He raised his glove but it wasn’t in time to stop the ball,
which was coming directly at him, from hitting him squarely in the eye. The
force of it almost knocked him out and for a minute Mike literally saw stars.
He swayed on his feet, shaking his head to clear it, vaguely aware the ball
game had stopped and everyone was running toward him.
“I’m sorry, Mike!” Babs was the first one to reach him.
“Mike, man, you all right?” Pete asked with concern,
reaching him after Babs.
“You took a hard hit in the eye, buddy,” a second player
commented.
“You better go sit down and put some ice on it,” said
another worried friend.
“Enough!” He held up his hand, motioning them all to stop,
still shaking his head in an attempt to clear it. It started to throb
immediately. Another minute and they’d have him in an ambulance and on the way
to the hospital. “I’ve been hit in the eye before,” he reminded them in a brisk
tone. “Relax.”
“You should still go put some ice on it,” Amanda encouraged.
“It’ll keep the swelling down and…”
“Since when did you become a nurse?” He grinned, shooting
her a look out of the corner of his eye.
“Mom…”
“Your mom’s a nurse?”
“She’s not…”
Only Mike wasn’t listening. He darted a glance at the dugout,
to see Emma standing at the fence watching the whole episode. Is that concern
on her pretty face? It was hard to tell with the sun in his one good eye. It
was her fault he was going to have a black eye so it was only right she doctor
him up. All of a sudden he felt dizzy, and he decided he’d better do as everyone
suggested.
“Maybe I’d better,” he agreed with pretended reluctance. The
prospect of spending a little time alone with the lovely Emma Stuart was too
tempting to pass up.
Mike wasn’t in the market for feminine companionship but
there was something very appealing about Emma. Furthermore, there was nothing
in his decision to remain woman-free for the next five years that said he
couldn’t enjoy an occasional flirtation. And maybe a good one-night stand.
He gently shrugged off the helping hands. “Go back to the
game, guys.” No way was he going to allow them to walk him back to the dugout
like he was an old cripple.
* * *
*
Emma watched Mike slowly approach the dugout and immediately
began looking around for something to use on his eye. Spying a cooler, she
opened it and grabbed a handful of crushed ice before it dawned on her she
didn’t have anything to put it in. She looked around for Amanda’s bag,
realizing she’d probably have something in there she could use. Finding it
beneath the bench, she sat down and opened it with one hand, digging through
the contents for the first item of clothing she saw. However, when she held it
up, her mouth dropped.
What the heck…
She glanced up just as Mike stepped into the dugout, and
held her breath with embarrassment. It was definitely not Amanda’s bag she was
rifling through. Their gazes locked, well, his one good eye to hers. A flush
spread across Emma’s face that produced a full-fledged grin on his.
His gaze lowered to take in what she was holding in her
hand. Her confidence to handle the situation lagged considerably by the
amusement swimming in his dark eyes.
“I, ah, usually know a woman a little longer before letting
her, ah, handle my underwear,” he had the nerve to say.
He crossed his arms, thoroughly enjoying her dilemma.
Emma was speechless, drowning in the deep water of Mike’s
eyes. Not only had she been caught going through someone’s bag, but it turned
out to be his. She glanced at the underwear in question, and her eyes nearly
popped out of their sockets when a foiled condom packet fell out and landed on
her lap. She dropped the boxers as if she’d grabbed a snake, ignoring the
condom, too horrified to move. She knew she should say something but the words
stuck in her throat. The ice melting in her hand reminded her of what she’d
been doing, enabling her to finally act with some amount of normalcy.
Trying for a smile, she was barely able to lift her voice
above a whisper. “I, ah, thought this was Amanda’s bag; she has one that’s very
similar. I saw you get hit in the eye and was looking for something to put this
ice in.”
Mike surprised her by reaching forward. The closer he got
the further she shrank back. But he only snatched the condom off her lap and tossed
it back in his bag, his jaw tight as though trying to hold back a laugh.
“Is that for me?”
Emma nodded; thankful he wasn’t going to mention the condom.
