Stealing Second

by Alison Packard

  He opened his eyes, and the sight and heady aroma of her glistening pussy was too tempting to ignore. Moving his hands to her hips, he dug his fingers into her flesh and pulled her closer. Finding her opening, he plunged his tongue in and out of her wet heat. She gasped and bucked her hips against his face, but he held on tight and fucked her with his tongue until his cock slipped from her mouth.

  “Oh, God.” Her warm breath fanned against his hard shaft, and more heat rushed to his groin.

  “Do you like that?” he asked, then once again pressed his lips to her quivering flesh.

  “Mmm. Yes.” Her voice was breathless and sexy. She took him in her mouth again, and he almost lost his mind.

  “Oh, yeah,” he muttered as her hot mouth worked him over. “Don’t stop, darlin’,” he said, then plunged his tongue into her again and again until she was grinding against him, seeking relief.

  Despite her own needs, she took him deep into her mouth. So deep he could hardly stand it. He ached for release, but he wanted her to come first. With that thought in mind, he withdrew his tongue from her hot pussy and dragged back to her clit, gently drawing it between his lips to suckle her. Tom didn’t think he could hang on one second longer, and then suddenly her body tensed, and she let out a muffled moan of pleasure that reverberated against his cock and almost made his damn toes curl.

  He relaxed his grip on Katie’s hips, pulled his mouth from her and opened his eyes. The sight of her beautiful cunt, and the feel of her hot wet mouth sliding up and down on his cock, was too much to take. Finally, he gave up the fight and let himself go. A second later, his orgasm hit him like a speeding freight train and he came hard and fast, exploding into Katie’s mouth. His body shook and he let out a low moan of pleasure as she stayed with him, taking everything he had to give, and more.

  Once his pulse had returned to its normal rate and his body was limp and satiated, he gently eased Katie off of him and pulled her up to lie beside him. Like she’d done so many times in the past, she settled into the crook of his arm, wrapped her arm around his waist and hooked her leg over his.

  Emotion lodged in his throat. In the years without her, it wasn’t the sex he’d missed most. It was this. The quiet time afterward when words weren’t necessary, and there was no doubt in his mind that the deep bond they’d forged was unbreakable.

  Believing he’d been wrong about that bond had almost killed him. Knowing he wasn’t scared the shit out of him. Losing Katie once had brought him to his knees. He didn’t think he could survive losing her a second time.

  * * *

  A little over an hour later, Katherine knocked on Tom’s door and glanced at her watch. Of course, the second she’d turned on her phone it started ringing, and now instead of reviewing partnership proposals submitted by two Bay Area charities and preparing for her upcoming social media status meeting with her staff, her morning would be spent taking back-to-back conference calls with Doug and then Martha.

  Although it was probably too soon to expect anything, she’d hoped for a message from either Adam or Michael Channing regarding the investigation. As much as she wanted a swift resolution, it didn’t seem likely there would be any news until she and the team returned to San Francisco.

  The door opened, and Tom—fresh from a shower, judging by his still-damp hair and the clean scent of his soap—waved her inside the room that was an exact duplicate of hers. Immediately, the tantalizing aroma of bacon invaded her nostrils and her stomach rumbled.

  “You ordered breakfast.” She glanced at the two covered plates and the carafe of coffee that sat atop the table near the window, then smiled at him as he closed the door. Instead of jeans, he wore a pair of dark gray slacks and a light blue button-down shirt that emphasized the blue in his eyes.

  “I remember how hungry you are after sex.” He slipped his arm around her waist and gave her a lingering kiss that tasted of spearmint. He pulled back and smiled. “I ordered your favorite breakfast.”

  She lifted her brows. “French toast and bacon?”

  He nodded. “Extra-crispy bacon.”

  “I can’t believe you remembered that.”

  “How could I forget?” He snagged her hand and led her past the bed, to the table. “You ordered it every time we went out for breakfast.” He pulled one of the chairs out for her, then moved to the other side of the table.

