Illegal Motion: A Loveswept Classic Romance (13 page)

“Oh yeah, he was just full of remorse.” She smiled sarcastically as she remembered how Eric had flashed his forgive-me-I’m-famous smile and fully expected all to be forgiven. “I think he was more worried about the possibility of a nasty tabloid account of our date than anything else.”

Nick noticed the lines of strain feathering the edges of her eyes and bracketing her mouth. Without conscious thought he reached across the desk and smoothed a rough-tipped finger as gently as he could over the drawn skin, not stopping until it warmed under his caress. “Thank you, Willa. I know this isn’t easy, but with any luck, it will all be over soon.”

Willa snorted. “Please, don’t put your faith in my luck or we’re doomed before we begin.”

Nick simply smiled and tapped a finger against her bottom lip. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I think your luck is about to change.”

Her stomach chose that moment to announce its presence, loudly protesting its current empty
state. Nick grinned and reached for her hand, drawing her up and guiding her around the desk until she came to stand before him. He released her hand and gently gripped her hips, pulling her between his legs. “Remind me to bring some bread and butter with me next time.”

Nick watched with fascination as Willa’s eyes slowly darkened. The becoming glow spreading slowly across her cheeks gave him the distinct impression that he was her preferred lunch menu. “Keep looking at me like that, and I’m liable to think I’m the blue-plate special.” He chuckled when the glow turned into a deeper crimson. Lord, she was fun to tease. He gently nudged her away until they were both standing. “Let’s get out of here for a while. You’ve more than earned the break. Fresh air would do us both good. What do you say?”

Her gaze fastened on his lips as he spoke and he couldn’t resist a brief kiss. But one touch was not enough, and the light caress turned into a powerful kiss.

She swallowed hard when he pulled away. “I’d say we’re wasting time.”

Her voice was brandy laced with pure sex. “Kissing you will never be wasted time.” He wanted her so badly that if he didn’t get her out in the public eye in the next sixty seconds, her office
floor would be a likely destination for them both. “Let’s go.”

He caught her hand and scooped up his cane, hauling them both to the door. Just before opening it, he turned suddenly, bringing her hard up against him. He smiled down into her face. “You know something? You’re one hell of a woman.” He underscored his words with a long drugging kiss that left them gasping for air. When he could, he said, “I know a great place nearby. The food’s okay and the service can’t be beat.”

Willa’s stomach answered before she could form a word, and they both laughed. “I guess I don’t have a choice.”

Nick’s smile turned wicked. “I was wondering when you’d figure that out.”

Willa didn’t start to guess his choice of restaurant until they left the commercial area of Tysons Corner and headed west on Route 7. When Nick turned into a residential area, she knew something was up. When she glanced at Nick, the innocent smile on his face answered her unasked question.

“I didn’t know you lived in Reston,” she said pointedly.

“You never asked,” he responded, flashing
her his thigh-melting grin. He gestured at the large tree-filled lots. “It’s as close as I could get to living in the woods and still avoid a long drive to practice.”

Willa glanced sharply at Nick. This was the first time he’d referred to his recent career without sounding bitter. She really wanted to discuss it with him, but wasn’t sure how to approach the subject without causing him any more pain.

She turned her attention out her window as he made several turns, winding deeper into the forest of homes, which would be almost invisible, hidden behind the dense spring foliage in another month or so. “I know you must miss your career. After you clear your name, will you go back to football?”

Nick’s gaze remained focused on the road, but his smile faded somewhat. “Because of the ban, I didn’t play at all last season. I tried to get reinstated a few days ago, but the commissioner wasn’t convinced. The case being dismissed didn’t prove my innocence, as the public made so vocally clear. Even so, the commissioner had based his decision on the fact that I was the only team member to fail the mandatory drug test.”

“Can’t you just take another test?”

Nick’s laughter was more of a bark and lacked any humor. “I have. Twice. Aced them both.” His
tone turned sarcastic. “All that earned me was a pat on the back from the commissioner and my coach for doing so well at staying clean. Of course, it’s not a particularly tough accomplishment,” he added bitterly, “when you’ve never done drugs in your life.”