“Your eye’s already turning color…” Her voice trailed off into nothingness when
he moved to his bag, which was on her lap. For a second his face was so close
that she couldn’t breathe. Mike glanced up from his search in time to see her
wetting her lips. His gaze lingered there and Emma was sure her heart stopped
beating. She was certain she saw a flare of interest flash across his face.
He actually began lowering his face toward her
. Is he
going to kiss me?
Emma held her breath, but all he did was to pull out a
tank top.
“Will this do?”
Nodding, she held out her hand with the ice in it. It had
almost melted completely. She’d have to get more. “It’s hot.” She jumped off
the bench to go back to the cooler.
I’m hot.
Mike jumped back to avoid being hit in the face but he
wasn’t quick enough. Emma’s head caught him just beneath the chin, and he bit
down on his tongue when his jaw snapped closed. He just barely managed to keep
from swearing. Now he was really dizzy, and he swayed slightly on his feet.
“Oh! I’m so sorry.” Emma reached out and grabbed him by the
shirt.
The sound of material ripping seemed as loud as a clap of
thunder, and was no less devastating for Mike. After ten years of wearing his
lucky weekend tee shirt through numerous baseball games and fishing trips
without anything more than a beer stain marring it, she’d managed to ruin it in
the space of a few seconds. He opened his mouth in an effort to tell her it was
okay, but the lie wouldn’t come.
“Oh my god.” She stood back with her hand over her mouth,
peering at him with rounded eyes. “I think you were safer out on the field.”
Was she trying to be cute? Mike looked at her with his good
eye. The other one was half-closed by the swelling. His hand examined the
damage to his shirt, fingering the torn edges of material. His gut told him it
wasn’t reparable.
Emma’s gaze dropping prompted him into taking a closer look.
One side of his chest was exposed and running across it in three neat little
lines were the obvious marks of her nails. His smile wasn’t meant to put her at
ease. She was damn cute when she was flustered and Mike was enjoying every
minute of it.
“You’ve put your mark on me.”
“I’m not usually this inept.” They watched the scratches
bead up with blood. “Goodness, you look like you’ve been in a fight.”
She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off his chest, giving
Mike the unexpected urge to rip the rest of his shirt off. Hell, the way Emma
made him feel he wouldn’t stop at just his shirt. He had the sudden urge to
grab her to him and find out if her mouth was as soft and inviting as it
appeared. Then maybe she’d scratch him again for a different reason. In spite
of the innocence that cloaked her he bet she was a real fireball in bed.
The thought made Mike hot, that and the image of them
fucking like there was no tomorrow that was dancing around in his head. The
wild urge to find out pulsed through his blood. He glanced around. Wouldn’t
that put on an X-rated show for the town?
“Are you all right? Your color doesn’t look so good. There’s
a funny glaze in your, ah, good eye.”
There was no denying the concern in her voice as she began
to run her gaze over him like a mother hen looking over her brood. He didn’t
respond.
“Officer Denton?”
Hell, maybe he had a concussion. His pulse was racing, that
was for sure. At the very least his blood pressure was rising at an alarming
rate. He struggled for control. “I think we’re past the formality stage, don’t
you?” He indicated his torn shirt.
“I’m so sorry about your shirt.” Her face turned a becoming
shade of pink. “I’ll buy you another one.”
Once again her gaze ran over his exposed chest, which wasn’t
doing anything to cool Mike off. His cock was tingling with awareness, which
meant he was getting a hard-on.
Damn! Definitely the wrong place and the
wrong time.
“I don’t know if I should put this ice on your eye or your
scratches.”
She could barely look him in the eye.
Mike took a deep breath. He knew what he’d like to say. The
hell with his eye; no amount of ice was going to help it anyway. However, ice
on his chest might help cool down the sudden heat boiling in his blood. Damn,
he hoped he wasn’t obvious. But his body was having a very obvious reaction to
Emma. His gaze shot out to the field, trying to gauge where the game was and
when his team would be heading back in. The last thing he wanted was for them
to return and see the state he was in.
“Maybe you’d better sit down,” Emma suggested as the silence
stretched between them.
She took him by the arm and guided him to the bench.