  “And you always ordered biscuits and gravy.” She sank down on the cushioned chair and reached for the crisp white cloth napkin next to her covered dish. A quick glance out the window revealed a cloudless blue sky over the Camelback Mountain Range. It looked like they were in for another scorching day in the desert.

  “I try to eat healthier now.” He sat down and lifted the cover from his plate. Expecting something along the lines of an egg-white omelet and a side of fresh fruit, Katherine chuckled at the sight of the stack of buttermilk pancakes piled high on his plate.

  “They didn’t have biscuits and gravy on the menu, did they?” She spread the napkin over her lap.

  His eyes twinkled with amusement. “Nope.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Katherine laid her fork on her plate and sighed. “That was delicious.” She reached for the carafe and refreshed her coffee. “How were the pancakes?”

  “Pretty damn tasty.” He leaned back in his chair and flashed a roguish grin. “But they weren’t the best thing I ate this morning.”

  Her cheeks grew warm, but she picked up her cup and smiled demurely. “Same here.”

  Tom’s rich, warm laugh filled the room. “Is it me, or does this feel awfully familiar? It’s strange, but it’s almost like no time has passed at all.”

  “No.” She sipped her coffee. “It’s not just you. But time has passed. A lot of time.” She sighed and set her cup on the table. “There’s a huge chunk of time where we had no contact at all. We’re different people than we were when we were eighteen.”

  “True.” His gaze roamed over her face. “But I’m going on record as saying I like the woman you are now as much as I liked the girl you were then. I know we’ve had our differences since I joined the team, but I admire the hell out of you. I’ve had a chance to observe you do your job, and you do it extremely well. It can’t be easy being a woman in a male-dominated business.”

  “It has its challenges. But I have to say that Simon was a huge proponent of hiring the most qualified candidates, regardless of gender.” She blinked back the sudden moisture in her eyes and sighed. “I miss him.”

  “We all do.” A melancholy smile tugged at Tom’s mouth. “I can’t count the number of times he came down to the clubhouse to talk baseball. He never told me how to do my job, but he loved talking strategy. I really miss those visits. And the players miss his presence as well.”

  “I can imagine. He was larger than life. And in my opinion, irreplaceable.”

  “I agree, and putting aside your father’s actions regarding us for a minute, he’s a fan of the game. And so is Carlton Sprigg. The sale will benefit the team. We need owners who understand and love baseball.”

  “I can’t argue with that,” she said, dreading the conversation she and her father would soon have. How could she work for him now that she learned he’d orchestrated her and Tom’s breakup? With a shake of her head, she banished her father from her thoughts. “What I still don’t understand is how Ava believed she could get away with accusing Trey of attempted rape.”

  “It’s obvious she didn’t think it through,” he said. “Her ego was hurt when he rejected her and she wanted to punish him. I doubt she spared a thought to the media shit-storm her accusations would stir up. Or if she did, she didn’t care.”

  Katherine scowled. “But to purposefully set out to destroy someone’s reputation and career? What kind of person does that?”

  “Someone without a conscience.” His expression hardened. “I hope when the truth comes out, the Denver police charge her with making a false accusation. Even after he’s cleared, this charge will be attached to Trey�
�s name for the rest of his life. The least the police can do is to make sure Ava is punished.”

  She nodded. “You know, when all of this is over, I’d like the team to do something special to honor Trey’s accomplishment. He pitched the game of his life the other night and never got the chance to enjoy it.”

  “That’s a nice gesture. But don’t be offended if he’s not interested. I think that ship has sailed. The press has been all over him about the Ava McCandless situation. I wouldn’t blame him if he shunned the media for the rest of the season.”

  Katherine sighed and sat back in her chair. “I can’t keep the press out of the clubhouse for much longer. I’m sure Doug is getting complaints about access. I have a conference call with him this morning, and I fully expect him to tell me to lift the ban once we return to San Francisco. Like Matt did when he first joined the team, Trey will have to deal with reporters in the clubhouse.”

