Back on Track: Strangers on a Train

by Donna Cummings

  Even though he was Matt Kearns.

  She had made herself dizzy. And she might have sprained a brain cell or two.

  He was so easygoing, and fun, and completely different than she had expected a baseball superstar would be. Of course, he could be all of those things because he thought she had no idea he was a famous sports star. Although she hated the deception, it was the only way they could truly enjoy each other’s company.

  Not that he would be thrilled if he ever discovered she’d known all along who he was. She winced at the thought.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “You didn’t. I think I drank a little too much wine.”

  He smiled. “That’s the tricky part of being on a wine train. There’s a lot of wine around.”

  “I’ll say.”

  He slipped out of his side of the booth and came over to sit next to her. Before she could think to protest, he was pressed to her side, his arm wrapped around her protectively.

  How could she try to resist that? Why would she want to?

  Chapter Four

  She had to be the craziest woman he’d ever met, and Matt couldn’t get enough of her.

  Here she was telling lies about dating Matt Kearns, a man she’d obviously not met, and he’d never been so entertained in his life. The worst part was wanting to convince her that Matt was no good for her so that she’d make their “break” a permanent one, giving him—the real Matt Kearns—a chance to date her.

  He had lost his mind. All because of her.

  She was doing a great job of making him forget about going down to Triple A to rehab his arm. For the past hour, he hadn’t worried at all about his less-than-stellar future. Hell, she was even getting him to rethink his resistance to that charity that wanted him to pose half-naked for its calendar.

  Thank goodness she wasn’t the one asking him to be in it. There wasn’t any way he could tell her no. Not after today.

  Allie made him think the future was going to be just fine. No lie. The best part? It felt like they had something special going on between them.

  All he had to do was make her forget about that Matt Kearns guy.

  “So were you really born in the back of a taxi?”

  He felt her stiffen and almost wished he hadn’t asked, but there was so much he wanted to know about this woman who had dated the faux Matt Kearns. He still had his arm around her, and he smoothed his fingers down her arm, intending to give comfort. It apparently worked, because she turned toward him and smiled.

  “That’s something I’ve never told anyone. It’s kind of embarrassing.”

  “Why?” he said with a laugh. “It’s not like it was your fault.”

  She chuckled, her eyes lighting up with mischief. It made his heart give a thud for some reason. “I was too impatient to get my life moving, I guess.”

  “It sounds like you did a lot of that. Living in hotels, starting out life in a taxi.”

  She blushed, but then her chin came up, defiantly. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before pressing his lips to the same spot. A hint of something exotic tickled his nose. She wasn’t the type to wear a delicate floral scent. She was bolder, and more than a little outrageous. She was just his type.

  He never would have guessed it before today.

  She turned her head slightly. “If you keep doing that, I might need you to repeat your question.”

  He kissed the shell of her ear, treasuring each of the heavy breaths that resulted. “It wasn’t really a question. More of a comment.”

  “Well, that’s a relief.”

  “But I do have another question.” He nuzzled her neck, enjoying the way she ducked her head and the goose bumps that instantly appeared on her skin.

  “Then stop tickling me. If you expect me to answer.”

  “This?” He nipped at her earlobe. “This is making you ticklish?”

  She shook her head. “No. Not that.”

  He ran a trail of kisses down the side of her neck. Which was easy to do, since she had tilted her head to the side for that exact purpose. “This makes you ticklish?”

  “Yesssss.”

  Her soft moan of pleasure was almost too much for him to bear. The train wasn’t designed for quickie trysts, but he couldn’t think about much else. The way she kept responding to his touch—

  “You’re trying to keep from answering my questions, aren’t you?”

  “I’m happy to answer your questions. If that’s how you want to spend our time together.”

  “It’s not easy to do much more than ask and answer questions.”

  Her breath caught. “True. So it’s my turn.”

  “Now we’re talking,” he said.

  She laughed. “I meant my turn to ask you some questions.”

  He grabbed his wineglass, but it was empty. “Damn. There goes that option.”

  She wrapped her arms around his and squeezed, laughing. “Don’t be afraid. I promise I’ll be gentle with you.”

  “So we’re telling the truth now, right?”

  “Of course!”

  He practically snorted at her way-too-innocent expression, her widened eyes intensifying the blue color. In that moment, he didn’t care what was true and what wasn’t. He was drowning in sensation, having her pressed close against him. She felt real, more real than any woman he’d had near him in ages. He knew they had another hour or two together, and that was it. But he didn’t want it to be done.

  Which surprised the hell out of him.

  He laced his fingers through hers, smoothing his thumb across her skin. “So what did you want to ask me?”

  She nibbled on her lip, her eyes narrowing as though she was going through a number of potential questions. His heart bounced around while he wondered what she most wanted to know about him. It made him nervous thinking about being so exposed. Which was ridiculous, because he’d told her all along who he was.

  Maybe it was because he wanted her to know him. The real Matt, not the superstar one. Or possibly the former superstar Matt. Depending on how things went with his arm.

  “Why haven’t you dated for a while?”

