by Debra Elise
And so, he did his best whenever they were together, to find a way to remind her of what almost happened between them.
He’d do it with a look or a touch that was longer than necessary. A smile or a gaze that was longer than polite or platonic but not too long to make it obvious to others, namely their friends. The game had become, in a word, frustrating, and he was ready to speed things up.
TS needed to make sure Noel’s expectations were the same as his. Because there had been too many love connections among their friends. And this was one epidemic he was determined not to catch. First Maverick, their best pitcher, then Luke the starting catcher and then his team manager Blake. And he was sure it was only a matter of time before Connor and Reese became engaged.
He didn’t want love, didn’t have time in his life, and thanks to his parent’s dysfunctional relationship believed it wasn’t for him. Since he was seventeen, he’d worked non-stop building his first app, then his company, and it snowballed from there. He’d achieved everything he’d written down that long-ago night during his junior year in high school.
In the past fifteen years he’d done more, created more, made more money then he’d ever dreamed. More than the old man and then some. Unfortunately, his father had died before TS had finalized the purchase of the Outlaws.
He’d wanted to rub it in the bastard’s face, but a heart attack had denied him that chance. Owning a pro baseball team had been the only dream he’d ever shared with the old man then regretted it ever since. Thomas, Sr. never failed to belittle TS’ dream and reminded him every chance he got that TS got lucky with the ‘tech thing’.
He shook off the memory. The past was past, and he had plans for his future. A scaled-down future. Between the Outlaw’s second season in Pineville and the condo project, he’d come to realize those were the only things that mattered.
So, he’d begun selling off his other businesses. He planned to slow down. Take more vacations, enjoy the life he’d built for himself instead of putting it off for just one more company, one more challenge.
But today, the challenge he set for himself was a smart, if sometimes snarky woman whose curves and soulful grey eyes kept him up at night. He was done waiting, he was done playing—the real chase started now.
***
“Kelsey, come sit. Mari will be fine, she’s handled a house full of people so far, and if she wakes up fussy, I’ll take care of her. You need a break from being super Mom.” Noel popped Mari’s pacifier back in and dropped a kiss on the silky-haired infant before Kelsey put her down for a nap.
Everyone had moved into Maverick’s man cave to watch the football game while Noel had stayed with Kelsey while she nursed baby Mari who was now asleep thanks to a full tummy. For a moment, a deep longing came over Noel—for a child of her own. She’d begun to rethink her decision not to marry, to maybe someday have a child.
Her parent’s marriage had been happy, in the beginning. In the end, her father had left, and Noel had been forced to care for her ill mother and younger brothers. It had not been a stellar advertisement for happily ever after and so at an early age, she made a promise that she’d never put herself in the same position. To her, marriage seemed unnecessary and offered guaranteed heartbreak.
But now that her friends had babies, she found herself thinking maybe she could be a single mom. When she looked over at Lara to see her feeding three-month-old Andrew, a whisper filtered through her mind, “do it, Noel.”
She watched as both Kelsey and Lara put down the babies in the nursery, and a louder voice urged her to consider what she’d miss out on if she didn’t have a child of her own.
Kelsey switched on the baby monitor and picked up the remote. “Okay, let’s go join the party. We should have an hour before someone needs a diaper change.”
Noel chuckled and followed them. She still had a smile on her face when she entered the man cave, and the first person she saw was TS. He was standing in the back of the room, talking to Blake. She quickly averted her gaze but not before she noticed the heat in his eyes. He flashed her a crooked grin, damn him. He finished the drink in his hand and made his way over to her.
Kelsey whispered in her ear. “Looks like someone’s on a mission.”
Noel closed her eyes. Did anything get past her bestie? It was eerie how tuned in Kelsey was to her group of friends. Lucky me. Noel sighed.
As nonchalantly as she could, she changed direction and sat down on the smaller of the leather couches. TS filled the space next to her, and a shift in energy and heat blasted her as his muscled thigh brushed hers.
Noel looked toward Kelsey and sent her a silent SOS by rapidly blinking. When that didn’t work, she mouthed, “Help me.”
All she got was a wink and a sly smile. What the heck? She whispered, “Traitor,” then faced the TV and pretended to be interested in the game.
She closed her eyes and sent out a silent prayer to whatever higher power was available at the moment. When she opened her eyes, TS was still there. He offered her a drink and leaned back into the comfy couch, which she belated realized was a love seat and stretched out his long legs.
Maybe her prayer had been specific enough.
“You don’t mind, do you?”
Another crooked smile, and she wavered. She was tired of ignoring him. It had become a job she didn’t want anymore. She might as well accept he wasn’t going away and make the best of things.
He was sending out all kinds of signals today. Clearly, TS hadn’t forgotten their hotter than hell kiss. Dammit, why did he have to be so tempting? Pheromones, it was those damn pheromones again.
Alright, Noel, you can handle this. She searched her brain for a neutral topic— she was, after all, great at small talk. She’d had to be in her line of work. But before she could open her mouth to break the tension-filled air, the Skyhawks scored and everyone in the room roared to their feet, including TS.
