Coach Maddie and the Marine (6 page)

When she ran her hand down the length of his muscular arms, he deepened the kiss and nibbled gently on her bottom lip, and the temperature of her blood rose even higher. Her skin felt hot and flushed, her clothes too tight and restrictive.

He settled a hand on the back of her neck. “These curls are driving me crazy,” he growled as he loosened her bun and took a handful of hair in his hand and used it to pull her even closer to him. His lips were insistent now, drawing out the passion she’d hidden from herself for so long. “If I don’t stop now…”

Slowly, he drew his mouth away from hers, giving her small kisses until there was space between them. “It was the powdered sugar. I couldn’t resist.”

Maddie wasn’t sure she could form a coherent sentence. Her head swam with the scent and the taste of him. “It’s okay,” she whispered.

It was more than okay. It was fantastic.

“Then maybe I’ll kiss you again.”

His directness made the fire just below her stomach burn even hotter. Blue flames, now. He grabbed her waist and yanked her closer to him. When their lips met, every nerve in Maddie’s body shivered with the rush of him. Desperate longing swelled deep inside her and she began to take as much from him as he was taking from her.

They explored each other as if this one kiss could slake the need that moved back and forth between them like lightning. When he finally pulled away, she wasn’t sure she would be able to stand on her own. Her lips were swollen with the kiss and her cheeks burned from the friction of his stubble.

Maddie wanted the kiss to go on forever. But she knew it couldn’t. Knew it shouldn’t.

“I didn’t plan to—”

“I know,” she said. “I know.” She moved away and sat on the chair across the room from the sofa, desperate to put space between them. If she didn’t, she might not be able to stop herself from falling for him. That would be a total disaster. “I think that’s all the football I can take in one night.”

“There’s still a lot more to cover. You’re doing great with the basics but don’t get too confident.”

“That’s never going to be a worry.”

He grinned. “See you on Sunday?”

After he left Maddie slumped on the sofa. What in the hell had she been thinking? What had
he
been thinking?

There was no way she could ever be with him. He had been Frank’s commanding officer. He was a marine.

Off-limits.

Maddie’s brain knew all those things but her body kept betraying her. It was as if he was some massive magnet drawing her closer and closer. As if she had no power to resist him.

The kissing, and the flirting, had to stop.

No two ways about it. He was her assistant coach. He signed up to help the kids because Frank couldn’t be here to do it himself. He was trying to make things right. He wasn’t looking for romance.

Even if he were, she was the last person he needed in his life.

Together, they’d constantly remind each other of the past.

They needed to get through this season and go their separate ways.

End of story.

...

Andrew answered the door when David arrived on Sunday.

“What’s up, Andrew?”

“Not much. Just waiting for Aunt Maddie to get out of the shower so she can fix lunch. I’m starving.” His brown eyes had the look of a hound’s—wet, earnest, and begging.

“What do you want?” he asked, following Andrew into the kitchen.

“A peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk.”

“Can you make it for yourself?”

“Yeah.” Andrew pointed to the cabinet to the right of the sink. “Plates are in there. I’ll get the jelly and stuff.”

After the child assembled all the ingredients on the counter, David said, “Remember, no double dipping. Here’s a paper towel to wipe the knife between the jelly and the peanut butter.”

“Gotcha,” Andrew said.

He watched as Andrew took his time, spreading the jelly, and then the peanut butter evenly across the slice of bread.

“Looks perfect, huh?”

David shrugged his shoulders. “The taste test is the only way to go. Give it a shot.”

Andrew smiled and took a huge bite of the sandwich. “It’s good.”

“Always tastes better when you make it yourself, huh? I’ll take care of these dishes while you eat.” The sink was full of breakfast dishes.

By the time he heard Maddie padding down the hallway toward the kitchen, he’d wiped down the counters, taken the trash to the can in the garage, and put in a new liner. Andrew, finished with his sandwich, had gone into his room and shut the door behind him.

