Grand Slam: A Winning Ace Novel (Book 3)

by Tracie Delaney

  Tally hung her bag over the back of a chair. “I did puke before the match. Brad nearly had a heart attack.”

  Cash sat upright, a deep frown pulling his eyebrows together. “He never said anything. Are you okay?” He held out his arms, beckoning her over.

  “I’m fine. I asked Brad not to say anything. You didn’t exactly need the worry before the match.”

  Cash tugged her down beside him. “It’s my job to worry about you and this little one.” He laid his hand across her stomach.

  Tally rolled her eyes. “Come on, ace. Don’t go all caveman on me.”

  Cash moved so quickly Tally barely had time to think before she found herself beneath him, his legs and arms caging her.

  “Are you taunting me, McKenzie?”

  Tally grinned. “You make it so easy.”

  Cash arched an eyebrow. “Payback time.” He began to tickle her, and she giggled and writhed beneath him, but as quickly as he’d started, he stopped. He drew back and studied her face, his expression sombre.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I can’t lose you again,” he said, his voice tinged with fear and sorrow.

  Tally reached up and cradled his face, lightly scraping her fingertips through his beard. “You’re not going to lose me. We’ve had our share of bad luck, ace. We have so much to look forward to.” She dropped one hand and placed it over her stomach.

  Cash settled his hand over hers. “You’re right. We do.”

  25

  “Here,” Cash said, tossing a room service menu at Natalia. “You pick.”

  As Natalia rang room service to order their breakfast, Cash drifted over to the window. He flexed his right hand. His joints were stiff. Liam had warned him this might happen. Hours on the practice court followed by four matches on the bounce—it wasn’t too surprising his hand felt sore. At least he’d made the final, albeit at a small tournament. But it was a start.

  “You can’t hide it from me.”

  Cash glanced down when Natalia laid a hand on his back. His face twisted in a grimace, and he shrugged. “It’s fine.”

  “Come with me,” she said, leading him over to the sofa. She urged him to sit. Reaching behind her, she picked up a brown bottle and unscrewed the lid before pouring what looked like olive oil into her hands.

  “What’s that?”

  “Massage oil. Give,” she said, holding her hand out, palm up.

  “You don’t have to do this,” he said, placing his right hand in hers.

  “I know.” She began to rub his joints, one at a time, and gradually, the stiffness receded. “I’ve always loved your hands,” she said with a shy smile as she removed the excess oil with a damp cloth.

  “I love them when they’re exploring your body,” he said, drawing a laugh from her.

  “You have a one-track mind.”

  He tugged on her arm, and she fell into his lap. He drew her mouth towards his, her lips warm, soft, and achingly familiar. Cash groaned when a knock at the door interrupted his intentions.

  “I’ll get it,” she said, clambering off his lap.

  “Perfect fucking timing,” he muttered, glowering at the waiter as he placed their breakfast on the dining table. He’d never stayed at this hotel before, and if they were going to be that fucking efficient with room service, he wouldn’t be staying again.

  Natalia saw the waiter out and sat at the table. She dug her fork into a pile of scrambled eggs and made a contented sound.

  “Have you decided whether you’re playing Madrid or Rome yet?” she said, reaching for the salt.

  Cash cut into his omelette. “I’m not playing either.”

  Her mouth twisted in a wry grimace. “Why?”

  “It’s too soon.”

  “Mentally, or physically?”

  Cash met her gaze. “Both. I need a couple more two-fifties under my belt and maybe one or two five hundreds before I tackle the masters.”

  “So Geneva, then, in a fortnight? Or would you prefer Lyon?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t suppose it matters.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  He captured her hand, the feel of her skin comforting him. “You’ll be back at work by then. You’ve only got another week off, and I hate the thought of doing this without you.”

  Natalia sighed as realisation dimmed the earlier sparkle in her eyes. She dropped her fork with a clang. “This isn’t going to work, is it?”

