Sidelined: A Sports Romance (29 page)

R
ookie move
, he thought. Bolt turned on the TV and searched for a baseball game. The Padres weren’t playing tonight so he’d have to watch another team. He didn’t know why he let Skye drive away. The day was incredible. He had never seen someone so excited about a zoo before. He could tell there was more to it than the animals; he just couldn’t get her to open up about it. He didn’t want to push her. She seemed like she was always on the edge of running. After the fight he knew he was walking a fine line anyway. Better to leave things alone.

Most guys would have invited her up. He would have invited her up. Taken that jacket off of her and every other stitch of clothing she was wearing until she was moaning and screaming his name under his hands. He shook his head. That was then. This is now. He wasn’t going to go there again until she was ready.

He turned off the TV. There wasn’t anything that could hold his attention now that she was gone.

Dammit. He reached for his keys and closed the door behind him. He shouldn’t have let her leave. He didn’t wait for the elevator. He jogged down the stairs and headed for his truck. He had one stop to make first.

* * *

H
e knocked on her door
. He thought he heard giggling, but wasn’t sure. He held the ice cream and toppings in a bag in his right hand and waited for Skye to open the door.

“Hey.” She pulled the door back, a glass of wine in her grasp.

“Hey.” He grinned.

“Who is it, Skye?” Bolt heard a female voice call from the living room.

“Um, I guess I should have called first. You have company?” He shrugged at his bad move. Calling would have made sense, but then that would have taken the spontaneity right out of it.

“Come in. It’s ok. It’s my friend Kari. You met her last night at the club.”

Bolt followed Skye into the apartment. Music was playing from the stereo and Kari was sitting on the floor next to an open bottle of wine on the coffee table.

“Hey, Ben. I didn’t know you were stopping by.”

“Hi. I didn’t either. I should have called.” He held up the grocery bag. “Thought I’d surprise Skye with dessert.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet,” Kari gushed. She stood to peer in the bag. “Chocolate and strawberry. Nice choices.” She winked at Skye.

He handed the bag to Skye. “Why don’t I leave this for you girls and I’ll call you tomorrow?” He turned for the door, kicking himself for being so rash.

“No way. I’m outta here.” Kari darted in front of him.

He shook his head. “No, you shouldn’t leave. I’m the one interrupting.”

“Too late.” She grabbed her purse and then the door handle. “Call you later, girl.” Before Bolt could protest further the friend was gone.

He turned to face Skye. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

Skye giggled. She didn’t seem upset. “Kari does what she wants to do.” She placed the bag on the counter. “Dessert?”

Bolt walked toward her. “Two kinds of ice cream and toppings.”

She reached into the bag and lined the contents on the counter. “Ok, so we have chocolate, strawberry, chocolate syrup, cherries, and whipped cream?”

“Did I leave something out?” Bolt realized he had never built a sundae before, but he thought he had all the bases covered. What was he missing?

“No, looks perfect to me. I’ll get the bowls.” As she turned to the cabinet behind her, his eyes followed her ass and all the curves from her hips. He shook his head as if that would somehow reset his thoughts.

He looked at the coffee table. There were a few candles dotting the surface along with the wine. If he hadn’t just seen Kari walk out of here he would have thought Skye was in the middle of a romantic evening. He picked up the ice cream and the other jars.

“How about a sundae picnic in here?” He placed the containers on the coffee table.

Skye turned off the kitchen light and walked over, holding bowls and spoons. She smiled. “Ok.” She sat next to him on the carpet. She slid a bowl in front of him and started unsnapping the lids. “So Ben, are you a strawberry or chocolate lover?”

“Oh, definitely chocolate. Lots of whipped cream.” He peeled the plastic off of the chocolate container.

“Well, at least we don’t have to fight over the ice cream. I like strawberry, but with lots of chocolate syrup. And whipped cream.” She smiled, dipping a spoon into the center of the pink carton.

