Playing the Field: A Diamonds and Dugouts Novel (20 page)

Ugh
. The uncertainty that came after being with someone was such an awful feeling. Just the fact that she was already feeling it made her tense up with frustration. This was how it always started.

Rejecting the thought, Sonny cranked the music even louder and swept furiously. The house was long overdue for a deep clean. And having Charlie out of the house was the perfect time to do it. And if it was a handy excuse to not have to think about her new relationship with JP, then so be it. It’s not like she was completely avoiding the issue.

Just mostly.

Catching sight of her profile in a hand-painted mirror on the wall, Sonny stopped in her tracks and blew a curl out of her face with a huff. Who was she kidding? She was totally avoiding everything.

For the first time in a very long time she wasn’t sure of her next move. On one hand she wanted to dive headlong into this thing with JP. He pulled feelings out of her that were big and shiny and almost overwhelming.

As she swept around the fireplace she thought about who JP was and ticked off a mental list of his qualities. The man was smart and kind and totally smitten with her. In the privacy of her home all alone she could admit that truth. And it gave her butterflies in her stomach to the extreme.

Not to mention that the shortstop was good to Charlie.

If she were to think of any flaw (because the fame thing wasn’t a flaw—it was a fact. A really irritating fact that wouldn’t go away), it would be his sometimes overinflated ego. Sonny had never seen anyone more confident or secure in their choices. It must be nice to never second-guess oneself, to never worry over the best course of action.

No doubt it had its shortcomings, but in their case, JP’s ego was a good thing. Because she was such a spaz it was nice that one of them had a handle on things. Surely JP wouldn’t make a mistake. He was too sure of himself for that.

In fact, she was kind of relying on it. His self-assurance was her guide rope through the dark.

Speaking of JP, why hadn’t he called her this evening?

Yesterday he’d left a message, but today there was nothing. And he was back in town. She’d watched some of the early game on the tube. Charlie had insisted on it.

Was it wrong to assume that, since they’d slept together and this was his first night back, he would have called her after the game? Because by looking at the time on the clock it suggested that she was. And she didn’t like what that said. Not one little bit.

Michael Franti and Spearhead came on Pandora, singing “Say Hey (I Love You),” a song with a snappy Caribbean beat. Sonny leaned the broom against the fireplace and moved her hips to the rhythm, glad for the diversion.

Her whole body in motion, Sonny was rocking out hard and it felt so, so good. Tension melted away with every dip, spin, and shimmy. In the privacy of her home she let it all hang out, dancing and singing her heart out.

It was exhilarating.

Planting her feet, Sonny dipped and rotated her hips in a saucy grind, her arms flung up over her head in the air. Belting out about looking in their eyes and suddenly knowing, she did a big ol’ booty shake and turned.

And came face to face with a wildly grinning JP.

“Jesus!” She froze, her heart racing frantically. How much had he seen?

The man made a twirling motion with a finger, his eyes lit with devilish humor. “Don’t let me stop you, sweetheart. Keep going.”

Sonny was going to die. Right there on her living room floor at the ripe old age of thirty-one. The cause of her demise was complete and utter embarrassment.

Please oh please oh please oh pleeease let me be dreaming
, she thought desperately.

Blinking hard, she muttered a curse under her breath when she opened them again and he was still there. Taking a deep breath, though it did nothing to slow her racing heartbeat, Sonny rolled her eyes to the ceiling and let out her breath with a
whoosh
. Was there no end to the attacks on her dignity?

Belatedly realizing that she probably resembled a goldfish with her mouth open and floundering, she snapped it shut and attempted to be nonchalant. “I wasn’t expecting you, JP.”

“I knocked, but the music was so loud it was pointless. I just let myself in.”

The embarrassment she felt over knowing that he saw her dancing like a stripper had her face flaming. She had never blushed so hard in her life. Not even the time her pants had fallen down in front of the entire eighth grade.

And if he didn’t stop grinning at her like a mad man she was going to clobber him.

“That was some mighty fine dancing. If I asked real nice, could I get a repeat performance?” he finished with a straight face even though his amber eyes glittered with laughter.

