Hot Number (36 page)

Jake took a drink, his eyes narrowed in
concentration. She had to repress the temptation to fiddle with
something—always a dead giveaway whenever her insecurities rose to
the surface—but she vowed not to back down. She’d be willing to bet
that no other reporter had ever stated the matter so bluntly, or
under such unusual circumstances. He’d always made it clear to the
world that he was a very private person, rebuffing any attempt to
get him to talk about anything other than baseball. And although he
had a well-deserved reputation for being a gentleman, she knew Jake
had told more than one pushy reporter to mind his own damn
business. His personal life had
always
been out of bounds to
the press and the public.

As the silence between them lengthened and
Jake’s inscrutable expression revealed nothing, the butterflies in
Maddie’s stomach took a synchronized nosedive. It looked like her
exclusive, ground-breaking interview would be over before it
started.

Baseball reporter Maddie Leclair has spent
years chasing her dream job—covering the major league team, the
Philadelphia Patriots. Now that she’s landed the assignment she
intends to make it big, with feature articles on the front page of
every sports section in the country. But to do that, she needs to
score an interview with the most private and elusive athlete in
baseball, Patriots’ superstar Jake Miller.

On the rebound from a devastating injury
that knocked him out of play for a season, Jake has a lot to prove
to the suits in the front office. He’s sure he still has what it
takes to win, and he’ll be damned if he lets anything get in the
way of his climb back to the top.

The last thing Jake needs is a pushy
female reporter distracting him. But one look at Maddie and he
knows he’s in trouble. He finds himself trying for a different kind
of play, one that involves bedrooms and not baseball stats.
Sleeping together could damage both their careers, and Maddie is
all about saying
no.
But when it comes to
the game of love, Jake is playing to win.

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FASTBALL Click Here!

Excerpt from
Hardball
,
by VK Sykes

Nate entered the room. Two steps inside, he
stopped short, brushing up against a woman in a white lab coat. She
must have been standing at the foot of the bed, fully hidden by the
door.

The woman took a small step backward, clearly
startled by the brief physical contact. As their eyes met, Nate
felt all the air sucked from his lungs in one whoosh.

Sweet Mother of God.

He had to pull in a deep breath. What a
babe.

The woman’s brow creased. “I’m Dr. Bell. Can
I help you?”

He couldn’t stop his gaze from quickly
traveling the full length of her body, from her face to her ankles
and all the way back again. Though not nearly as tall as he was,
this doctor was one seriously long drink of a woman. Close to six
feet, he reckoned. Her unbuttoned lab coat revealed a lean but
curvy figure, and long, elegant legs. She had a naturally beautiful
face, too, with big, hazel eyes, a full, sexy mouth, and a peaches
and cream complexion. Still, he suspected she tended to hide her
light under a bushel. She wore no makeup that he could see, and her
auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Glasses were perched
on the end of her nose, secured by a fine gold chain around her
neck. They added to her unadorned, resolutely professional
look.

The doctor extended a slender hand. Her fine
eyebrows arched as she waited for him to find his voice.

Her outstretched hand finally registered in
his brain and jolted him into action. “I’m sorry,” he apologized,
“I was a little surprised for a moment. You were hidden by the
door.”

He took her hand and held it a few seconds.
It was long and fine-boned, but her firm grip told him it was
strong, too. The kind of hand he’d like to have doing surgery on
him. In fact, he mused, he wouldn’t mind that hand doing all sorts
of things to his body.

He introduced himself. “I’m Nate Carter. I
come around whenever I can to visit with the kids.”

She still looked puzzled. It dawned on him
that she had absolutely no idea who he was. It didn’t bother him,
though. Actually, it felt like a nice change of pace from the
constant fan recognition.

“I’m a pitcher with the Patriots,” he said.
“You know. Baseball.”

Her mouth relaxed into a half-smile. “Oh, I
see,” she replied. “You’re one of our celebrity visitors.” Her
crisp tone told him she was far from awed by his presence. Looking
down at the little girl, she said, “Mr. Carter, this is Morgan
McDaniel.”

Morgan shyly put her little hand in his big
one.

