Author: Bella Andre

Which was why she shouldn’t be freaking out right now. Just because she and—

“Heather?”

Brant Johnston, the first baseman for the Hawks, grinned when she walked in with Lori.

She felt herself flush, but it wasn’t because of Brant. It was the knowledge that Zach had moved beside her in a flash, every muscle in his body tensed as though he were about to spring.

She was just flustered enough that, before she could stop him, Brant pulled her against him for a hug. “You look gorgeous, as always.”

For a professional athlete, Brant was actually quite sweet. And there was no question that he was good-looking, with his golden hair, blue eyes, and athletic build. But she had never even been tempted to take things beyond dinner and sex. It had a been a few months since she’d last seen him, even though he’d called a couple of times to see if she wanted to get together. She just hadn’t been all that interested.

Quickly stepping out of his arms, she planted a smile on her face that she hoped looked genuine. “Great game.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Zach’s face looked like thunder. Lori, Sophie and Jake were watching the scene play out with something akin to glee on their faces.

“If I’d known you were coming today, I would have made sure you had a great seat.” He finally noticed her dog. “Hey, how’s it going, Antler?”

She thought she heard Zach growl just as his brother found them. Atlas wasn’t particularly comfortable with so many big men around, but she could tell Zach’s presence made him feel much more secure than usual.

“Ryan,” Zach said, putting a rather possessive hand on the small of her back, “this is Heather and her dog Atlas.”

She knew the special emphasis on her dog’s name and his hand on her were both for Brant’s benefit, but even while something warmed up inside of her at the crazy thought of actually belonging to Zach, she couldn’t stand being the bone that two men were tugging between them to see who would win.

Stepping out of Zach’s reach, she shook Ryan’s hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

She could feel Ryan working to size up the situation between her and Brant and Zach. Atlas had never much cared for Brant the couple of times he’d met him, but just as he’d been with Zach, he practically turned into a squirming puppy when Ryan scratched his head. Yes indeed, there was no doubt that Sullivan men had quite a potent effect on living, breathing things.

Somewhere in there Brant had moved closer to her. “It’s been too long, Heather. Why don’t we celebrate the game together tonight?”

A month ago, she might have gone. After all, she was a sensual woman and sex with a good-looking guy wasn’t a terrible way to end a Friday night.

But even though she didn’t have any other plans, and certainly wasn’t in a relationship with anyone else, the idea of casually seeing Brant didn’t seem like a very good one anymore. Actually, it seemed like a terrible idea.

She opened her mouth to say no thank you, when Zach reached out and slid a lock of hair that had escaped her braid behind her ear.

“You didn’t mention you knew Brant this morning when you were making breakfast for us.”

At his gentle touch, she simultaneously wanted him more than she’d ever wanted another man...and could have punched him for behaving like such a caveman with the false insinuations of why she’d been making breakfast at his house.

Purposefully turning her back on Zach, she told Brant, “It’s been a pretty big day already and it will be an even bigger one tomorrow.” She looked down at her dog, who looked like he’d run a marathon instead of gobbling up stray pieces of popcorn and playing with his best puppy friend all afternoon. “I’ve got to get home.”

She was turning to Zach’s family to say her goodbyes, when Brant surprised her by pulling her against him for another hug. An even longer one this time. “I’ll call you soon.”

She barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes as she stepped out of his arms and turned to tell Lori, Sophie, Ryan, and Jake, “It was so nice meeting all of you.”

“It was totally our pleasure.” Lori hugged Heather. “I hope we’ll see you again really soon.”

Heather didn’t know what to say to that. She was Zach’s dog trainer, not his girlfriend. What reason would she have to run into his family ever again unless they all got dogs?

She pulled up the slack on Atlas’s leash and headed for the door. When she realized Zach was right beside her every step, she said, “I know the way out.”

Of course, he didn’t back off, just stayed right beside her as she walked out of the park.

“How many times have you been with him?”

She picked up her pace. “That’s none of your business.”

“Why didn’t you go with him tonight?”

That wasn’t any of his business either, but she said, “I’m tired. My dog is tired. I’m ready to go home.”

She pushed out a side exit into an alley that led to the parking lot. The truth was, even the thought of kissing Brant again had her entire body recoiling. Not because he hadn’t been an okay lover, but because, suddenly, there was only one man she could imagine kissing.

“What if he calls you when you’re not so damned tired?”

Furious at herself for her continued lack of control where Zach was concerned had her spitting out, “Right now I’m not feeling it, but maybe on a different day, if I’m in the mood, why not?”

Zach grabbed her arm and pulled her into him. “Here’s why not.”

His mouth came down on hers in a kiss that had everything simmering between them finally exploding.

Chapter Fourteen

Heather had fought this kiss for nearly a week. She’d lied to both of them about not wanting it, even as fantasies about what it would be like kept her distracted during the day and tossing and turning at night.

