Changing Lanes (The Lone Stars Book 3) (6 page)

“No.” He hated that his voice shook, but there was nothing he could do about it.

“So you should probably kiss me again.”

She didn’t have to ask him twice. Softly, his lips took hers. She tasted like pepperoni and promise.

His hands slid into her hair, and his fingers lightly massaged the back of her head.

Every muscle in her body went slack, and she moaned, tilting her head forward. Her hand went to his shoulder sending a jolt of pain down his arm. He jerked back, cracking her forehead on his chin.

“I’m so sorry.” Just when he’d thought the evening had taken a turn for the better, he knocks her on the forehead. Was God punishing him for something?

“Ouch.” She rubbed her head and plopped down hard, cardboard creaked and then there was a wet–squishing sound. “Crap, I just sat in the pizza.”

She rose to her knees and pepperoni, sausage, and cheese oozed down her backside.

Never in his life had a date gone so wrong. Beside accidentally running over her with the car or having her spontaneously combust, what else could happen?

His phone buzzed with a text from his mother. “Don’t worry. Small kitchen fire. I’m fine, not much damage. Except baby back ribs are ruined. Love you.”

“Can you excuse me a second?” His heart hammered in his chest while he touched contact and waited forever for her to answer.

“I’m fine.” His mother called over a den of male voices. “The Lake Travis Fire Department is taking very good care of me.”

He sighed. “What happened?”

“A little grease fire. I was finishing the ribs off in the oven and they caught fire. I was busy and didn’t notice. No big deal.” She sounded so calm. He was a nervous wreck, but for her, it was business as usual.

“Whew … okay.” His pulse was starting to head back to its normal level.

“It was quite a shock when the fire department pulled up and caught me and Reynaldo skinny dipping in your pool.” His mother laughed.

“Better them than me. So long as you’re safe.” He let out a long slow, breath. “I’ll call you later.”

“Kitchen fire?” With a handful of paper napkins, Laney wiped furiously at the pizza sauce running down her legs.

“I’m so sorry, I forgot.” He whipped off his shirt and wiped at her backside. This evening had so many lows that it was hard to pick just one.

Once they’d gotten most of the pizza off of her, she scooted down and out of the back of the SUV. He followed.

“I’m willing to admit defeat. You need to be with your mother right now, and I should be getting home.” Laney smiled kindly. “I have sprints at five in the morning and still need to finish some charts from today’s rounds. How about we call it an evening before something else happens.”

She didn’t sound mad, just resigned.

He really needed to check on his mother, but he didn’t want to leave things like they were. “Can I see you again? How about breakfast tomorrow?”

Laney shoulders shook with laughter. “Why not? This is more fun and humiliation than I’ve had in years.”

They drove back to Dell Children’s Medical Center in silence. She’d insisted on sitting on the pizza box instead of his jacket, which he’d gladly offered. It was on the tip of his tongue to apologize again, but she didn’t seem mad only thoughtful.

After she directed him to the staff parking lot and to her car, he pulled up next to it and put the Escalade in park.

“If you’re serious about going out again, hand me your phone.”

He picked up his iPhone and handed it to her.

She thumb typed and then handed it back. “My numbers. Call me if you’re serious about breakfast.”

He wanted to touch her again … kiss her once more, but before he could make his move, she’d opened the passenger door. Lightning fast, he was out of his own door, taking her keys, and opening her car door.

“Manners.” She nodded. “They’re nice.”

“That’s what my mother is always saying.”

She smiled and waited.

As crazy as it sounded, he was nervous to move in for the kiss. What with the pizza, the fire, and her cracked forehead which he’d noticed under the dome light in his car, was going to leave a bruise, he needed to work up a little courage to kiss her.

“You know, this would be a great time to kiss me.” She winked. “Just FYI.”

“I was working up the nerve.” He smiled down at her. He liked that she was only a couple of inches shorter than him. Even fourteen years ago, she’d fit nicely against him and now, she fit perfectly.

He combed his hands through her soft hair. “Hair the color of peanut butter and eyes Caribbean blue.”

He kissed her softly at first, and then his tongue darted inside her mouth. He loved her. It didn’t make sense, but he had always loved her. All the years of wondering and longing both ended and began again. He pulled back and stroked her cheek. He wanted so badly to tell her how he felt, but even he knew it was too soon.

“Wow. Where did you learn to kiss like that?” Laney, dazed and breathing heavily, shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Duh, you’re a professional football player. Are you that good in bed?”

Her eyes turned huge like she’d just realized what she’d said. She opened her mouth to say something else and then shut it again. She sucked on the inside of her cheek. “Could you pretend that I didn’t just say that?”

“Not a chance.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ll dream about you tonight.”

He held her door open for her.

“Really? That’s the best line you can come up with?” She grabbed a towel from her gym bag in the backseat, spread it out on the seat, and eased onto it. She pulled the door closed, put the key in the ignition, and rolled down the window. She hung her head out and looked up at him. “After all we’ve shared tonight, you’re going to end it on that cheesy line?”

“What? It’s true.” He threw up his hands. “Nightmares are dreams.”

He shot her a shit–eating grin.

“That’s better.” She waved and backed out of the parking space. She stopped and yelled out the window. “FYI–I’m going to sit by the phone and wait for your call. I’m kinda busy so can you give me an ETA on that?”

She laughed in a way that let him know that she really didn’t think he would call.

“Give it about five minutes.” He blew her a kiss and she drove off.

He ducked into the driver’s seat and hit the phone button on the console. He found her number and hit call.

“Hello?” Laney answered the phone with the skeptical voice of someone who doesn’t recognize the number.

“Just so you know, I’m terrific in bed.” He kept his voice low and sexy.

Chapter 4

“Ricardo, is that you?” Laney laughed.

