by Maya Banks
Page 17
He ran a gentle finger over her mouth. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m fairly certain a man should never ask a woman what she’s thinking right after sex,” she said lightly.
“I’m fairly certain all women like to talk after sex. Well, talk and cuddle, or some girly thing like that. ”
She grinned and leaned down to kiss him. “I like the cuddle part. ”
He gathered her in his arms and rolled until they lay on their sides. “Not a talker, huh?”
She reached down and carefully rolled the condom off him. He put his hand down to stop her.
“No, I’ll do that. You don’t have to mess with it. ”
But she already had it off. She kissed him again then scooted off the bed to discard it. When she looked back, he was propped on one hand, watching her intently.
His naked body was a gorgeous sight. Even in a relaxed state, his proportions were generous to say the least.
“If you keep looking at me like that, it’s not going to stay down,” he growled.
“You only have one condom?” she asked in mock horror.
He reached over, grabbed her arm and yanked her back down beside him. “I’ll have you know, I had a case delivered. ”
She snorted with laughter. “A case? Are you planning an orgy?”
“I may have exaggerated…slightly. But only slightly,” he said with a sly grin.
“That’s good to know. I’d hate to think I was under that kind of pressure. ”
He tweaked her nose then followed up with a kiss. “Somehow I think you could hold up quite well. ”
She cuddled deeper into his embrace. She hadn’t lied about the cuddling part or the talking part. Well, maybe about the talking part. In truth, she’d love to bare her soul, learn all his secrets, tell him all hers.
Tell him how much she loved…
She froze. For a moment she simply couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t as if she’d just fallen in love with the man. No, it had probably been coming for a while now. But she hadn’t admitted it. Hadn’t even thought it much less said it aloud.
Yeah, it was there in the background just waiting for the time when she let it slip in. She’d been so good—or so she thought—about keeping her emotional distance.
She loved this man. Her heart seized. It was a painful admission. Wasn’t figuring out you were in love supposed to be accompanied by fireworks, a fanfare, a giddy thrill? Wasn’t it supposed to be the most wonderful thing in the world?
Why then did she have the sudden urge to run to the bathroom and throw up?
“We have options,” Evan said.
She blinked and focused her attention back on the here and now and the fact she was in bed after hot, sweaty sex with the man she…loved.
It was all she could do not to groan.
“What options?” she asked huskily.
“I can feed you. I can make mad, passionate love to you again. Or we can take a short nap and then do either option one or two. Or both. See? I’m easy. ”
She smiled and squeezed him. She did love him. It scared her to death just how much she loved him, and now that she’d admitted it, she was flooded by so much emotion. It was all she could do not to blurt it out like some teenage girl with her first crush.
“Am I staying over?” she asked. She hadn’t wanted to assume, but she needed to know before she started choosing options.
He leaned up and cradled her so he looked down at her. “Of course. That is, if you want to. If you didn’t bring clothes to go to work in, I can have my driver take you home. ”
She swallowed. “I did bring clothes. But if he takes me to work, I’m without a car. It would probably be best if he did take me home early enough for me to get my car. I can dress here. ”
He looked for a moment like he’d say something but then evidently he thought better of it and didn’t push. She wondered what he’d wanted to say, but like him, she didn’t push.
“All right. I’ll make sure we get an early enough wake-up call for you to shower and get ready here before he takes you home to get your car. ”
Unable to resist, she kissed him. It wasn’t a playful little peck this time, but a warm, deep kiss that showed without words the depth of her feelings.
When she finally drew away, his eyes were glazed with passion, but there was also contentment that she didn’t want to speculate about.
“In that case, I vote we go with eat, mad passionate love and then sleep,” she murmured.
“Sold. ”
A half hour later, they sat cross-legged on the bed, devouring the room service Evan had ordered. She was swallowed up by one of his robes, and he was wearing a pair of boxer shorts.
She ate indelicately, with her fingers, foregoing the utensils. It was finger food anyway, and it was too
scrumptious to be all highbrow about eating it.
They were nearly done when it hit her that she still hadn’t broached the subject of the baseball game.
Where before she’d felt a little awkward about bringing it up during what was obviously an illicit rendezvous, here with Evan, she was completely at ease.
“Tell me your plans for the rest of the week. Are you returning to Seattle until our presentation on Friday?”
He cocked his head and studied her intently. “That depends, I suppose. ”
“On what?”
“On whether I have a reason to stay. ”
Her cheeks warmed. His meaning couldn’t have been more clear. Her mouth suddenly went dry and she gulped a mouthful of water.
“I meant to invite you to the Tide season opener. I have tickets. Good tickets. Are you interested?”
He looked a little surprised, and for a moment she wondered if she’d overstepped her boundries. But then he smiled. A genuine, warm smile that told her he was pleased with her invitation.
“I’d love to go. It’s Thursday night, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “I could pick you up and drive us over. ”
His eyes gleamed, and for a moment she could swear he looked victorious. Over what, she hadn’t a clue.
“Just tell me what time, and I’ll be waiting with bells on. ”
“It starts at seven, so I’ll be here around five-thirty. ”
“I’m looking forward to it already. ”
She relaxed. Things were shaping up perfectly. She’d take him to the game and introduce him to Noah afterward. Then she’d wow him the next morning with a kick-ass presentation. The deal was hers. In the bag. She couldn’t contemplate any other outcome.
