Empty Net (25 page)

“Sitting, thinking.”

“Sounds like fun,” she said, walking toward the ocean. “Man, it’s beautiful out here.”

“It really is,” he agreed, following close to her. “How long can you stay?”

“Just a couple days, I gotta be back Friday night for Aiden’s game.”

Tate nodded. So he had two days with her. It wasn’t near enough, but it would hold him until he got home on Saturday. He watched as she sat down, crossing her legs before sliding her heels off and dumping the sand out of them. He sat down beside her, stretching his long legs out in front of him.

“So from what Elli told me, you’ve been killing in goal lately,” she said, looking over at him with a bright smile.

Tate laughed before pinning her with a lusty grin. “I would love to ask more about what she said about me, but what I really would like to know is how I came into the conversation.”

For once he wasn’t worried about what his team owner thought. He was more worried about what Audrey thought. When her cheeks reddened, he knew that she had brought him up. “Talking about me, I see?”

“Oh hush, I was just trying to tell you Elli is really happy with you.”

Tate nodded, his eyes never leaving her face. “Good, thanks for checking on me.” When she glanced up, he winked before pressing his tongue against his teeth. Audrey smiled, shook her
head, and gazed out toward the ocean.

“Anyways,” she said, making him chuckle, “I ran into Phillip in the lobby, he’s the one who directed me to you. In parting, he said that you’re hitting the club.”

“We are. It’s a salsa night. Erik and Phillip are looking forward to the Latin women, apparently.”

Audrey giggled. “I bet you are too. Maybe I’ll stay in. I don’t want to rain on your Latin parade.”

He shook his head. “Actually, I’m not and you won’t. I want you there.”

She eyed him a moment before grinning. “Oh, all right, if you insist,” she joked before digging her toes in the sand.

They sat for a long time, talking about her trip, falling back into their rhythm as if they hadn’t been apart for almost a week. She was animated as always, and seemed happy to be there. He couldn’t help but wonder why she came. Was this her way of trying to move things forward? Did she want to move things forward?

“Okay,” he eventually said, cutting off her story about the bellboy who told her she was a sexy piece of southern ass. Not only was it pissing him off, but he had to know or he was going to drive himself mad.

“Whoa, was I boring you?” she asked, and he could tell he’d offended her.

“No, not at all, but big question,” he said. He hated that she was hiding her eyes, so he reached out, and took the glasses from her face. When her wide, gorgeous, caramel eyes locked with his, he flashed her a shy grin.

“Well, hurry, because I am trying to tell you how I got a bellboy fired and that we might need to watch our backs for the Latin mob.”

Tate gave her a look and then they both burst out laughing. He had to hold his gut as he leaned against the sand, and she let out a snort before covering her mouth and laughing harder.

When they both calmed down, Tate looked over at her and she smiled. “What did you want to question me about?” she asked.

He swallowed loudly. “What brought you here, Audrey? And don’t say it’s ’cause you were bored.”

She averted her eyes and shook her head. “I asked myself that same question when I was standing behind you.”

“What answer did you come up with?” he asked, still looking at her.

“I wanted to do something that would make me happy.”

Tate smiled. “So I make you happy.”

Audrey smiled. “Cocky ass.”

He chuckled as she rolled her eyes, looking back out to the ocean. He looked out toward it too, still confused, but glad that she was finally doing something that made her happy.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the cupcakery and what you said,” she said, still gazing at the ocean. He nodded as he waited for her to go on. When she didn’t, he glanced over to ask what she had been thinking about as she whispered, “Question.”

Her eyes were on her fingers, which she ran along her green sparkly toes. “Yeah?”

“Have you ever wanted something so much and felt like it was within reach but you couldn’t grasp it?”

When she looked up, he nodded. “Yup.”

“What did you do?”

Tate thought for a moment, then said, “I continue to be there.”

Audrey looked up, confused. “What do you mean?”