Bolt felt like he needed to explain why he showed up on her doorstep unannounced, but Skye seemed completely calm. He noticed her wine glass was almost empty. That probably helped. Maybe she didn’t need a reason. She was just glad he was here, and with dessert.

He scooped a spoonful of chocolate into his bowl and reached for the whipped cream canister. He pressed on the dispenser until the bowl was brimming with the creamy topping.

“You weren’t kidding about the whipped cream.” Skye’s eyes widened.

“What? Can’t a guy enjoy his dessert?”

She giggled. “Don’t let me stop you.”

He loaded his spoon and took a mouthful. He watched as she ate the strawberry ice cream. He didn’t know where it came from, but he had an idea that he wanted to try.

He dipped his finger into the bowl bringing it forward with whipped cream. “Hold still,” he ordered her. Skye didn’t move as he wiped the cream along her bottom lip. She stifled a giggle. Bolt leaned forward, taking her bottom lip in his mouth. He sucked gently until all the whipped cream was gone.

“Mmm…I didn’t think this could taste better, but it does.” He flashed a grin at her as he sat back on his heels and ate another bite of ice cream.

Skye rose from the floor and walked to the other side of the room, cutting the lights. The candles flickered on the table. He eyed her suspiciously as she returned to her seat in front of him. She didn’t sit all at once, instead she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Bolt swallowed hard. What in the hell was she doing?

She reached for the whipped cream and handed it to him. “You can taste more if you want.”

With one hand he grabbed the can and with the other he placed his bowl on the table. He didn’t need any more ice cream. He kept his eyes on Skye. She bit her lower lip and leaned forward on all fours, crawling toward him. Her tongue lashed against his lips and he pulled her into his lap. Hands tangling though her hair, mouths moving hard against each other.

She leaned back, her head reaching away. Bolt tilted the can up and squeezed whipped cream until he outlined her bra. She smiled as she sat forward, facing him. This was the fun, sexy Skye he had met the first night at the bar. His tongue began to trace the line he made, lapping at the whipped cream as he moved against her skin. Skye arched her back, thrusting her chest forward. Somehow she managed to balance herself in that position and reach behind to unclasp her bra. He watched in amazement as she slid the straps along her arms and deposited it on the floor.

She nodded, and he knew she wanted more. He picked up the can again and shook it before pressing the nozzle toward her breast. He made slow swirls along her nipple, knowing in seconds he would be licking it all off.

This had to be the single most erotic thing he had done, hands down. He took one breast in his hand, and began licking at the whipped cream. He lapped until his work revealed a hard point in the center of the cream. He drew her into his mouth and sucked, toying her with his teeth. He groaned as she began to rock against him. He loved it when she did that. Her hips were like magic.

“More,” she purred.

He liked this. She was all in. He shook the can again and covered the other breast then stroked her with his tongue until her skin was glistening from where the whipped cream had been.

“You are fucking gorgeous.” He growled, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her mouth. He laid her on the floor underneath him and planted kisses on her neck and ear. Skye clasped her hands to his back, and he thought for the first time they might be back on the same page. They were good at this.

He felt her tugging on his shirt and sat up to remove it. As he pressed his naked chest against hers he felt the stickiness from the whipped cream. God, he wanted to cover her in the stuff and lick her entire body, but he was trying to show some kind of restraint. Pants on was good. Pants on would keep him in the safe zone.

“Take them off,” she urged. Her hands were at his zipper.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, sweetheart.” He sighed into her ear, as the heel of her hand pressed into jeans, creating a pressure that kept building with each motion.

She searched his eyes. “But I thought we were good? Don’t you want more?”

He kissed her throat. “That’s the problem. I do want more. And if we do much more than this I don’t know that I can promise I won’t try to seduce you right out of your rule. And I’m not going to do that.” He rubbed his hand across her breast and smiled as she arched into him.

“Pants off.” Her eyes flashed at him.

“Pants on.” He challenged.