He was loading the dishwasher when he smelled her. He savored the sultry scent of roses right after a soft summer rain, mixed with the smell of a woman. It drove him wild.

He had to stop arriving just as she was getting out of the shower.

Or he had to ask her to stop wearing that perfume for the balance of the football season.

“I had no idea you were here,” she said.

He pushed the top rack into the dishwasher and turned to face her.

Standing in the doorway leading from the hallway, her eyes were wide and she held the collar of her thin robe, pink cotton with tiny little rosebuds, tightly closed. It was tied with a narrow belt just below her waist. He couldn’t stop staring at the tiny beads of water on the side of her neck. He imagined the droplets lining the inside curves of her breasts.

Her hair was still wet and it hung in loose, dark copper curls. He wanted to slip his palm underneath, letting the hair tickle the back of his hand as he pulled her to him and claimed her lips.

The possibility that she was naked beneath the robe was nearly more than he could handle.

She stepped backward. “I’ll be right back. I need to get dressed.” Her face flushed.

“No need on my account.” He imagined pulling the belt on her robe loose. He would love to watch the robe fall to the floor in a pink puddle around her feet as he took her into his arms and felt the wet, steamy heat of her. “I’d rather see you in a robe than a fancy evening gown any day.”

“Ha. Very funny.” She pivoted on one heel and dashed down the hallway.

He turned back to the dishes and tried to get his mind back on track.

When she came back into the kitchen a few minutes later, she was dressed in loose shorts and a faded T-shirt. “Way to sneak up on a girl,” she said.

“I’m sorry. I thought you knew I was here.”

“Thanks for doing the dishes,” Maddie said. She bent to grab a diet cola from the now spotless fridge. She placed it on the counter and popped it open. “Do you do windows, too, Lieutenant?”

There also needed to be a cease-fire on the flirting.

She had no idea what else he could do.

Her position allowed him a small peek at the inside of her leg. He felt himself harden. If the sight of her in her robe was tempting, the sight of her bent over with her head in the fridge was torture.

Thank God he’d worn jeans. Sweatpants would’ve given him away for sure.

“With the right incentive,” he said, thankful his voice didn’t slide into a lower octave. He sat in one of the kitchen chairs before she turned to face him.

“So let’s plan the practice so I can have a few football-free hours to myself this afternoon,” she said, munching on a baby carrot. She sat in the chair across from him. “I can’t think about it much more or my head might explode. Where’s Andrew?”

“He went to his room after he ate his sandwich.”

“Andrew,” Maddie called. “Come here, please.”

Andrew ambled into the room and sat in one of the chairs.

David asked him, “Do you remember what position everyone played last year? I think our best strategy will be to put players in the same place this year, unless they were terrible in their position last year. In that case, we’ll want to move them somewhere else.”

“I remember the roster from last year. A couple of the guys moved so we have two or three new players.”

“Maddie, go get your notebook and let’s write this down.”

She retrieved the notebook from the sofa and walked back into the kitchen.

“Okay, let’s go step by step. I’ll call out the position and you tell me the name.”

It only took a couple of minutes to list everyone. Then Maddie compared them with her sign-up sheet.

“We’re missing a center, two defensive linemen, and a right guard. We have four new players, so I guess we can put them in those holes.”

“Robbie Carroll is new this year. He’s a pretty big kid but he can’t run very fast. He might be good for center,” Andrew said.

“That’s easy. I’ll put him there.” She penciled his name onto the roster.

“Let’s look at them and see who might be best at each position,” David said. “We need to size each of them up before you decide. You’re the coach. You make the final decision. Just because a kid likes playing a certain position doesn’t mean it’s the best place for him. You have to put him where he’s best so that the team wins. It’s all about the end of the season record, not what one individual wants.”

“That makes sense. Okay, so we have most of the players assigned to positions, at least for now. So what should we do in tomorrow’s practice?”

