His Leading Lady (6 page)

Yes, she would enjoy him and be happy now,
even if it all disappeared in a day or two. Maybe this would be
different. Maybe he would be different. Maybe they were meant to
be.

After breakfast, they returned to Mark’s
apartment and made love again. They took their time, exploring each
other’s bodies, ramping up their pleasure. A trip to Penny’s gym
burned off any extra energy. Then, they caught a movie.

Back at Mark’s place for the night, Penny
scrounged up a spaghetti dinner from things in Mark’s kitchen. Mark
ran lines with Penny for her next scene in
Las Vegas
Beat.

“Practice tomorrow. Early to bed,” Mark
said.

“I’m not shooting until the afternoon.” She
picked up her purse.

Mark put his hand on her arm. “Stay?”

“Again?” She cocked an eyebrow at him.

“I got the best night’s sleep, sleeping with
you.”

“Did you have only sleeping on your
mind?”

“That depends on you.” He stroked her
hair.

“I’m game.” She twined her arms around him
and pulled him close. He bent down and kissed her.

“I don’t want to push you,” he said, making
another assault on her mouth.

“You’re not. I want to stay.”

“My prayers have been answered.” He took her
hand, led her into the bedroom, and closed the door.

Mark bounded out of bed full of energy. After
more lovemaking, instead of feeling sated, his appetite for Penny
had increased. Her frankly expressed desire for him turned him on.
He’d been looking for a woman who wanted him the way he wanted her.
Now, he’d found her. Would he ever be able to get enough of Penny?
He’d sure enjoy trying.

She relaxed, letting down her guard with
their increased intimacy, revealing her softer side. Gone was the
tough girl he’d seen at the Italian restaurant. They shared a big
breakfast at the diner again before parting ways, getting back to
their own lives. Mark was definitely in lust, also in like, and
maybe falling in love. He thought about her all the way to the
stadium. The memory of her scent tickled his nose. The smooth
softness of her skin lingered on his fingertips.

He had invited her to watch practice whenever
she didn’t have to be on the set. Was that too forward? Was he
behaving like a man in love, throwing himself at her feet? He was,
and he didn’t care.

Even Darvin’s teasing and baiting didn’t
bother him. He trotted onto the field and joined in the warm-ups
with enthusiasm. Mark couldn’t stop smiling. He ran laps, did
push-ups and crunches. No matter how tough the regimen was, he
didn’t flinch. A new strength flowed through his veins. He wasn’t
alone.

With Megan so far away, it had been hard for
Mark. They hadn’t been separated before. She’d always been his
buffer, the one to buck him up when he needed a cheerleader. Penny
brought new light into his life, and he was flying high.

“Hey, Dopey,” Harley called.

“What?” Mark replied.

“One of the seven dwarves? He had a smile
like you do. Get lucky with that Penny chick?”

“She’s terrific.”

“I’ll bet,” he snickered.

Mark fisted Harley’s shirt and pulled him
nose-to-nose. “Watch the way you talk about her.”

“Oh, it’s like that now, is it?”

“Maybe it is,” Mark said, releasing his
friend.

“I see. Love bug bit ya?”

“Mind your own business, Harley,” Mark
wandered away to get a ball and warm up his arm.

Coach gathered all the players together. “Mr.
Oswald is going to be here during practice for the next few
weeks.”

“Who’s Mr. Oswald?” one of the rookies piped
up.

“He’s the owner of your team, asshole.” A
ripple of laughter went through the crowd.

“What for, Coach?”

“He’s makin’ cuts to the squad at the end of
next month. So be on your toes. And for Chrissakes, be on time!
Let’s go.” He gestured, and the men broke into teams to run
plays.

“You’ve got a visitor,” Harley said, pointing
to the stands.

Mark looked over to see Penny sitting in the
third row. He waved, and she waved back. Mark’s arm muscles were
loose, and he threw pass after pass that hit their marks. Coach
actually smiled for a second before his natural scowl returned.
Penny is bringing me luck.
His good mood continued until he
hit the showers, where Darvin cornered him.

“I’d better make the cut, Davis, or you’ll be
playing from a wheelchair.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Sure as hell ain’t a birthday card.”

“Hey, if it’s you or me, may the best man
win.”

“And that’s me. Bad enough you stole that
chick from me. Uptight little bitch.”