“It’s pretty simple, Audrey. I’m here, and I hope that one day you’ll look me in the eyes and decide that you are done with this charade of being friends and that I can be your man. I want you to see that I can be there to help with your dreams. That I’m not some punk kid out to get some from you. I’m a decent guy, Audrey. If you would let me, I could be your guy.” He said it all in one breath. He had been waiting forever to say that, and it felt great to finally get it out.

Her eyes went wide before she looked back down at her toes. He waited for her to say something, and when she didn’t, he let out a long breath. She was the most frustrating woman in the world, but for some reason he kept coming back. He knew the reason, but damn it, couldn’t she make it a little easier on him?

“I don’t want to lead you on, Tate. I am still trying to figure things out,” she whispered. He almost didn’t hear her over the roar of the waves.

“You are not leading me on, Audrey. You have clearly pointed out that we are only friends, that you don’t want the things I want.”

She looked at him and shook her head. “That’s not true. I do want those things, Tate, it’s just difficult and you don’t have all the facts. You don’t really know me.”

“I know you, and I like you, what other facts could there be?” he asked. “You confuse the hell out of me, you know that?”

“I know, and I need to explain, but I just don’t know how without sounding like a psycho.”

“Audrey, just say it. I would never judge you, I care about you,” he said. They sat staring into each other’s eyes, her mouth moving but words not leaving her lips as they shared a long heated look. He wanted nothing more than to close the gap by pressing his wanting lips to hers,
but then his phone rang and he knew the moment was gone.

Looking away, she said, “Answer your phone, Tate.”

Fuck!

Glancing down, he saw that it was Erik. “What, dude?” he answered rudely.

“Well shit, bad timing?”

“Something like that.”

“My bad.” Erik laughed, and Tate knew he didn’t care at all that he had interrupted anything. “We still on for tonight?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, well come on, let’s get ready. I know there is some hot mamacita who wants my body. Let’s go!
Vamonos!
”

“I’m pretty sure it’s against the law for a Russian to speak Spanish. That was horrible,” Tate said dryly with a roll of his eyes.

“Shut up and come on,” Erik said, then hung up.

“Are they ready?” Audrey asked without looking at him.

“Yeah, let’s go,” he said. He stood and helped her up, and when she tried to walk away, stopped her by gripping her wrist and bringing her close so he could whisper, “This conversation isn’t over.”

Audrey’s sad eyes met his. He hated that look. He wanted her to be happy, and a part of him was second-guessing his harshness, but she needed to know how he felt.

She nodded and said, “I know.”

Tate leaned against the wall outside of Audrey’s door. He didn’t know if he should knock or just wait and decided to wait, to give her more time. When they had parted earlier, it seemed she was regretting coming down to Miami. It was the last thing he wanted, so he decided that instead of talking about anything serious, they would just enjoy the couple days they had with each other. He would let whatever was happening between them run its course.

Fixing the collar of his crisp white shirt, he couldn’t help but doubt himself. Did he mess up earlier on the beach? What if she came out with her bags packed, ready to go home? Banging his head against the wall, he pulled his phone out and was about to play a game when Audrey’s door opened. His tongue fell out of his mouth at the sight of her.

Audrey was hot. Super hot.

She wore a fitted, one shoulder black sparkly dress. It came to mid-thigh, maybe higher, showing her sexy tan legs. Her hair was down in a mass of curls, her makeup the most drastic he had ever seen it, and he couldn’t help notice the extra high sparkly heels she wore.

He was supposed to be friends with her?

Running her hands down her thighs, she smiled up at him. “Hey.”

Swallowing, he croaked out, “Hey.”

“Is this okay? It’s all I got. Well no, I take that back, I have a skirt, but I thought this was salsa-ish.”

Tate was nodding before she got the whole sentence out. He was convinced there was no room in his slacks because that dress was way more than okay.

“Audrey, yeah, you look hot.”

