The petite woman would have gone down hard—she’d ricocheted of his barrel chest like a ping pong ball—but Drake reached out with surprising speed and caught her.
“Whoa there, teeny thing. You okay?” He looked down at the petite redhead in his arms.
The nurse blushed so hard her face matched her hair. “I’m fine, thanks. Excuse me.” She stepped out of his embrace and glanced around the room quickly and left. Paulson’s gaze lingered on her retreating form.
Peter slapped him on the back. “Happens to us all, man.”
Drake muttered distractedly, “Yeah, what’s that, Walskie?”
“The fall.”
His eyes lit up. “You know, I’ve been thinking about taking a break from my breather. You know, get back in the swing of things.” He slapped Peter’s shoulder. “I’ll be back.” Then he stepped through the archway and disappeared out of sight.
“Hey, coach.”
Peter turned to JP and smiled, shaking his hand. “What’s up, my man?”
“Can you believe Cutter’s about to become a dad?”
He shook his head and grinned. “It’s crazy, isn’t it?”
JP nodded. “Yeah. Hey, what’d you bet on—boy or girl?”
“Boy. Eight pounds even.” He had a lucky feeling about it too.
“How are you liking the new position?” The shortstop asked.
The Rush management had offered him a permanent position as their pitching coach after he’d healed from his eye surgery. It was his first season with the team on this side of things and he’d been surprised at just how much he enjoyed it. It was great, actually.
“I’m liking it a lot. Keeps me around you knuckleheads. You know somebody’s got to keep an eye on you.”
Leslie sidled up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. His stomach flopped and his palms went damp. The woman still did that to him. You’d think he’d be used to it by now, but no. It was still damn disconcerting.
“I love you.” She whispered against his ear.
Though she said it daily, it gave him a thrill every single time. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to it. “You too, princess.”
Life was a funny thing. Just when a person thought it was only going to go from bad to worse, it went and threw a curveball. It became amazing.
Mark burst through the door to the waiting room, turning everyone’s attention. “It’s a boy! A perfect, incredible boy!” The look of wonder on his face had Peter smiling.
Before anyone could congratulate the catcher he disappeared again, leaving Peter to say to Leslie over his shoulder, “You know I want like, eight, right? Enough for a whole team.”
She pinched his butt. “Not going to happen, Kowalskin.”
He spun around and wiggled his brows, giving her a naughty grin. “That’s okay. The fun is in the trying.”
She tossed back her head and laughed. “In your dreams.”
Yeah, it had been in his dreams. But then he’d grown some balls. And now, now his reality was amazing.
Because it included Leslie.
STEALING HOME
PLAYING THE FIELD
STEALING HOME
RAISING HIS GLASS, he smiled and said, “To the rodeo. May you ride your bronc well.”
Color singed Lorelei’s cheeks as they tapped their glasses. But her eyes remained on his while he took a long pull of smooth, aged whiskey.
Then she spoke, her voice low. “I’ll make your head spin, cowboy. That I promise.”
That surprised a laugh out of him, even as heat began to pool heavy in his groin. “I’ll drink to that.” And he did. He lifted the glass and drained it, suddenly anxious to get on to the next stage. A drop of liquid shimmered on her full bottom lip and it beckoned him. Reaching an arm out, Mark pulled her close and leaned down. With his eyes on hers, he slowly licked the drop off, his tongue teasing her pouty mouth until she released a soft moan.
Arousal coursed through him at the provocative sound. Pulling her more fully against him, Mark deepened the kiss. Her lush little body fit perfectly against him and her lips melted under the heat of his. He slid a hand up her back and fisted the dark, thick mass of her long hair. He loved the feel of the cool, silky strands against his skin.
He wanted more.
Tugging gently, Mark encouraged her mouth to open for him. When she did, his tongue slid inside and tasted, explored the exotic flavor of her. Hunger spiked inside him and he took the kiss deeper. Hotter. She whimpered into his mouth and dug her fingers into his hair, pulled. Her body began pushing against his, restless and searching.
Mark felt like he’d been tossed into an incinerator when he pushed a thigh between her long, shapely legs and discovered the heat there. He groaned and rubbed his thigh against her, feeling her tremble in response.
Suddenly she broke the kiss and pushed out of his arms. Her breathing was ragged, her lips red and swollen from his kiss. Confusion and desire mixed like a heady concoction in his blood, but before he could say anything she turned and began walking toward the hallway to his bedroom.
At the entrance she stopped and beckoned to him. “Come and get me, catcher.”
So she wanted to play did she? Hell yeah. Games were his life.
Mark toed off his shoes as he yanked his sweater over his head and tossed it on the floor. He began working the button of his fly and strode after her. He was a little unsteady on his feet, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to catch her. When he entered his room he found her by the bed. She’d turned on the bedside lamp, and the light illuminated every gorgeous inch of her curvaceous body.
He started toward her, but she shook her head. “I want you to sit on the bed.”
Mark walked to her anyway and gave her a deep, hungry kiss before he sat on the edge of the bed. He wondered what she had in store for him and felt his gut tighten in anticipation. “Are you going to put on a show for me?” God, that’d be so hot if she did.
All she said was “Mmm hmm,” and turned her back to him. Mark let his eyes wander over her body and decided her tight round ass in denim was just about the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
When his gaze rose back up he found her smiling over her shoulder at him. “Are you ready for the ride of your life, cowboy?”
