Catch of a Lifetime: A Cricket Creek Novel (22 page)

“Oh, my God!” Jessica muttered when she viewed her reflection in the mirror. Her usual, carefully brushed hair was in wild disarray around her shoulders. Except for a trace of smudged mascara, her makeup was gone, and yet there was a glow in her cheeks and a sparkle in her eyes. She smiled and knew the reason why.

She was happy.

With the smile intact, she tamed her hair with Ty’s brush and then located a toothbrush still in the package. A few minutes later, her face was scrubbed and her breath was fresh. Now she was ready to claim a kiss from the cook.

Jessica padded on bare feet down the hallway and almost groaned at the aroma of brewing coffee. But when she stepped into the doorway of the kitchen, her newfound bravery took a hike and she swallowed hard. She stood there uncertainly and was considering heading back to the bedroom for her own clothes, but watching Ty putter around in the kitchen captured her attention, and she was suddenly rooted to the spot.

Since when was cracking eggs into a bowl so very sexy?

Right. Since it’s Ty McKenna doing the cracking.
The act of whisking was even better. Muscles bunched and flexed, and when he reached up into the upper cabinet for plates,
his low-slung sweatpants slid even farther down on his hips. One little tug and she could have them at his ankles, press him up against the counter, and . . .

Ty turned around. “Hey, there you are! Hungry?”

“Oh, you have no idea.”

“I . . . uh
 . . .”
His mouth opened and closed at her comment. “C-coffee?”

“Yes, but go back to what you’re doing. I can help myself. Do you have cream?”

Instead of answering, he simply blinked at her.

“Ty?”

“Y-Yes?”

“Do you have cream?” Jessica asked slowly.

“Cream?”

“For my coffee.” She pointed to the coffeemaker, but his gaze remained on her.

He gave her a lopsided grin. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to focus, but I can’t get past you standing there in my shirt. I swear, I think it is the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen. . . .”

The intensity of his gaze made her melt like hot fudge sliding down a scoop of vanilla ice cream. She no longer cared about coffee or scrambled eggs. All she could think about was her hands on his bare skin. And the evidence of his desire for her made her feel sexy and bold. “Come here,” he requested in a whiskey-rough voice that had her legs moving before her brain had a chance to react. His gaze was like a magnet drawing her forward, and she was powerless to resist. Or perhaps it was because her resistance was gone and she was embracing feelings that were growing stronger every minute she spent with him.

Ty leaned against the counter in open invitation, and Jessica understood. He needed her to make this move. He wanted her to show him that her walls were coming down . . . and so she did. Jessica walked toward him without hesitation, but slowly. Deliberately. When she stood before him, he didn’t move or say a word, but the look in his eyes
was enough. Jessica reached up and put her hands on his bare chest. The feel of his warm, smooth skin over hard muscle made her breath catch. The steady beat of his heart thudding beneath her palm made this seem so real and solid.

Lasting.

And yet Jessica stood very still and waited for the fear, the uncertainty, to chase away the happiness blossoming in her heart. But all she felt was love radiating between them. Jessica wanted to tell him how she felt, but she held back, oddly feeling that saying the words would somehow shatter the foundation that had been building for the past year. Saying those three little words might bring back the fear that had haunted her childhood like ghosts, and she wanted those demons to be gone forever.

Jessica felt it, strong and sturdy like the beat of Ty’s heart, but she wouldn’t say it until she was ready to do so without reservation or hesitation. She could tell by his white-knuckled grip on the edge of the countertop that he wanted to touch her, and she smoothed her hands down his chest and reached for his hands. After rubbing her fingers gently over his, she leaned in and placed a tender kiss in the middle of his chest. She felt his quick intake of breath and was amazed that a single kiss could bring this big, strong athlete to his knees.

This must be love. It had to be love.

Finally!
Jessica soaked up the feeling like a plant needing water, but she couldn’t raise her head, for fear that he would certainly see the stark reality shining in her eyes. And so she leaned her forehead against his chest, wanting his strong arms around her and him telling her it would be okay.

But the fear that she had chased away suddenly sensed her weakness and pounced. She felt the sharp talons digging in and clawing away her happiness. “I can’t do this,” she whispered, but when she would have backed away, Ty
put his arms around her. “Let me go!” She pushed at his chest.