She heard the blows to his pride and the enormity of his loss underlying each word he had spoken. “I’m so sorry, Nick. It’s all so unfair,” she said, her voice hoarse with unshed tears. “What happens next?”

“That’s for the commissioner to decide.” Nick pulled into a winding, tree-lined driveway, then glanced over at Willa. “If everything works out, and I prove my innocence, I hope he’ll lift the ban. Otherwise I’ll be judged on my ability to test clean until the end of next season.” He pulled in front of a cedar and fieldstone house nestled in a grove of oak trees and parked next to a bright red Jeep Eagle.

Willa placed her hand on his arm as he started to open the door. “You know, another man might simply wait out the year, test clean, and use that as his revenge. But there’s more at stake for you than your pride, isn’t there? I mean, no one wants to be thought of as a drug dealer or user, but I get the impression this goes deeper than changing the average citizen’s opinion of you.”

Nick looked up sharply at her words, his defenses lowered for a split second, revealing that she’d scored a direct hit.

“It’s because of the kids, isn’t it?” she asked softly. “The kids at the camp.”

Nick nodded brusquely, shifting his gaze as if something outside of the car had just snagged his attention. After a moment he said, “I try to tell myself it doesn’t matter. But it does.” Willa ran her hand up his arm until it rested on his shoulder. He turned to look at her, finding the tender gesture matched the look in her eyes. The feelings she inspired swirled inside him. He wanted to spill his guts. He wanted to hold her, touch her, kiss her. He loved her.

Clearing his throat to dislodge the lump that had formed there, he also cleared his mind and concentrated on answering her. “I started several summers ago. The coach has run the camp for a long time and always asks the team to volunteer some time. At first I did it for the coach. I have to admit that at first I didn’t think a week or two away from crime and peer pressure could make that much difference to the kids.”

“But it did help, didn’t it?” Her tone made the question more of a statement.

“Yeah, believe it or not. At the least it kept them off the streets.”

“And off drugs.”

Nick raised his eyebrows, and a smile teased the edges of his mouth. “That too. Don’t ask me why they listened to me. My background couldn’t have been more different from theirs. Sometimes I think I learned more from them.”

“You were a role model to them.”

Nick shrugged. “I’m just a guy who loves football and happens to play it fairly well. The media likes to hype that up. A few good seasons and, bam, you’re a role model.”

“They couldn’t have picked a better one as far as I’m concerned,” Willa defended staunchly. She could have sworn his face actually reddened. “My dad didn’t really talk about that part much. It must have been tough, though. That’s a big responsibility to carry around.”

Nick gazed at her intently for another second, then went on. “It is—was. But I remember how I worshiped players as a kid. Dreaming of being one of them was what fueled my desire and helped me achieve my goal of becoming a pro.”

“And so you took the advantage that being a public figure gives you to help the kids at the summer camp.”

Nick nodded. “I can’t seem to stop thinking how I would have felt if something like this had
happened to one of my heroes. I mean, I’m no hero, but—”

“But you were to those kids.” Willa couldn’t prevent the intense pride she felt for him from shining in her eyes. “Do you still want to play? After all of this?”

“At first, after my arrest, that’s all I thought about. But lately I don’t know. I’m not so sure anymore. I’m thirty-two, which is old for a player, especially one with my history of injuries.” He pushed himself out of the car. “I probably would have retired in the next year or two. I just wanted to do it on my terms.”

Willa climbed out on her side of the car and met up with Nick in front of it. “What will you do?”

Nick was warmed by the real caring she exhibited. He hadn’t missed her quick assessment of his house and was amused by her apparent concern about his ability to maintain his lifestyle. And the fact that she hadn’t shown a trace of suspicion as to how he might be earning an income these days wasn’t lost on him—or his heart.

A slow smile spread across his face; his blue eyes were twinkling. He picked up Willa’s hand, weaving his fingers through hers, and walked to the arched front door. “What I’m going to do is take you inside, show off my culinary skills, such
as they are, and talk about anything except football.”

