Turn Over:A Secret Baby Sports Romance(56)

The jars that flickered with lobbed over candles. Colored lights that  hung on whatever hook was in the path. Music that came from the radio.  It was real here.

We strolled in the direction of the hotel, stopping along the way to watch the boats pass under a bridge.

"I've never seen San Antonio like this." My fingertips stroked her  shoulder. I had almost memorized the freckles on her skin here.

"Why not?" She studied my face.

I turned her, so her back was pressed against the stone railing of the bridge. The tree branches barely stretched out this far.

"I've been asking myself that all night."

"Maybe you work too much," she scolded.

"Now you sound like Eden."

"I think she's right." Her hand snaked around my neck, and my breath almost stopped.

I leaned into her, aware that I was getting ready to kiss her. I didn't  give a damn about the street cleaner or the couple strolling behind us. I  saw her lips and wanted to feel the firmness of her mouth, taste the  margarita on her tongue.

I bent toward her. She tilted her chin and for a second I felt like I  was tumbling off the bridge. Her mouth was sweet and warm. My hands  circled her back, pressing her against me. She aligned her body, fitting  her curves into the open spaces against me. I wanted her. She started  to purr and I knew I had to get her back upstairs.

"Come on." I tucked my hand around her waist, walking next to her.

"It's really beautiful down here." She stopped in front of the gate that took us through the lobby entrance of the hotel.

"If I haven't said it enough, I think you're beautiful."

"You might have mentioned it."

"I'm probably going to mention it again." I unlocked the gate, and  offered her my hand. The steps were uneven and some were covered in  moss.

"I wish I could rewrite my feature article on you."

"What do you think you left out?" I pulled her into the shadows of the  courtyard. As much as I wanted to get to the suite, my need for her was  strong now. I cradled her face between my hands.         

     



 

"I left out the charming part. And the gentleman part. And then there's  the thoughtful part. I need to rewrite the whole thing. There's more to  you than demolition."

I smirked. "I don't think I want people to know that. You're going to make me sound like a philanthropist or something awful."

I could smell her perfume when the wind picked up her hair. "Afraid your competitors will think that's weak?"

She was driving me wild. Stalling, talking, pressing her hands against my chest, then backing inches away.

We were completely covered in the darkness. The fading sounds of the  Riverwalk behind us. "No." I buried my head in the curve of her neck,  blistering rough kisses along her throat. "I take what I want."

She kicked her head back, and a soft moan slipped through her lips. My  hand was under her skirt, rubbing between her legs, feeling the heat  from the motion.

"You have to stop," she breathed.

"Why? No one can see us." I moved the lace fabric out of my way. My fingers sank into her, and she groaned.

She panted harder as I pushed against her. I kissed her, knowing things were getting out of control.

"Please, Mason."

I moved my hands reluctant to stop, when suddenly her hand landed on mine.

"That's not what I meant," she whispered. "I don't want you to stop."

My chest tightened. I felt her fingers twine between mine as she moved  my hand where she wanted it under the cover of her dress. I nestled my  nose in the curve of her neck, listening to her breathing change over to  quick pants. She moaned my name as my fingers moved faster, spreading  wider, finding ways to take her to the edge. Her hands locked around my  neck and a long moan escaped her lips, then she was still.

She pressed her forehead against mine. I felt the dewy perspiration of her skin.

I helped straightened her skirt. We both took a breath, before walking into the lobby.

As we rode the elevator to the suite, my hand rested on her lower back. I  could feel the heat of her skin through the sundress. I had no  intention of her wearing it past the living room.

She stood next to me, while I grabbed the key card from my wallet. The  tequila making both of us feel relaxed and eager. Her fingers ran along  my arm, I couldn't get the door opened fast enough.

I pushed on it, drawing her with me into the dark room. My hands ran  through her hair. Her mouth was on mine. Hot and fierce. One of my hands  trailed along her shoulder, down her chest, cupping her breast. I  squeezed until I heard her groan. Her tongue lashed wildly.

As I reached for the zipper on the dress, her phone began to ring. She paused for a second, but ignored it.

"Probably a pocket dial or something," she breathed. Her fingers began to work the buttons on my shirt.

The ringing started again, and her eyes flashed to mine. "Sorry, I better check it."

"No problem." I sat on the couch, while she dug through her purse looking for the phone.

Before I knew what was happening, she answered, walked into the bedroom, and closed the door.

I waited. A few minutes passed, and I walked into the kitchen and poured  a glass of water from one of the bottles on the counter. The hotel had  delivered a fully stocked basket of snacks and drinks. I could hear her  voice, muffled by the door. I sat the empty glass on the bar and stood  in front of the door. She was still talking.

I took a pack of cookies and sat on the couch, flipping on the TV. It  was instinct. I always searched for the business channel. I didn't  register the stock report when the numbers scrolled across the bottom of  the screen, my attention was on the bedroom door.

This was damn ridiculous. We had been in the middle of something I  didn't think needed to be interrupted. I turned off the TV and walked to  the bedroom.

"Sydney?" I tapped on the door. When she didn't answer, I opened it. "Syd?"

She was sitting in the center of the bed, her legs pulled up to her  chest, the dress crumpled at her hips. The phone was still in her hand.

"Everything ok?" I was afraid to ask.

"I just need a minute."

I sat next to her. "You've been here for half an hour. Have you been on the phone the whole time?"         

     



 

"No," she whispered.

I took the phone from her hand and laid it on the bedside table. "What's going on?"

She shook her head. "I-I just need a second. I'll be back out."

I saw the forced smile on her face. Damn it. Part of me wanted to walk  out of the room and pretend she could pull herself together and we'd  start off where we left things when the phone rang. Then the other part  of me looked at her. Mascara smudged, eyes red, and I knew spending the  night with me was the last thing on her mind.

I kicked off my shoes, and laid down next to her. At first she was  reluctant to move, but I managed to pull her against my chest. Her head  rested over my heart. I ran my fingers through her hair. I didn't know  if I should try to get her to talk, or wait for her to say something.

"Did you get some bad news?"

She was silent. I don't know how many minutes ticked by before she finally spoke.

"It's my sister." Her voice was almost too quiet to hear.

"Did something happen?" I didn't expect it, but there was a knot in my  stomach. A sense of dread moved in. I stopped playing with her hair and  my hand pressed deeply against her hip.

"Yes and no."

I was out of my element. I kept my mouth shut while she talked.

"Something happened to my sister."

"Is she ok?"

"It's been almost five years since she's been gone." Sydney talked slowly. Slower than I had ever heard her.

I had no idea what to say. There was a lump in my throat. "Did she? Is she?"

"She's not dead."

"Oh." I was confused.

"She ran away. I haven't seen her in five years. Or my niece." She  straightened her back, until she was sitting up, looking at me. "She's  in hiding."

"Darlin', I'm not following."

Sydney sighed. "It started when I was in high school. She's older than  me. She was dating this guy. Not a good guy. We thought he was hanging  around with a bad crowd, you know? Making bad choices. Doing stupid  stuff. But Hailey couldn't see it. She thought he was going through some  things and he would change. But he didn't. He got more involved, and it  made him unpredictable. Angry."

"What was he doing?"

"He worked at the train station, at the ticket booth."

"Well, that sounds legit."

Her head turned, so her eyes were locked on mine. "It wasn't. He used it  as a way to sell stolen merchandise. Eventually, it led to drugs. At  least that's what we think."

"I'll stop asking questions. You tell me what happened."

"Anyway, Brian was running this side business, and it was taking over  his life. Then Hailey found out she was pregnant. She swore he would  marry her and they would raise the baby together and everything would  work out." She closed her eyes.