Hot Number (Hot Zone 2)

"Denying your own power. When I complimented you earlier, you squirmed and changed the subject and when I say you distract me, you deny you're the cause." He let his thumb brush back and forth over her jaw. "I think that's why you draw me so much. You don't know nearly how much you can affect a man."

Her skin flushed pink beneath the summer sun. "You're a charmer, Damian."

"Can I take that as a compliment?" he asked, grinning.

"You can take it any way you want" Micki laughed despite how off center he had her feeling. He was right, of course. She wasn't used to compliments and intense stares from a man like Damian. A weekend like this was the stuff of dreams and she was happy to be here with him now.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked her.

She blinked and refocused on his handsome face. "This field. I'm wondering about your motives in having it built."

"You doubt I'd indulge my own childhood dreams?"

She shook her head. She didn't doubt his obvious motives. It was his subconscious ones that had her curious. "Are you sure you didn't build this for your own team?"

He let loose with a laugh. “Hell, I never want to be an owner. Too many damn hassles."

“I wasn't talking about

you buying a professional team. I was talking about a different kind of legacy. I thought maybe you'd built this with your own kids in mind."

In the silence that followed, Micki wondered if she'd gone too far.

"I never gave it a thought," he said at last.

"You never thought about having kids that followed in your footsteps? Having kids at all?"

"I never left room in my mind for a family. Hell, I never left room for it in my life." He tipped his head to one side. "How about you?"

“Oh I definitely want a family" she said honestly. "When you lose your parents as I did, you know how much you missed growing up. I want that security for myself one day. You know, mother and father and kids. It's like setting all things right in the universe," she murmured, then realized how childish she sounded. "It's not everyone's dream," she admitted.

"But it's yours and I respect that"

She nodded. "What about after baseball? Have you thought about what you want after your ball-playing years are over?"

He shook his head. "In the beginning, I was too young and cocky, too full of myself to think about things like my career ending one day."

"You? Cocky?" Micki couldn't contain a wry laugh.

"Hard to believe-, isn't it?" He laughed. "Anyway, for a long time I just concentrated on the here and now. On maintaining the status quo which was pretty damn good. And now when I should be at least planning for the future, I've got all I can do to keep myself healthy and in the game."

She knew how much the admission cost him and she appreciated being let in. She grabbed his hand and squeezed tight, letting him know she understood.

The aura around them had grown too serious, too intense, and Micki sought to break the tension. "Any chance you have a bat and ball in the back of the Jeep?"

"I sure do." His expression of pure relief told her he needed the break as much as she did.

He returned with a bat, ball and mitt in hand. "You sure you can handle me?"

Micki grinned. "Bring it on, bad boy." Because if there was any place Micki was in her element, it was on the field. Any field. She loved sports and had always excelled, thanks to Uncle Yank's expert tutelage.

And for half an hour she held up her end fairly well. He might be a professional ballplayer and a big, strong man, but he was injured and, between her swing and her ability to catch and throw a good distance, she managed to impress him anyway. Enough to have him running around the field and out of breath.

Finally, she realized he wasn't going to quit first, so she dropped the ball she'd been about to pitch to him and wiped her sweaty palms together. "I'm starving,” she called over to where he was taking some practice swings at home plate.

He leaned against the bat and eyed her with concern. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. Just hungry."