Not in this lifetime. “I don’t do encores.” She tossed her haphazard braid over her shoulder and tried for calm and collected.

JP started to walk toward her, his long muscular legs stealthy as a leopard. “Seems if I recall right, the last time I was here you had plenty of encores.”

Well that was different. “Why didn’t you call earlier?” Maybe changing the topic would distract him. Besides, she really wanted to know.

“Because I wanted to surprise you.” He shot her a pointed look. “Seems like I succeeded.”

Ugh
. Why was he teasing her like that? And why oh why did he have to look so damned gorgeous tonight? He wore low-slung jeans and a heather-grey T-shirt like they were tailor made for him. He’d skipped shaving and had a five o’clock shadow on his chiseled jaw. She didn’t know whether to jump him or smack him for walking in on her and embarrassing her so badly.

His tongue wet his bottom lip, and suddenly all Sonny could think about was jumping his bones. She forgot all about being embarrassed. That edgy, restless feeling came running back with a vengeance. Only this time she had somewhere to put it: right smack on JP.

It didn’t matter that she was already starting to have insecurities, that she still couldn’t get around his fame. When he looked at her like he was doing now with his penetrating honey-colored eyes, all she could think about was getting him naked. Because the truth was that he scrambled her heart, not just her head.

Reaching for the remote, she turned the music down until it was a respectable decibel. Having him in her living room reminded her just how much she’d actually missed him while he was gone. And if she was missing him it was because he was special.

He got her emotions pumping. “How were the games against Atlanta?”

His gaze raked her from head to toe. “Hot.” Sonny was pretty sure he didn’t mean the weather.

Attempting small talk, she opened her mouth to speak, but he shut her up with a kiss worthy of a queen. A very, very naughty queen. And it felt amazing. Emotions swept through her and she opened immediately to him.

When JP broke the kiss he lowered his forehead to hers. “I missed you, Sonny.”

His whispered words snuggled warm inside her chest. It felt good to be missed. “Charlie’s at a sleepover.”

JP arched a brow and hooked a hand into the front of her pants, pulling her flush against him. “Is that so?”

Uh-huh. “Yep.”

The song changed again. This time a heavy, sensual song came on. Sexy, crooning R&B. Sonny recognized the old song and felt the bass make her blood go thick and slow. Ginuwine’s “Pony” filled the room, the singer going on about jumping on his saddle.

Suddenly that’s exactly what Sonny wanted. And that was exactly what she was going to get. Everything else could wait.

It was time to give him that repeat performance.

Chapter Eighteen

JP
SAW THE
change in her the minute the song shifted, and his instincts went on high alert. Sonny placed a hand on his chest and backed him to the couch. When the back of his calves hit the sofa she shoved hard and he fell into the cushions off balance.

The woman had the kind of look in her eyes that made a man sit up and take notice. “What’s on your mind there, Sonny?” If he was a gambling sort of guy he’d wager she was interested in some adult activities.

She placed a finger across his lips and said, “
Shhhh
.”

For the better part of a week JP had thought about being with her again. And now that she was standing in front of him in a skimpy tank top that showed off her nipples to perfection, he went instantly achy and needy.

The song finally registered and JP swallowed. He was definitely horny. Then Sonny started moving her hips to the beat in front of him. Her hair tumbled in a loose braid over her shoulder, and on her face was the half smile of a siren. “Did you want that repeat?”

It hit him then. Sonny was going to do a strip tease.

God yeah. He swallowed again, his throat parched, and nodded.

Leaning back against the couch cushions, JP stretched his arms out along the back and waited, his gaze hot on her. He knew what she had going on underneath her clothes and it was killing him. It made him hard as stone for her.

The heavy beat of the song lulled him, and when she rocked her hips in time to it, the movement was hypnotizing. “You like watching me dance?” She stroked her hands over her body, briefly cupped her breasts, and his mouth went to sawdust.

All he could do was stare.

Though she’d been embarrassed before, she sure as hell wasn’t now. Instead she was working it like a Pussycat Doll. With her back to him she circled her hips erotically and then arched her back, flipping her hair and shoving her ass toward him. All on its own one of his hands reached out to squeeze, but she slapped it away.

