by Amelia Judd
She dropped her pool bag, walked to the edge, and leaned forward, straining to grab the dolphin that seemed to be laughing at her as it managed to stay about six inches out of reach. “Gotta say, I’m a little surprised a bachelor has a pool full of inflatable zoo animals.”
“Party supplies. I knew the kids would love them,” Ethan said from behind her. “Not sure what I’m going to do with them now though. Maybe I’ll put them in one of the guest rooms.”
“I guess that’s better than an inflatable doll,” Claire responded, eyeing the dolphin. She could probably reach the darn thing if she got on her hands and knees. But taking the classic doggy-style position on the pool deck with Ethan somewhere behind her felt like a desperate cry for attention.
Instead, she dangled her toes an inch over the edge of the pool and stretched a tiny bit farther. A heart-stopping instant later, she felt her equilibrium shift forward—sending her face-first toward the deep end of the pool.
Letting out a strangled yelp, Claire flared her arms in an attempt to regain balance before she splashed into the water. Her white dress was about to provide an unplanned peep show. Crap. Doggy style would have been less provocative.
A moment later, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and hauled her back, bumping her to a stop against a warm, naked male chest. She gripped Ethan’s forearm, tipped her head back to rest on his shoulder, and laughed with relief. “I owe you one, Lucky. This dress was a second away from transparency.”
“Damn.” He chuckled, his voice low and sexy against her temple. “I didn’t think that one through.” Keeping her locked against his chest, he took a few steps back and to the right, guiding her into the darkness created by the shadow of the waterfall. He brushed her hair from the side of her face and slowly slid it over her left shoulder. “I’ve wanted to do this all night.”
He dipped his head to her exposed neck and ran his tongue from her collarbone to the exquisitely sensitive spot behind her ear. Moaning deep in her throat, Claire tipped her head to the left and arched her back, pushing her breasts against the restraining fabric of her dress. Heat and need spiraled through her. In an embarrassingly short amount of time, his skilled mouth’s attention had her squirming in his arms.
“Have to stop,” she panted. “Mom … kids … inside.”
“Haven’t forgotten,” he grunted, trailing his mouth down her neck. “I’d be doing a hell of a lot more than kissing your neck if we were alone.” He slipped a hand up to cup the underside of one breast, skimmed a thumb over her nipple, and whispered what he wanted to be doing to her right now.
Claire felt her eyes go glassy and her bones melt away. Thankfully, Ethan still had her manacled against him since his sexy promises of pleasure left her too weak to stand on her own. She’d never been into dirty talk, but Ethan’s vivid description of what they could do together didn’t sound dirty—it just sounded like a really, really good idea.
When she felt him take a shaky breath and step away, she let out a needy little whimper in disappointment, missing the feel of him pressed along her back.
“Time to cool off,” Ethan said wryly, stepping past her to dive into the pool’s depths.
“Holy smokes,” she muttered, touching a trembling hand to where Ethan had kissed her neck. As the thick sexual haze clouding Claire’s mind began to clear, she was both grateful and a little surprised that Ethan had been the one mature and responsible enough to stop making out before they got busted.
For the next few minutes, he tossed all remaining toys out of the pool and she stacked them in the semi-sheltered area alongside the waterfall. Claire didn’t look at him, and neither of them spoke while they worked. The tranquil sound of chirping crickets and rolling waves filled the silence, giving them both a moment to “cool off” as Ethan had put it.
More importantly, Claire needed to remain cooled off for the foreseeable future. They’d just rounded second base while his mom and her kids were inside the house. Even though they’d been hidden in the dark shadows of the landscaping, it still rattled her how easily she could get carried away with him. What would they have done if they’d been alone?
The memory of Ethan’s whispered words shot a jolt of excitement and longing through her that negated any cooling off she’d managed to achieve. Sheesh. She was really losing her grip, and as a single mom, tumbling over the edge wasn’t an option.