  Panic swarmed his insides. Oh God, she’d changed her mind about them getting back together. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m going to have to resign from work.”

  Even as relief coursed through him, Cash shook his head. “But you love your job.”

  She rose from her chair and nestled into his lap, her hands curving around the back of his head. “I love you more.”

  His heart squeezed as he brushed his lips over hers. “I don’t want you to feel you have no other choice.”

  She shrugged. “I’ll be starting maternity leave soon. All I’m doing is bringing that forward by a few weeks. And after the baby’s born, I want to take some time off anyway.”

  Hope blossomed in his chest. “And you won’t be leaving Pete in a hole?”

  She gave him a tight smile. “I hope not. I’ve messed him about so much already that I can’t help feeling bad. In a way, this will be better because at least he’ll know where he stands and can get a permanent replacement.”

  “When will you tell him?”

  Her mouth twisted in thought. “Well, if you’re not playing anywhere next week, I’ll fly back and tell him then.”

  He kissed her. “We’ll do it together.”

  As they crossed the hotel reception, Cash stopped to sign a couple of autographs and pose for selfies with some fans. Natalia melted into the background. She was so good at giving him the space to play the part he needed to play. There was a lot of interest in him since his return to the tour, but both his fans and even the press had been considerate of his privacy.

  He signed the final autograph on the peak of a baseball cap and looked around for Natalia. He spotted her sitting in one of the many chairs dotting the lobby. She was leaning forward, elbows on her knees, and seemed to be in conversation with the woman sitting opposite. The woman had her back to Cash, but there was something vaguely familiar about her posture.

  Cash set off towards them, but as he got closer, Natalia leaped to her feet. Her face flushed, and she said something to her companion, who immediately stood and began walking away. Natalia crossed over to him and linked her arm through his.

  “Ready, ace?” she said, not quite meeting his gaze.

  “Who were you talking to?”

  “No one of consequence.” Her face turned even more red. “Come on, you don’t want to be late.”

  Skin prickling at a possibility he didn’t want to acknowledge, he shook her off and began following the woman.

  “Cash, don’t.” Natalia’s pleading voice behind him added weight to his theory.

  He broke into a jog as the woman stepped into the lift. The doors began to close, but he managed to stick an arm through the gap, and they sprang back open. Cash’s hands clenched into fists, his spine rigid with fury.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  26

  “Shit, shit, shit,” he heard Natalia say as she appeared beside him, her hand clutching her belly. She tentatively touched his arm. He wrenched his shoulder upwards, shaking her off.

  “I asked you a fucking question,” he said to his former agent, Kinga, who was cowering at the back of the lift.

  “Cash, leave it. You’re going to be late for the tournament.”

  He glowered down at Natalia, his fisted hands by his side. “I don’t give a flying fuck about the tournament.”

  He turned his furious gaze back to Kinga. The last time he’d seen her was after it all came out about her being the one who’d taken the photographs of him with Gracie, his mother’s carer�
�a vicious and cruel act that had caused Natalia to think he’d cheated on her. And if memory served him correctly, he’d been very clear that he never wanted to see Kinga again.

  As the lift doors began to close once more, he grabbed her by the elbow and yanked her out.

  “You had better start talking, Kinga, and do it quick.”

  “Cash, let her go,” Natalia said. “You’re making a scene.”

  “It’s fine, Tally,” Kinga said. “I knew what I was doing coming here.”

  “So you admit it, then?” Cash said, his jaw clenched tight. “You’re here because I’m here?”

  “Yes.”

  He glared at Kinga, the muscles in his arms quivering with the effort of holding them by his side. Natalia flinched, but Cash had to give Kinga her due—she stood tall and met his gaze.

  “I nearly came to see you many times after I heard about the accident, but it didn’t seem appropriate, considering how we parted company.”

  “Appropriate?” Cash’s tone was glacial. “If you’d come to see me, I’d have stayed in the fucking coma.”