He bumped her arm, and the wine in her glass splashed down her front. Instant mortification overcame her. She knew what she would find when she looked down. The blouse she was wearing was silk. A hiss of breath had her eyes flashing to his. TS’s attention had also been drawn to her shirt or rather to her chest.
An all-over body flush hit and lord help her, her body responded to his intense gaze, and her nipples stood at full attention. Seconds ticked by as a crazy standoff developed. When his gaze began to travel up and locked with hers, the heat she thought she saw earlier paled in comparison to what was now swirling in his eyes. She needed to do something. She croaked out a barely audible, “excuse me.”
Then she ran like a coward.
At the door, she pulled on her coat while Kelsey tried to convince her to stay. She begged off, saying she wasn’t feeling well. Technically it wasn’t a lie since the feeling’s TS stirred in her were going to be her undoing if she stayed any longer.
***
Four days after Thanksgiving, and TS was still thinking about Noel. And her eyes and her body’s reaction after he spilled wine on her blouse and how her nipples had puckered under his gaze. He got hard every time he thought about it.
He’d asked Lois, his secretary, to send her a replacement. The next day he received a very short, polite thank you via text. It made him hopeful because he knew she was avoiding him for the very same reason he’d decided to kick his campaign into high gear to get her into bed—undeniable, all-consuming attraction.
There’d always been something about Noel Snow. When they were teenagers, he began to see her as more than Kelsey’s shy friend and he’d thought she was starting to feel the same way. She had a wit he appreciated and grey eyes he wanted to get lost in. Then her mom had become ill, and she missed more school then she attended. Then she stopped going.
Around the same time, his mom had run out of ideas to torture his father, so she uprooted him right before his junior year. But he never forgot about Noel. He hadn’t returned to Pineville until several years ago to buy the land for the Outlaw’s stadium.
He never looked back after that. TS’s wealth had far outpaced the old man’s, but it hadn’t been enough for him; he needed more, more businesses to acquire, more real estate to develop. But he realized that acquiring more things wouldn’t banish his father’s spiteful words. “You want what I have boy, make it your damn self,” had been his father’s favorite refrain whenever Thomas Sr. was deep in the bottle.
TS loosened the death grip he had on the steering wheel. Shit. He hated it when he went down the rabbit hole that was his childhood. He relaxed his hands and turned his attention to the scenery as he drove to Maverick and Kelsey’s. He’d been invited for lunch, but really all he cared about was seeing Mari. The little girl had captured his heart the first time he held her. He loved kids, other people’s kids. As much as he’d love to have children, he knew to do it right meant two parents and for him, that wasn’t ever going to happen. He was happy with a night or two with a woman who understood there was no chance of long term with him. He’d seen enough bitterness in his parent’s marriage to convince him he wasn’t built for long-term, to him, love was an illusion.
As he continued to make his way through downtown traffic, he marveled at how much growth had taken place. He loved this city by the lake with its art-friendly atmosphere; there was a giant moose sculpture from a local children’s book penned by a local author on the corner of Main and Front that never failed to bring a smile. He passed the remodeled City Park at the base of the ever-popular Tubbs Hill edging the east end of the lake with its hiking trails, and a small cove where locals ventured to climb upon the rocks jutting out of the lake.
The more daring would launch themselves off the rocks, as he had done hundreds of times, and swim in the warm waters on a late August evening. It all made him feel connected again to the place he’d forsaken in order to find his own way.
He was glad he’d returned home. That he’d built his dream where his father had ruled—and been universally hated. Money didn’t guarantee people would like you. TS had to work hard during the building of the stadium. One of his most satisfying moments had been when he won over the city council members who remembered his father.
They were going into the third season in Pineville, and Outlaw fever had steadily grown. He and Blake and the scouts had worked hard in putting together a balanced roster of players. He wasn’t sure how much longer he’d remain general manager. It all depended on when Blake felt he wanted the role, and that would depend on if they could find someone to fill his shoes. He had an idea that Maverick may want the job once he retired. TS planned on planting that seed today.
He pulled into the driveway and laughed. Christmas was still a month away, but that hadn’t kept Kelsey from putting out the giant blow-up reindeer and Santa in their front yard. He knocked on the door and was ready to tease her about it but was greeted by a stressed-out Maverick holding a crying Mari.
“Come on in. Kelsey’s sick. Probably nothing, but she’s napping, so no lunch unless you don’t mind frozen pizza, or I could call for delivery or—”
“Maverick slow down. You uh, want some help?” TS nodded at the still upset Mari.
“Really, I mean that would be awesome, man. She’s upset because I was singing to her, and she might need a diaper change. I haven’t checked yet.” A look of gratitude filled Mav’s face.
“Sure. Besides, all women love me.” TS shut the door behind him and followed Mav into the kitchen.
“I could put her in the bouncy seat, she loves it, I think. She’s only a month old, and I’m not sure she’s made up her mind if she likes me yet.”
“Mav, just hand over the baby. And quit worrying about if your daughter likes you. I’m sure she does. Leave the worry for when she’s a teenager.”
