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  “And maybe I should have been practicing with you instead of Hank.”

  “Oh my God.” Annie was still laughing. “You rock, Shay. You have to make Joe bring you over next time we get together. These jocks think they’re such hot shit. I’ll bet if you helped us we could take them.”

  “I don’t think—” She began.

  “Annie’s right,” someone hollered. “It’s time for the women to revolt.”

  “What did you do to us, Joe?” someone shouted. “We’ll lose our jock status.”

  “She puts every one of us to shame.” Mike laughed. “Damn, Joe. You never told us you guys were hatching a standout in Hank’s backyard.”

  “Please.” She smiled as she leaned into Joe’s body. “I just reacted automatically. I guess I made a spectacle of myself.”

  “Spectacle?” Shana was there, holding the baby. “Are you kidding? You gave us something to rag on the guys about forever. You go, girl.”

  “Lucky you,” one of the women said. “Getting to hang with Joe. I think all of us had a crush on him at one time or another.” She grinned at her husband when she said it.

  “Maida!” Shana admonished. “Behave yourself.”

  “That’s no fun.” Maida winked.

  Before Shay knew what was happening Shana tugged her away from Joe. Someone pressed a glass of wine in her hands. Someone else offered her more food. And everyone was talking to her at once. She glanced over her shoulder at Joe who just looked at her, winked, and gave her a big grin.

  Go with it, he mouthed.

  In moments she was seated in a lawn chair again in the middle of the group of eager women. Now they were tripping over themselves asking her questions.

  “So what was it like being Hank’s baby sister?” Annie asked. “Come on, tell all. We’re dying to know.”

  Shay made a face. “Most of the time it was a pain in the ass. He was a pain in the ass.”

  She managed to tell them stories about watching Joe and Hank toss the ball when she was a kid and pestering them to include her. She did not, of course, tell them she’d been in love with Joe Reilly since she was eight years old. Or that unexpectedly they were in a relationship more intense and deeper than anything she ever thought possible.

  Time passed in a blur. It was impossible for her to just sneak out, crowded in as she was with the other women. Instead she sipped wine and did her best to make conversation without embarrassing herself. Again. And avoided personal questions about Joe as deftly as she could. Shana opened the baby gifts and Shay oohed and aahed with everyone.

  Although they left the topic of Joe alone, she could tell they were curious about her relationship with him. Now and then one of the women would mention the catch again. Shay knew they’d be talking about it long after she left today.

  She kept trying to sneak glances at her watch and send signals to Joe. She was answering questions about her job with someone named Lizzie when a warm hand descended on her shoulder.

  “Before we move on to any family secrets,” Joe broke in with his deep voice, “I think it’s time for Shay and me to get going.”

  She looked up at him and saw the penetrating look in his eyes as if he was sending her a secret message. Thank you, Joe. She was more than ready to leave. She pushed her lawn chair back and stood up.

  “Thank you very much for inviting us,” she told Shana who was sitting next to her.

  “Thanks for livening up the party.” Shana smiled at her. “And thank you so much for the gift.” She took one of Shay’s hands between both of hers and gave it a warm squeeze. “I hope the four of us can get together, maybe once I get the little one on a schedule and my houseguests go home.”

  “Don’t make it hard on yourself,” Shay told her. “And don’t feel obligated to invite us over. I know how busy you are.”

  “Are you kidding?” Shana laughed. “I want to be best friends with a woman who can catch a ball better than half the men on that team. Poking holes in their ego is a full-time sport.”

  Shay hesitated a moment. She wasn’t comfortable yet putting a name to her situation with Joe. Plus she had no idea how long he planned to stick around. They had carefully skirted that topic. What would happen when he left? Would these people still be interested in her friendship?

  “You know Joe doesn’t live here, right?”

