Sidelined

Bolt scanned her eyes. “Are you saying I’m not deep?”

“I didn’t say that. You think I’m uptight and I don’t think you’re serious enough. How about that?”

He touched the beer to his lips and tried not to smile. “I guess that’s calling it fair.”

It was only the bottom of the fourth inning and Bolt was already ready to start making his way back to Skye’s apartment. In truth, from the second she opened the door he didn’t want to leave. Something about her tapped into his more primal side, and it took more self-restraint than he wanted to admit to keep his hands off her. He was freezing and if he had to stare at the chill bumps on her breasts another second he would probably pounce on her right in the ballpark. He couldn’t stop thinking of all the ways he wanted to warm her up.

“Are you enjoying the game?” He wrapped his arm around her and felt her ease into his shoulder.

“I’m not much of a baseball fan, but yeah it’s good. Just wish we weren’t in a freaking wind tunnel.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I guess there was a reason these tickets were up on the board at work. How about we head back to your place and watch the rest of it on TV and neither one of us will have to freeze?”

She eyed him suspiciously. “My place?”

He put his hands up. “I know the rule, don’t worry. But please, I think my hand is frozen to the plastic cup.”

She giggled. “Ok, let’s go.”

Bolt smiled, knowing he could probably at least make it to third base tonight.

Eight

“What’s wrong with you? I have never seen you inhale that much coffee.” Kari noticed.

“Ben stayed over last night.” Skye wanted to crawl back in bed but the alarm went off as usual, and she got ready for work. He left at five and they had maybe slept three hours. Skye yawned.

“Shut up! He stayed over last night? On a Monday night? You have turned into a wild woman, Skye Stephens.” Kari giggled.

“Very funny.” She was supposed to be looking over a pitch for a new sunscreen client, but sun protection was the last thing she was thinking about. Ben’s hands between her legs and his mouth on her body was all she felt.

“Skye, where’d you go?”

“Oh sorry.” She blushed. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I wasn’t going to go out with him again, but he called with the tickets and he sounded so cute on the phone so I said yes. And then that of course led to us going back to my place, and then you know the rest.”

“I wish I knew the rest. I seriously need your sex life.”

Skye cleared her throat. “It’s not sex.”

“Oh right. Your almost sex life. I’d take that too.”

Skye’s forehead pressed into the desk. “This is stupid isn’t it?”

Kari stared at her. “What? Having a good time with a guy who wants to keep seeing you?”

“I’m playing with fire, and we both know it. I just can’t stop.”

Kari leaned in. “And why do you think that is?”

Skye shrugged. “I think part of me wants to see if he can make it to the one-month mark.”

“But?” Kari urged.

“But the other part of me thinks as soon as he does he’s going to be done with me. He’ll leave. He wouldn’t be the first.”

Kari looked upset. “Do you hear what you’re saying? You are not giving yourself any credit. You are beautiful, smart, successful—any guy in this city would love to date you. If Ben’s as hot as you say he is, he wouldn’t hang around you for sex. He can get that somewhere else.”

Skye straightened her shoulders. Everything her friend said made perfect sense. Ben didn’t have to ask her to the game or take her out for beers with his friends.