Touchdown Baby (12 page)

“Nothing, it’s just good to be home. I’ll be glad to get back into my routine.”

“It didn’t look like nothing, but I’ll let you slide since you were kind enough to let me sleep.”

“I picked you up a soda earlier”—nodding toward the center console—“but it’s probably hot now.”

“Thanks, my throat is dry.” After downing half the contents of the Mountain Dew, she put the soda back in the console. Why was it highly erotic when she wiped her hand across her mouth to remove the excess condensation that lingered on her lips?

“You do realize you just drank my soda, don’t you? I got you a Dr. Pepper, your favorite.”

“I know, but I didn’t want to open the new one. We can just put it in the fridge at your house.” Jace laughed when Ava covered her mouth in an attempt to hide an unladylike burp.

“We’re only about twenty minutes away from home.”

“Correction, your home not mine. I live several hours east of here.”

“Don’t be a smartass. My home is yours as long as you need to stay, but if you keep drinking my soda, it will be a short visit.” The laughter in his voice and smug twinkle in his eye had Ava relaxing, until he continued. “So what can you tell me about Ashlyn’s father? Does he see her often?”

Chapter Ten

Ava squirmed in her seat, no easy feat in a car the size of a tin can, but neither was responding to the questions Jace just asked. In a last ditch effort to avoid answering a question that would change their lives, Ava noticed the houses that surrounded her appeared to be growing with every mile they drove.

The houses flew past her window. The internal conflict of tell or avoid fought a tough battle.

Do I tell him
?
Change the subject
?

Jace seemed unaffected by the ginormous homes that surrounded them.

“Is your house as big as these?”

“My house is large enough for entertaining.” When he turned and smiled, she realized his house was probably bigger. “Are you biting your lip so you don’t have to tell me about Ashlyn’s father or are you nervous about coming to my house?”

With a shrug of her shoulders, Ava replied, “A little of both, I guess.”

“You don’t have to tell me anything that upsets you. I just feel a connection with both of you. I don’t understand it. With everything going on in my life right now, I don’t have time to analyze it. Just remember I want to know everything you want to tell me.”

When he reached across the console and laid his large hand atop hers, Ava couldn’t help but intertwine their fingers. The rapidly slowing scenery had her looking forward and into iron gates.

The enormity of the situation had Ava motionless. Not telling him the truth was like being in jail. She vaguely recalled Jace lowering his window to speak to someone named Kevin and putting her name on some list so she could enter at will.

When the gates opened slowly, Ava found her tongue and said the first thing that popped into her head. “It’s like living in a prison.” Jace’s laughter made her own words register, and she laughed at herself.

The lifestyle Jace lived felt so removed from anything Ava could comprehend. Mansions were discreetly spaced down streets with manicured sidewalks and bicycle paths.

She looked from house to house with curiosity and envy. If they didn’t arrive soon, she would have a crick in her neck. Each house had a perfectly groomed lawn and shrubs, and flowers bloomed everywhere. “How can everything stay so perfect?” she wondered aloud.

“We pay a homeowner association fee, and they have gardeners keep the lawns in immaculate condition. Just about everyone who lives here is in entertainment, a musician, an industry professional or an athlete. I have a few teammates who have bought houses within the gates, for the security of knowing their fans aren’t going to go rummaging in their trash. Also, they’re protected from that obsessed fan who attempts to get near their house. Of course, there are also the people who don’t have the time or energy after their work week to deal with the mundane chores that come with owning a house, such as gardening, mowing the grass, and cleaning sidewalks.”

Ava tried to absorb the absurdity of wasting hard-earned money to have someone do the chores that really only took hours. She could have her whole yard cut during Ashlyn’s nap. “You have too much money if you are so lazy you don’t appreciate being able to take care of your own house and would rather have other people take care of it for you.”

“I don’t think it’s a money issue, at least not for me. I’m on the road so much I would be fined by the community. If I had to cut my own grass, it would be weeks before I was able to get it done. Besides I cut my fair share of grass growing up.”