Claire deposited a slowly deflating sea turtle on top of the pile of creatures and blew a few strands of hair from her face. Hands on her hips, she faced her tempting-as-sin faux beau. He braced his hands on the edge of the pool and boosted himself from the water. His muscles contracted at the effort, sending streams of moonlit water sluicing down the deep contours between each defined ab.
Eyes locked on the glorious sight, she mumbled a curse and swallowed hard. Not having sex might sound like a logical idea, but her willpower around Ethan tended to deflate faster than the sad, droopy sea turtle behind her. In all honesty, she’d likely jump him right now if they were alone.
When she finally tore her gaze from those abs—oh God, those abs—she found him studying her with a knowing smile. “You want me bad,” he teased, a devilish gleam lighting his eyes.
She shook her head. “Not gonna happen.” Sure, she said it more for her sake than his, but saying it out loud gave it more staying power, right?
His smile widened at the unintentional challenge.
Claire grunted. She really had to quit provoking his competitive nature. “I mean it, Lucky; this has got to remain a business deal. I appreciate your help, but I refuse to get swept away in some whirlwind romance that’s going to leave me dizzy, flat on my ass, and full of regret when it’s over.”
“What do you have against romance?”
“How about the fact that it’s predominately used by men as a way to get laid?”
He blinked in surprise, then lifted a stray towel from the back of the chair and slung it across his shoulders. Gripping each end of the towel with a strong hand, he eyed her with an assessing expression. “Okay,” he eventually conceded with a small nod. “I promise not to use romantic gestures with you to get laid.”
She opened her mouth to argue, then snapped it shut when she realized she had nothing to argue about. He’d calmly listened to her concern and offered a course of action to lessen that concern. As long as he stuck to his word and she limited their alone time to a bare minimum, she just might be strong enough to keep her hands off him.
Meanwhile, this promised to be the longest, most sexually frustrating pretend relationship of her flipping life.
Chapter 10
“THE owner’s box?” Claire asked, bringing their group of four to a sudden stop outside the door to the luxury suite. “I assumed you’d have access to good tickets. I didn’t realize we’d be rubbing elbows with the top brass.”
Ethan noted the inquisitive tilt to Claire’s head. She didn’t look upset, concerned, or even excited to find out they’d be watching the game with the team’s owner, simply curious. He’d planned to sit in standard seats, then Harrison Dasher had intervened.
“When Dasher heard I’d be at the game with you guys, he asked us to join him.”
“Who’s Dasher?” Ty asked, looking at his mom.
“Mr. Dasher owns the team,” Claire supplied, making eye contact with Ty and Grace. “He’s being generous to offer us such wonderful seats. I think it’s best if we thank him and Ethan for the experience. Don’t you agree?”
While both kids nodded, Ty looked up at him like he’d saved the world from alien invasion while winning the World Cup. A slight twinge of guilt hit Ethan’s gut.
He’d planned the day with optimal kid enjoyment in mind. They’d spent hours at the zoo on a private VIP tour with one of the zookeepers providing behind-the-scenes information and access. Grace had jumped and bounced and clapped and twirled and smiled the entire time. Ethan didn’t know a ton about nine-year-old girls, but he guessed she’d crash in the backseat on the ride home.
&nb
sp; After the zoo, they’d arrived at the stadium well before game time. Not that he needed to wait for the gates to open. He knew all the security staff by first name and had been welcomed in with warm smiles, handshakes, and pleas to return. Unfortunately, the team hadn’t found a solid striker to replace him yet. Rather than looking to the future, most fans seemed convinced enticing him back to the team provided their best chance at winning.
He’d graciously reminded them of his retirement and led Claire, Ty, and Grace to the locker room. While the girls waited outside, he’d introduced Ty to the team and gotten each of the players to sign a jersey for him. He’d wanted Claire’s kids to like him. Judging by the awe in Ty’s expression, he’d shot right past “like” and had landed somewhere between “adore” and “idolize.”
His guilt intensified. Had he crossed a line? Christ, he didn’t know. He’d never dated a single mom before. Was winning her kids over a dirty trick or a decent thing to do?
