“I’ll come with you,” he called out to my retreating back.
I stopped and turned to face him, my eyes narrowing. “No, you will not.” I pressed my hand firmly against his hard chest. “You’ll stay right here until I’m done. Go watch SportsCenter or Baseball Tonight or something.”
His eyebrows pulled together. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
His face softened, a half smile appearing. “Okay, Kitten. You get ready for bed and I’ll wait here.”
I assumed he thought I was up to something, but the truth was I had no intention of doing anything sexual with him tonight. I wasn’t ready and before this night was through, I was going to have to admit that to him. It was a conversation I dreaded having. I washed the makeup off my face, brushed my teeth, and slipped into my pink tank top and white boxer shorts before reentering the living room.
“You can come in now,” I announced from the doorway.
Jack’s gaze slid over my body, then he pushed himself up from the couch and sauntered toward me, a smile plastered across his cheeks. “Night, Melissa.” He smacked my backside with his hand and steered me toward my bedroom.
“Stop it, brat!” I shouted as I ran into the bedroom. I watched as he closed the door behind him and then reached into his overnight bag.
“I brought you something.” He pulled an empty mason jar from his bag and handed it to me.
I turned it in my hand, my eyes narrowed in confusion before reading the handwritten note stuck to the opposite side: Kitten’s Quarters. I laughed out loud before placing the jar on top of my dresser.
“These too.” He pulled out the bag of quarters from our first date, the sound of them clinking against one another taking me back in time.
“Cute.” I smiled as he poured the contents of the bag into the jar.
“You owe me a lot of touches, Kitten.” His lips pursed together, his tone teasing.
“Apparently. Who knew you could be so clever?”
“Everyone except you,” he answered in that cocky tone so uniquely his.
“Oh, here we go,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Kitten.” Jack’s brows pulled together, his voice stern. “What did I tell you about the eyes?” He took two steps toward me and our faces nearly touched. He brushed his hand along my cheek before placing it behind my neck and pulling my mouth to his. His tongue parted my lips and entered. His hand followed the lines of my curves until stopping on my hip with a firm grip. My eyes rolled behind closed eyelids as I lost myself in his touch.
And as quickly as it began, he pulled away, a satisfied smirk plastered all over his face. He bent down near his overnight bag and pulled out a leather pouch filled with his things. “Is it okay if I jump in the shower?”
“Of course. There’s a towel under the sink.” I smiled, still trying to catch my faltering breath. My eyes refused to look away from him as he ripped his shirt off and dropped it to the floor near my sink. His tanned, well-defined arms caused my insides to stir. He unzipped his shorts before stepping out of them and promptly pressed his body against the counter as he reached for the toothpaste. I forced myself to look away before I started actually drooling at the sight of him in nothing but some well-fitting boxer briefs.
Staying strong tonight might be harder than I thought.
When the shower turned off, he opened the door, my green towel wrapped tightly around his waist. Beads of water dripped from his wet black hair as coils of hazy steam swirled around him.
“Kitten, can you throw me a pair of briefs?”
I tossed off the covers and crept out of bed toward his duffle bag. I opened the flap of fabric and noticed dress shirts, ties, and slacks. “What’s with all the dressy clothes?”
“We have to dress up whenever we travel.”
“Seriously? Why?”
“Because, Kitten, it’s the rules. We have to look presentable. And we’re a professional college baseball team. We have to make a good impression.”
“Huh, I guess that makes sense,” I said, before rooting around for his briefs.
He laughed. “It’s a hell of a lot better than a bunch of rowdy guys in t-shirts and baggy shorts.”
“That’s true!” I rooted around in his bag and grabbed the first pair I could find. “Here,” I said, throwing the undergarment toward his feet.
“Thanks, babe,” he responded before allowing the towel to drop to the floor. I felt my jaw drop right along with it as my eyes refused to look away. My insides flushed with heat as he turned his head to face me. He smiled confidently before reaching for the briefs and slipping into them.
Holy shit. This night might kill me.