  “Of course. But he’s not leaving yet, is he? Let’s make time before he’s gone for us to at least have dinner together.” She put her arm around Shay. “Even after that I’d like for us to get together. We used to see Hank once in a while but he’s been gone so much lately we never can seem to connect with him. I had no idea his sister was even living in the city.” Her lips twisted in a grimace of distaste. “Oh, wait. That didn’t come out right. You’re a lot more than Hank’s sister. I just—”

  “It’s okay,” Shay assured her. “I know that’s how people have always identified me. It’s not like I hung out with the team socially or anything. And like you said, Hank’s gone a lot. I’ve hardly seen him myself since I moved back here.”

  “Forget about Hank.” Shana gave her a little hug. “I like you, Shay. I think we could be good friends.”

  She didn’t know what to say. A warm feeling wriggled its way through her. Hadn’t she just been telling herself the other day she needed to get out more? Meet more people?

  “I’d like it, too,” she said at last.

  “Good. We’ll make it happen. Where’s your cell?” She waited while Shay dug it out of her pocket. “I’m going to program my number in here. Please call me. I mean it.”

  At last they were back in Joe’s car and pulling away from the house. Shay leaned back in the seat, trying to relax.

  “A penny for them.” Joe’s voice broke into her thoughts.

  She laughed. “I can’t decide if I made a real ass of myself this afternoon, or if I want to pump my fist in the air.”

  “I’d go with the fist pump, darlin’.” She could hear the amusement in his voice. “As a matter of fact, if you recall I was clapping louder than anyone.”

  “Who knew being such a pest when I was a kid would ever pay off?”

  Joe laughed, a husky, warm sound. “You were the hit of the party, Shay. I mean, come on. A gorgeous, totally feminine female who can do what you did? I should have taken a shot with my phone.”

  She punched his arm. “I’m glad you didn’t.” Then laughter bubbled up from inside her. “I guess I did impress everyone. Some things you don’t forget.”

  Joe closed a hand over her thigh and gripped it gently, tenderly kneading her flesh with his fingers.

  “I know what I’m not about to forget.” His voice dropped. “The delicious sight of your naked body in my bed.”

  He slid his hand between her thighs and pressed the edge of his fingers against her panties, rubbing the silk into her cunt. Just that light touch made her internal muscles clench and her blood race. Lordy. Would they ever get enough of each other? She hoped not.

  Then Shana’s words came back to her, about getting together while Joe was still in town. How much longer would he be around, anyway? He’d told her a couple of weeks or so. Or so? How long a period was that? And then what? Things were moving scary fast between them. What would happen when he finished his business and was gone?

  “You’re awfully quiet over there, Slick.”

  “Just mulling things over.” She shifted in her seat. “You know.”

  “I do know. That’s why I’m asking. Don’t second-guess us, please. We’ve got something working here now. Okay?”

  She swallowed a sigh. By now there was no way she could shove her feelings for him back in the deep freeze. She’d just have to trust this would work out. Too bad trust was a scarce commodity where she was concerned.

  * * * *

  He was determined to get back to where they’d been after yesterday. Easing his fingers between her thighs, he held his breath, waiting to see if she’d tug it away. When, after what seemed like an endles
s minute she closed her legs together enough to trap his hand there, he let out a slow breath.

  Excellent.

  Shay’s impulsive catch and run had surprised Joe. She’d laughed about it, raised her hands in victory, but he’d caught a flash of uncertainty on her face. Of vulnerability. Things she kept hidden beneath the snarky attitude she’d always had. Because life kept them apart for a lot of years, except for those few minutes in New York, he’d never really gotten to know her as a person, until now. Currently he was too busy getting her into his bed and proving his feelings to really see who and what she was. Bad, Joe, Very, very bad.

  Had she always been this person, even as a kid, and he and Hank were just self-involved enough they didn’t see it? He remembered her as a brash and confident kid, and then as a teenager. Of course during her high school years he and Hank had been away at college. When they were home, they were too busy enjoying the females who stuck to them like flypaper to pay attention to Hank’s baby sister.