  Natalia laughed in an obvious attempt to lighten the mood, but her smile fell when Cash shot her a ferocious glare. “This is not even remotely funny.”

  “No, it isn’t,” Natalia said. “And nor is missing the final. Let’s do this later, shall we?”

  “There is no later,” Cash said. “Leave, Kinga. I have no interest in anything you have to say.”

  Cash gripped Natalia by the elbow and moved her towards the front of the hotel. Their car was waiting outside, and Cash opened the door for her, only then releasing her elbow. After he’d climbed in his side, he started the engine. His fingers whitened due to his ferocious grip on the steering wheel, but he didn’t move the car. He sat frozen in place, his gaze forward, his jaw clamped shut. When he felt calmer, he turned to look at Natalia.

  “What did she want?” he said.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t get a chance to ask her.”

  “So what did you speak about? Because I saw you talking.”

  “I thought I saw her yesterday. Yes, I know,” she said holding up her hand as Cash opened his mouth to interrupt. “I should have told you. But I wasn’t sure. When you were signing autographs, I spotted her. We’d been sitting together about thirty seconds when you saw us.”

  He released his grip on the steering wheel and flexed his hands. “I can’t go there again with her, Natalia. I can’t forgive her for trying to split us up.”

  Natalia grimaced. “After all you’ve suffered, do you really want to go through your entire life holding onto that grudge?”

  “Maybe,” he said with a shrug.

  “That’s a lot of bitterness to carry round, ace.”

  He sighed. “I know.”

  Natalia covered his hand with hers and squeezed. “There has to be a reason she’s turned up now. She’s had lots of other opportunities to get back in touch. Aren’t you even a little bit curious?”

  “Not really.”

  Natalia chuckled. “Remind me never to piss you off, ace.”

  His anger drained away, and he smiled. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and leaned in for a kiss. “You couldn’t, sweetness.”

  She caressed his cheek with her knuckles, the loving touch more than he deserved. “So are we going?”

  “Yep,” Cash said. “And based on how angry I am, I pity my opponent.”

  Tally’s eyes flew open, and she held her breath as she tried to figure out if she’d been dreaming. No, there it was again, a soft tapping noise. She turned her head. Cash was fast asleep, his hair tousled, his chest slowly rising and falling. She drew back the covers and climbed out of bed, being careful not to rock the mattress too much. She shrugged into her dressing gown and padded across the bedroom. As she opened the door to the living room of their suite, a shaft of light shone across the bed, and she hesitated, waiting for Cash to stir. When he didn’t, she closed the door behind her and stood in the centre of the living room, waiting.

  The tapping sound came again, and she approached the door and drew to a halt. Someone was outside, but the knocking was tentative and almost too quiet to hear. She peered through the peephole and then opened the door.

  “What are you doing here?” she whispered to Kinga. “It’s one in the morning.”

  “I know. I’m sorry, Tally. I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “Are you staying in this hotel?”

  Kinga nodded.

  “Okay, let’s go.” Tally picked up a key card and clicked the door shut behind her.

  She followed Kinga down the hallway and into the lift. Kinga’s room was two floors down, and only when she was inside did Tally breathe properly.

  “How did you know which room we were in?”

  Kinga had the grace to look embarrassed. “I followed you when you got back from the tournament. He did you proud.”

  Tally nodded. “He was pissed off, which is why he hammered the poor bugger. His opponent’s first final too.”

  Kinga laughed. “Cash never gave an inch, no matter who was on the other side of the net. Friend, enemy, experienced or naïve—they all get the same treatment.”

  “True,” Tally said.

  “When are you due?” Kinga pointed her chin at Tally’s stomach.

  “July sixteenth.”

  “I’m so happy for you both. It’ll be the making of him.”

  Tally smiled. “He’ll have to grow up, that’s for sure.”

  Kinga sank onto the couch. “I’m sorry, Tally.”