“Uh-uh.”

God he wanted to take a bite out of that ass, it looked so damn juicy.

Straightening, her back still to him, Sonny pulled her tank top over her head and threw it on the floor a few feet away. Then with excruciating slowness she inched her pants off until she was gloriously naked before him—all he could see was shapely ass and the junction between her thighs.

His penis strained against the fly of his jeans. “Bring that sweet ass over here,” he demanded. Before he leapt off the couch and took her right there on the cold hardwood floor.

Her eyes were dark and full of mystery as she glanced over her shoulder, seeming to consider. “I don’t think I will.” She was killing him. “I want to dance.”

And she did. Naked and seductive as a gypsy. While he sat, aroused and ready, she moved sinuously in the dim light. Losing herself in the music, Sonny rocked and rotated and slid her hands over her curves until he was panting with restraint.

It was the most erotic thing he’d ever seen.

When he had reached the point where he couldn’t take any more, she came to him and placed her hands on his thighs, leaning forward with her gorgeous breasts on full display. “Tell me you want me, JP.”

“I want you.” He had never been more serious. He wanted her like he wanted to breathe.

She traced a fingertip over his erection and smiled at him through her lashes, making him burn. “Well that’s handy.”

He heard the sound of his zipper opening and then he sprang free. She wrapped a hand around him lightly. “Jesus, Sonny.” His head fell back against the cushion.
Whatever has gotten into her, please don’t let it stop
, was all he could think.

He felt her move and the next thing he knew she was kneeling between his legs, gold-fire curls tumbling from a sloppy braid, her plump breasts begging to be kissed. With the tips of her fingernails she traced matching paths up his inner thighs, his skin so sensitive to her touch that even through his jeans she branded him, claiming ownership with her butterfly-kiss touch.

Breath hissed between his bared teeth and he reached out to touch her, the desire to feel her silky skin overwhelming. Again she refused him and pushed his hand away. “Not yet.” Giving in, JP let his hands drop to the cushions and watched the sexiest woman on earth look at him with desire in her eyes.

As he watched, Sonny ran the tip of her finger up the length of him. His cock leapt at her hot little caress, and she looked at him all coquettish. And when she rubbed her fingertip around the ridge with her bottom lip between her teeth, he almost lost control and came.

Her tongue replaced her fingertip and he bucked involuntarily. “Sweet Jesus.”

She rose up and straddled him, one long gorgeous bare thigh on each side. “Condom,” he panted and rolled, lifting his hip. She got one from his wallet and put it on him, stroking and teasing him along the way.

Finally she settled over him and he gritted his teeth. Then she was surrounding him, hot and wet and demanding, and he saw stars behind his eyes. Holy shit, the woman felt good. So goddamn good.

He had to touch her. Now. Grabbing a fistful of braid, JP pulled her in for a ravenous kiss, not relenting until she moaned helplessly against him. His other hand was on her breast, stroking her hip, grabbing her perfectly bare cheek. It roamed every inch of her body, desperate for the feel of her.

Peeling his lips from hers, JP gulped in air and went straight for a breast, sucking on her nipple hungrily as she rocked rhythmically on him. Her head fell back and she cried out, moving closer and closer to her release.

Gripping her hips hard, JP held her and thrust deep. Sonny moaned and cried out. Her orgasm swept through her and her muscles clamped down on him hard, milking him to his own completion. Feeling it build, he plunged into her again and let his release explode inside him. “Fuck!” he cried out, seeing stars again.

For long minutes they stayed like that. Then Sonny’s head dropped limply on his shoulder. Their erratic breathing was the only sound in the house. When he started to slip from her, she rolled from him and tossed him a very satisfied smile.

Stretching her slender arms above her head she said, “That was
way
good.”

JP rolled his head along the back of the couch and looked at her with one open eye. He was seriously relaxed. “True that.” The woman had screwed him stupid.

Bless her heart for it.

While he watched her, she stood up and began gathering her clothes, which made him frown. “Stay naked.”