  The baby sure wasn’t a baby any more. Somehow she’d grown up into a woman who was knocking him on his ass minute by minute and he’d been totally unprepared for it. He had eight days left to show her how much she meant to him, to solidify this thing brewing between them that had exploded and deepened, and make some plans for the future. Convince her this was something real, which was made more difficult by the unexpected nature of it all. He’d never expected this at all. Not even a little. But he wanted it and whatever it took, he intended to do just that.

  Starting with tonight.

  Last night he’d dreamt about the two of them naked, doing all manner of sweaty dirty things. The things he liked and hoped she would, too. Friday night had been beyond wonderful but now—now, with this new invisible thread binding them inextricably together, he wanted it all with her. Everything. Tonight he planned to ramp things up. Test the waters, so to speak. Because he just couldn’t imagine doing those things with anyone else, ever again.

  He needed something special. Something out of the ordinary. Something that showed her he paid attention to more than just her body. Something dramatic was called for, but what?

  Then he remembered the chick flick she’d coerced him into watching and the note of envy in her voice at the big seduction scene. He still had a hard time believing some guy hadn’t felt compelled to do the same thing for her. After all, she was a desirable woman living all those years in sophisticated New York. It pained him to realize not too many people did special things for Shay Beckham. Treated her in an exceptional way. Made her feel, well, unique.

  So now he knew exactly what to do. Everyone else’s failures made his idea much better. He intended to make up for her lack starting right now. When he spotted a wine and liquor store in a strip center, he made a quick right into the parking lot and eased into an empty space.

  Shay sat up and looked around. “What are we doing here?”

  “Getting a surprise. Sit tight. I’ll be right out.”

  “But—”

  He leaned back in and grinned at her. “It’s all good. I promise. Just relax.”

  He could feel her staring at him as he entered Zander’s Wine and Spirits Shoppe.

  “Can I help you?” the man behind the counter asked.

  Joe could take champagne or leave it. He liked a good glass of wine now and then although he was more of a bourbon or beer guy. At certain times in his life, however, like when he signed the contract with the Rattlers and when they won the Super Bowl, he’d enjoyed a glass of bubbly courtesy of the team’s owner. He hadn’t paid much attention to brands at the time. Never cared. But he thought he remembered Wally Jaeger, the owner, saying something about Piper-Heidsieck. If it was good enough for his boss, it was good enough for him.

  “Piper-Heidsieck,” he told the man. “Two bottles.”

  The guy raised an eyebrow. “Good stuff. What year?”

  “Year?” How the hell did he know? “How many are there?”

  The man burst out laughing. “I’d have to say the bubby isn’t your drink of choice. Okay, this must be a special occasion, right?”

  Joe nodded.

  “Then I’d say 2008. The Gilded Cuvée. We don’t usually carry it, but I happen to have a couple of bottles by accident.”

  “I’ll take them both,” Joe told him, reaching for his billfold.

  The man stared at him. “You know they’re two hundred fifty a pop, right?”

  He wanted to tell the man he dropped larger amounts on dinner sometimes, with people he didn’t even like. While he wasn’t a person who flashed his money around, sometimes you needed a high-dollar meal.

  “No problem. Oh, and can you wrap them so they’re completely covered?”

  “Sure thing. I can box them.” The cash register dinged. “Nice surprise for someone special?”

  “Big surprise.” Joe grinned. “And very special.”

  Carrying the champagne, he trotted down to the deli and asked if they could do a cheese-and-crackers platter fast. He’d serve them later. When he asked if the man could also disguise it in a box or carton, the clerk frowned at him.

  “You’re not planning to poison anyone with this, are you?”

  “Nope.” Joe shook his head. He didn’t care if everyone thought he was weird. He just didn’t want Shay to see anything until they got back to the house. “Just putting together a little surprise.”

