Thinking Garrett had gone into his room, she walked out into the hall, but his door was open. She peeked her head in. He wasn’t there.

“Garrett?”

He didn’t answer, and she didn’t hear the shower running, so she went out back and found him standing at the edge of the sand staring out over the ocean. She walked outside and stood at the edge of the deck, watching him.

What a picture he presented in his bare feet, shirtless, the sun beating down on him while the wind blew his hair. She wondered what he was thinking as he stood there examining the waves. It had been a rough day, both physically and emotionally. Was he thinking about that, irritated with her, or just pondering the future of his career? Was he thinking about her?

She’d definitely thought a lot about him today, about more than just his shoulder.

She’d had his body last night, had felt every rock-hard ridge and plane. He’d been inside her. He’d tasted her and had made her come—more than once. They’d just begun mapping each other’s bodies, and no matter how much she talked the talk about professionalism and how they should stay away from each other, the bottom line was, she felt cheated. There was so much more she wanted to know, to find out about Garrett, his wants and needs, what turned him on and what got him off.

She gripped the edge of the railing, desire igniting inside her like a flash fire. She blazed hot for Garrett. No man stirred her as quickly as he did. Just one look, one thought, and she was consumed. All rational thought fled, and every wall she’d so carefully constructed throughout the day crumbled around her.

He was right. What difference did it make if they had sex? She knew her job, knew what it would take to get him ready to pitch. She could do her work efficiently and the two of them could still have a smoking-hot sexual relationship.

She’d be insane to walk away from something like this. She knew he wasn’t looking for a girlfriend. He had his career to resume once his rehab was over with. That would consume all his time. And she sure as hell wasn’t looking for a committed relationship. She was building a career that had been her primary focus for years.

So they both worked for the same team. It wasn’t like she was going to be engaged with him on a one-on-one basis after he finished his rehab and the season started. Unless he was injured, they wouldn’t have much contact at all. She could protect her job, and no one would ever know about the two of them.

She was an adult. So was he. They could manage their sexual relationship. She could manage it.

She kicked off her shoes and stepped off the porch.

EIGHTEEN

A STORM WAS COMING. GARRETT HAD BEEN WATCHING the clouds gather, darkening the sky and shifting the atmosphere from bright and sunny to ominous and gray.

He knew the feeling. His own mood had darkened throughout the course of the day. But that was on him. Not on Alicia. He knew she was out on the deck watching him. He didn’t turn around, didn’t go to her, figured if she had something to say she’d come talk to him.

He’d kept things professional between them today. That’s what she asked for, and he knew her job was important to her, so he did his best.

It was hard. Hell, she made him hard. He’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit he wanted more of her, and a lot more of what they’d had last night. But if she didn’t want that he’d have to respect it.

The problem was, he knew she was torn, and it would be easy to get her to change her mind. He could be persuasive if he put his mind—and his charm—into it. But that would make him an asshole, and he’d like to think he wasn’t one. So he backed off and kept things between them business only. If he had to go through this therapy thing with a throbbing hard-on, that was his problem. Eventually, he’d get over it.

Besides, he had bigger problems to deal with than whether or not he’d ever get Alicia in the sack again. Like getting himself on the pitcher’s mound. It was time he started concentrating on that.

So when he caught sight of Alicia stepping off the porch and coming toward him, he figured she was going to drag him inside and perform some kind of stretching torture on his arm. He turned to face her, waited for her to say something.

She didn’t. A strong gust blew in from the ocean, slapping strands of her hair across her face. She didn’t bother to push them away. Her gaze was fixed on his, and he read the intent in her eyes. He recognized that heat, because it had been boiling inside him all day long. Her desire crashed into him with a force stronger than the wind.

He didn’t understand the sudden turnaround. He could question her, especially since she’d been the one to put up the wall between them. Now she was tearing it down?

But he realized he really didn’t give a shit why she’d changed her mind. He only needed to know one thing.

“You sure about this?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t hesitate, and he wasn’t going to ask again. He swept his hands over her cheeks and pushed her hair away, then slanted his lips over hers, needing his mouth on hers. There was no figuring this out—whatever it was between them that drove him crazy, and probably her, too.

He only knew he wanted her with a primal force as strong as the wind slamming them into each other. He drew his arm around her waist to hold them both steady. And when the first raindrop smacked him on the cheek, he broke the kiss, grabbed her hand, and they ran like hell toward the house as the skies opened, drenching them in the short distance to the deck.

Alicia lifted her gaze to his. Her hair was plastered to her head, her tank top was molded to her chest, and droplets of water slid down her body. He’d never had desire gut punch him like it did right now.

Lightning arced across the sky as thunder clapped around them, shaking the foundation of the house. The skies had grown so dark it was like night. The rain came down so hard he couldn’t even see the water anymore. The force of the storm mixed with his hunger for her, and he pushed her against the wall of the house and fixed his lips to hers.

