Perfect Catch(16)

“Okay, say I was going to pick you up—”

“Me? Well, that’s awfully fresh of you, Miss Darling. I’m not some easy, floozy type, you know.”

Alice sighed, her bangs fluffing up. “Keep it up, Ross. See how far you get.”

“I’m putting my money on pretty far. You think I’m charming.”

“I think you’re infuriating.”

“It’s a fine line separating the two.”

“In your case I absolutely believe that.”

“Focus. We’re talking about you picking me up.”

“I’m trying to anyway.” She smirked, unable to resist. He really was charming. Goddamn him.

“Okay, what’s your question?”

“Where would we go?”

“My hotel?” Now the grinning, teasing aspect was gone. He was beginning to think she was serious, and for Alice’s part, she had already half-convinced herself. She grimaced at the idea of a hotel, though.

“Too…public.” The sports press was everywhere in Lakeland and the surrounding baseball towns. The last thing she needed was someone sniffing out a story when there wasn’t one.

“Uh…” They both knew her place was out. Even in this version, where he was a carpenter and she a mere waitress, there was still Olivia to keep in mind. And there was no way in hell Alice was bringing a man into her house for sex. Most awkward morning-after breakfast in history. “I’m not sure where that leaves us,” he admitted.

“My car is in the lot,” she said.

“I’m not letting you drive anywhere.”

“Who said anything about driving?”





Chapter Eight

Alex was glad she’d suggested her car instead of his. He didn’t think there was any way to wedge two people into the back of a Porsche, let alone give them enough maneuverability to have halfway decent sex. Even as they walked across the dimly lit parking lot, he wasn’t entirely convinced he was going to have sex.

Booze had given him a fat head, which made him bolder than he might normally be. He’d done his best to win Alice over, but would that end in him getting lucky, or was this some ploy to get them out of the bar so she could ditch him?

Sex or not, there was no way he’d let her drive.

His confidence was mostly posturing. He wouldn’t believe she wanted to have sex with him until he had his hands on her boobs. There was a chance he still might not believe it then.

Boobs had a tendency to make him question reality on a good day.

Alice fumbled in her purse as they drew up next to her familiar Acura. Alex fidgeted uneasily from one foot to the other, casting furtive glances around the parking lot. Alice’s car was parked under a large tree, casting it into almost total darkness. Only the faintest glow from the single street lamp reached their position. Between the bad lighting and the tinted rear windows, there was a good chance no one would know what they were up to.

Once her keys were located, she hit the unlock button with a triumphant whoop. The click of the automatic tumblers sounded so loud, Alex’s heart thumped in response. He was, well, there was no pretending otherwise…he was nervous. Like a teenager who thought he might get to second base. Except Alice was signaling him to run all the way home like an overenthusiastic third-base coach.

He’d been hoping for a lucky single, and here he was with an unexpected home run.

“Alice, you know I’m just fucking around, right? I mean, you’ve been drinking.”

“So have you.”

“I know, but I don’t want to, like…force you into something you don’t want to do.”

“Do you see a gun to my head? No. Don’t say force, Alex, it sounds vulgar. I may be drunk, but I’m perfectly capable of deciding who gets access to my vagina.”

In spite of the fact she looked a little blurry-eyed—or maybe he was seeing things blurred—her voice was firm and a touch annoyed.

“Do I get access?”

“You want access?”

“Yes, please.”

She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him towards her. He took two awkward steps, the unexpected imbalance making him wobbly, but her grip on his T-shirt kept him steady enough. His hands went to her waist, drawing her towards him. For a moment they stood, crushed against one another, their breaths falling in unison as they struggled to keep calm. His own lungs felt hot suddenly, like trying to run bases in Arizona at the height of summer.

Alice’s lips parted as she looked up to him, her eyes wide like she hadn’t realized what she was doing up until the instant it happened. He waited, a polite pause in case she wanted to change her mind, but when she grinned at him—a small flash showing the hint of a crooked canine tooth—he took the invitation.