Mari’s wailing increased. TS held out his hands. “If I can handle the whiny tabloid press, I can handle my goddaughter.” He raised his eyebrows and waited.
“True. Okay, but if she spits up or poops on you, you’ve been warned.” Maverick put Mari in TS’s arms.
TS settled the baby in the crook of his left arm and used his right hand to gently rub her head and brow. He began to softly sing, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.” She stopped crying, and with eyes wide, intently watched his mouth as he continued to sing. At least he thought she was watching him sing, she could be pooping for all he knew.
When he was done with the song, she let out a huge yawn. He looked up at Mav, “Point proven.”
Mav was shaking his head, “man she’s not a woman; she’s a baby. And if it’s true that all women love you, then how do you explain Noel, hmm?”
TS pretended he didn’t understand the question and handed the now asleep baby back to her father. “She needs a diaper change.”
“Aw, man. Why didn’t you notice before she fell asleep? I’ll be right back. There’s beer in the fridge. I’ll meet you downstairs, give me about ten minutes.”
It took twenty, and TS had finished his first beer and opened a second. He reasoned he wasn’t going back to the office, and it was the only lunch he was going to get since he didn’t trust Mav with anything except microwave popcorn.
TS handed Maverick a beer as he collapsed in his favorite chair.
“Okay. Baby’s asleep. Mama’s asleep. Let’s talk about you and Noel.” He took a long drink and sighed. “Kelsey tells me you two shared a kiss a few months back, but she’s still mad about you giving the interior design job on your condo project to that French guy. So, what’s going on?”
TS didn’t discuss his love life or rather sex life with his friends, but Noel was a special case, and maybe getting another guy’s opinion might help. “Do you really want to talk about this? Don’t you want to watch ESPN? Or we could watch game tapes?”
“Look, I’ve been there, okay. Remember what I went through with Kelsey? Let me return the favor, okay?”
Why the hell not?
“I still need to smooth things over with her concerning the job, but the thing is I can’t stop thinking about her. As in—I haven’t seen another woman in months—and short of telling her I want to take her to bed, again, and risk getting slapped in the face, I’m out of ideas. I’m pretty sure she’s interested, and from what I can gather, she’s not looking for anything permanent. And fuck, I can’t believe I’m telling you any of this.” TS took another pull on his beer.
“No, it’s good. I’ve been watching this show. It’s healthy, and shit for men to share stuff like this with their friends. Makes us better husbands and fathers. You know all the crap women love.”
TS didn’t know if he should find out more or punch Maverick for telling him he watches daytime TV.
“Right. Well, I’m not looking to be either one. I just want to get Noel into bed, out of my head, and get back to normal. Did your show say anything about how to do that?”
“Actually, no. But I have an idea. And if I didn’t think Noel was into you, then I wouldn’t feel right telling you this. And before you ask how I know she’s into you, remember who I’m married to. Kelsey has been trying to figure out a way to get you two together for a while now.”
Well, that laid to rest his worry that Kelsey might be upset if he pursued Noel. But the only ‘getting together’ he wanted to do was the horizontal kind. But he wasn’t going to tell Kelsey that. And if he and Noel did get together, she’d know upfront and agree it was a one-time thing.
“Okay, what’s your idea?” TS asked.
“I happen to know that Noel is going be spending a few days before Christmas at a cabin the girls have co-owned since their college days. And weren’t you telling me not that long ago how you wished you could take a vacation and get away from it all, you know disconnect. Well, this pl
ace doesn’t have wi-fi or electricity. It’s got a generator and a couple fireplaces. It’s about ninety minutes out of town—just far enough, ya know?”
TS smiled. Away from their regular routine and their nosy friends. It just might be the solution he was looking for. And if she wasn’t interested, then it wasn’t so far out that he couldn’t drive back home the same day.
He grinned at Maverick, “tell me more.”
CHAPTER THREE
FOUR DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
“You sure you want to go out there—alone?” Lara asked as she fed Andrew. “If your brothers get wind that you went out there, during winter, they’re not going to be happy; at you or us for letting you go.”
Noel rolled her eyes at Lara. “The forecast is calling for clear and cold temps now through Christmas. No more snow predicted. I’ll be fine.”
They were hanging out at Kelsey’s and making Christmas cookies. Noel didn’t bake, but she was happy to be the official taste tester. So far, the brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodles were her favorite. They weren’t traditional Christmas cookies but Lara had found the recipe on Pinterest, and Noel was in love. They were almost as good as sex, and since she hadn’t had any in a long time, she reasoned the cookies were worth the calories since she was currently in a dry spell.
“I’ll be fine. I need a getaway, to be honest. There’s nothing like being alone, with no distractions to bother me while I reset. I’ll be back the day before Christmas, early in the morning. Both Zach and Josh will be in town that afternoon, so they won’t know, or need to know that I was gone.”
She snuck a few more cookies and put them in a zip-top bag. “What?”
“They’re your brothers, not mine. So, if you want to incur their wrath fine.”