“Thank you, Ethan. This has been the best day of my life!” Ty clutched the jersey to his chest. “And the game hasn’t even started yet!”
“Yeah. Thanks, Ethan.” Grace gave him an unexpected hug around his waist. “Helping feed the animals at the zoo was the coolest thing ever!”
Ethan’s heart swelled. He literally felt his frigging heart expand in his chest. Was that even physically possible? “You’re welcome,” he managed, forcing the words past the sudden lump of emotion in his throat. He patted Grace’s little back and raised his gaze to Claire’s.
“Thank you,” she mouthed, a range of emotions playing across her features. While her smile looked genuine, her eyes held a trace of weary resignation that didn’t sit well with him.
He held her gaze in question. Instead of telling him what was bothering her, Claire nodded toward the door to the suite. “We should go in before more fans swarm you with selfie and autograph requests.”
When Grace dropped her arms from his waist, he swung the door open and motioned inside. “Lead the way, guys,” he said to the kids. “We’re a few minutes early, but there should be tons of food, drinks, and candy set up in there already. I’m sure Mr. Dasher won’t mind if you help yourselves to some.”
Ty sucked in an excited breath and headed through the door, Grace on his heels.
As Claire stepped forward to follow inside, Ethan held the door with one hand and touched his fingertips to her hip with the other to stop her briefly before going in. “What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.
“Nothing.” Her one-word response didn’t sound bitter or ticked or disappointed. Instead, Claire sounded oddly distant even though she stood less than a foot away.
“I’m not buying it. There’s a shadow in those beautiful blue-green eyes. You can either tell me what’s wrong, or I can start making wild assumptions.” He shrugged. “Probably a lot safer and healthier for both of us if you just tell me.”
“Sorry.” She licked her bottom lip and looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. “I keep forgetting how perceptive you are, and to be honest, I’m not used to talking about my feelings.”
He cocked an eyebrow. In his experience, women loved to talk about their feelings. Something that had always worked in his favor in relationships since his mom had been adamant he would learn healthy communication skills. Which seemed really ironic considering they hardly spoke anymore.
“It’s not that I can’t talk about my feelings,” she added. “It’s more that Jack didn’t want to hear about them, so I stopped sharing. And that sounded way more pathetic than I intended,” she said with a self-conscious chuckle. “I’m having a great time today, Ethan. We all are.” She gestured to the far wall where Ty and Grace were topping individual bowls of popcorn with candy. “I really appreciate the day you’ve planned for us and how great you’ve been with the kids.”
“But … ?” Ethan prompted, seeing the apology in her eyes.
“But I’m worried if I’m not careful, they’re going to get hurt in all this.”
“We’re.”
Claire scrunched up her cute little nose in confusion. “Huh?”
“You said ‘if I’m not careful’ but it’s not all on your shoulders. We’re both responsible for making sure they don’t get hurt.”
Her eyes softened. “Thank you,” she whispered, resting her palm on his chest for a beat. “The more I know you, the more I’m sure that I’m the lucky one.” She kissed his cheek and stepped into the room.
Ethan stood in the doorway, his skin tingling where Claire’s hand and lips had been. He watched her gracefully make her way across the otherwise empty room to check on Ty and Grace. She smiled in playful delight as she listened to the culinary combinations they’d created with popcorn and candy toppers. She kissed first Ty and then Grace on top of the head. Upon their animated encouragement, she picked up a plate to make her own creation.
Ethan’s heart thudded a little oddly in his chest. He wasn’t used to the crazy range of emotions she provoked in him. He could easily understand the times his blood burned with the need to drive her wild with the same desire and need she ignited in him. Right now, though, his chest expanded with other desires. He wanted to make her laugh when she was stressed, or see her face light up when she looked him, or feel her sigh against him when he wrapped his arms around her. He wanted more than sex. He wanted to be close to her—to be special to her.
“Christ, DuBois, my assistant said you were bringing a woman and two kids to the match. I assumed you were trying to get laid by scoring major points with some single mom, but you’re looking at her like a goddamn puppy without a home.”