He realized she had the upper hand, and if she wiggled out of those jeans he wasn’t exactly going to get up and walk away. Dammit, why did she have to make it so hard the first time he tried to be a good guy?

He saw a wicked expression sparkle in her eyes. “Ok, how about you pants off, me pants on?” She had already flicked the button on his jeans and her fingers were working on the zipper.

“Huh?” Now he was confused.

She reached for the whipped cream can that had rolled under the coffee table. She grinned. “I want a taste.”

Bolt almost fell over. This girl was going to kill him, tame him, or worse, both.

W
aking
up with whipped cream on half your body is sticky and sticky. Skye rolled on her back. Ben was still asleep. She peeled the sheet from her skin and walked toward the bathroom. A hot shower was the only way to remedy the stickiness.

She brushed her teeth while the water warmed in the shower. She smiled at her reflection. It was finally starting to happen. She trusted him. What guy showed up with ice cream and refused to take your pants off if he wasn’t relationship material? Ben was in this for her. For them.

She spit into the sink and turned for the shower. Kari’s pep talk before Ben arrived had certainly helped. She was nothing if not a hopeless romantic. Skye wished she could find someone for her friend to date. She seemed to date one loser after another. Although it never deterred Kari from getting out there.

The water felt good on her back. She squirted a handful of body wash onto a washcloth and began to lather her body. This was the first time she had scrubbed dessert off her skin, she giggled. Maybe this is what a relationship with Ben would be like. Dessert every night.

She wrapped a towel around her chest and shook out her hair. She didn’t want to run the blow dryer right now and wake him up. She walked to the kitchen to make coffee, keeping the towel tightly tucked under her arm.

She watched the coffee drip into the pot, and smiled when she heard the water running in the bathroom. Ben was awake.

In only two days she had let him back into her life and he had kissed away all the doubts and reservations. She giggled thinking he had licked some of them away too.

Skye heard her phone ringing from her purse. She forgot to take it out and charge it last night. She dug through her bag until she gripped the phone.

“Mom?”

“Honey, I’m almost there. I started driving and what do you know, I ended up in California!”

Skye’s stomach rose to her throat. “What do you mean you’re in California?” Maybe her mother was hallucinating and really was on the way back from the grocery store. That was probably it.

“I told you I’ve never done it before. I wanted to drive cross-country, so here I am.”

Her mother sounded completely victorious and not as scattered as the last phone call . Skye realized it had been a few days since she had spoken with her. It was possible she had been driving for four days.

“Mom, just tell me where you are and I’ll come get you.” Skye pulled a notebook and pen from the kitchen drawer hoping her mother had some clear directions for her.

“That’s nonsense. I’ve done this entire trip on my own and I’m going to finish it that way. I’ll be at your place by dinner.”

Ben walked into the kitchen. His eyes not quite fully awake, his hair sticking up, and a towel tucked around his waist. He shot straight to the coffee, and reached into the cabinet for two mugs. Skye knew at any other time the fact that they were both standing in her kitchen with nothing but towels wrapped around their bodies would be the precursor to something wickedly fun, but right now she had to figure out what to do about her mother. She turned back to the pad and paper.

“I could at least lead you the rest of the way in. San Diego traffic is horrible, even on the weekends. I would hate for you to get lost. Just tell me what town you’re close to, and I can meet you half-way.”

“Honey, I’ve got this. I’ll see you for dinner. Pick some place really nice, and I’ll take you out tonight for a treat. Ok?”

“But Mom—” She looked at the dark phone in her hand. Her mother had hung up.

Ben handed her a fresh cup of coffee. “Mom trouble?”

Skye didn’t even know where to begin. She wished she only had ‘mom trouble,’ but it was more like a ‘renegade teenager trapped in a forty-eight year old woman’s body’ trouble.

“Apparently, my mom’s coming for a visit.” She slumped into a chair, resting her mug on the kitchen table.

Ben’s eyebrows arched. “Surprise parent visit? That’s interesting. You need me to clear out of here so you can get ready?”