Mark pushed Sweetwater up against the wall.
“Watch the way you talk about her.”

“Yeah?” An evil grin spread across Darvin’s
face. “Got the hots for the little slut?”

“None of your business. This is about
football, Sweetwater. Leave it there.”

“This is about you and me, Davis. You start
it, and I’ll finish it.”

“Whatever.” Mark grabbed a towel and headed
for the locker room.

“I need this job, and I’ll do whatever I have
to to keep it,” Darvin called after his teammate.

“Good luck with that,” Mark said as he walked
out.

When he was dressed and headed for the
parking lot, Penny ambled over.

“No shooting today?”

“Nah, canceled. Thought I’d get to see you in
action, and I did. You’re awesome, Mark.”

“Just had a lucky day.”
I’m pretty
good.
His phone dinged. It was a text from his sister.

Vacay tomorrow. Am coming on red eye. Need
some warm weather and meet your new girl. Text flight details
later.

“My sister’s coming.”

“Will I get to meet her?”

“You’re one of the reasons she’s coming.”

Penny’s eyes widened. “Wow! Already? I mean,
we just started going out.”

“She likes to get her two cents in early.”
No way am I telling you how serious I am about us.
He draped
his arm across her shoulders and headed for his car. “Let’s eat.
I’m starved.”

****

The flight was on time. A smile swept across
Mark’s face as he waited for Megan to step off the plane. She
bounced down the gangway with her usual energy, even though she’d
flown all night and her time was all screwed up. He picked her up
in a bear hug, twirling her around. Megan laughed, flinging her
head back.

“Down, Lug!” she commanded. Mark grabbed her
suitcase off the carousel and toted it easily to his car. He asked
about their mother, and Meg brought him up-to-date. Although Mark
was their mother’s favorite, as he “had the looks and charm,” while
Meg “had the brains,” she was the one who called their mom
regularly.

Anna Davis no longer bothered to try to hide
her preference, bragging about her son’s accomplishments to her
friends and Meg. Mark tried to change the subject when she gushed
over him. Anna claimed it was the time difference that kept him
from calling her weekly. The truth was that Anna relied heavily on
Megan for advice and a sympathetic ear, and Mark for a check every
month. The twins never discussed their division of
responsibility.

Meg wasted no time firing pointed questions
at her brother as he drove.

“What’s the deal with this new chickie?”

“My girlfriend?”

‘Now she’s your girlfriend? How long have you
been seeing her?”

“A couple of weeks. Yeah. She’s my girl.
She’s amazing, Squirt. You’re gonna like her.”

“We’ll see. She’s gorgeous, I’ll give you
that. I watched her show.”

“Her looks, on a scale of ten, are, like,
twelve.”

“They can’t be twelve on a scale of ten,
Lug.”

“Always the mathematician. I was making a
point.”

“Oh. Got it. Yep. So, she’s pretty, what
else?” Megan turned to face her brother.

“She’s nice.”

‘Nice? Damning with faint praise.”

“Real nice. Nice to me. And she can cook.”
Mark kept his gaze on the road.

“She cooks? Now, we’re getting someplace.”
Meg rubbed her hands together.

“She’s a good cook, a great cook, in fact.
She made lasagna for you.”

“For me? How did she know the way to approval
of your girl is through my stomach?”

“I told her you could eat me under the
table.” He chuckled.

“That’s not true…any longer. I’ve lost
weight.”

“You look good, Squirt. I’ve got a blind date
for you, too.”

“Ugh.”

“Harley Brennan.”

“Who?” She raised her eyebrows.

“Harley. My wide receiver.”

“If he thinks he’s going to be a receiver
with me…” She frowned.

“Harley’s cool. I told him to keep his hands
off you.”

“And we’re going out?”

“Double date.”

“You’re crazy. What if I want to sleep with
him?” She shot her brother an evil grin.

“Please, TMI.”

She laughed. “What’s sauce for the
goose…”

“I never understood that. The goose is a
female, and the gander is a male.”

“Forget it. If you’re getting laid, maybe I
want to, too. It’s been a long time.”

“No details, please. Haven’t you met anyone
in grad school?”

“There’s this one guy, but he’s kind of,
well, nerdy. Not much to look at.”

“You’re going out with him?” Mark glanced
over at her.