A shy smile crossed her lips as she rocked her hips back and forth. “Thank you. You ready?”

“Yup,” he said.

He was only a little embarrassed about his outburst about how hot she was. He liked that she had gotten so dressed up for him, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a date.

Their first date.

With a grin, he placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her to the elevator and then down to the club. When they entered, he spotted Phillip and Erik at a corner table. Taking Audrey’s hand in his, he guided them through the crowd of dancers and patrons lingering around tables, having a good time. Phillip put his hands up at the sight of Tate and Erik grinned as he made his way toward them. Like him, both men were dressed to impress in slacks and dress shirts. Both on the mission to bring home a special lady.

He didn’t have to worry about that. He already had his.

Tate brought Audrey beside him before pulling out a chair for her. “Guys,” he yelled over the pulsating music, “you remember Audrey, right?”

“I think we’ve met,” Phillip said, his eyes gazing over Audrey’s body as he took her hand in his.

“Yes we have,” Audrey said with a grin.

“How are you?” Erik asked with a lazy grin, as his eyes made the same trip Phillip’s had.

All of a sudden Tate wanted to smash their faces into the table.

“I’m good, thanks,” she answered, glanced back at Tate, and asked, “What’s your poison, Oooodder?”

Tate smiled. He loved the way she drew out his name. “Anything, really,” he said.

“Are we going big tonight, boys?” Phillip asked.

“Sure, why not?” Erik said with a shrug.

“Don’t you have a game tomorrow?” Audrey asked.

“Yup, but our curfew is one
A.M.
It’s only eight, so we’re good,” Phillip informed her.

Audrey nodded, a bright grin crossing her face. “Well, so I trust you to know when to stop.”

All three guys nodded, and she got up, heading for the bar. Tate watched her every move, her curves delectable. As she stood at the bar a guy came up to her and Tate was about to go over and stake his claim, but Phillip stopped him.

“So when did Audrey get hot?”

Tate cut him a look. “She always has been.”

“Yeah, but she is really hot tonight. My hands are itching to get a handful of that,” he said, his eyes glued to what Tate believed was Audrey’s ass.

“Back off, Phillip,” Erik warned.

Phillip looked at him and then at Tate, “No way. You with her?”

Before Tate could say anything, Audrey came back to the table, a bottle of Patrón in one hand and four shot glasses in the other. “Y’all ready to party?”

Phillip laughed, while Erik nodded. “Pour them up, baby girl,” he said.

Four shots later …

Audrey pointed at Erik, her eyes a little glazed as she said, “I don’t think I like you.”

Erik laughed before pointing to himself. “Me? What did I do?”

Audrey let out a girlie burp that was rewarded by a high-five from Phillip before she said, “My best friend likes you, but you don’t like her!”

Tate laughed. “Man, Piper is going to kill you, Audrey.”

Audrey glanced over at him, and then back at Erik. “Probably.”

“Piper? My brother’s sister-in-law?”

“That’s the one! She is beautiful, gorgeous, and would rock your world!” Audrey proclaimed, and all Tate could do was shake his head. Even in his buzzed state, he knew Piper was going to flip.

Erik, looking shocked, shook his head. “I don’t even look at her like that. She’s family.”

“You look at Reese like that and she’s a bitch!”

Tate continued to shake his head while Philip laughed. “Shit, she called that one.”

Erik smacked Phillip’s arm before pinning Audrey with a look. “Reese is a goddess of sexiness, Piper is just small. Beautiful, but little.”

“She is amazing! And you are just intimidated by her awesomeness.”

Erik laughed. “Is that right?”

“Yup!” Audrey said, crossing her arms on her chest as she pouted. Tate glanced over at Erik and saw that he was looking off to the side. It was obvious he was thinking about what Audrey said. Shaking his head, Tate leaned against her to pour another shot.

He whispered in her ear, “Bottoms up, baby.”