“This is Devon. Who’s Ricardo?” His voice cracked so he cleared his throat. “Who’s Ricardo?”

Of course she knew it was Devon, but messing with him was kind of fun. “He’s my imaginary Latin lover. He’s never actually called me before, but I’m hoping one day. Come to think of it, you don’t have a Latin accent.”

Nothing but silence from the other end of the phone.

“I’m messing with you.” She laughed again.

“Whew. I thought I might have some imaginary competition.” Devon sounded honestly relieved.

“You couldn’t have mentioned the whole good in bed thing when we were face–to–face?” She smiled to herself.

“Safer this way.” He said.

“I’m tired of safety. I want to do something outrageous.” She took a deep breath. The evening already sucked, so she supposed added truth wouldn’t make that much of a difference. “I don’t suppose you’re up for a one–night stand?”

“What?” He sputtered.

“I’ve never had one. Are they fun? Or is it awkward in the morning? For that matter, do you stay the whole night or is it customary to leave after sex?” She couldn’t help the information gathering tone. She wanted to know.

“I guess it depends.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Are we having this conversation?”

“I hope. How many one–night stands have you had?” Ten, twenty, two–hundred? What was the average amount of one–night stands for the American male? She’d have to Google that when she got home. Being a pro–athlete, she was willing to bet, he was way above average.

“I don’t feel right talking about his with the woman I’m currently dating.” His voice was higher than normal.

“Oh stop. You’re a guy. Don’t y’all brag about this to each other? It’s a simple question. How many?” Laney found that she really wanted to know. Would she pale by comparison if indeed they actually did the deed?

“Usually I’m not one to easily embarrass, but this is making me nervous.”

“Okay.” For a football player he was certainly prudish. “Have you ever had crazy gorilla sex?”

Nothing but silence wafted in from the car speakers.

“Are you still there?” All she wanted was information. Devon was easy to talk to, most men didn’t put up with her questions, but he didn’t seem to mind until now.

“Yes, I’m here. You understand that I need to check on my mother…”

“Okay.” What did questioning him about his sex life have to do with checking on his mother? He had hands free talking in his car. “So do you need to go?”

“No, it’ll take me twenty or so more minutes to get home.”

“About the gorilla sex? Is it different than regular sex?” Since she’d promised not to use the words penis and vagina, it was a little hard to ask for the mechanics.

He took a full minute. “You’ll know after you have it.”

“Well, if we ever do have sex, maybe you could point it out while we’re doing it so I can see if I like it.” She pulled onto IH–35 North and headed to her condo downtown. “My teammates seem to think that it’s incredible.”

“With you, it’s going to be amazing.”

“Again with the cheesy lines.” She shook her head. “I really thought we were past that.”

“You’re never past a good cheesy line. They make the world go around.” There was a smile in his voice.

“Goodnight, Devon.” She needed to focus on driving and so did he.

“Goodnight, Laney.” He didn’t hang up.

Laney hit end and the call dropped.

It had been the strangest evening of her life, but not unpleasant. Devon was fun and hilarious and sweet in a way that a large muscular man shouldn’t be. Still, there was something about him that was very familiar, and she still couldn’t place it. It would come to her.

At five–thirty the next morning as she stood in a line with her teammates, she still couldn’t figure out how she knew Devon. They didn’t run in the same circles, by his own admission, he didn’t come by the hospital, and she would have remembered meeting him before. He had a presence that was memorable. It was driving her crazy.

“You’re awfully quiet this morning.” January gathered her long hair into a ponytail and looped an elastic band around it to keep it out of her face.

“She’s tired on account of the fact that she was up all night, with Mr. Football.” Nina did some lunges to warm up her muscles.

“I wish. The evening was a disaster. It was just one awful thing after another.” Laney told them everything.

“But he called you on the way home.” Nina tried to see the good side to everything. “That means he’s interested.”

“If he were interested, she wouldn’t have slept alone last night.” January stretched out her calves.

“Not everyone’s a slut.” Nina tried hard not to laugh. “There have to be some people in the world with self–restraint.”

Laney didn’t make eye contact instead she balanced one foot on the guardrail of the bridge they were standing on and stretched her hamstrings. Sprints meant climbing Mt. Lakeway over and over again. The first two hundred foot climb over the super steep grade was fine, it was the thousandth one that sucked.

“Okay ladies, the first one to the top of the hill gets a donut.” Charisma held out a box of Round Rock donuts.

“Oh goodie, I love sprinting for donuts.” Nina looked around. “Where’s the coffee?”

“That comes later. Donuts now.” She opened the box and the smell of hot, sugary, fried dough wafted out. “Who wants a hot and gooey donut?”

“She does this every time and every time I want to kill her.” January shrugged. “You’d think that after a while my rage would fade, but no, I still want to kill her, take all of the donuts, and run.”

Charisma stuck out her tongue, closed the box, stowed it in her backpack, and shrugged on the pack. “Catch me if you can.”

And she was off. Charisma might be little, but she was fast. No one ever caught her unless she wanted to be caught.

Two hours later, Laney’s thighs and calves were aching, and her knees felt like they’d been replace by concrete, but she’d eaten three donuts, and she’d caught Charisma. There was no small amount of pride in that.

“Way to go.” Nina leaned over, catching her breath. “I’d punch you in the arm playfully, but I don’t have the energy.”

“What she said.” January pointed to Nina.

“I don’t know why y’all are so tired. We only ran up and down the hill twelve times.” Charisma wasn’t even breathing hard.

Nina looked up. “We can take her. We’ll throw her body in the lake, no one will miss her.”

“I can’t move my legs so I’m thinking that overpowering her isn’t an option.” January turned to Charisma. “I don’t suppose you’d tie yourself up and jump into the lake.”