“Yeah. Nothing else to do on a Saturday
night. Can’t study all the time.”

“If Harley touches you, I’ll crush his left
nut.”

“That should surely make him want to go out
with me.” She sighed.

“You’re my sister.” His brows knitted.

“I’m not a nun. I make those decisions for
myself. Is he a hunk?”

“I don’t know. Ask a girl.”

“I’ll ask Penny. When am I meeting her?”

“She’s coming over for breakfast tomorrow. Is
that okay?”

“Perfect. Let’s have a steak tonight, before
I crash. Jet lag,” she yawned.

Mark pulled into the parking lot of his
favorite restaurant. They both ordered steak.

“I’ve missed you,” Meg said, slicing off a
thin piece of meat.

“Same.” Mark shoveled some baked potato into
his mouth.

“Don’t overdo it.”

“I don’t like mushy stuff. Glad you’re here.
Isn’t that enough?” A sense of calm flowed through Mark’s veins, as
it always did when Meg was around. Her presence lightened the
mood.

“So, brainiac, crushed your competition yet?”
He stuck his fork in a chunk of lettuce.

“No, have you crushed yours?”

“Oohh, little sister bites. Ouch!” He
laughed.

“Little sister?” She cocked an eyebrow at
him.

“Yeah, by one point five minutes.”

“Typical older brother—critical, bossy, and
demanding.” Her eyes twinkled.

“And you’ve always been a little
sister—whiney, clingy, and manipulative!” He grinned.

She slapped her hand on the table. “I’m not
manipulative! Might be better off if I was.”

Megan filled him in on life at Harvard then
he talked about his game and the team. The warmth of love for his
sister filled his heart. They finished up and retired early.

In the morning, first the buzzer, then five
minutes later a loud knock on her door, woke Megan up. She pulled
the pillow over her head, but Mark burst into her room and wrestled
it away from her. He leaped on the bed, tickling Meg, who squirmed
and squealed, trying to kick him. When she landed one to his thigh,
he pretended to be mortally wounded, howling loudly. Meg laughed,
slapping him on the shoulder.

“Fat faker!” she screamed at him.

“DL! DL!” he howled, holding his thigh while
trying to contain his laughter.

“What’s DL?” Penny asked from the
doorway.

“Disabled List,” Meg called, fending off her
brother.

Finally, a disheveled Meg pushed Mark off and
got out of bed.

“Hi. I’m Meg. You must be Penny. God, you’re
twice as gorgeous in person as you are on TV.”

Penny blushed and grinned. “Nice to meet
you.” She stuck out her hand, but Meg drew her into an embrace
instead.

“Any sweetheart of my brother’s is a special
friend of mine.”

“I didn’t expect…” Penny began, but Meg cut
her off.

“You don’t expect twins to let other people
in. But we do. Special people. And that’s you. Now, both of you go
and let me get dressed. I’m starving and, Lug, I’m going to eat the
biggest breakfast I can. Bigger than you.”

“Good luck with that, Squirt. It’s the
season. No one eats more than I do.”

The lovers left the spare room and closed the
door.

Mark grinned. “So what do you think?”

“I think I’ve just been hit by tornado Meg.
She’s great!”

“Yeah. She is.” He smiled shyly and cast his
gaze to the floor. “Ever since dad took a powder, we’ve taken care
of each other. I’m glad she likes you.”

“Me, too,” Penny said, falling into Mark’s
arms. They kissed.

“None of that in front of me until I get my
hands on this Harley character, my blind date,” Megan said, exiting
her room, wearing a T-shirt and jeans. “When is this monumental
occasion? And does my date have a brain to go with his well-toned
body, or is he just a muscle head?”

Meg plopped down on the sofa and brushed her
long, mahogany locks. The twins were fraternal, as different
looking as night and day. Mark was fair-skinned, blond, and
blue-eyed while Megan had a more olive complexion with glossy dark
hair and brooding brown eyes.

Penny stared at her boyfriend’s sister. “We
still have time.”

“Time for what?” Meg asked.

“To give you a make-over. You’re a beautiful
girl hiding in badly fitting clothes and under a horrible haircut.
But I can fix that.”

“Is this Harley guy such a big deal?”

“He’s a great looking guy, used to dating
pretty women. You qualify, just need a little fix here and
there.”