  But as he waited for the cheese platter, another idea occurred to him. He pulled out his cell phone, scrolled through an app until he found what he wanted, and made a call.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I want. Can you do it? Uh-huh. Okay I’ll meet you by the deck in back in, what, thirty minutes? Oh, and can you add…” What? What kind of flowers did Shay like? “A romantic bouquet of some kind? Tell the florist to use his imagination. Oh, and one more thing.” He gave one more set of directions. “Thanks.”

  “You still want the platter?” the deli guy asked.

  “Sure. Why not?” They could always snack on it the next day, or tomorrow evening.

  When he opened the back door of the car and slid the two boxes in carefully, Shay looked at him with curiosity in her eyes. “Am I allowed to ask what’s in those things?”

  “No, you’re not.” His mouth curved in the hint of a grin. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

  “A surprise? For me? People don’t usually give me surprises.”

  He winked. “Maybe they don’t know how much you deserve them.

  She slouched down in her seat. “Maybe they know how grouchy I get when they do.”

  “Again maybe they don’t pick the right surprises.” He slid a glance at her. “Back to your Super Bowl catch this afternoon, you know, every single woman there this afternoon was jealous of you.”

  “Please. I can just hear Hank laughing his ass off about it when he hears the story.”

  “Uh-uh. Hank will be jealous. I’ll bet he can’t make a catch like that now.”

  “It was fun and exciting, but I’ve had my fifteen minutes of fame. Can we just not talk about it anymore? Please?”

  “Whatever you say, but I promise you you’re a hero to those women.” He reached over and squeezed her hands.

  “Yeah, yeah. Let’s move along, okay?”

  “Sure.” Releasing her hands, he turned on the radio, found a country station, turned up the volume a little. “Do you like Blake Shelton?”

  “And if I didn’t?” she challenged.

  “Then we’d have a problem.” He glanced over at her, his smile fading. “If you hate it, I’ll change the station.”

  “No.” She chuckled. “Leave it on. I love Blake.”

  “Good. Let’s just relax and let him mellow out the day.”

  Little by little he was getting to know the Shay no one else saw. He’d finally figured out her snarkiness was a mask for insecurities she hid from the world. Beneath the exterior was a woman with so much to give and he wanted her to give it to him. No one else.

  Possessive, much
?

  He swallowed a laugh.

  He pulled into the driveway and turned off the ignition. He wanted tonight to be very special. This wasn’t just any woman, this was Shay. She came with her own built-in set of challenges, and tonight he was planning to meet them head-on. He couldn’t afford to get it wrong.

  Okay. Here we go.

  Chapter 8

  “Can you get the front door for me?” he asked, climbing out of the car.

  “I will if you tell me why you took the long way home.”

  “Did I? Really? I guess I just wanted to get a better look at the neighborhood where you live.”

  “Joe.” She planted her hands on her hips. “What the hell is going on?”

  “If I told you, I’d miss half the fun. Now can you get the door?”

  “Do I get a tip for being the doorman?” she asked.

  “Depends on what kind of tip you expect.” He leaned his forearms on the roof of the car and studied her. “Today was fun. I enjoyed being with those people but more so because I was with you.”

  Her lips tilted in a crooked grin. “Yeah? And why is that?”

  “Maybe tonight I can show you.” He winked. “Come on, open up so I can put this stuff away.”

  She unlocked and opened the door, then stood to the side while he carried the boxes into the kitchen, doing her best to hide her curiosity.

  “Do I ever get to find out what the secret goodies are?”

  Joe swallowed a smile. She looked like a little kid trying not to shake the presents under the Christmas tree. He kissed the tip of her nose.

  “Soon. Very soon. Right about the time I go to work on your secret goodies.”

  A becoming blush crept up her cheeks and she lowered her eyes.

  He faced a big test tonight, showing her he wasn’t the ego-driven playboy anymore. He thought he’d made a good start so far but tonight he wanted her to see for herself that he was someone who cared for her very deeply. That he was someone she could trust her heart with. Dinner Friday night had been a great beginning. Now he was going to take things forward with a big leap.

  She was still in the foyer, frowning, after he stashed his packages.