  “Trey can handle it.”

  She raised a brow. “Are you sure?”

  Tom nodded. “I’m sure.”

  * * *

  Not an hour after he’d had breakfast with Katie, Tom’s confident words came back to bite him in the ass. He stood under the blazing Arizona sun near the team’s charter bus and glowered at Seth.

  “Are you telling me Trey has gone AWOL?”

  Seth spread his hands in a helpless gesture. “I’m not sure where he is. He wasn’t in his room this morning. None of the players have seen him, and he’s not answering his phone.”

  “Son of a bitch.” Tom speared his fingers through his hair. Maybe Trey had tried to talk to him last night, but he hadn’t been able to because he had been with Katie, in her room. “I thought he was handling this okay.”

  “Do you want me to stay here and look for him?” Seth asked.

  Tom glanced at his watch. “Yes. Get in touch with Katie. She’s still in the hotel. Tell her what’s going on.”

  A crease appeared between Seth’s brows. “Katie?”

  “Katherine.” Tom gave himself a mental kick for the slipup. “She said something about a conference call with Lowry, so she’s probably still in her room.” He glanced at the charter bus. Several of the players were watching them with curiosity from behind the lightly tinted windows. “I need to get the team to the ballpark. Call me as soon as you find him.”

  After Seth nodded and headed back to the Ritz, Tom checked his watch. Luckily, Trey wasn’t pitching today, which meant his absence wouldn’t be felt on the field. But immediately after the game, the team was scheduled to return to San Francisco. If Seth and Katie couldn’t locate Trey by then, and word got out to the media that Trey had disappeared, it would only cause more people to believe he was guilty of what Ava had accused him of. But that wasn’t the worst of it. He didn’t give a rat’s ass what other people thought. What worried him more was Trey’s mental state.

  “Damn it.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  A loud knock on the door shattered the silence in the room. Katherine jumped in surprise, her heart pounding double time as her fingers froze over the keyboard of her laptop.

  “Katherine? Are you in there? It’s me, Seth.”

  Unease shimmied up her spine. What was Seth doing at her door? He should be on the charter bus with the team, not standing in the hallway outside her room.

  “Hang on. I’m coming.” Katherine pushed up from the chair and quickly crossed the room. She opened the door, and the troubled expression on Seth’s face didn’t do much to alleviate the knot of dread in her stomach.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, pulling off her glasses.

  “It’s Trey. He’s missing.”

  “Missing?” Her hand flew to her chest. “But Tom told me he was accounted for at bed check last night.”

  “He was. But sometime between then and this morning he left his room. I’ve been calling his phone, but it goes straight to voice mail, and I checked the restaurants and bars in the hotel, but there’s no sign of him.”

  “Did you talk to the bellmen? Maybe they got a cab for him.”

  “I spoke to the bellmen on duty. No one’s seen him.” He scratched his head. “There are still reporters hanging around out front trying to talk to him, I wonder how he got past them?”

  “What about a woman?” she suggested, zeroing in on Trey’s past behavior. “Do you think he hooked up with someone staying here in the hotel and he’s in her room?”

  Seth’s dark eyes widened. “I hadn’t thought of that. But with the investigation still pending it seems unlikely.”

  “I agree, but we can’t rule it out.” She bit her lower lip in silent frustration. She didn’t know the Phoenix area well enough to hazard a guess as to where Trey might have taken off to. “If he didn’t take a cab, he has to be close by. I think we should split up and check all the bars and restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel.”

  “Good idea.” He cast an anxious glance at his watch. “Our flight leaves at six thirty tonight.”

  Despite her apprehension, she gave him a reassuring smile. “We’ll find him before then. Just let me get my purse and my phone, and we’ll start the manhunt.”

  An hour later, Katherine was extremely thankful she’d slipped on her flats before leaving her room, but not so thrilled she’d chosen a sleeveless blouse when she dressed this morning. After thirty minutes of going in and out of restaurants and liquor establishments near the hotel, the sun had begun to scorch her pale skin, requiring a pit stop at a drugstore to buy a tube of sunscreen. It had helped. At least now the sun didn’t feel like a laser burning her skin.