“It didn’t kill you, did it? You’re a better man because your mom and dad made you work for the things you wanted, and now you know you deserve everything you have.”

“Better watch it, honey, that was pretty damn close to a compliment, and you haven’t been handing them out to me lately,” Jace joked.

“Ha-ha, you’re so funny. What I mean is this is such a huge change from the way you grew up.”

“The only thing different is the size of the house. My neighbors are all nice, and they talk to kids who ride by on their bikes. It’s normal, except for the gates you have to enter.”

“Well, I don’t know if I could ever get used to this opulence.” When he turned into his driveway, Ava forced her mouth closed after her jaw dropped. The yard was picture perfect with freshly mowed grass and tasteful landscaping. The house stole her breath; it was gigantic. The white-washed stone exterior stood bright against the brilliant blue sky. The sound that escaped Ava’s lips was more of a gasp than a breath.

“I hope that means you like it?” Jace questioned teasingly. He looked almost nervous about her answer.

“I thought Roxi was lying, but this really is a mansion. It’s the most beautiful house I have ever seen. Do you have servants?” Ava stared at the house and let her mouth run wild with her erratic thoughts.

“Sorry, there’s no help here. I have a cleaning lady, but she only comes in once a week.” Having stopped in the driveway so she could get a good look at his house, he hit the button to open the garage and heard another gasp as she recognized the 1967 Ford Mustang he’d had since high school.

“I can’t believe you kept that car. It broke down more than it ran. You were always tinkering with it.”

“Nah, it wasn’t as bad as I let on, I just wanted to look tough under the hood. Actually, I still tinker with it sometimes, just to have something to work on. My Porsche and BMW are in perfect condition, so I can’t work on them, and I refuse to mess with my truck.”

The fact that his garage housed six vehicles shocked Ava, and she was reminded rather abruptly at how much her secret would have affected his life if she had told him years ago. Not only would he have insisted they get married, but he wouldn’t have focused entirely on football and getting to the professional and financial position that gave him the opportunity to own a garage the size of half a football field.

Getting out of the pint-sized Porsche beside the Mustang gave her the chance to look over the changes he’d made to the relic. The interior was now in mint condition, with what appeared to be original parts, which was a change from the duct tape that had held the ripped seats together before. Turning to tell him how much she liked his car, she came face to chest with Jace.

Your car is amazing
is what she had wanted to come out, but what she said was, “You are amazing.” The startled look that crossed his face was her first clue she had voiced her thoughts out loud.

The second was the pull of her body flush against his. Jace did what she’d fantasized about for the last four hours. The feel of her body pressed between his and the car broke down all barriers she had assured herself were solid.

Jace’s lips felt soft and lush one moment and then hungry when a sigh escaped. She stroked her tongue across his bottom lip and playfully took a nip. When Jace picked her up and sat her on the hood of the car, playfulness ceased and raw passion erupted.

The kiss was only the beginning of what she wanted; when he grazed her pebbled nipples with his chest, she arched her back to give him access to both her neck and pulsing breasts. Large, rough hands gently stroked her neck as kisses trailed downward. The pressure of his lips and teeth against her flesh had her body begging for a release she’d denied herself for too long.

Hot moist breath seeped through her shirt. The desire pulsating through her made her instinctively pull his head closer and lift the hem of her shirt to allow him direct access to her breasts. She could no longer deny either of them what they wanted.

When her cell began to ring, she actually contemplated ignoring it, and then she thought it could be about Ashlyn. Sitting up straight, she adjusted her shirt, the slight tug pure torture on her stimulated body that ached for Jace’s touch. When she saw him adjust his jeans as he bent to retrieve her phone, she felt the need to say,
Screw it
and grab him against her and climb up his chiseled, hard body. A glance at the caller ID showed it was Roxi, and Ava turned from Jace to answer his sister’s call.