But none of her fantasies had done their first kiss justice. There was no way she could have ever imagined it taking place in a deserted alley, with Zach’s strong muscles pressing her into a cement wall, his hips against hers, his large hands sliding into her hair.

And, oh God, the feel of his lips on hers, the way his tongue slipped and slid against hers...she was lost to sensation, to the insatiable greed to take more of the forbidden fruit she’d been craving body and soul.

“Heather.” He groaned her name against her lips, then began to alternately nip at her lower lip, then lave over the small bites, as if a simple kiss wasn’t enough when what he really wanted was to devour her.

She knew she should be pushing him away, that she should keep fighting their connection out of sheer self-preservation, but her body simply refused to follow that intelligent dictate.

Instead, she was wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. She wanted him closer, needed more. She’d never felt like this with anyone else—completely out of control, already way out on the edge from nothing more than one incredibly potent kiss.

Yes, she knew she should stop, that she should be pushing him away and telling him it could never happen. Only, in a moment of more perfect connection with Zach than she’d ever thought to have with a man, she found herself deepening the kiss instead.

Leaving one hand in her hair, he began to run the other slowly down the side of her body. She nearly cried out into his mouth when he slid over—and past—the curve of her breast on the way to cup her hip with his palm. He didn’t stop until he had curved his palm around her thigh, bared beneath the hem of her shorts.

God, the feel of his hand on her skin was shockingly good. And she was even more shocked when he lifted her leg up around his hip, but not enough that she thought to stop him from taking that leverage to move in closer to the heated vee between her legs.

Heather had always enjoyed the purely physical release of sex, but it had never been intense enough for her to forget herself, to lose track of what she believed in. Anyone could come out the side door and find them here like this, practically having sex against the wall. They were still fully clothed, but even so, she felt as if Zach had already stripped her bare.

She tried to pull herself out of the abyss, oh, how she tried, but when he started to rain kisses down across her jaw and found that super-sensitive spot just at the underside of her chin, how could she do anything but let her head fall back against the wall, and drink in every exquisite sensation of his mouth on her skin? His rough stubble scraped at her in the most delicious way and she used her leg hooked over his hip to pull him in even closer.

Any and all protests she might have given him—or herself—had flown out the window, and she was threading her fingers into his dark hair when something pulled at her wrist once, then twice, hard enough the third time to finally jolt her.

“The dogs,” she managed in a breathless voice as she tried to catch hold of her racing heart. While she and Zach had been lost in their kiss, the dogs’ leashes had tangled up around each other and their owners, too. “We need to untangle them.”

Zach very reluctantly let go of her leg before snapping, “Cuddles, quit moving!” in a frustrated voice as he bent down to unclip the leash and scoop the puppy up in his arms.

“It’s not her fault,” she told him as she worked to pull the leashes apart with shaky hands. “We shouldn’t have been doing that here.” As if the location were the only problem with their kiss. “We shouldn’t have been doing that anywhere at all,” she quickly clarified.

Only, the truth was that if the dogs hadn’t been there with them, Zach probably would have stripped her clothes off while he kissed her up against the wall. And instead of trying to stop him, she would have been begging him to hurry so she could get closer.

So she could have more.

“It’s exactly what we should have been doing,” he snapped at her.

His frustration shook the breathlessness right out of her. After all, as she reminded herself yet again, she wasn’t a teenager who couldn’t control her raging hormones.

“This isn’t even about me,” she snapped back. “You just want me because I’m a challenge.”

“Wrong,” he shot back. “I want you because I want you. From the first second I saw you, I’ve wanted you, Heather.”

How did he manage to turn her insides to goo? First with his kiss, then with his words.

Still, she had to hold her ground. “You and Brant were fighting over me like I was that bone you sent Atlas.”

“I was fighting for you because you’re mine.”

Her eyes widened at his possessive declaration. “I’ll never belong to a man.”

For the first time, he didn’t launch back at her with a quick retort. Instead, she felt him stop. Look. Assess.

“What,” he said in a suddenly soft voice, “are you afraid of? Is it me? Or is it you?”

It was the very last thing she’d expected him to say. And even as her brain flooded with answers ranging from falling for you to everything, she said, “I’m not afraid.”

He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t call her on her fib. Instead, he said, “Prove it.”

She lifted her chin. “I know what you’re doing. I know that whatever way you come up with for me to prove it to you is going to be for your good and your good only.”

He actually had the nerve to reach for her again, to slide the pad of his thumb across her lower lip. And, fool that she was, she craved his touch enough to let him.

“It’ll be good for both of us, I can promise you that.” He trailed the back of his hand over her cheek in a lover’s caress. “I’m not looking for love any more than you are. We’re the perfect match, Heather. Don’t worry, this is going to make us both happy. Really, really happy.”