  She’d received one call from Seth since they’d parted ways outside the hotel. Her hopes had been dashed upon hearing his luck wasn’t any better than hers. Trey had disappeared without a trace. Or so it seemed.

  At the corner of a busy intersection, she waited for the signal to cross and surveyed the large business complex across the street. She doubted Trey was inside an office building, but it looked like the perfect place for her to take refuge and formulate a new plan—one that didn’t include walking around downtown Phoenix on what seemed be the hottest day of the year.

  Finally, the light changed to green and the walk symbol began to flash. Out of habit, she waited a couple of seconds to ensure no cars ran the red light, then hurried across the street. When she reached the office complex, she paused in a shaded spot near the entrance, closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Are you all right?”

  Katherine opened her eyes to find an older man dressed in yellow-and-black plaid shorts and a bright yellow golf shirt standing a few feet away and looking at her with concern. He obviously loved the sun. His skin was tanned a deep leathery brown.

  She gave him a wan smile. “I’m fine, thank you. I just need to rest a bit. It’s really hot.”

  “Hot?” The man snorted, and his white eyebrows lifted a fraction. “Talk to me when it’s a hundred and seventeen.”

  “Are you saying it’s not a hundred and seventeen?” It sure as blazes felt like it.

  “No. It’s only a hundred and six.”

  “Oh.” She fanned herself. It didn’t help to cool her off or stop the sweat on her temples from trickling a slick path to her ears. She hadn’t been subjected to heat this intense since she’d lived in Dallas.

  He cocked his head, concern in his eyes still evident. Unexpectedly, she was touched by it. “You sure you’re okay?”

  She nodded and waved a hand. “I’m from Texas. We’re tough. Thank you for checking on me, though. I appreciate your concern.”

  “Alrighty then, you take care now.” He pointed in her general vicinity. “You might want to go inside the building and cool off,” he suggested, then gave her a nod and continued walking.

  “Only a hundred and six,” she muttered, observing his spry gait as he strode away. How could it be possible that she hadn’t seen a drop of perspiration on him, while she was sweating more profusely than the time she’d taken that horrible hot
yoga class?

  As she was about to heed the man’s advice and head into the building, her phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse and looked at the caller ID. Although it was preceded by the San Francisco area code of 415, she didn’t recognize the number. Normally, she let unknown calls go to voice mail, but she couldn’t risk not taking it now in case it was regarding the investigation.

  “Katherine Whitton.”

  “Hi, Katherine. This is Jade O’Brien.”

  “Oh. Hi, Jade. I didn’t recognize your number.” She put her finger in her other ear to drown out the traffic noise. “Have you heard anything from the Denver PD?”

  “No. As far as we know, the investigation is still ongoing.” Jade paused. “I’m calling because Trey called the agency looking for Adam. However, Adam’s in a closed-door meeting and asked not to be disturbed, so our receptionist transferred him to me. He sounded like he might be drinking, and considering everything going on with him, I thought it might be wise to let you know.”

  “When did you talk to him?”

  “About ten minutes ago. I don’t think he’s totally wasted, but he sounded…well…not like his usual self.”

  Katherine wasn’t sure what that meant, but it didn’t matter. At least Trey had reached out to someone. “Did he by chance tell you where he was calling from?”

  “Not at first, but I finally got it out of him. It sounded like a fake name, so I did a quick internet search. He wasn’t making it up. He’s at a place called The Gladly.”

  “The Gladly?” She frowned. Interesting name, but she’d never heard of it. “Where is it located?”

  “Downtown Phoenix,” Jade said, then rattled off the address.

  Katherine looked up at the intersection’s street signs. “I’m not far from there. I’m sure I’ll be able to find it.” She smiled, grateful the manhunt was almost over. “Thanks for calling, Jade. I appreciate it.”