Nick let the door swing open on its own and tipped her chin up until their eyes met. “Hey, Princess, you okay?”

No!
she wanted to shout.
I think I’m falling in love with you
. Only her pride kept her from blurting it out. His life, his pain, was her first priority, and that precluded burdening him with that sort of declaration. “You know me.” She laughed weakly. “A few hours without food and I get wacky.”

Nick’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip, then lowered his lips to hers.

Willa responded to his gentle touch like a flower to the strong rays of the sun. She blossomed under his probing tongue, opening her mouth to his, loving the warm taste of him. It wasn’t until she placed her hands on his chest for support, her knees melting like butter left in the sun, that she realized the full extent of his restraint.

Nick’s heart was pounding so hard she could feel the vibrations trip over her skin until her pulse matched his. He leaned back against the doorframe, pulling her more tightly into his arms, and accidentally pressed the doorbell.

“I don’t know about you,” he said roughly, touching his nose to hers, “but I’ve never heard bells before.”

Relaxing back against him on a helpless laugh, she said, “At least it wasn’t my stomach growling this time.”

He laughed deeply, naturally, and it was a marvelous transformation. Willa noted the crinkles at the corner of his eyes and the hint of a dimple in his cheek. All signs of a man who had once laughed easily and often.

Until eight months ago.

“What brought on that frown?” Nick gazed at her lips, wanting to smooth the soft skin with his tongue until her smile reappeared. “Don’t answer that. Obviously our ten minutes are up.” He pulled her inside, into a large tiled foyer. “Wanna join me in the kitchen and help with lunch?”

Willa said yes, shamelessly willing to put their problems aside, even if only for a short while. Adopting a mock look of disdain, she said, “When you said this place had good service, I didn’t realize the service was going to be me.”

Nick bit back a comment, content to let her off with a kiss. Short and sweet though it was, he still barely dragged his mouth from hers before the flames of passion could scorch his good intentions.
“At least I had faith in you. I could have said the service was lousy, you know.”

“How do you know it won’t be?” His sexy smile made it easy to tease back. Determined to have the last word for a change, she brushed past him. She found the well-equipped kitchen easily, glancing enviously at the cozy breakfast nook tucked into a large bay window. Catching the reflection of her smile in the glass, she was struck by how much and how truly she was enjoying herself.

That realization made it easier to push aside all her questions about what their future might or might not hold.

Nick moved slowly, enjoying the opportunity to appreciate Willa’s well-toned backside. Willa was wearing black fitted trousers with an emerald-green polo shirt that had the club’s emblem stitched into the breast pocket. He’d noticed that emblem right away. He mentally added polo shirts to his growing list of erotic attire. By the time he reached the kitchen, he headed straight for the coldest appliance in the room. Glancing inside the stainless-steel refrigerator, he said, “I’m sure I have enough in here to whip up a decent sandwich. Or would you rather have salad?” He turned to look at Willa, who was wandering around the room, more interested in
the various antique cooking implements hanging on the walls than in sizing up the financial ramifications of his high-tech appliances. He was struck by how at home she looked.

She turned and caught him staring. Nick felt his entire body tighten at the obvious desire in her eyes. Desire that had nothing to do with his profession or his income. It was bad enough that he kept picturing her upstairs in his bed, her wild curls spread across his pillowcase.… He quickly looked back at the contents of the fridge, the cold blast of air doing little to cool his overheated imagination.

“Don’t go to any trouble. I’m sure I’ll like whatever you want.” Willa swore she heard him groan. “Nick?” His head was deep into the recesses of the refrigerator, and while it gave her a great view of his buns, Willa wondered what on earth he was doing.

“I have some soda if you want,” came his muffled offer. He finally pulled his head out. “Or I could make iced tea.”

“Water with some ice will be fine,” she answered cautiously, trying to figure out why he was acting so oddly. When he just smiled and nodded, she shrugged it off as her imagination working overtime. Willa turned her attention back to
Nick’s unusual decorations. “Where did you find all these old tools?”

“Some belonged to my folks. The rest I picked up at auctions.”

“You like to go to auctions?” she asked in surprise.