A Perfect Distraction(72)

Jake stopped in front of her. Speechless. Maggie had seen through the hype, looked beyond the obvious—his image, his reputation. She’d believed in him.

He shook his head. Was he dreaming? Don’t let me wake up.

“Is something wrong?” She looked worried.

“No. I just can’t get over it.”

“Why? You don’t believe everything you read?”

He laughed. “If I did, my ego would need to be wheeled into the room ahead of me.”

“I’m not touching that comment with a barge pole.” Her tone was prim, but the twinkle in her dark eyes was not.

Even if the whole scene seemed surreal, his body’s predictable reaction was genuine. He forced a casual tone. “So are we still on for tonight?”

“Of course.” She bit her lip. “Unless you’ve changed your mind.”

“Hell, no. I’ll pick you up at eight.”

He leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her lips. Without waiting for her response, he turned and jogged down the steps to his M-Class. He couldn’t resist sneaking a glance in his rearview mirror as he headed down the drive. Maggie had paused halfway through the door. She fluttered her fingers at him, then disappeared inside.

He couldn’t wait for tonight.

* * *

WHAT A DIFFERENCE a day makes.

Twenty-four hours ago, Jake had been worried about having to choose between Maggie and hockey. Now his biggest concern was if Maggie would think he was moving too fast if he ordered their dessert to go.

Not that the problems in Tampa had been forgotten. There had been a brief media flurry that afternoon when he and the Ice Cats had put out a carefully worded joint statement that neither confirmed nor denied the story. When there was no further comment from anyone involved, including Frank and his wife, it had all died down.

Still, he’d been nervous picking up Maggie. He’d half expected her to call and cancel but she hadn’t. His pulse had jolted when he’d seen her silky red dress, with its shiny black buttons running down the front, and the matching spiked red heels. The conversation on the way to the restaurant had been stilted, nervous, but had eased as they’d ordered their meals. By the time the main course had been served, the atmosphere had warmed considerably.

As the server cleared their dishes, Maggie’s gaze caught his. She must have read the message in his eyes because her cheeks tinted a delicate pink. She bit her full bottom lip, sending a spear of desire through his body.

Oh, yeah. Things were definitely heating up.

He shifted to ease the tightness in his pants.

“These all look delicious.” She sighed as she closed the dessert menu. “But I couldn’t manage another bite.”

“We could take dessert with us. Jenny says their tiramisu is to die for.”

Amber sparks danced in her dark brown eyes. “Sounds good.”

The tension during the drive home was for a whole different reason.

Jake did his best not to break the speed limit, but didn’t crawl, either. He didn’t want to risk anything changing Maggie’s mind. As he pulled up in front of his house and turned off the engine, his heart thundered in his ears. “How about some coffee to go with that tiramisu?”

His voice sounded raw, giving the question a suggestive edge.

The hitch in her breathing told him she understood what he was really asking.

He remained still, waiting for her reply.

“That sounds...lovely.” Her husky voice was like a caress.

He grabbed the door handle. “Let’s go.”

She didn’t wait for him to open her door, joining him at the foot of the steps. Hand in hand, they dashed up to the porch. She laughed as he fumbled with the key.

Her laughter faded as the front door closed behind them. Slowly, he pulled her toward him, until they stood toe-to-toe in the dark hallway.

His head dipped until his lips were a breath away from hers. “Last chance to back out.”

Her free hand trailed up his chest and neck to rest along his jaw. “There have been an awful lot of rumors about you.”

His heart thudded. “Yes,” he said cautiously.

“One should never trust the media,” she murmured. “One should always go straight to the source.” Her thumb danced lightly across his lower lip.

The gentle caress was nearly his undoing. Fire rushed through him, setting his nerve endings alight.

“Yes.” He trapped her thumb between his teeth, then flicked it with his tongue. Her soft gasp confirmed her desire for him. As did the pulse that throbbed at the base of her throat. And the subtle scent which rose from her heated skin.

Calling on what vestiges of self-control remained, he waited impatiently for her to answer his original question.