She met his kiss with equal force. Maybe it was the weather, the storm bringing out primal desires. And maybe he just wanted her that much. He lifted her shirt and swept his hand across her stomach, felt the ripples in her muscles as he wound his arm around her so he could draw her closer to his body. She moaned against his mouth, tugged at his bottom lip with her teeth.

He growled in response, his need for her fierce as he pulled her wet shirt off and undid the clasp of her bra. There was no one outside, no neighbors within viewing distance. Even if there were, no one could see anything in this driving rain anyway. Alicia didn’t seem to care as she helped him peel the rest of her clothes off, then his.

Fed by the storm, the two of them stood outside, leaning against the porch, their wet bodies steaming as the rainstorm cooled the air around them. He didn’t care, but she had goose bumps. He wrapped his arm around her and used his body to shield her from the wind, his lips and hands to give her heat. He grasped her breast in his hand, using his thumb to graze a nipple already hardened from the wet and cold.

She shuddered and wrapped her tongue around his, sucked it into her mouth, and nearly brought him to his knees. He groaned and pulled his lips from hers, gazing down at her face. Her lips were trembling.

“I need to be inside you,” he said.

She lifted her gaze to his. “Yes. Now.”

If it wasn’t for the lack of a condom, he’d have driven inside her right there—on the deck in the pouring rain. But he took her hand and pulled her inside the house, both of them dripping wet as they dashed toward the bedroom. He turned on the shower, waited until the water was steamy hot, and pulled Alicia inside, shoving her under the spray.

“Get warm,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

He grabbed a condom and set it on the shelf, then met her in the shower. Her eyes were closed, the water pouring over her head. She opened her eyes and smoothed her hair back, then reached for him.

He stepped into her arms, his body chilled to the bone. But her breasts against his chest and her mouth on his heated him up fast. She met his lips in an eager kiss that made him shudder, and it wasn’t from the cold. He smoothed his hand down her back, remembering what it felt like to hold her body against his last night.

It hadn’t been enough then, and now, he mapped her curves as he moved his mouth over hers, wondering what it would take to get his fill of her. Steam enveloped them, and she wrapped her hand around his cock, stroking him with gentle, fluid motions, making him ache to be inside her.

He backed her against the wall and slid his hand between her legs. She was so soft, like the petals of a flower. He wanted to be gentle, but she dug her nails into his arms in response, her body quivering as he began to ease his hand back and forth across her sex.

“Oh, God,” she said. “Yes, just like that, Garrett. Put your fingers inside me and make me come.”

He loved that she talked to him, told him how to give her pleasure. And despite how fragile she felt under his hand, she demanded more than just a gentle stroke. He increased the pressure, resulting in her low moan, which tied his balls into knots and made his cock twitch. He leaned into her, rubbing against her as he moved his fingers and rolled the heel of his hand across her sex, giving her what she asked for.

“Ohhh,” she said, tilting her head back as she shattered against his fingers, her pussy clamping tight around him. Her lips fell open, her nails scoring down his arm as she tilted her pelvis toward his thrusting fingers while she rocked through her climax.

He reached for the condom wrapper, tore it open, sheathed himself, then spread her legs. “Do you know what it does to me to watch you come?”

She swallowed, then licked her bottom lip. “Tell me.”

“My balls tighten up like a fist, and my cock gets even harder. It makes me think about nothing but what it’s going to feel like to be inside you, fucking you with long, slow strokes.”

Even with the water beating down on them, he heard the short, panting breaths she gave him in response. “Yes. I want that. I thought about you all day, Garrett. I missed your body against mine.”

He raised her arms above her head and slid inside her pussy. She moaned against his lips and wrapped one leg around his hip, drawing him deeper.

Damn, it was good to be this close to her, to feel her nipples rub against his chest as he pumped inside her. He twined his fingers with hers and wrapped his tongue around hers, grinding against her until she tightened around his cock, squeezing him.

He tilted his head back, watching the way her eyes widened whenever he pushed deep. He reached between them and found her clit, wanting her to go off and take them both into orgasm.

“Yes, touch me there,” she said, twining her hand around the nape of his neck to bring his mouth back to hers. “Make me come again.”

He kissed her deeply as she tightened around him, her whimper of satisfaction spurring him to thrust deep and join her in her orgasm. He swept his arm around her waist and held her while he shuddered and spent himself inside her.

He caught his breath, still feeling her pussy grip him with pulses from her climax.

“You kill me,” he said, resting his forehead against hers.

“I’m hardly a bundle of energy here.”

He laughed. They washed, got out of the shower and dried off. When Alicia started to head out of the room, he grasped her hand and tugged her into his bed.

“Do you have some problem sleeping with me?” he asked. “Do I need to tie you to my bedpost?”

She arched a brow but settled in next to him. “Intriguing idea. I didn’t know you had that kind of kink in your repertoire.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Miss Riley.”

She swept her hand over his arm as he cuddled in close to her. “Is that right? Do tell.”

“Stay in my bed and you might find out.”

She didn’t move. Instead, she wriggled her butt against him and made a contented hum.