“No!” He held her tightly, as if he understood her erratic behavior. She was embarrassed and wished the floor would swallow her up. “I won’t let you go.”

“Yes, damn you!” She pushed harder, but she was no match for his strength. She kicked at his shin and connected. He grunted but didn’t release her. She felt like a child having a temper tantrum, and yet she couldn’t control her emotions. “Let me go,” she croaked.

“Not in this lifetime.” His hold was strong but gentle, and when he kissed the top of her head, she started to cry. Fear and anger that had been bottled up for years spilled down her cheeks. “I’m so s-sorry. Just let . . . m-me go.”

“Shhh!”

“I don’t want this!”

“Bullshit!”

She titled her face upward. “It’s not b-bullshit. I hate this feeling of . . . weakness. That’s what love does. Hurts! Release me.”

“Say it again, Jessica.”

“It hurts.”

“What hurts?”

She had fallen into his trap and would not say it.

“Love,” he prodded softly.

She tried to push away, but he wouldn’t allow it. “If you don’t let me go, I’m going to bite your . . . your nipple off!”

“Go ahead. Do it.”

Jessica pushed, but his arms were like steel bands. “I’m serious,” she growled.

“So am I. I’m not going to let you go. Ever.”

“Then say good-bye to your nipple.”

“You’re not going to hurt me.” He released his hold just enough to give her access to do whatever damage she wanted to inflict.

“I’m giving you one last chance to keep your nipple at-
tached to your body.” Of course, her threat was laughable, but he didn’t chuckle. He didn’t plead, and simply stood there trusting her.
Well, I’ll show him!
Love and trust were going to make him a one-nipple man.

“This is gonna hurt!”

“Go for it.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” Jessica stalled, but when he stood firm, she put her mouth over his nipple. Dear God, she tried to ignore her traitorous body’s reaction. She clamped her teeth on him and waited for his muscles to tense up, but he stood there all relaxed and confident. She bit down a little just to scare him and to prove her point, but he didn’t even flinch! Jessica ordered her brain to bite harder, but her mouth wouldn’t obey.
Damn!
She didn’t want to draw blood, but she wanted to prove the very valid point that you can’t trust anyone with your heart or you’ll be so very sorry.

But she simply could not cause the man any real pain.

She opened her mouth and let go. “You win,” she said gruffly.

“This isn’t about winning or losing. I knew you wouldn’t hurt me. Even though my shin might be bruised.”

“Right. It was my bare foot. And, yeah, well, I didn’t want your stupid nipple hanging out of my mouth, so you got lucky.
Ew
.”

“You’re a crappy liar.”

“And this is the craziest conversation I’ve ever had. We both know I wasn’t going to bite your nipple off! Just let me go. Ty, I’ve tried to let my guard down. I want to. I simply can’t.”

“Can’t?”

“Oh, don’t go all Madison on me!”

“What?”

“Nothing.” She inhaled a deep breath. “Now would you
please
allow me to exit with just a tiny bit of my pride intact?” She tugged and struggled. Damn, he was strong. “This brute strength you’re using isn’t playing fair.”

“I’m not playing fair. I’m playing to win.”

“Win what?” she sputtered.

“Your love,” he replied, and then abruptly set her free.

When Ty turned back to the stove, Jessica stood there uncertainly. She shifted her weight from one bare foot to the other and absently watched him open a loaf of bread.

“Toast?” he asked in a brisk but not unfriendly tone.

“Uh, yes.” Was she supposed to share a casual breakfast after what just went down?

“I hope wheat is okay.”

“Yes. Uh, can I do anything to help?”

Ty shook his head without turning around. “No. Just help yourself to some coffee and have a seat. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Okay,” Jessica answered with a slight hesitation. Her body was still pumping with fight-or-flight adrenaline, but she forced her feet to move. After pouring a mug of coffee, she sat down at the kitchen table and watched him prepare breakfast with surprising efficiency for someone who claimed not to know his way around the kitchen. A few minutes later, he presented her with a plate of fluffy eggs, crisp bacon, and golden brown toast. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. More coffee?”

“Please.”

“Orange juice?” he asked with a polite smile.

