PASSIONATE ENCOUNTERS (5 page)

“Relax. You didn’t hurt me.”
Except for giving me a
raging hard-on. That hurt.

He fought against the impulse to bring his erection back to
her attention. He wanted to see Emma blushing like a schoolgirl again. Instead
he clenched his thighs together to disguise his condition, conscious of other
people milling around. Since his baseball mitt was on the seat next to him he
reached for it, casually draping it over his lap.

Emma began to hum softly beneath her breath, a nervous habit
he was willing to bet. She didn’t seem to be aware she was doing it. She seemed
totally absorbed in what she was doing. His unexpected movement with the glove
drew her attention to his eyes.

Their gazes locked and for a moment Emma seemed lost.
Awkwardly clearing her throat, she asked, “Is it feeling any better?”

Mike wasn’t sure if she meant his eye, the scratches on his
chest, or his slowly diminishing hard-on. In spite of all that, a crooked grin
spread across his face. “Yes.” His voice came out sounding like a dry croak and
he quickly tried again. “Much better. How does it look?”

She removed the dripping cloth. “Well, the swelling’s gone
down; it’s not completely shut so you should be able to see out of it. And,”
she hesitated before adding with a reluctant smile, “it’s a beautiful shade of
plum.”

“Great,” he mumbled beneath his breath. “I’ll be sure to
tell my date for the policemen’s dance to wear something lilac.”

A soft laugh escaped Emma, her eyes gleaming with childlike
amusement. A noise pulled their attention to the ball field to see Mike’s
teammates running toward the dugout.

“The inning is over,” she stated, turning to meet his eyes
again.

“The game,” he corrected, holding her gaze.

After a long moment and just as everyone began piling into
the dugout, Emma held out her hand. “It was nice meeting you again, Mike.”

Her voice was soft. He lowered his gaze to watch her lips
form the words. It was a mistake and only showed him how much he wanted to kiss
her again. Was she really going to ignore their kiss?

“The pleasure is all mine.” His large hand swallowed hers
up.

Before he knew it her hand slipped from his and she turned
to meet Amanda.

He watched the gentle sway of her hips, wondering if he’d
see her again. His hand went up to finger the torn edges of his favorite shirt
before continuing up, gently probing at his swollen eye. She was dangerous. In
more ways than one.

Just as his eyes settled on the enticing curve of her backside,
his vocal thirteen-year-old daughter, Melissa, entered the dugout. She called
out for him as she rushed past Emma, a smile on her face that stretched from
ear-to-ear.

“Dad, guess what? The old theater downtown is…”

He acknowledged her as she approached, vaguely listening to
her excited chatter about some play. He and Emma exchanged final glances when
she looked back. For a moment her expression was hard to read, the look in her
soft eyes almost accusing when they moved back and forth between him and
Melissa.

At that moment Mike realized what he saw shimmering in those
wounded depths. Disappointment coupled with angry disapproval. Before he could
begin to guess at what he’d done, she turned and left the dugout.

Chapter 4

“So, Mom, did you meet anyone at the picnic the other day
who, ah, piqued your interest any?”

Emma wondered when Amanda would get around to asking her
that particular question. She couldn’t stop a smile of amusement from spreading
across her face before answering. “Well, I know a lot of people from around
these parts but I did see a couple of new faces. Pam Wells and her family just
moved here from Ohio and Stacy—”

“Okay, okay! You know what I mean,” she interrupted, with
mild annoyance in her tone. “Men, did you meet anyone who you thought was, ah,
kind of interesting? Or…sexy?”

Was that hope Emma detected in her tone? Mike’s face
immediately flashed before her but she quickly brushed thoughts of him aside.
Especially now that she knew he was unattainable. Recalling how hurt she’d been
after finding out about Richard’s two-timing ways, she knew there was no way
she’d put another woman through that. She liked to think her scruples were set
at a higher standard.

Something he obviously doesn’t have.
Emma recalled
the steamy kiss they’d shared. And the erection he’d pressed against her. God
she was ashamed at how eagerly she’d responded to his advances.