“Dr. Holly,
I
know who Nate Carter
is,” she said in a whispery voice. “He’s the Patriots’ best
pitcher.
Everybody
knows that.”

Dr. Bell seemed to hold back a smile as
Morgan skewered her. “I don’t think I’ve told you yet how new I am
to the city, Morgan,” she said, her serious voice at odds with the
amusement in her eyes. “If I’d been here for more than just a few
weeks, I’m sure I would have recognized a man as famous as Mr.
Carter.”

Nate smothered a chuckle. What a perfect
response. She validated what the little girl had said, and made him
feel good at the same time.

“That’s why I didn’t recognize you, either,”
he said. “I’ve met most of the doctors here over the past few
years, and I know I would have remembered if I’d ever seen you
before.” He made no attempt to keep the appreciation out of his
voice.

“Well, then, I suppose we might run into each
other again.” Her smile was hesitant but intriguing. “Since you’re
a regular visitor here.”

“You bet,” he said.

As if he didn’t already have enough
motivation to keep doing this
.
“Doctor Bell,” he continued,
wanting to keep the conversation going, “do you mind my asking
where you’re from? I detect a bit of a southern accent.”

She sighed, her expression conveying rueful
resignation. “You’re probably hearing the north Florida in my
voice. I grew up in Jacksonville. But for the last nine years I’ve
been studying and working at the University of Virginia.”

“You’re from Jacksonville? No kidding? I’ve
got a condo in Ponte Vedra Beach, and I’m in Jax all the time when
I’m down there.” He looked over at Morgan, staring at the adults
with big, round eyes, and winked. The little girl giggled.

Nate glanced back at the doctor. “That’s got
to be some kind of karma, right?”

Dr. Bell registered his flirtation, and her
eyes widened in surprise. A slight blush colored her smooth cheeks.
He could feel his smile broaden as she somewhat defiantly returned
his look, and it occurred to him that perhaps the good doctor was
issuing a challenge.

Well, he’d be more than happy to oblige her.
He knew without a shadow of a doubt he was going to find out just
what this lovely doctor was all about.

* * *

Holly’s pulse had jumped when she looked up
at the imposing man who’d nearly barged into her. In fact, she’d
had to stifle a gasp at the sight of him.

She wasn’t used to seeing a man’s chin as
high as her eye level. This guy had to be six-five, or maybe even
more. And he wasn’t just tall, he was built. Not like the
proverbial Mack truck. More like a sleek, expensive sports car.
Maybe a Ferrari, she mused, thinking back to her father’s expensive
auto collection.

Despite his deep, hooded eyes and dark
masculine stubble, she guessed Carter might be a couple of years
younger than her. He radiated youthful vitality and off-the-chart
testosterone. As soon as he had entered the room, she instantly
sensed the power coiled in his long, whipcord body. Instinctively,
she had taken a small step backward to preserve her personal
space.

It didn’t surprise her that he was an
athlete. His hard, agile-looking body fit the part. What
had
surprised her was how the normally shy Morgan had immediately
warmed to him, and how he interacted with her in such an easy,
gentle way.

Carter was obviously a natural charmer with
kids, and she would have bet a month’s salary that his charm would
be just as effective on women.

Still, charming was one thing. Steaming hot
was something else entirely. Nate Carter put the two together, and
it made for a dazzling combination. When he sat down next to
Megan’s bed, Holly had opened her mouth to make her goodbyes. But
the words had died in her throat and her feet had remained glued to
the floor. She stood silently by for several minutes as the big man
and the little girl happily chatted away like best friends.

“Would you like me to sign a picture for you,
Morgan?” he asked, pulling an eight by ten from a folder tucked
under his arm.

“Yes, please.” Morgan’s eyes shone. Though
she was a very sick little girl, she glowed under Carter’s gentle,
humorous attention.

He carefully inscribed the photo as Holly
looked over his shoulder.

To beautiful Morgan—as brave and strong as
she is sweet. Your pal, Nate Carter
.

“But I’d like something from you in return,
honey,” he said, handing her the glossy print.

“What?” Morgan giggled, plucking shyly at the
bed covers.

