Page 41 of Reckless With the Rookie
“Is that all you’re eating?”I ask her.
“I’ll have more later.”She leans a hip against the kitchen counter.“Say something to me in Swedish.”
My words flow out before I even have to think about it.When I finish my sentence, she bites her lower lip, her eyes warm.
“I think the first two words areyou are...but the rest I have no idea.”
I stand up and walk over to her, stopping just inches away so she has to tip her chin up to see me.
“I said you are wonderful and I feel so good being with you.”
“I feel the same way about you.”She looks away.“I’m not like women without kids, though.I don’t ...”
I brush my fingertips lightly over her cheeks and she inhales sharply.
“When I said I think you’re wonderful, I meant exactly as you are.A mother.I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”
I could easily kiss her right now—I want to—but it’s not the right time.Not when her kids could walk in the room at any time.
“But you ...you don’t know if you’ll be here next season, right?”she asks softly.
I nod, glad at least one of us is being sensible.
“Right.”I take a step back.“And I don’t consider Elin and my mom’s expenses a burden.I want to get Elin the best care possible, and help my mom stay in Berlin often to be near her.But that means I have to go wherever the money is.”
“I understand.I admire you for that.”
I want to move closer to her, which is why I make myself take another step back.
“I think maybe you do understand,” I say.“You put others first, too, but it’s your kids.They’re not an obligation to you.”
She smiles broadly.“Quite the opposite.If my boys end up being the only men I ever have in my life again, I’ll be happy.Being their mom means more to me than anything.”
I scrub a hand over my face, my frustration flaring.Goddamn, I want her.She’s selfless and compassionate and so beautiful.
“Do you ...?”I look down, knowing I shouldn’t ask her this, but I can’t stop myself.I lift my face and lock my eyes onto hers.“If we could, would you ...?”
The boys’ voices sound on the stairs, all four of them coming up.The door bursts open.
“Has it been an hour?”Coop asks.
It’s been more like fifteen minutes, but I don’t think I can be alone with Blair for another forty-five minutes and not touch her.I could do maybe two more minutes, tops.
“No, but we can still play a game if you want to,” Blair says.
The kids are all on board, and they decide on hide-and-seek.The house is huge, so there are lots of hiding places.The trick is getting back to “home base”—the kitchen island—before whoever is “it” can tag you.
We’ve played several rounds, Blair and I making it back to home base every time and the kids being tagged “it” every time, so when Blair lets herself get tagged by Eli’s friend Charlie, I let all the kids hide upstairs while I stay in the kitchen.
She finishes counting and uncovers her eyes, smiling when she sees me.I put a finger over my lips, silently telling her not to give me away.
“You made this really easy,” she whispers, approaching me.
“I just wanted you to touch me.”
I’d love to peel off her shirt and get down on my knees right here in her kitchen.Unfastening her pants slowly and then working them down her thighs an inch at a time, kissing her thoroughly the whole time.
It feels so damn good to have a few hours off from the stress and worries about Elin and my contract situation.I can’t do anything to fix either of them.Blair reminds me I’m more than just a workhorse, putting my body on the line and pushing it to its limits every day to make killer money while I can.