“We’ll start by lining everyone up and announcing their position. We can make adjustments during the first game. By next week, when we’ve seen them practice a couple of times and play a game, we can make a more permanent roster. We’ll also need to pass out the equipment.

“I’d suggest a couple of warm-up exercises, some stretching, and a couple of laps around the track. Then we’ll work on some offensive drills, take a short water break and then finish up with some defensive drills.”

“I have no idea what a drill should consist of. Will you lead them?” Maddie asked.

“You’re the coach. But, since you’re a rookie, I’ll lead them tomorrow. You have to throw in suggestions every now and then to at least make it look like you know what you’re doing. But I think you should lead the discussion on penalties.”

“I don’t think I’m ready. We’ve barely covered them, plus all those hand signals look so dumb, I can’t help but laugh when you demonstrate them.”

“Well, funny or not, I’m going to teach you those tomorrow night, so you’ll be ready to demonstrate them on Tuesday.”

“All right. So all that stuff should take an hour right?”

“Hopefully it will take a little more than an hour. You never want to end a practice early. Makes the players get soft.”

“The players are only eight years old,” she said, rolling her eyes. “How hardened can they possibly be?”

“Andrew here looks like a pretty tough competitor.” He tapped the kid on the bicep with his fist. “Easy coaches don’t turn out winning teams.”

Maddie pointed to the clock on the microwave. “Well, guys, that’s it. The thirty minute football planning session is finished. I even gave you an extra two minutes. Now I’m going into the living room, getting comfy on the sofa, and diving into the new fat novel I bought at the bookstore.” She waved as she walked out of the kitchen.

“Aunt Maddie,” Andrew shouted at her back, “is it one of those novels with the cheesy covers?”

She didn’t answer.

“Cheesy covers?” David asked, quirking his left eyebrow.

“Yeah, you know the ones with a man with long blond hair and no shirt on? He’s usually kissing a woman who’s wearing a really tight, old-fashioned dress. Aunt Maddie’s really into falling in love and romance and stuff.”

“Really?” That didn’t sound like the same woman who’d politely told him she wasn’t ready for a new man in her life. Not that he was interested in a relationship anyway.

“Do you want to go for a milkshake while your Aunt Maddie reads her cheesy novel?”

“Yes, sir,” Andrew answered with enthusiasm.

“Maddie,” he said, stepping into the living room. “Is it okay if we go out for a milkshake?”

“Sure,” she called from the sofa.

“You want anything?”

“I like delivery service,” Maddie said, barely looking up from the pages of her book. “Will you bring me a root beer float with vanilla ice cream and a cherry on top?”

“No problem. We’ll be back in a little while.”

They walked out the kitchen door into a blindingly bright day. He slipped his sunglasses on and turned to Andrew. “So what’s your favorite treat?” They walked toward the drugstore.

“I usually order a chocolate malt with extra malt powder. Sometimes Miss Weaver gives me two cherries instead of one.”

“Awesome.”

“She feels sorry for me because my mom is deployed.” Andrew kicked a small pebble with the toe of his sneaker.

“That must be tough. I’ll bet you miss your mom a lot.”

“Yeah, but Aunt Maddie’s cool. She takes good care of me. And she lets me do stuff that my mom won’t.”

He laughed. “Like what?”

“I don’t have to make my bed every morning. She never checks, usually because we’re running late.”

That sounded more like Maddie.

“When’s your mom coming home?”

“In about three months. But I try not to think about it too much. The more I think about it, the longer it seems.” He looked up at David and tried to smile. Instead the kid looked pitiful.

He heard the hurt in the kid’s voice. He was trying to play it off but it was there, just underneath the surface. He’d bet there were plenty of nights Andrew had cried himself to sleep.

“Well, she’ll be home before you know it. Come on,” he said, opening the door to the drugstore so Andrew could slip in underneath his arm, “let’s go see if Miss Weaver will give you an extra cherry.”

Chapter Six

The drugstore looked like something straight out of a 1950s magazine. Along one wall was the pharmacy, on the other was a large soda fountain, complete with red upholstered stools. It was nearly empty this morning so he and Andrew had their pick of seats.

