Page 62 of Summer Affair
“Maybe,” she said, and his heart sank. “I just wanted to make sure you wanted to do it. I mean, with your schedule determined by how fast you heal …” She shrugged. “Dirk delivered a huge blow and if you say yes, I need to know you’ll come through. Not that I’m saying you would ever do something like that.”
“But you kind of are.” He didn’t mean to sound defensive, but he couldn’t help it. Her comment brought back feelings that were reminiscent of Veronica. Reminded him of a shit situation that took years for him to overcome, and even longer to be open to anything remotely serious. And everything inside told him that how he felt about Jillian was serious as hell.
“That came out wrong.” She reached across the table and rested her hand over his. “You are the most reliable man I’ve ever met, and I know your word means something. But you’re the head coach and I don’t even know how that would work and I didn’t want to get his hopes up until I knew it was even a possibility.”
He let out a deep breath. “First, I’d love to be Sammy’s partner. I almost said yes straight away, but I wanted to talk to you first.”
“Thank you for that.”
“Second, I’d never let him, or you, down. As for coaching, whatever I can’t do from the field my assistant can help with for a day.”
Her eyes went as wide as the endzone. “You want me to help coach? I’d rather skydive naked than coach.”
“Let’s put a pin in the first and circle back around to that,” he said. “I will be there the whole time, just in the action and not on the sideline. I’ll help if you need me, but you won’t need me. You’re great with the kids, Cupcake.”
“I’m great with you by my side,” she whispered. “As for the game, Sammy will be a pretty lucky kid to have you as his teammate.”
She picked up the menu and glanced at it, then her eyes went back to his. “I know what I want.”
“And what’s that?”
Her hand slid under the table to rest on his, then pulled it higher up her thigh until the hem of her skirt brushed his fingertips. “You.”
She leaned across the table, until her lips were grazing his ear, the position causing her pretty blouse to dip just low enough to give him a generous view. “I want you and I don’t think I can sit here and touch you and nottouchyou.”
He swallowed. “God, I want you.” And he couldn’t believe he was even going to say this. “But I also want to do the right thing. Take this slow.”
“We’ve been building to this moment for a year, I don’t know how much slower we can take it.” She met his gaze head-on. “I’m done waiting.”
Clay lifted his hand for the waiter. “Can we get the check?”
The waiter looked confused, but said, “Absolutely. I’ll be right back.”
Yeah, right back didn’t cut it for Clay. He needed her right now, so he pulled a hundred out of his pocket, dropped it on the table, and stood. Anyone who looked too closely would see that he had a goalpost in his pants, but he didn’t care.
He’d been an idiot to think they could sit here, in the middle of a restaurant, and not undress each other with their eyes all night. Sliding his fingers more deeply between hers, he tugged her out of the restaurant.
They burst through the door and Jillian started laughing. He looked at her and smiled. “What? You said now, and I’m a give the lady what she wants kind of guy.”
“I’ll remind you of that when we get home.”
Neither of them spoke during the car ride home. There was a lot of touching and hand holding until the sexual tension had her trembling.
Clay pulled into the driveway and led her to his front door. She’d wondered which house they’d go to, but once he made the decision, she felt herself relax a little. She wanted tonight to be just about them, not all the things waiting for her next door.
“You okay?” he asked, and that’s when she realized her whole body was shaking. “We can still dial this back.”
“I’m just a little nervous.” She nearly laughed. She’d never felt so alive. His strong hand was resting at the small of her back, but they could have been naked and in bed from the way her body was reacting. She slid her fingers up his chest and brought his mouth down to hers.
It started out slow, a curious exploration that felt new, different than the other kisses. One blending into another, he kept the pace languid and bone-meltingly tender. Her hands were gripping his collar, his hands in her hair, holding her to him. There was barely time to breathe between kisses.
Then she slid her tongue across the seam of his lips, and he groaned.
Playtime over, he pushed her up against the door, caging her in with his body, which reminded her of just how big his body was.
“Crazy,” he groaned against her mouth.
“I drive you crazy,” she repeated what he’d told her a dozen times, but it still made her heart leap.
