Just One Night(51)

Stiletto dugout, and then Riley knew that Julie and Emma had both scored.

The Stiletto team had won.

And indifferent to softball or not, that felt good.

Riley let out a whoop and entered a hopping, squealing girl-hug with Julie and

Emma.

“That was clutch!” Emma yelled in her ear.

“Quit speaking sports nerd to me!” Riley hollered back, seconds before a

shrieking Grace joined the hug, followed by the rest of the Stiletto staff.

When the mob finally broke apart, Riley started to go over to Jake to rub it in just

a little but stopped short when she saw his scowl. Maybe she’d just let Grace

soothe that one.

Riley heard a sharp smacking noise seconds before her ass started to burn.

“Ouch!” she said, turning toward her gloating boss. “What was that for?”

“That’s what the coaches do on ESPN,” Camille said, lifting her hand for another

smack. “It means good job.”

“Please. As if you’ve ever watched ESPN,” Riley said, dodging the second smack.

“I watch it for the eye candy,” Camille said, giving up on the ass patting and giving

Riley a rare hug. “Don’t think I won’t remember this come Christmas bonus time.

I only hope someone caught Cassidy’s face on camera the second you hit the

ball. Pure shock.”

Camille moved toward the Oxford editor, crowing about how after-the-game

drinks were going to be on Oxford’s budget, and Riley gingerly rubbed her still-

smarting ass cheek.

“Nobody was more shocked than me,” she muttered.

“You know there are at least half a dozen men here who’d do that for you.”

Riley froze at the sound of Sam’s voice. She’d almost forgotten he was here.

Almost.

“Do what?” she asked, turning and meeting his light blue eyes.

He nodded his chin in the direction of her backside. “Ease that sting.”

Riley’s hand froze and her mouth went dry as her traitorous mind reminded her

just whose hands she’d like to have on her.

And the usual retort was on the tip of her tongue: You offering?

But flirtatious banter was what he’d expect and was not part of the plan. She

racked her brain for something platonic and sisterly to say, but damn it—she

couldn’t look at this man without thinking sexy thoughts.

He gave her a wry look as though reading her thoughts exactly. “You did good,

Ri.”

She grinned. “I know, right?”

Sam gave her a little half smile, and her throat ached with the urge to throw her

arms around him the way she wanted to and celebrate the sheer thrill of the

moment.

“You know, it’s weird,” she said, as though just struck by a sudden thought.

“Everyone else on the Stiletto team came dashing out to congratulate me, but I

didn’t see you. Did you get lost?”

“That your way of fishing for your congratulatory hug?”

Damn. He was onto her. And she didn’t even care.

“Well, Liam would have done the whole bear hug thing, and since you’re the

stand-in …”

He sighed, uncrossing his arms and opening them to her. “Make it quick.”

For as long as Riley could remember, she and Sam had exchanged hugs

because it was what her touchy-feely Irish family expected. He’d hugged her just

like he’d hugged her sisters when he came over on Christmas and birthdays, or

after they hadn’t seen each other for a while.

But with Meg and Kate the hugs had always been, well … normal. A quick good-

to-see-you squeeze.

With Riley and Sam it had always been …

Awkward.

They either lingered too long or jerked back too quickly.

But this hug was something entirely different. It acknowledged what was between

them even as it begged to be more than a hug.

She knew he meant it to be just a brief, token embrace. It’s what she’d meant it

to be too. But the second his arms closed around her, she felt the rightness of it,

and knew from the way he tensed that he did too.

Riley turned her face just slightly, letting her nose burrow into the warmth of his

neck, although she stopped short of pressing her lips there. Barely.

One of his hands slid upward, his fingers playing over her spine, his breath hot

against her temple.

It was not a brotherly hug.

There was a pointed clearing of throat behind them, although it took Riley a full

five seconds before she could bring herself to step back from Sam.

She was fully expecting a frowning Emma.

She wasn’t disappointed.

“Riley, this must be your brother!”

Riley gave her a look that said over the top, but Emma didn’t lose the steely,

determined expression as she extended a hand toward Sam. “I’m Emma Sinclair.