Golden Gate and Athos Koteas might be coming on strong, but they didn’t have Noah Hart, and they damn sure didn’t have her ideas. Ideas she knew were perfect for Evan and his company.
This was hers.
Evan reached out to wipe a smudge from the corner of her mouth. She glanced down to see his food gone and most of hers, as well. And the way he was looking at her, she had a good idea what was for dessert.
“Give me two seconds to clear this away and roll the cart out into the hall and we’ll get on with option two, although I’m thinking that option three should be significantly delayed. ”
She raised an eyebrow and her heart started tripping double time.
“Oh? How delayed?”
“Very delayed,” he said silkily. “I’m thinking option two could be divided into options three, four, five…”
In response, she untied her robe and tugged it away until she sat naked on the bed.
Fifteen
Celia pulled into one of the reserved parking spaces at the stadium and cut the engine. She glanced over at Evan. “Ready?”
He looked out the windshield at the proximity of their space and the stadium entrance and whistled in appreciation.
“These must be some tickets you have. ”
She smiled. “I told you they’re good. ”
They got out and Celia led the way. Normally she would have gone
in through the players’ entrance, but she didn’t want to tip her hand just yet, so they headed through the main gate just as everyone else did.
Evan waited for her while she went through security and had her bag screened and then they had their tickets scanned and walked in the direction of the field.
Since she’d handled the tickets, she knew he hadn’t seen them and she couldn’t wait to get his reaction to the behind the home plate VIP tickets she’d scored from Noah.
Several minutes later, and after navigating two entrances, they entered the field above the home plate.
She flashed her tickets and an usher led them down the steps to a box of seats directly behind the batter’s box.
He motioned them into the row and Celia settled in the seat four rows up from the bottom.
“Wow,” Ethan said as he took his seat beside her. “I mean, wow. How the hell did you get these tickets? They must have cost a fortune. Not to mention they’ve been sold out. I know because I’ve tried to get them. ”
“I know people,” she said smugly.
He eyed her curiously. “I’m beginning to get the impression you do. ”
They caught the tail end of batting practice and then settled back as the field was watered and prepared for the start of the game.
Evan relaxed in his seat and knocked his shades down over his eyes. It was exceptionally sunny today and there was absolutely no cloud or fog cover. It was a perfect day for baseball.
In typical business-geek style, his gaze roved over the fans, looking for those who wore Reese designs.
If Celia had her way, a lot more normal, everyday people would want to wear his line of sportswear.
He turned when he heard Celia talking to a hot dog vendor. She twisted to look at Evan. “You want something?”
“Whatever you’re having,” he replied.
He dug into his wallet to pay the vendor, but the older man smiled and waved him off.
“Our Cece is taken care of. No charge for her. ”
Evan watched the banter between Celia and the vendor in utter bemusement. They chattered about batting averages, who to watch in the coming season and the travesty that had occurred the previous season when the Tide had finished one game back from the division leader.
“They’ll win the pennant this year,” Celia consoled. “Noah is in top form. He was only warming up his bat last year. ”
The vendor nodded enthusiastically. “I believe you’re right, Miss Cece. He got hot and the season ended. ”
Celia turned and made an expression like she’d forgotten something.
“Oh, my manners are horrible. Please forgive me. Evan, this is Henry Dockett. He’s worked here since the stadium was built thirty years ago. He knows everything there is to know about everything around here. Henry, this is Evan Reese. ”
Evan extended his hand to shake the older man’s and Henry’s face lit up.
“You’re the Evan Reese from Reese Enterprises?”
Evan smiled. “One and the same. ”
Henry nodded approvingly. “Good place for you to be then. Miss Cece will show you a good time. ”
Someone else signaled for Henry and he nodded at Evan and Celia. “I’ll be back later on to check on you, Miss Cece. ”
She smiled and patted Henry on the arm and thanked him for the hot dogs.
When she turned back in her seat, Evan leaned over to take his hot dog from her lap.
“Do you have everyone eating out of your hand,Miss Cece? ”
She actually blushed and ducked her head.
“Henry is an old friend. ”
Evan chuckled, delighted at the rosy bloom of her cheeks.
“Do you have any other surprises in store for me today?”
“Maybe,” she mumbled around a bite of hot dog.
The Tide took the field, and the very first batter walked. Celia groaned her dismay along with the rest of the crowd.
“Our pitching has been what’s let us down in the past,” she whispered to Evan.
He didn’t have the heart to tell her that not only did he know, but he could quote the stats for every one of the Tide’s pitching roster.
“This year should be better,” Evan consoled.
She nodded. “Soren is our best. He usually starts cold, though. If we can get out of the first inning, he’s awesome. ”
Again Evan grinned and sat back to watch. Celia bolted from her seat when the second batter grounded to second and Noah scooped, tossed to the shortstop who turned the double play to first.
Evan could swear that Noah looked straight at Celia and winked. He looked between the two and finally shook off the absurd notion.
Soren struck out the next batter and the Tide was up to bat. Celia clutched her hands like an anxious mother. Todd Cameron, the lead off, looked up at Celia as he headed to the plate, grinned and waved.
Celia waved and blew him a kiss.
Evan stared but didn’t say anything. Things just got stranger and stranger. He was willing to put the first off as a fluke, but when the third batter came up and gave Celia a thumbs-up, he wondered what the hell he was missing.
After the batter flied out to center field, advancing the two runners on a sacrifice, Evan leaned over, intending to ask Celia exactly what he was missing out on, but she put her hand on his arm and squeezed hard.