She set the speed for the treadmill faster until she was
forced to break into a mild jog. She was glad Amanda had talked her into
joining the health club. It was something they could do together four times a
week. She was already beginning to feel the rewards of her hard work. It was
never too late to firm up certain places that had begun to get a little too
soft.

“Aren’t you going to answer me?” Jogging at a full run,
Amanda puffed lightly between each word. Her speed made Emma’s look more like a
fast walk.

Emma decided to play stupid. “I think Troy’s kind of sexy.”
She quickly turned her head so her sister wouldn’t see her smile.

Over the noise of the machines, the upbeat music the aerobic
instructor was teaching a class of twelve to, and the sound of huffing and
puffing that echoed throughout the room, Emma still detected the annoyed
tsk
Amanda released.

“What’s wrong?” she asked innocently.

Amanda only glared at her, punching in the number to gain
even more speed. Emma didn’t know how she did it. If she tried to set her
machine that fast, she’d end up going through the wall behind her.

During the silence that followed, she glanced at the mirror
directly across from them. She frowned at the way she looked in her workout
clothes, trying to pretend she wasn’t the only woman in there who was overdressed.

Maybe she’d been too quick in shooting down Amanda’s idea of
buying a new gym outfit. Her old pair of sweats covered her from neck to foot
and was so baggy she looked like a dirty snowman on the verge of melting. Her
hair was pulled back in a ponytail that became more undone with every step she
took. What’s more, the stretch hairband that had started out around the top of
her forehead had slipped down until it covered her eyebrows. In spite of that,
there was no way she was going to let go of the handlebars to push it back up.

Not a very attractive sight.
Emma glanced away from
her reflection. She wondered how long it would take to work off a few extra
pounds before the holidays so she could put them back on again. Not that she
had anyone to impress.

Thoughts of Mike were quickly pushed to the back of her mind
again. Why couldn’t she get the blasted man out of her head? That was easy;
because she was attracted to him, that’s why. The first man to pique her
interest since her divorce and he was married.

“Oh, I almost forgot, there’s a Halloween party Friday night
at the community center in Troy’s apartment complex. They put one on every year
and the only requirements are that everyone comes in costume, and brings
something to eat or drink.”

Emma raised a brow. “How come all of a sudden you’re inviting
me to all these community events? I’ve been doing just fine on my own.”

“Staying at home and dog sitting for the neighbors,” Amanda
cut in, reaching for the towel around her neck and wiping her brow. “I figured
it was time someone took over to get you out before it’s too late and you die
an old maid.”

“I was getting out,” Emma insisted, ignoring the rest of her
remark. “And I certainly don’t need anyone handling my social calendar, little
sister.”

Amanda laughed. “What social calendar? By getting out if you
mean grocery shopping twice a month…”

“Once a week,” Emma corrected with humor.

Rolling her eyes, Amanda changed the subject. “You had a
good time at the picnic, didn’t you?”

Right up until she realized Mike was married and hitting on
her. After she left the dugout that day she’d stuck like glue to the unattached
ladies in the group, some of them old enough to be her mother. The only other
time she saw Mike was from a distance and he’d been involved with his daughter
and a group of her friends. She supposed his wife was somewhere out there too.

“For the most part.” Seeing the light of determination fill
Amanda’s eyes, Emma realized this was just another one of those times when she
wasn’t going to give in. She sighed heavily, smiling in spite of herself,
already thinking about what she could wear to a costume party.

All at once the sweatband slipped over her eyes, blinding
her. Swearing beneath her breath, she made the mistake of releasing the handles
to fix it. At the speed she was going there was no way to prevent herself from
flying backward to the end of the treadmill. She flew right off. Just when she
expected to feel the wall against her backside, a pair of arms and a hard body
got in the way.

“Oh!” she cried out with embarrassed surprise.

“I got ya, sweetheart!” The man’s voice boomed throughout
the center as though he were yelling through a microphone.

