. She twirled some soft hairs on his chest. “I had it all figured out. I didn’t need sex. I was perfectly fine without it.”