Ethan drew in a slow, fortifying breath and turned to face the team’s dynamic and often outspoken owner, Harrison Dasher. “It’s good to see you, Dasher.” Ethan extended his hand to the dark-haired, hard-faced man.
Dasher took his hand in a firm grip. “You could see me a hell of a lot more often if you stopped playing hard to get. The team needs you, DuBois.”
“I’m the past. The team needs to look to the future. You have two under-twenties with massive potential if the coach would give them the playtime they deserve. Now, come on.” Ethan stepped into the room and nodded toward Claire and the kids. “I’ll introduce you.”
He heard Dasher heave out a sigh behind him. At barely forty years old, Dasher held multiple degrees from some of the world’s best universities, ran a massively successful investment corporation, and sat on the board of multiple charitable foundations. Dasher was rich, powerful, and as used to getting his way as normal people were used to getting lunch.
Ethan had weighed the pros and cons of coming to the game today. Though he’d wanted to impress Claire and the kids with his connections and the star power he still wielded in the soccer world, he’d known Dasher’s pressure to return to the team would be a major pain in the ass. Right or wrong, his desire to give Claire, Ty, and Grace an experience no one else could, had tipped the scales.
“Dasher,” he said, reaching Claire’s side, “this is Claire Bennett and her kids, Ty and Grace.”
Ethan watched as both kids did a great job shaking hands and politely thanking Dasher for the tickets. The hard-ass looked impressed by their manners which made Ethan smile with pride. His smile changed to a scowl when Dasher lingered over his handshake with Claire, masculine appreciation flashing across his face.
“The match just started. You guys can watch from the seats if you want,” Ethan said to the kids. He wrapped an arm around Claire’s waist and pointed to the box seats on the opposite side of a large sliding glass door.
Ty slid the door open, letting in the familiar stadium sounds of the crowd chanting and clapping to the beat of a pounding drum. Nostalgia tugged at him. No other sport sounded quite like the Beautiful Game.
Once both kids were seated on the opposite side of the glass, Ethan turned to Dasher. “I’m surprised none of your other guests have arrived yet. Whenever I looked up at this box from the field, it was spilling over with people.”<
br />
“I uninvited them when I heard you were coming. We need to talk, and you’re not returning my phone calls.”
Ethan ground his jaw and sucked in a deep breath before answering. “I’ve told you. I’m retired. There’s nothing more we need to talk about.”
“Goddammit, DuBois, you’ve got me by the balls. We can’t win the championship without a world-class striker. What the hell do you want? More money? A new coaching staff? A piece of my soul?”
“I’d like you to look up the word ‘retired’ because you sure as hell don’t understand what it means.”
“You’re twenty-nine, and you play like you’re five years younger. No way in hell you’re actually retired. I heard you were spotted on a flight to London a couple of months back. You better not be going to some damn European club.” He glared at Ethan.
“Retired,” Ethan repeated.
Dasher snorted, then turned a charming smile on Claire. “Can I get you a drink? I suggest something strong if you have to deal with this frustrating bastard.”
A sexy, low laugh rumbled from Claire’s throat. “A glass of white would be nice while I enjoy the show.”
Dasher glanced toward the field. “Yeah. Should be a good matchup. Kansas City always plays to win.” He poured a glass of wine and extended it not quite far enough for Claire to reach it.
“I was talking about the show in here,” she said, stepping away from Ethan to take the wine from Dasher. “You two sound like an old bickering couple. Not that I mind. In fact, you make my conversations at work seem healthy in comparison.”
Dasher chuckled. “That’s not fair. I bet you don’t have to deal with professional athletes. A bunch of divas, all of them.” He took a step closer and eyed Claire with an intensity that made Ethan’s fists clench. The asshole had frigging maneuvered it so Claire was now standing next to him instead of Ethan.
“What you’d say your last name was, beautiful?”
“Bennett.” She sipped her wine.
“As in Bennett Industries?” He cocked an eyebrow in recognition.