Page 55 of Playing for Possession
“Hate the stuff.”
She laughed and stretched her long legs, resting them on the adjacent chair.
I poured her a cup of coffee. “When was the last time you watched a sunrise?”
“I don’t think I ever have. Not like this.”
“Me neither. Why is that?”
She smothered a yawn and hugged her knees to her chest. “Life is busy. It comes at you nonstop.”
I couldn’t argue with that. We sat in silence watching the ever-changing sky. The sun appeared, painting the unblemished countryside in a wash of soft gold. The sky’s purple tones melted to blue and the promise of a new day.
A slight breeze ruffled her hair, and her usually tense features were soft and relaxed. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to kiss her slowly and trace my fingers over all the freckles dotting her cheeks. I’d have to bring up last night if she wasn’t going to. Maybe she felt too uncomfortable to address it.
She sighed. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
I snapped my gaze back to the horizon. My voice came out hoarse and strange. “Yes. Beautiful.”
If only I’d thought of this kind of thing when Joanie had asked me about my bucket list. I’d been a thrill seeker when I was younger, but I always had the feeling I was scratching the surface of what I was really looking for. This was peace. The calm that came with watching every subtle shift in this sky, moment by moment, with this woman. The simplest pleasures were the ones that slipped so easily unnoticed through your fingers.
“I’d add something to my list if I could.”
Joanie looked at me in surprise. “Besides the camel?”
I sighed. I would never live that stupid camel thing down. “I want to watch more sunrises and sunsets.”
She nodded in agreement and turned her face back to the horizon. “That’s a good one.”
The softness in her voice made my heart pound. This was fast and different and new, but I’d never felt like this about a woman before. We’d had the most explosive, incredible sex of my life. I needed her again, but this time I wanted to take my time and explore her. Not that this was just about sex. I wanted to feel her bucking and clenching around my cock again, but more than that, I longed to make her laugh and blush and roll her eyes at me.
I wanted to help build her confidence and watch her fly down the pitch with a ball. I’d buried myself in training and no one had ever put up with that, but maybe it could be different with this woman. Joanie knew the commitment it took to play at this level. If anyone could understand my life, it would be her.
She put her coffee down and fiddled with the top button of her pajamas. “Shall we talk about last night?”
At last. I kept my expression as casual as I could. “OK.”
She opened her mouth and closed it again, struggling to find the words. The shifting colors of the sky reflected in her glasses.
“Take your time,” I said.
She gave me a grateful smile and shook her head. “It all happened very fast. We didn’t even have a condom.”
That had been weird for me too. It wasn’t like me to lose my head like that, but at least it was an easy one to change.“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight, but I was always going to pull out.”
A flicker of amusement lit her eyes. “That’s very... reassuring, thank you.”
“You don’t believe me? Listen, you don’t have to worry. I’m good to go. I haven’t been with anyone since the last time I got checked out.”
“I’ve seen the women waiting for you in the VIP areas. Casual might be normal for you, but it’s not normal for me.”
“I hear your concerns. I get it,no glove, no love. We can sort that out.”
A laugh burst out of her. “No glove, no love? You make me laugh, Kieran.”
Good. At least I had that in my favor. I’d have to tell her about her dad soon, but not until I’d got her back on my side. This was a mess. I wanted this woman, but it was going to cost me. I could kiss goodbye to the World Cup. The fact was, Mortimer had judged me without knowing me. Maybe if I could speak to him, I could get him to see reason. I could convince him how much I liked Joanie and that I had no desire to hurt her. If I told Joanie about this now, it would blow everything just when she was starting to soften.
I reached for her hand and laced my fingers with hers. “The problem is, you think you know how this ends before it begins. Give me a chance. I promise I’m not going to mess you around. Just one chance to prove myself. This could be good between us. I want to keep getting to know you, because I really like everything I’ve seen so far. I know I’m not an easy person sometimes. I’m grumpy and impatient and I don’t put up with people’s shit, but if you’ll have me, I can be really good. Just for you.”