“I hope you don’t have a concussion.”
Mike sat down without resistance. She moved in close, and
raised her hand to put the compress she’d made over his eye.
Hell, a concussion was the least of what he had. He took a
long, deep breath, hoping it was enough to calm down his racing heart and his
very male reaction to her closeness. Her subtle fragrance reached him on a
sensual level, and only added fuel to the fire.
“Me too.” Mike clenched teeth. Didn’t she realize she’d
moved between his thighs? When she brushed up against him he released a low
groan, and closed his fists to keep from grabbing her.
Sweat broke out on his brow. There was nowhere for him to
retreat. He assumed Emma finally realized her mistake when she suddenly reared
back with a knowing look in her eyes. She took a breath that sounded like a
gasp of pleasure, and he watched her pupils dilate. He knew then and there she
was as affected by his nearness as he was hers.
With a weak smile on her trembling lips, she attempted to
step back. Just when Mike figured things couldn’t get any worse, her sneaker
got caught on a rough edge of uneven ground and she stumbled backwards, her
arms flailing wildly as she lost her balance.
It happened so fast there was no time for thought. He moved
rapidly and clamped his thighs together, entrapping her between his legs. His
actions had dire consequences though. She bumped against a spot most women aimed
for when they were being attacked. And he was hard as a rock.
“Oh!” Her pretty eyes grew round, her soft lips parted.
Mike sucked in his breath, but it wasn’t because he was in
any pain. He squeezed his eyes shut, and exhaled a groan as lust surged through
him like a rocket blasting off for the moon. The feel of Emma’s soft body
against his groin produced the kind of rush he hadn’t experienced since high
school. Hell, he couldn’t recall the last time he’d experienced it.
Son of a bitch!
His hands went to her hips to push
her away. But the slight resistance of her body caught him off-guard. His gaze
zeroed in on hers. For a second her features seemed twisted in desire. Eyes
closed, she was panting for breath, nostrils flaring. Then it was gone and he
was left wondering if he’d imagined it.
Her smoky eyes opened to him. He threw caution to the wind,
and kept her close to his pounding cock. She was soft and pliable beneath his
hold, and seemed to sway slightly. The slightest sigh escaped her. The
slightest movement of her hips brought her even closer against him.
Sweet Jesus!
Her acceptance of the intimate situation
sent him over the edge. With a low groan Mike transferred one of his hands to
the back of Emma’s head. He grabbed a handful of her ponytail and before he
realized what he was doing he pulled her face down toward his.
“Damn, lady, I need a taste.”
He didn’t give her a chance to respond. Besides, she wasn’t
showing any sign of resistance so Mike intended to take full advantage. One
kiss, that’s all he wanted. A sample to appease his fierce desire for her. At
least until they had time for something more satisfying.
He slammed his mouth down on hers, lust getting the better
of him. Mike knew it was madness that gripped him, and that he should stop. Only
once he inhaled the sweetness of Emma’s breath, and tasted the warmth of her
mouth nothing else mattered.
With a deep moan Emma’s hands fell to his shoulders as
though she needed help in staying on her feet. Then she was rubbing against
Mike’s cock like a hungry feline, opening her mouth to his searching tongue.
Before he knew it the sounds of their passion were drowning out everything
else.
If things continued on the course they were heading he was
going to embarrass himself and not just in front of her but the whole damn
team. He was shaking by the time he found the strength to release her.
She quickly stepped back. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes
glittered like polished gemstones. Her mouth was swollen, and her breast rose
and fell rapidly with each breath.
Mike could see in her eyes that she was slightly confused.
Perhaps even amazed at the hot kiss they’d just shared. And it was obvious she
was at a loss for words. Either that or she was just going to pretend it hadn’t
happened.
“You okay?” He knew he felt like a volcano getting ready to
erupt inside.
She cleared her throat. “God, I don’t know what’s got into
me today. If I’ve hurt you…”
Her movements were more careful the next time she moved. She
avoided looking at him.
With a small smile, she replaced the ice over his eye. Mike
knew she’d felt something too, when their bodies collided. Otherwise she
wouldn’t have kissed him back so passionately.