“Well, I’d really like it if the next time I
visit I could bring my camera and get someone to take a picture of
us together. Would you like that, too?”

“Yes! Yes!” she cried, more excited than
Holly had ever seen her. “Dr. Holly can take our picture!” She
looked over at Holly, who nodded her agreement with a smile.

“Good, then, that’s settled. I’ll come back
soon. Very soon. Maybe I could even drop by tomorrow morning.”

Holly finally found her voice. “We’ll be
here. You can page me when you arrive. If I’m not tied up at the
time, I’d be glad to help.”

He smiled, and the teasing warmth in his eyes
set off a corresponding rush of heat in her face and neck. God, she
must be blushing like a teenager.

“Great! I’ll see you both you lovely ladies
tomorrow.” Carter affectionately stroked Morgan’s cheek with his
big hand, then winked at Holly as he left the room.

Holly gazed at his back until he was through
the door and out of sight, more than a little flustered by the
encounter. The man was a powerhouse of sex appeal, yet the empathy
and kindness he had shown Morgan seemed totally genuine. It was
crazy, but she couldn’t help wondering if he was single. Though
she’d seen no ring or tan line on his finger, a guy who looked and
acted like that sure wasn’t likely to be sleeping alone.

Turning back to the still-beaming Morgan,
Holly gave her head a quick shake. She had exchanged maybe a dozen
sentences with Nate Carter, and yet she’d caught herself wondering
about his marital status. Not that she could completely blame
herself. With those dark eyes and sensual mouth, plus the
combination of strength, size, and masculinity, Nate Carter was a
package that would mesmerize any red-blooded woman.

She tucked Morgan back into bed, determined
to push Carter firmly from her thoughts. No doubt he was the kind
of guy who automatically flirted with every woman who crossed his
path. Yes, he had seemed interested in her, but her mind was surely
playing tricks. The guy obviously had a charm factor pretty close
to ten out of ten, so it would be all too easy for a woman to see
what she wanted to see.

Still, her internal radar—as rusty as it
was—told her that Carter had definitely made something approaching
a pass at her. After all, there was the way his eyes had raked over
her. She didn’t think she could be wrong about that. Then there was
the sexy wink when he left the room.

Oh, for God’s sake, get a grip, Holly
.
She mentally scolded herself as she strode down the hall to the
elevators.
He’s a baseball player, for heaven’s sake. Even if
Nate Carter were by some remote chance actually interested in me,
we’d probably run out of conversation after half an hour.

She sighed as she stabbed her finger at the
elevator call button. She knew a half hour would probably be all
Carter needed to get her flat on her back and between the
sheets.

After years of hard work and keeping her
nose firmly to the grindstone, Dr. Holly Bell has finally achieved
her dream:  a position as a pediatric surgeon at a prestigious
teaching hospital.  Children’s lives rest in her skilled
hands.  That means total dedication to her work and her
patients without letting anything or anyone get in the way. 
And a hot affair with a superstar athlete is most definitely
getting in Holly’s way.

Nate Carter, star pitcher for the
Philadelphia Patriots, has the world in the palm of his baseball
glove.  He’s at the height of his game, a west coast team is
about to lure him with even greater riches, and the most gorgeous
women in town are in full pursuit.  Nate has everything he
wants, or at least he thinks he does, until he meets the
beautiful
and
brainy Dr. Holly
Bell.  He’s totally up for a hot affair, and Holly turns out
to be the hottest.

But will Holly be willing to play his
game?  When the lovely doctor starts changing the rules, Nate
realizes he just might be playing for keeps.

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HARDBALL Click Here!

V.K. Sykes is really two people - Vanessa
Kelly and Randy Sykes, a husband and wife team who write sexy
contemporary romance. Randy excels at plot and characterization,
but tends to fall down on the job when it comes to that pesky old
thing called emotion. That's where Vanessa steps in. She usually
writes the sex scenes too, since Randy is a bit uncomfortable when
it comes to that sort of stuff. Vanessa also writes Regency-set
historical romance for Kensington Zebra under her own name. You can
find V.K. on the web at
http://www.vksykes.com
and Vanessa at
http://www.vanessakellyauthor.com