  He nearly did a double take. That wasn’t the question he was expecting. And he’d have to take a couple of minutes to come up with an answer.

  All of a sudden, it was important that he give her the right information. Not only so they could enjoy the rest of their time together on the train, but so they might have a chance for more time with each other once this excursion was over.

  His expression must have been too serious, because she wagged her index finger near his nose. “Don’t try to give me any nonsense about the tough life of a baseball superstar, buddy. I know what that’s all about.”

  “True. And whenever I try to forget, you love to remind me about you and Matt Kearns.” He scooted closer, placing his arm around her shoulders again. “Although why you would want to think about him when you have me here—I can’t figure that one out.”

  She chuckled, leaning her head against his chest, and he nearly sighed with contentment. “It’s as much of a mystery as why you keep bringing him back into our conversation.”

  He gave her a squeeze, loving the way she squealed in protest. “You’re the one who brought him up this time.”

  “So,” she prompted. “Nice way to duck the question, by the way. Now I’m imagining all kinds of horrible possibilities.”

  “About?” He’d already forgotten the question. Holding her close like this made it hard to think straight.

  “About why you haven’t dated for a while. Like maybe you live in the basement, with your mother and your maiden aunt.”

  “I don’t have a maiden aunt.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  “And I’ve discovered the attic is actually a lot more comfortable.”

  She giggled. “But it must cramp your style. Dating-wise.”

  He expelled a huge sigh. “True. Mother hates when I bring wome
n home, and women hate when I bring Mother along on our dates.”

  She shuddered. “No wonder you pretend to be Matt Kearns when you finally leave the house. I would too.”

  He buried a laugh in her hair. When was the last time he’d had this much fun?

  He finally leaned his head back so he could see her face. He opened his mouth to answer but found himself nervous about abandoning their bantering. It was a nice refuge, their little game of lies. But he also wanted her to know how he truly felt about her, as crazy as it was.

  “I haven’t dated for a long time because—”

  She lifted her eyebrows, waiting for his answer.

  “Because it always felt like work. Or an audition or job interview. It wasn’t enjoyable.” He smoothed his hand down her arm. “I know it sounds crazy, but I haven’t had this much fun in about a million years. I—”

  Before he could finish, the waiter stopped by their table, bringing their dessert. He was a real pro, not even hesitating when he saw both of them on the same side of the table. He merely set their plates down and silently poured some of the ice wine into a glass for Matt to taste.

  Matt removed his arm from around Allie and slid the glass toward her. “I think you know more about this than I do.”

  She swirled the glass before taking a delicate swallow. A slow smile appeared. “Perfect,” she said. The waiter glanced at Matt, and they were both thinking the same thing. Perfect was the best description. Of Allie.

  “Enjoy,” the waiter said.

  “I definitely will,” Matt answered.

  “I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed,” the waiter added in a voice only Matt could hear, earning himself a huge tip.

  After the waiter left, Matt watched Allie take a bite of the dessert she’d chosen—something with chocolate, and filled with chocolate, and covered all over the top with chocolate. The pure bliss on her face nearly made him spill his wine. He shifted in his seat, trying to find a comfortable spot, which was next to impossible at that moment. Hell, it was going to be impossible the whole rest of the train ride.

  He practically stabbed the dessert in front of him.

  “Ooh, that looks good,” Allie said. “Can I have some?”

  She’s talking about the food, he told his body. But it wasn’t convinced. Her voice was soft and sensual and filled with desire. He couldn’t resist anything she wanted.

  With his fork filled to overflowing with the lemon raspberry thing he’d ordered, he lifted it, holding it out toward her.

  Her eyes sparked with something fiery and exciting. It made his hand wobble, and it was a wonder he didn’t drop the damn thing in his lap. Before he could guess what she might do, Allie leaned forward the tiniest bit, her mouth open.

  He inched the cake closer and bit back a groan when her lips sealed themselves around the dessert, her eyes locked on his the entire time. When he slid the fork away, her pink tongue darted out, moistening her lips to catch a stray crumb.

  He wanted so much to taste her.

  He leaned forward. Allie tilted her head at just the right angle. His breath came faster, waiting for their lips to touch. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her. No matter what lying words tumbled out of her mouth, her body’s reactions were truthful. He was sure of that.

  The train hit a bend in the track, bouncing the car, jolting them off balance. Matt wrapped his arms around Allie to keep her safe, and she fell against him. He heard her sigh right before she looped her hands around his neck and pulled his head toward hers.

  He’d been resisting all afternoon and didn’t have any more left in him. Her lips were soft and inviting. Normally he would be suspicious of a woman who made the first move, but there was no artifice in Allie. At least, not in the way she kissed him. She seemed tentative, as if she wasn’t entirely sure of his response. He tightened his arms, holding the nape of her neck, leaving her with no uncertainty about his feelings.

  She moaned, and his body hardened, instantly. He nibbled on her lip, hoping to hear her moan again, even knowing that what he wanted to do right then wasn’t possible. He nearly groaned his frustration. “Where can we go?” she asked.