  “What for?”

  “I should have come when I heard about Cash’s accident. I should have been there to support you.”

  “You heard him earlier today. He wouldn’t have thanked you.”

  “Would you?”

  She shrugged. “I guess.”

  “Then I let you down, and for that, I apologise.”

  Tally sat beside Kinga and patted her hand. “I wish you could work things out. I know how much he means to you.”

  Kinga gave her a small smile. “I never did deserve you as my friend. You’re a good person, Tally.”

  “How’s William?”

  For the first time, Kinga’s face lit up. “He’s amazing. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

  “Say hi to him for me.”

  “I will.”

  The two women fell into silence. “So what’s going on?” Tally finally asked. “Why are you here?”

  Kinga pinched her nose between her thumb and index finger. “I need to speak to you both. Together.”

  “I’m not sure I can make that happen.”

  “Will you try? For me.”

  Tally chewed on her lip. “I’ll see what I can do,” she said, getting to her feet.

  Kinga saw her out, and Tally crept back to her suite. The lock beeped as she inserted the key card. She opened the door as quietly as she could and slipped inside. The room was still in darkness, and all was quiet. She let out the breath she’d been holding. She’d be able to sneak back into bed without Cash suspecting a thing. At least that would give her some time to figure out how to broach the Kinga subject before they were due to fly back to the UK.

  She tiptoed across the living room and pushed open the door to their bedroom. Her side of the bed was still rumpled, the sheets scrunched where she’d tossed them aside.

  And unfortunately for her, the bed was empty.

  She jumped when a lamp in the living room came on. She slowly turned around. Cash was sitting in an armchair, one ankle crossed over the opposing knee.

  “Where have you been?” he said softly.

  “Busted,” Tally said with a smile, hoping to defuse the approaching situation. “I thought you’d still be asleep.”

  He shrugged. “I must have sensed you weren’t next to me.”

  She walked over to him and knocked his foot off his knee, allowing her space to climb into his lap. She curved her hands around his face and leaned in for a
kiss. Relief hit her when he relented, and his mouth moved softly over hers. His hands curved underneath her backside, and he stood, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist. He carried her into the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed. After crawling in beside her, he drew her close, his front to her back, his hand protectively resting on her belly.

  “So has Kinga told you what she wants yet?”

  She stiffened in his arm. “How did you know?”

  “I didn’t until you just confirmed it.”

  She twisted her head and looked over her shoulder. “Sorry for sneaking out.”

  “No, I’m sorry for making you feel you had to.”

  Tally held back her surprise. Cash seemed calmer about Kinga than he’d been earlier that day. “She wants to talk to us both together.”

  Cash sighed. “Of course she does. Nothing like a bit of drama to make Kinga happy.”

  “Then you will?”

  He pulled a face. “Best get it over with.”

  27

  “Thank you for coming.”

  Cash ignored Kinga’s waved hand inviting him to sit. Instead, he paced, his hands resting low on his hips. Natalia tried to catch his eye, no doubt as a way of telling him to sit the fuck down, so he purposely avoided meeting her gaze. Since reconciling, he found it difficult to refuse her anything, and he knew if he glanced across, her pleading look would be impossible to ignore.

  “What’s this about, Kinga?” Cash said, his tone clipped and cold. “I thought the last time we spoke I made myself perfectly clear that it was, in fact, the last fucking time.”

  Kinga’s trembling hands were clasped in her lap, the knuckles white as she was clenching so tightly. “You did. And I had every intention of respecting your wishes.”

  “But then, as usual, you decided to do what’s best for you.”

  Kinga flinched. “That’s not fair.”

  Cash made a big deal of looking at his watch. “Can we get this over with, please? I’m on a clock here.”

  “Cash, enough,” Natalia snapped. “Sit down, be quiet, and hear her out. There was no point agreeing to come if all you are going to do is act like an idiot.”