“No. No.” Her hand landed on his wrist. “She’s not going to be here until dinner time, and I don’t have much to do before then except worry.”

“Is she a bad driver or something?”

“Or something.” Skye chewed on her bottom lip. She rarely discussed her mother’s illness, but she realized she didn’t know how long Patty Stephens would be in San Diego. At some point, it would interfere with her ability to see Ben.

She drew in a long breath. “My mother suffers from a mental illness.” She couldn’t look at him, it was better to focus on the cream swirling at the top of her coffee. “It only started a few years ago, but once it did it has progressed pretty rapidly. She’s paranoid all the time and thinks people are after her. She isn’t easy to spend time with.”

“Wow. I don’t know what to say.” Skye glanced up long enough to see Ben was concerned. His light blue eyes softened. “Does she have help?”

Skye sighed. “No. I’ve applied for a program so she can have in-care observation seven days a week, but we’re on a waiting list. I’m starting to think we’ll never get in. She can take care of herself, but when she has a paranoia episode her decision making isn’t the best.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Like this trip to drive cross-country without telling anyone. I had no idea she hasn’t been at home in four days. I’m an awful daughter.”

“I don’t think that.”

Skye met his gaze. “Well, you don’t know me very well. She lives in North Carolina, and I’m in San Diego. I should have moved back home as soon as she was diagnosed.” Crying was not an allowable emotion, but Skye felt the corners of her eyelids stinging and knew she had lost the battle. A tear trickled along her cheek.

“True, I haven’t known you very long, but I can’t imagine you’re anyone but the kind of person who works hard, cares about her family, and is way too hard on herself for things that are out of her control.” His thumb brushed against her cheek, wiping the tear to the side.

“That’s sweet.” Skye stood from the table, suddenly self-conscious she was wearing a towel. “But, I haven’t made the best choices where my mom is concerned and today that’s about to bite me in the ass.” She dumped the rest of her coffee in the sink.

“Let me help you.”

She shoved the mug in the top rack of the dishwasher. “Thanks, but I don’t think there’s anything you can do. She’s my responsibility. I’m going to have to face reality. Either I quit and go home to take care of her, or I have to put her in a home, and I can’t do that.” She shook her head. “I can’t do that to my mom.”

“There has to be something I can do.” He stood in between her and the exit to the hallway.

“No. I need to make a few calls. Tell my aunt where my mom is, and I need to call in to work and let them know I can’t present the new zoo slogans tomorrow. I can’t believe I finally got part of that project, and I have to cancel on my first meeting.”

"Why do you have to cancel your meeting?" Ben's eyes hadn't stopped following her.

"Because I can't leave her alone. She could get lost or start trouble with my neighbors. I just can't leave her here where she doesn't know anyone."

Skye noticed Ben was concentrating.

“Wait, what if I hang out with your mom?”

Skye shook her head in disbelief. “Oh no way, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

Ben smiled. “You didn’t ask. I’m offering. Look, I have some leave saved up, and I can take a day or two this week to help you. That way you don’t have to miss your meeting, and it might buy you some time to figure out how to get her back home.”

She wasn’t sure if it was the smile, the eyes, or the warmth of his skin radiating in her direction, but she had never wanted to believe in someone so much in her life.

“You don’t look convinced.” He drew her into his chest. “I had fun yesterday touring the city. I can take your mom to the museum, or the beach. She’ll love it.”

Skye didn’t want to move, she only wanted to stay with her cheek pressed into his chest, listening to his heart beat. For the first time there was someone with her, offering to share the burden, offering to help. It felt like she could breathe.

She looked into his eyes. “You’re sure? She’s a handful. She once accused a waiter of poisoning our order at a restaurant. And she’s tried on clothes in the mall and walked out with them still on, insisting she paid for them. She’s not like other people’s mothers.”

Ben nodded. “I know women. I can handle her.”

Skye laughed. “You’ve never met this one.”