“Thank you,” she gasped, and quickly pushed the sweatband
out her eyes so she could see again. She peered into the man’s large,
square-jawed face, and struggled out of his massive arms as fast as she could.
Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she hastily yanked her sweatshirt
down where it had ridden up, exposing her midriff. And that’s when her gaze
fell on Mike.

For a moment Emma froze, literally, the breath locked in her
throat. Maybe with a little luck he wouldn’t recognize her.

* * *
*

If Hugh O’Callaghan’s booming voice hadn’t snagged Mike’s
attention, recognizing Emma’s soft, startled sound of gratitude would have.
Even over the noise in the room, making him wonder if he’d been unconsciously
looking for her. The last time he saw her she’d been walking back to her car
the day of the picnic, late in the afternoon when the last rays of the sun had
captured the auburn highlights in her hair. He’d been thinking about her ever
since.

And wanting her like crazy. All of her.

Now here she was, looking like a fish out of water in
ancient sweats and a purple sweatband he suspected was really a hairband. He
noticed the damp patches and the way her hair was clinging to her neck,
realizing she’d been working out for awhile. Though right now she was looking
up at Hugh with incredibly huge eyes, while his Hercules-style body dwarfed her
slight frame. Mike fought down the stab of jealousy shooting through him from
seeing her in the arms of another man, no matter how innocent. He wondered what
excuse he could come up with to arrest Hugh, something that would stick.

Better yet, maybe he should just lock Emma up and toss away
the key. That made Mike think about the daydream he’d had while sitting at his
desk the other day. He’d handcuffed Emma to the handle of a file cabinet
drawer. And while she stood there, helpless and a little frightened, he’d moved
behind her. Sliding his arm around her waist, he’d pulled her sharply against
his aroused body, being rewarded when she arched her bottom against his cock.
He reached for the hem to her skirt. And slowly began to lift it up her thighs.
Finding her without panties had been his undoing and allowed him easy access to
her pussy from behind. Just as he slid into her wet body someone knocked on his
door. Bringing him back to cold reality.

Fuck!
He shook his head to force himself back to the
present situation. He was at the health club with a full-blown hard-on!

He’d been a member of the health club for a year, so how
come he’d never noticed her there before? His lips spread into a gradual smile
when he noticed her flustered state and the fact she couldn’t take her eyes off
him. The only thing keeping him from marching across the room and doing
something about it was Melissa.

Raising a teenager these days was a responsibility no one
truly understood unless they were in the same shoes. Raising one alone was a
nightmare. Mike thought that so far he was doing a fairly decent job of it
because he was staying focused, which meant not pursuing certain wants in life
he might have.

No matter how attractive he found Emma, he didn’t have time
to pursue a relationship or anything else that might interfere with his number
one priority. He should have reminded himself that the other day, when he’d let
his horny cock do his thinking for him.

He took a deep breath, realizing she was too damn appealing
to ignore. He could at least acknowledge her. Nevertheless, all he did was nod
before breaking eye contact and turning away to head for the men’s locker room.

He’d promised to take Melissa shopping for a Halloween
costume and nothing was going to keep him from it. Including sexy Emma Stuart.

* * *
*

Emma scrutinized her reflection in the full-length mirror,
and shook her head. The gold sequined outfit was a lot more revealing than
she’d first thought. The fact that she’d waited until the last minute to hit
the costume store was her own darn fault. By the time she’d made it to the
Fantasy Palace, she was left with a choice of going as a carrot, a half-naked
Eve which only included three strategically placed leaves, or a harem dancer.
It seemed everyone in town was either going to this or another Halloween party.

Now here she was, hiding out in the ladies’ restroom because
she was too afraid of joining the party. She looked at her coat where it hung
on the rack with the others, debating on putting it back on and just going
home. She doubted she’d be missed.

She glanced back to the mirror, her gaze moving critically
over her costumed body. Too much cleavage, too much midriff, too much
everything was exposed. Leaving her with a feeling of vulnerability because
she’d never been the adventurous type. Even if she did look hot.