“Let’s sit in the middle,” he said, hopping onto a stool and patting the one next to him for Andrew. The boy clambered up, all legs and knees and bony arms. “What looks good?”

A large chalkboard behind the counter listed all the current ice cream flavors. Shakes, malts, and floats of all sizes and flavors.

“I’ll take a chocolate malt shake.”

“With a cherry?”

Andrew smiled and nodded. “Maybe two,” he whispered.

Miss Weaver, dressed in a printed cotton dress and a crisp apron, ran her hand along the counter. “Hey there, Mr. Ingle. What can I do for you and your friend today?”

Andrew scooted closer to the counter. “I’ll take the usual
.
He wants a strawberry shake.”

David smiled. Only eight years old and already so adept at ordering. “Bring me the tab,” he said. Miss Weaver winked at him and started dipping the ice cream.

When she’d placed two tall glasses and two metal ones in front of them, she said, “Here you are, fellas. Enjoy.”

“Four cherries?” he asked, looking at Andrew’s shake.

“She thinks I’m cute.”

“Obviously.” He took a sip of the rich strawberry shake. “No wonder you like this place. You must come here pretty often.”

Andrew nodded. “We do. Aunt Maddie always gets a root beer float.”

He tucked that little tidbit into his mental filing cabinet. Just in case he needed it later.

“I’m glad she has me,” Andrew said. “She’s pretty lonely.”

“I’m sure she has plenty of friends.”

“Not really. She just works and takes care of me.”

His heart squeezed. There was no reason in the world a woman like Maddie shouldn’t have a life filled with friends and fun. And love.

He’d taken that away from her. If Frank had been anywhere but with him, he might still be alive. The old, familiar guilt surged again.

“Maybe she likes it that way,” he said.

Andrew shrugged. “Maybe.”

...

The stack of patient files Maddie had been updating since noon had finally begun to shrink into something that was at least manageable. She hated bringing work home, especially when there was so much she needed to do to make sure the house ran smoothly. Grocery shopping, loads and loads of laundry, homework help. But since her home office was so much more relaxing, she tended to get things done much faster than at her too bland office at the mental health center.

At ten minutes to five, she’d closed the last folder and leaned back in her chair. David should be arriving any minute. She rose, stretched, and headed for the bathroom. Her makeup could use a little freshening up.

Not that she cared about her appearance around him. Not really.

She spritzed perfume on her neck and applied pink lip gloss. When she looked in the mirror she was surprised to see that her cheeks had a rosy glow and her eyes looked large and bright. She frowned.

She wasn’t supposed to be excited about David and the football lesson.

Footsteps clomped up the steps leading to the porch. When he knocked, she took a deep breath and tried to sound casual. “Come on in. It’s unlocked.”

She stayed in the bathroom until she heard the front door close. She willed her heart to stop beating so quickly.

When she walked into her living room, her heart picked up the rhythm again.

He was still in uniform.

He filled it out perfectly. His broad shoulders and narrow hips were made to wear the pressed and tailored camouflage. He looked like he’d walked right off the cover of one of her romance novels.

Something sizzled, deep in her belly, a slow heat building flicker by flicker.

And for the first time, she was willing to admit that it was more than just attraction. Judging by the electricity buzzing through her body, her feelings for him were beginning to deepen.

His usual easy smile was nowhere to be seen. He looked worried.

“Did you have a long day?”

“It was the longest one I’ve had in a while,” he answered. “I’ve been at work for almost thirteen hours.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He shook his head. “I’d love to talk about it, but I can’t. Most of the stuff I do on a daily basis is so boring it’s hard to stay awake. But that doesn’t mean I can discuss any of it. A lot of the information that comes across my desk is top secret.”

“What exactly do you do for the Corps?”

“Officially, I’m the attaché to General Rodgers.”