The conversation with Roxi should have been quick and to the point. After explaining the situation, Roxi agreed it was for the best that she was already in Nashville. “It will give you time to get the lay of the land before Ashlyn shows up, and check for any potential dangers.”

“There is nothing wrong with worrying about my baby.”

“I know, and maybe this will give you an opportunity to tell Jace he should be worried about her also.” Hurt and disappointment filled Roxi’s voice. Ava felt lightheaded at the accusatory words. Placing one foot in front of the other, she unconsciously walked away in an attempt to escape her past.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t know? I always suspected it was someone I knew, but never suspected Jace until this past week. I was going to question you earlier, but we haven’t had any time together without him around.” The break in her voice brought Ava out of her stunned silence.

“I’m so sorry. I just couldn’t tell you. I thought you would hate me for sleeping with your brother. And then ruining his life.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me. Ashlyn has always been my niece, nothing changes that or our friendship, but I can’t stand by keeping this secret from my brother. I understand the situation between us, the ridiculous girl code we always talked about, but that was really back in high school, Ava. I recognize the complications it would have caused for Jace’s career decisions before, but he has changed. This is real life. You have to tell him now. It’s not fair to hide such a big secret from him, especially when you are hopelessly in love with him.”

Ava stood staring out the door that led to what she assumed was Jace’s backyard. The shame and embarrassment of keeping the secret from her best friend made her oblivious to her surroundings.

“Just promise me you’ll talk to him. I’ll keep your secret. You should also know I think the moms are suspicious. I overheard them talking. They are hoping these next few weeks will have you coming to your senses and giving Ashlyn the family she deserves.”

Ava’s world was crashing down around her, and she had to get away. When Jace placed his hand on her shoulder, she jerked away from his touch. “Are you okay?”

Without even a simple good-bye to Roxi, Ava turned and faced Jace. “I’m fine. I think I just need…rest.”

The choices I made are finally coming full circle.

“Can you point me in the direction of my room?” Ava knew she was being rude and bitchy, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and she needed to be alone, without her libido going crazy. She ignored the gourmet kitchen she walked through and the elegant staircase she climbed to reach her suite. Bedroom was too simple a word for the elegance that awaited her.

****

Get yourself together, man, she is going to be here two weeks.

Jace walked away from her room with a feeling of unease and dread. He wasn’t sure what Roxi had said, but it upset Ava. He didn’t want to add to her stress by groping her. Who was he kidding? If she hadn’t answered the phone, he would be satisfying both their urges right this very minute on the hood of his car.

Jace tried to convince himself he was just overreacting to a simple kiss. His brain knew it, but his heart didn’t, and he couldn’t walk back into Ava’s room the way he was. Walking out to the car to grab their bags, he remembered the way she felt in his arms and knew no matter how she felt about him, he would take care of everything for her.

If he thought about it, he could still feel the sensation of her nipple brushing against his hand. Over the past few days, he’d spent enough time with her to know her breasts were just as full as they’d been when she was in high school. He liked the natural swell and feel of her, and she didn’t seem to care he peeked at them every chance he got.

I always considered myself a leg man, but I am definitely a boob man.

Ava’s breasts did not help Jace’s situation, so he made the decision to think of something else. Her reaction to his house was the perfect distraction.

He could still remember driving through the community and being awed by the homes he now paid little attention to. The devotion and determination he had toward football earned him the money and the credentials to live in a community that stressed privacy and prestige; he hoped Ava would become accustomed to his home.

Maybe then she’ll think twice about leaving
.

When he looked at the Mustang, he could see a teenage Ava but remembered the feel of a very adult woman. He smiled at the memory of her standing, hands on hips, in the driveway at his parent’s house, telling him his car was junk. In her next breath, she and Roxi would be begging him to take them to the mall.

He had taken them a few times until he discovered they were actually going there to meet boys. As an older brother, he found that unacceptable. After he and his friends had followed them around the mall for the entire afternoon, they had never asked him for a ride again.

With her suitcase and his overnight bag, he slipped back into the house and headed straight for his gym. He had some frustrations to work out.