Susan Mallery - Sweet Spot

“Earth to self,” she muttered. “Stay focused on reality.”

Hawk looked at her. “Did you say something?”

“Not me.”

The football recap continued. In an effort to distract herself from Hawk, Nicole glanced around the restaurant. There were a few parents sitting at one of the tables. Raoul and Brittany cuddled together in a booth across the room.

The kid had set himself up with a serious challenge, she thought. Dating his coach’s daughter. She wasn’t sure if she should admire Raoul for being willing to take on the task or question his sanity. Either way, she liked him.

As the pizza disappeared, conversation slowed. The kids drifted away until she and Hawk were the only ones left at their table. She eased back, putting some distance between them.

“Thanks for coming,” he said.

“You’re welcome. I’m still not sure how it happened. One minute I was minding my own business, the next I was here.” She picked up her paper napkin and began folding it. Anything to avoid staring at Hawk.

She hated how aware she was of him, how she missed the heat of his body next to hers. She was only twenty-eight so she couldn’t blame her reaction on swinging hormones. Maybe it was just the recent string of disasters in her life. Maybe it was cosmic humor.

“You wanted to be here,” he told her.

Which might be right, but she wasn’t going to admit it. “You don’t actually know that.”

“Yeah, I do.”

Time for a subject change. “Your daughter is lovely.”

Pride brightened Hawk’s dark eyes. “Brittany turned out great. I want to take all the credit, but a lot of it was her mom.”

“You must have been pretty young when she was born.”

“Eighteen.”

“That’s not an easy life choice.”

He shrugged. “We managed. There were some long, scary nights. Serena’s family didn’t want anything to do with us once we decided to get married and keep the baby. My mom was supportive but sick, and she didn’t have any money. We made it on our own.”

“You were lucky.”

“Maybe.”

“How long have she and Raoul been dating?”

“A few months. Despite what happened in the bakery, he’s a good kid.”

“I know.”

“I trust him with my daughter.” He hesitated. “I’m trying to trust him. What can I say? She’s my baby girl. Of all the guys around, he’s the one I’d choose for her.” He looked at her. “Do you trust me?”

“No.”

“You should,” he told her. “I’m very trustworthy.”

“Not even for money.”

Nicole looked so serious as she spoke, Hawk thought, holding in a grin. He liked that about her. He liked the way her long, blond hair swung as she moved, and the way she always seemed to be on the verge of glaring at him. He liked that he made her nervous.

“You look nice tonight,” he said.

She blinked. “Why would you say that?”

“Because it’s true.”

She didn’t believe him. He expected that. He was going to have to work for her and he planned to enjoy every second of the hunt.

“We should go out.”

She pressed her lips together. “No.”

“Why not? You like me.”

He watched the battle raging in her eyes. On the one hand, she wanted to tell him that she didn’t like him, wouldn’t ever like him, and yell at him for assuming she did. But she wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings, because despite how she pretended to be tough, he knew she was a total girl on the inside.

“I’m amazed you need to date at all,” she finally said. “Doesn’t your ego give you enough company?”

“It doesn’t keep me warm at night.”

“Perhaps a heated blow-up doll.”

“I’d rather have you.”

She muttered something under her breath, then slid out of the booth. “I need to get home.”

He grabbed her cane. “I’ll walk you out.”

“Not necessary.” She took back the cane and started moving. She probably thought paying for the pizza would slow him down. She didn’t know that Joe billed him.

When they were outside, Hawk slowed his steps to match hers. The parking lot was mostly deserted.

“No kids to take home?” she asked.

“The ones that don’t drive get picked up here by their parents. Or friends take them home. You don’t have any responsibilities, Nicole. Want to rethink that date?”

“No.”

They were by her car, a Lexus 400 Hybrid. A girl car, he thought with a grin. Cute and curvy, with attitude. Just like her.

He touched her cheek with his fingers, lightly brushing her skin. Her quick intake of air told him she wasn’t as immune as she pretended.

“Want to skip the preliminaries and go right to bed?” he asked.

She held up her cane. “How about if I just beat you with this.”

“I’m not into pain. Are you? Should I be offering to spank you?”

Even in the dim light of the parking lot, he saw her blush.

“No,” she sputtered. “I can’t believe you said that.”

“Just trying to figure out what you like and how I can provide it.”

“You think you’re really smooth, but you’re not.”

“Sure I am.”

“Go away.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do,” she told him.

“Prove it. This is your chance. I’m going to kiss you. I’m warning you so you have plenty of time to get in your car and drive away. I’ll even count to ten if you want. To give you a head start.” He touched her face again, rubbing his thumb across her bottom lip.

“I don’t have a problem admitting you get to me,” he murmured. “I like that you get to me.”

Indecision flickered in her eyes. He could feel the battle raging inside of her. Pride versus need. He knew which side he wanted to win.

N ICOLE KNEWthat the sensible choice was to bolt for the safety of her car. Instead she gave in to temptation, put her hand on Hawk’s shoulder and asked, “Are you ever going to stop talking?”

“Right now,” he said, just before he kissed her.

She didn’t know what to expect. A strong, demanding kiss that made her feel practically unnecessary to the process? Feeling completely weirded out because she hadn’t kissed a strange man in years? Icky? Excited? Ra-

His mouth brushed against hers with a tender, erotic brush that took her breath away. Hawk didn’t just kiss-he invited, teased, aroused and promised, all with barely more than a chaste whisper of skin on skin.

Her brain shrieked, sighed, then completely shut down. Her body went from “fight or flight” to “take me now” in an eighth of a second. Heat poured through her, making her weak and shaky, something she usually disliked, but not right this second.

He put one hand on her waist, tilted his head and pressed more firmly on her mouth.

The moment was amazing. Sparking jolts of desire exploded all around them, landing on her skin and practically burning through her clothes. Without meaning to, she eased forward until they were almost touching. Almost…but not quite.

She told herself she should break the kiss-pull back, act mature, or at least indignant. Instead she stayed there, taking in the warmth radiating from him, and the promise of so much more.

He licked her lower lip, the tip of his tongue barely caressing her sensitized skin. She did her best not to jump, wanting to act casual and sophisticated. It was tough, considering the liquid desire that began to pour through her.

What was up with that? Until a couple of months ago, she’d been married and living with her husband. It wasn’t as if she was a sex-starved matron who hadn’t gotten any in years. Yet that was how it felt. As if she’d never really known what it was like to be with a man.