Page 18

17

Hendrix

I ’m really not trying to wear her down, I promise, but when Raven walks into the kitchen wearing a curve-hugging black skirt that ends at her knees and black heels, I sit back in my chair.

“Dang, my wife is fine.” Haddy is in her baby chair waiting for her next bite of cereal, but I need a minute.

Raven’s ears turn as pink as the linen top she’s wearing, and she goes to the coffee machine. “You shouldn’t say that.”

“What? That I have a hot wife?” I pop a bite of food in our little girl’s waiting mouth. “But it’s true.”

“Thank you,” she answers primly, pressing the button on the coffee maker. “How’d you sleep?”

“Not great.” I give Haddy another bite. “I missed having this little nugget right across the room from me.”

“You need your sleep.” She takes her mug and walks over to where I’m giving Haddy her last bite of cereal. “It’s how your body heals.”

I imagine Raven threading her fingers in my hair. Maybe leaning down to give me a kiss. Standing, I walk over to the sink to rinse the bowls and put them in the dishwasher.

When I turn around, I catch her giving me a hot look over the edge of her mug. A grin lifts the corner of my lips, but she quickly turns away, lifting the washcloth to clean Haddy’s cheeks.

“Hey…” I walk over to where they are. “Give me that. You’ll get cereal all over your skirt.”

Stepping back, she puts her hands on her hips, exhaling a little noise. “I have been taking care of her since she was born, you know.”

“And now I’m helping you.”

I stand, and her full lips tighten. Her eyes flash with heat, and she grabs my arm, pulling me roughly across the room to the walk-in pantry beside the refrigerator.

Her heels click on the stone tile floor, and I chuckle as I let her drag me away.

Inside the closet, she pushes my back against the shelves of crackers and bread and who knows what the hell else I have in here. She’s breathing fast, and I guess I’m in trouble for something.

“What?” I laugh, but she reaches up with both hands, grabs the sides of my neck and pulls my mouth down to crash against hers.

A groan rises in my throat, and my arms wrap around her, pulling her to me. She’s taller in those heels, and I move her across the narrow space so her back hits the opposite shelves.

She exhales a soft whimper, and my dick is fully hard. Moving her mouth with mine, I part her lips, sweeping my tongue inside to find hers.

She tastes like expensive coffee and she smells like my vanilla body wash. Interesting .

Her soft body moves against mine, and fuck, I want to turn her around, rip that skirt over her ass and fuck her brains out.

“Pink…” I kiss her cheek, moving lower to bite the side of her jaw then drag my nose into her hair, inhaling deeply.

She exhales a growl, stepping out of my arms. As she backs away, my eyes consume her—her chest is heaving and her hair is a sexy mess around her cheeks and shoulders. She’s fucking gorgeous.

“What am I doing?” She gasps, placing a hand on her forehead.

“Giving me a raging boner, that’s what.”

“Stop!” Her eyes blink closed, and she holds up her hand. “We can’t do this.”

“I beg to differ.” I take a step closer. “We’re very good at this. Remember?”

Shaking her head, she turns. “I have to go to work.”

Crossing my arms, I grin, watching her sexy ass move in that tight skirt as she walks away in those heels. “Give me a minute, and I’ll be ready.”

We still have to ride together until I pick up her car.

“I’ll take care of Haddy.” She lifts our little girl out of her chair and walks out of the kitchen.

When we get to the stadium, our daughter goes straight into Sherri’s arms like they’re old friends. Raven passes the diaper bag to her, and Haddy doesn’t even look back as we stand at the door, watching her carry our daughter away.

“I guess that’s that.” Raven takes a step back. “Pick you up at five?”

“Yeah.”

Her eyes move to the exit. She hasn’t looked at me since she attacked me in the pantry. On the drive here, she played the radio loud enough to prevent us from talking. Now she looks like she’s about to run.

“Hey, it’s okay, Pink.” I step forward, catching her chin. “I don’t mind if you attack me in the pantry.”

Her slim brows furrow over her pretty amber eyes. “I don’t know why I did that.”

“I should’ve warned you. I’m irresistible to women.” I give her a wink. “It’s my aura.”

A laugh bursts through her pursed lips, and she shakes her head. “Still. I’m not trying to send you mixed signals. I think getting physically involved is a bad idea. For our plan.”

“I know.” I pat her shoulder. “It’ll be our little secret.”

“No secrets.” She shakes her head. “We’re not sleeping together.”

“Okay.” I nod, doing my best to be supportive.

“I’ll see you this afternoon.” She turns on that heel and strides to the door.

Stepping back, I watch her go, wondering how long that resolve will hold. After the last twenty-four hours, I’m not so sure.

Back in the weight room, Tyler holds the bar as I do my bench presses. Only 250 pounds are on the bar, but I’ll do twenty reps. It’s more about strengthening my passing arm than beefing up.

“How long is Raven staying at your house?” he asks.

Exhaling a loud twenty , I hold the bar for him to place in the hooks.

“As long as she wants.” Sitting forward, I pull the weight glove off my hand, not really wanting to think about an end date for Raven or Haddy being with me.

“You tapping that?” He walks around, and I stand, letting him have the bench.

“No—not that it’s any of your business.”

“What?” His voice goes high. “Why not? She’s a fine-looking woman.”

“She’s the mother of my child.” A warning is in my tone.

“Right, so you already banged her once. What’s stopping you from doing it again?”

We trade places, walking around the weight bench, where he sits then lies back.

“We decided it wouldn’t be like that.” I lift the bar, placing it in his waiting palms and staying close while he does his reps. “She’s here so I can get to know my daughter.”

“So why aren’t you dating anybody?” His brow furrows as he does his last rep .

Because she’s my wife … It sure would be easier if people knew that fact.

Or would it?

“I heard Mikayla’s single again.” He hands me the bar, and I guide it between the hooks.

“No, thank you.” I can’t even imagine being with another woman—which is new.

“Give me one good reason.”

“Because I got off that crazy train.” He stands, and we walk to the leg press machine. “Anyway, it feels… disrespectful.”

“I give you one week.”

“Nope.” I sit on the chair while he loads up the weights.

“You can’t go that long without sex. It’s not healthy.”

Exhaling a laugh, I push against the panel beneath my feet, letting the burn in my quads distract my mind. “Maybe my play will get better.”

“If you get any better on the field, you’ll start breaking your own records.”

I finish the heavy reps, letting the last one fall hard. “Thanks, man.”

Stepping off the machine, my legs feel like jelly. “Let’s take a break. I need to check on Haddy.”

He makes some comment about not knowing me anymore, but I wave him away. Tyler and I were always just alike, players, jokers, but good guys at heart.

He knows me pretty well, and he’s right. All of this is out of character for me.

“Are they coming to the game Sunday?” he calls after me. “They’re running out of your number in the team store.”

My mind drifts to that scenario. Raven and Haddy in the box wearing my jersey number, watching me play and the way my chest squeezes, the way I can’t stop a smile, just confirms the whole thing.