She heard the reluctance in his voice and it was apparent that he wasn’t going to tell her anything more than his job title, at least not at the moment. She’d learned over the years that when dealing with the military, the unofficial job description was much more important, and revealing, than the official one.

“I’m sorry you had a rough day. Hungry?”

“Maybe a little, but I’ll pick something up on the way home. We’ll get started in a few minutes. I just want to sit here and clear my head for a second.”

She nodded. Sensing that he needed a few minutes alone, she walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She pulled out the pork chops she’d picked up earlier and set them on the counter. She put a pot of water on the stove for the rice and warmed a frying pan. The pork chops sizzled when she threw them in the hot oil. She seasoned and browned them perfectly. Less than thirty minutes later, she had a southern meal ready for him.

“Would you like gravy on your rice?” she asked.

“Did you say gravy?” He came into the kitchen and took a deep breath. “That smells like heaven.” His eyes danced with delight.

“Yep. I’ve got pork chops with rice and gravy. The meal is certainly not heart healthy, but I hope they taste pretty good,” she said. She reached into the fridge for the iced tea pitcher. “Want some?”

He nodded.

She centered the two plates on the lemon-colored placemats and poured the tea. He sat down, and she pulled out the chair across from him, sat, and placed her napkin on her lap.

“How did you know this was my favorite meal?”

“I didn’t, but it’s good to know that you’re easy to please.”

“You have no idea.” He winked at her and she felt her face flush.

She was beginning to think he used flirting as a way to defuse an awkward or difficult situation. A defense mechanism.

“Is that so?”

He dove into the meal like he hadn’t eaten in days. She refilled his glass as she watched him gulp down rice. Glad she’d cooked four chops instead of two, she added another piece of meat to his plate.

“This is amazing. I could get used to eating like this.”

Maddie laughed. “I’m glad you like it. Although the way you’re laying waste to those pork chops, I’m not sure I could afford to feed you.” She took a small bite of her dinner.

“Sorry. I usually have better manners, but I haven’t eaten since breakfast.” David looked around the kitchen. “I just noticed the quiet. Where’s Andrew?”

“He’s at Rowan’s. He’d live there if I’d let him. Rowan has a game system hooked to the internet. They play Minecraft nonstop. He’ll be back in the morning.”

He popped the last bite into his mouth and carried his plate to the sink. “That was great, Maddie. Thank you. Nothing like a home-cooked meal.”

Something electric cycled between them and he rose and walked around the table and put his hands on her shoulders.

She stood and turned to face him. Like magnets, they were unable to fight their affinity for each other. His nose nearly touched hers. He slid his arms around her waist.

“You move fast, Lieutenant Sterling,” she whispered.

Part of her wanted to resist, pull away from him and restate her determination not to fall into a relationship with him. But his masculine scent was jamming her brain and the other part of her, the wholly female part, carried the day.

“You have no idea,” he said, lightly kissing her neck.

She closed her eyes and leaned into the firmness of him. Dipping her head to the side, she allowed him to trace a lazy line down her neck with his lips, igniting a building warmth deep inside her. She rested her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the feel of his arms wrapped around her waist like iron bands. He wrapped her arms around his neck and he tilted his head. As their lips met, blazing energy sparked between them.

“We shouldn’t be…” Her voice trailed off.

“I can’t seem to help it,” he whispered against the sensitive skin of her neck.

She knew the feeling. Regardless of how much she rationalized it, tried to make her brain and body agree, her body always seemed to win out when he was within range.

She was tired of fighting the attraction. She kissed him on the lips. Ignoring the warning bells ringing in her head, she slid her tongue into his mouth. The taste of him heightened her arousal and she wanted him, all of him.

Just as she was about to suggest they move into the bedroom, the phone rang.

She pulled back and placed her hands on the flat muscles of his chest. “It might be Callie,” she said. It had been nearly two weeks since she’d heard her sister’s voice.

He grumbled under his breath, obviously irritated that she was letting the phone interrupt them. She found the phone on the table beside the sofa.

