dropped his hands, reluctantly it seemed, and led her to a row of courtside seats.
“How’d you learn to play ball like that?” he said, tossing her a towel before grabbing one for himself.
She caught it with one hand. “Thanks. It’s a long story,” she murmured and sat, her heart racing.
He wiped the sweat from his face. “I’d like to hear it sometime.”
The smile on his full lips invited her fantasies, and she tried not to stare at his wet, glistening body, so deep and dark with angles and planes. He was all muscle and bone and length.
She knew she could spend a night, or better yet, a lifetime exploring and never satiate her need to discover him. With effort, she tore her eyes away and checked her watch.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
Derek turned and spread his arms wide. “Why not? Look at me, I’m an open book.”
Her face warmed under his watchful eyes, beckoning her lips to smile in response. She longed to talk to someone about other things besides goal-setting and efficient and organized living.
She had a few close girlfriends, but she rarely confided in them. Since she was a life coach and a former psychologist, they naturally expected her to have all the answers to life’s toughest questions. They didn’t realize that she struggled to make sense of things, too.
While Derek seemed sincere, she couldn’t allow herself to get hurt. Although she’d taken a huge risk and played an innocent game of basketball with him, her heart and her bed were out of bounds.
“I doubt that,” Natalie said. She walked back over to the place where she’d left her stuff lying in a heap.
Derek followed her and she felt his eyes on her as she bent to zip up her stiletto boots, ignoring the outstretched arm he offered to help her balance. She slipped on her now-wrinkled suit coat and dropped her panty hose into her purse.
He touched her arm, leaving it pulsating with heat in the wake of his touch. “But what about the rules of engagement?”
Her heart raced anew and she was unnerved that he’d remembered, let alone repeated, something she’d said earlier.
She clutched at her belongings, glad to have something to hold on to. “I’ll meet you at your house at 8:00 a.m. sharp tomorrow.”
He nodded. “It’s a date.”
She didn’t respond. Unconsciously she just wanted to savor the sound of his voice, tantalizing her imagination, hinting at promise and pleasure. In his eyes, she saw unmitigated need and unyielding desire.
As she turned and walked off the practice court, only one thing was on her mind. Could he possibly feel those emotions for her? Or had she only seen herself reflected in his gray eyes?
Chapter 2
The next morning, the taxi taking Natalie to Derek’s Brooklyn apartment snaked through rush-hour traffic. Frustrated drivers honked horns and shouted out car windows. Yet she was so focused on the task before her that she barely heard any of it.
Although her initial research was complete and all of the necessary arrangements had been made, being efficient didn’t erase the knots in her stomach. Convincing Derek to go along with her plan wouldn’t be easy, but she knew it was the only way to help him get his life back on track.
When they finally arrived, her mouth fell open. Derek was sitting on the front stoop reading a newspaper. Waiting for her.
She paid her fare, stepped out of the taxi and slammed the door, half wishing she could jump back in and go home.
He looked up and folded the paper. “You’re late,” he chided.
His eyes tumbled over her body and her face flushed hot with embarrassment. She was never late for a client meeting or anything else for that matter.
She gulped in a breath. “I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”
He crossed his arms on his knees, a slight smile upon his lips. “That depends on the excuse.”
She hesitated. The “I got caught in traffic” line wouldn’t fly, especially since she was supposed to be a pro at managing time. But she couldn’t tell him the entire truth, either.
How she’d tossed and turned all night, remembering the feel of his massive body brushing against hers during their playful game of one-on-one. The sensual instant replay had eventually lulled her to sleep.
Yet when she’d woken up, bleary-eyed and aroused, she’d almost called Derek’s manager to tell him to find someone else. All because of a six-letter word that starts with D and ends with heartbreak:
Desire.
Muscles, hard and lean, twisted out of his sleeves. His eyes caught her looking and his smile widened.
“Well?”
Her face heated again. Keep your mind on the mission, not on his body.
“I overslept,” she blurted. That was the truth, although she still couldn’t quite believe it herself. She never slept late, not even on holidays. There was nothing, or no one, to keep her in bed past 5:00 a.m.
Derek tossed the paper aside. “I’m not surprised.”
“Excuse me?” she said, trying not to sound offended.
He leaned back on one elbow. “Playing basketball in bare feet had to be tough.”
His eyes rambled over her shoulders, down her turquoise sundress and settled on her legs.
He whistled low. “But, girl, you’ve definitely got game.”
The exposed areas of her skin tingled as she stared at him with a mix of pleasure and astonishment.
Derek had every right to be angry, especially after her little speech about time management and organization. Yet he was clearly flirting with her.
Why?
More troubling was the fact that she enjoyed it—a dangerous way to feel. She decided it was best to ignore his comment, and her growing attraction to him.
“Nevertheless, it’s unacceptable and—”
“Unpredictable.” He cut her off and flashed a brilliant smile. “I like it.”
She choked back a laugh. As someone who alphabetized every spice and canned good in her kitchen, she was the least unpredictable person on the planet. It was just another indication that he wasn’t her type. Not that she cared, she reminded herself.
“Just do me a favor,” he continued. “The next time you’re going to be late, at least give me a call.”
He was right. “I’m sorry,” she admitted. “But I just assumed you’d be sleeping and that I’d have to get you out of bed when I got here.”
He