  He rested his forehead against hers. His mind was so far gone, he thought she’d taken the words right out of his mouth. As close as they were, it could have been possible, but in the next heartbeat he realized she wanted the same thing he did.

  He closed his eyes and placed a kiss at her temple. “There’s nowhere to go,” he said. “Not unless we jump off the train.”

  She glanced over his shoulder, looking out the window. “It might work.”

  He laughed, giving her a squeeze. “It’s been a few years since I’ve had to do the stop, drop and roll routine.”

  “I’m sure we’ve had enough wine that we’re all loose and easy. That should keep the injuries to a minimum.”

  He pulled her closer. “Yeah, but as much as I’d like to get us into a room with a bed, I don’t want it to be a hospital room.”

  She kissed him again. “You do have a point.” She rubbed against him. “An excellent point actually.”

  He was tempted to ask how he compared to the infamous Matt Kearns…but then he saw a small crowd hovering nearby, ignoring their waiter’s pleas to stay away. One of them had their camera phone trained on him and Allie.

  “Oh, hell.”

  Chapter Five

  While Matt practically ran through the train, trying to stay ahead of the devoted fans, Allie couldn’t think of anything but him and his chest—his naked chest—with her hands all over it.

  It was no longer a matter of seeing him on the cover of a calendar, with her client praising her for accomplishing the impossible. Now it was all about taking care of her needs and what she wanted. She could tell herself this was about ditching that dating slump, but it wasn’t even close to the truth.

  He held her hand as they navigated the narrow aisles. When they reached the connector area between the two cars, she tugged, halting him so she could catch her breath. He turned around, his face creased with concern. She smiled to let him know she was okay, but clearly there was something else giving away her thoughts, because his lips tilted up in a knowing manner. Obviously this happened to him a lot. He was a sports star.

  Allie nearly stumbled on that thought. Oh God. Did he think she was another groupie trying to add a celebrity notch to her belt?

  No, he couldn’t. She’d convinced him she didn’t know who he was. She’d told him she dated a version of him that didn’t exist.

  Now she was making her head spin again.

  She probably shouldn’t have kissed him. He was a celebrity, and it didn’t make sense to kiss him. But kissing rarely involved good sense. That’s what made it so delicious.

  And his kisses were off-the-charts delicious. The swaying motion of the train bumped her against him once more, and his arms folded around her as if they’d been designed for that reason. She braced her palms against his rock-hard chest, and then, since they were alone, her hands smoothed up his chest to his neck, wrapping around it and pulling him down for another kiss.

  He didn’t hesitate. The expression on his face was the clue she’d been looking for: he wanted this as much as she did. His arms pulled her tighter against him, rocking his body against hers in the most wonderful way. Why didn’t all first kisses happen on a train? It was the most intriguing sensation. She stepped closer, and his head tilted so he could deepen the kiss.

  She kept telling herself this was madness. How could she kiss someone without letting him know she knew who he was? But her brain was overruled.

  Thankfully.

  Because it was the most intense kiss she’d ever experienced.

  Heat radiated off him, intensifying the woodsy, clean scent he wore. Allie could taste a hint of the sweet wine they’d shared earlier. She pulled back to see his expression, and then she leaned in again. His lips tilted into a grin of extreme satisfaction before he claimed her mouth once more.

  That ga
ve her the shot of courage she needed. No more second thoughts. How could she get herself back on track if she hesitated at every second? It wasn’t her style at work, so she had to adopt that mindset for her personal life too.

  Allie smiled up at him and winked. His fingers tightened on hers, a silent signal that he would follow wherever she was going.

  She pushed on the door to enter the rail car. It was almost impossible to open, but it finally did, once Matt gave it an extra push with his superstar arms. Allie nearly shivered at the thought of what she was doing. It was crazy. And she so wanted to be crazy right now.

  She saw the Restroom sign and ducked into the miniscule room with Matt following right behind her. There wasn’t time to think twice about her decision. She turned, and his arms were around her. He pulled her into his body, leaning against the door at the same time, and she felt his arousal and his racing heartbeat and knew there was nothing better than this moment.

  “Perfect,” she murmured, right before she captured his mouth with her own. His lips were soft yet insistent, as if he’d been wanting this as long as she had. She wrapped her arms around his neck, stroking the tendrils of hair that escaped his hat, wishing he wasn’t wearing the thing. He must have read her mind, because he snatched it off and tucked it into his back pocket without moving his mouth from hers.

  “What a pro,” she murmured.

  “An all-star,” he said with a grin against her lips.

  Her heart lurched for a moment. Had he figured out she knew who he was? She didn’t think so. How could he?

  And why was she worried about that right now? His body was solid everywhere, and it was pressed so tightly against hers, it was leaving a lasting impression.

  Matt held her by her waist while he nibbled on her lips, dotting kisses down her neck, following each shiver-inducing kiss with another one until her nipples tightened up, begging for his attention.

  He smoothed his hands up her rib cage, his thumbs reaching her breasts first, and Allie’s knees nearly buckled. She leaned into his chest, for support and to slow things down.

  “Too much?”