“Hello?” she answered breathlessly. “Oh, Callie, it’s such a relief to hear your voice.”

She listened intently, occasionally answering questions about Andrew. David sat silently on the sofa. If she hadn’t been so acutely aware of him she wouldn’t have even known he was in the room.

When the call ended a few minutes later, she placed the handset back into the charger and looked up at him. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes
.

“Is she doing okay?” he asked quietly.

“She’s fine. I just miss her so much and it hurts like the devil when she asks me about Andrew. I can’t believe he missed her call. He’ll be crushed.”

Sobs rocked her body, and she curled into herself. He sat down and wrapped her in the warm strength of his arms. He held her for a long time, murmuring soothing sounds into her hair. When she stopped crying, he raised her chin up so she could see him.

“I know how worried you are. I know what it’s like to have someone you love so dearly in the line of fire. We can talk about it anytime you feel the need. I’ll listen.”

She saw a softness in his eyes that he’d never shown before. They glistened with a tenderness she’d never guessed existed.

Was it possible that underneath his tough marine exterior he was the sensitive man she’d been looking for her entire life?

“I’m fine now. It’s just so hard to hear her voice. I know she makes herself sound upbeat when she’s really scared stiff. I just can’t wait to hug her and see for myself that she’s safe.”

He pulled her close and said, “It’ll be sooner than you think.”

“Well, since I’ve totally ruined the mood, I guess we’d better get to work on those penalties I’m supposed to teach the kids tomorrow. Meet you back here in five minutes.”

She went into the bathroom and washed her face, erasing the black lines of mascara that ran down her cheeks.

Not sure if she was thrilled or terrified that the two of them had gotten so close to the point of no return, she silently thanked Callie for her impeccable timing. The call gave her a chance to really examine how she felt and what to say to him.

When she walked back down the hall, she saw him sitting on the sofa and he was more irresistible than ever. Underneath the crisp uniform, there was not only a terrific body, but there was a deeply empathetic and caring man. She felt like she knew a delicious secret. In her very own living room sat the total package.

And she couldn’t have him. Wouldn’t let herself have him. Like bobbing on a raft in the middle of the ocean. All that water and not a drop to drink.

“Ready, Coach?” he asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she replied, picking up the notebook. Even though she was learning a lot, it was a complex game of strategy and positioning—there was a lot more to football than just the physical element. She was beginning to understand why so many people enjoyed the game, and she was actually excited about learning more.

“Let’s start with the most common penalties. The first two are offsides and false starts. The first one, offsides, is when a defensive player is in or beyond the neutral zone when the ball is snapped. False starts are when an offensive player is in or beyond the neutral zone before the ball is snapped.”

“That’s easy enough. I’ve heard those called a lot on television,” she said, jotting down some notes.

He went through several more penalties, showing her the officiating signs the referee would use to signify them. Maddie fought to keep a straight face.

“You don’t have to teach them the signals, I just wanted you to know them. I’ll be there with you on the sidelines to clarify anything.”

“I think I understand all these. Are there any other ones that I should harp on tomorrow?”

“Just basic good sportsmanship things. Remind them that you’ll tolerate no taunting, cursing, tripping. No cheap shots. You might need to stress the three big ones that can really get someone hurt.”

“What are those?”

“Clotheslining, which is knocking a player down with a blow to the head or neck. Clipping is blocking a player in the back. And face masking is pulling on the player’s facemask.”

“How much of this do you think they know already?”

“Most of it, I’m sure. I’ll bet the majority of these kids have watched football with their dads since they could walk.”

“That makes me feel a little better.”

“The most important thing, Maddie, is that you demand they compete with true sportsmanship. Let them know that if they break the rules, your rules, they won’t be playing. The best way to let these guys know you’re the boss is to threaten their playing time. They’ll catch on fast when they have to sit on the bench. And don’t let the kids who are good players intimidate you. Make them realize they’re subject to the same rules as the benchwarmers.”