“Yes, thank you.” She took a sip of the cold, pulpy juice after he set the glass down in front of her.

“Can I get you anything else?” Ty asked before he sat his down across from her.

“No. This is lovely.” She picked up the bacon and took a crunchy bite.

“Hope the eggs aren’t overcooked,” he said with a slight grin.

Jessica popped a forkful into her mouth and shook her head. “Perfect.”

“Thank goodness.” When Ty made a show of wiping sweat from his brow, Jessica managed to chuckle.

“Seriously, if you ever decide to quit coaching baseball, head on over to the diner and you can be a line cook.”

Ty inclined his head. “Good to know.”

Jessica smiled and they ate in companionship, carefully avoiding any mention of their previous encounter. They chatted about opening day, the weather, and countless other subjects, and ignored the white elephant in the room. And it worked . . . until they both reached for the strawberry jelly at the same time. When their fingers brushed, it was like an electric current, and when Ty’s eyes widened, Jessica knew he felt it too. But when Jessica tried to withdraw her hand, Ty held on to her fingers.

“Hey,” he said gently. “I’ve put myself out there and told you how I feel. I love you.” He paused and swallowed hard. “But I won’t push. I’m going to back off and give you the space you need to decide what you want to do.”

“Okay.”

He squeezed her hand. “We’ve got something good here, Jessica, and we’ve both waited a long time to find it. I hope you can see that.” He paused and took a deep breath. “But if you decide otherwise, I will reluctantly and regretfully let . . . you go.”

Jessica didn’t trust her voice, so she simply nodded. A voice in her head screamed that she was crazy . . . that she should scoot back from the table and slide into his willing arms. But she remained rooted to the spot. “Thank you,” she finally managed to whisper.

“Hey, I’m just protecting my body parts,” he said with a slight grin.

Jessica closed her eyes. “My God, you must think I’m crazy.”

“No.” He squeezed her hand once more. “I watched my father hurt my mother. I know how destructive betrayal
can be, so I understand your pain, your fear. But I can promise you this: I would never, ever intentionally hurt you. I’d cut off both of my damned nipples before I’d do that.”

Jessica opened her eyes. She knew he was telling her the truth. “I believe you.”

“Well, I’m putting the ball back in your court. It’s gonna kill me, but I’ll leave you alone and let you come to me when and if you’re ready.”

“I appreciate your patience, Ty.”

He gave her a slow, sexy smile. “Just keep in mind that I am very ready and more than willing.”

Jessica moaned. “There you go again, not playing fair.”

“Sorry, but the stakes are pretty big,” he tried to joke, but Jessica saw the emotion in his eyes. He scooted back from the table and turned away. “As promised, I’ll clean up. I know you need to get over to the diner.”

It was all Jessica could do not to walk over and slide her arms around his waist. But it suddenly hit her hard that her heart wasn’t the only one at risk. She had the power to hurt him as well. He was giving her the space she needed, and when she knew she could keep the demons of her past at bay for good, she was going to come to him with open arms and never look back.

“L
ogan, seriously, you’ve got to put some clothes on.”

“What do you mean? I’m wearing clothes,” Logan protested innocently when he was anything but. For the past week he had been parading around in nothing but gym shorts in an effort to get Bella’s attention. This whole platonic agreement they had going on wasn’t really working out for him. He stretched his legs onto the coffee table and crossed them at the ankles before pointing the remote at the television.

“I mean it.”

Logan slid his gaze over to Bella and sighed. “Maybe if you wouldn’t keep the heat turned way up, I’d wear a shirt.”

“The heat isn’t turned on!” Bella tapped her bare foot on the hardwood floor and folded her arms over her chest. She was wearing black leggings and a sweatshirt that covered way too much of her body for his liking.

“Oh . . . well, it’s hot in here,” he protested.

“Then open a window!”

And have her bundle up even more?
No, thank you.
Of course, it was probably that he simply got hot every time he looked in her direction. In fact, he might just have to grab a
sofa pillow to hide what she was doing to him right now. “Look, I’m probably just overheated from another long-ass workout today. Coach McKenna has been running us like dogs, getting ready for opening day Saturday. The man has been in a pissed-off mood lately. I think he needs to get laid.”