About the Author

SUSAN MALLERY is the New York Times bestselling author of over one hundred romances and she has yet to run out of ideas! Always reader favourites, her books have appeared on the USA Today bestseller list and, of course, the New York Times list. She recently took home the prestigious National Reader’s Choice Award. As her degree in accounting wasn’t very helpful in the writing department, Susan earned a master’s in Writing Popular Fiction.

Susan makes her home in the Pacific Northwest where, rumour has it, all that rain helps with creativity. Susan is married to a fabulous hero-like husband and has a six-pound toy poodle…who is possibly the cutest dog on the planet.

Visit her website at www.SusanMallery.com

Also by Susan Mallery

DELICIOUS

IRRESISTIBLE

SIZZLING

TEMPTING

SWEET TALK

Sweet Spot

SUSAN MALLERY

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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To my editor, Tara Parsons.

Because we both love this book! Because working with

you is a delight. Because you make my books so much better.

A thousand thanks.

CHAPTER ONE

NICOLE KEYES had always believed that when life gives you lemons, stick them in a bowl on the counter, then go get a Danish and a coffee to get you through to better times. Which explained why the time cards were sticky and she had a very effective caffeine buzz going on.

She eyed the display case, where a cherry-cheese Danish softly whispered her name over and over again, then glanced down at the brace on her knee and cane by her side. She was still healing from her recent surgery, which meant not a whole lot of physical activity. If she didn’t want to risk making her jeans even tighter, she was going to have pass on that second Danish.

“Better to be tempted by a pastry than a man,” she reminded herself. Baked goods could make a woman fat, but a man could rip out her heart and leave her broken and bleeding. While the cure for the former—diet and exercise—wasn’t pleasant, it was something she could handle. But a cure for the latter was iffy at best. Distance, distractions, great sex. At present, she didn’t have any of those in her life. The front door to the bakery opened, causing the bell above it to tinkle. Nicole barely glanced up as a high school kid walked to the case and asked for five dozen doughnuts. She licked her fingers, wiped them on a paper napkin, then began initialing the time cards so they could be dropped off at her accountant’s that afternoon.

Maggie, working behind the display case, put three big boxes on the counter, then started to ring up the order. Just then, the phone rang. Maggie turned to get it.

Nicole couldn’t say what it was that made her look up at that moment. A sixth sense? Luck? The way the teenager’s fidgeting caught her attention?

She saw the kid stick a cell phone back into his shorts’ front pocket, grab the boxes of doughnuts and head for the door. Without paying.

Nicole accepted that she was, by nature, a crabby person. She rarely saw the bright side of any situation and she was known to overreact from time to time. But nothing, absolutely nothing, pissed her off more than someone playing her for a fool. She’d had a lot of that in her life lately, and there was no way this kid was going to add himself to the list.

Without really planning her actions, she stuck out her cane, tripped him, then shoved the cane in the center of his back.

“I don’t think so,” she told him. “Maggie, call the cops.”

She half expected the kid to jump up and run away. She couldn’t have stopped him, but he didn’t move. Ten minutes later the door opened again, but instead of one of Seattle’s finest walking in, she looked up and saw someone who could easily pass for an underwear model/action hero.

The guy was tall, tanned and serious about working out. She could tell about the working-out bit because he wore red shorts and a gray T-shirt from Pacific High School ripped off just above his waistband. Muscles she hadn’t even known existed on the human body twisted and bunched as he moved.

Reflective sunglasses covered his eyes. He looked down at the kid still held in place with her cane, the doughnuts scattered across the floor, then whipped off the glasses and smiled at her.

She’d seen that smile before.

Oh, not from him specifically. It was the one Pierce Brosnan, playing James Bond, used to get information from slightly-out-of-breath secretaries. It was the one her ex-husband had used, more than once, to get out of trouble. Nicole couldn’t be more immune if she’d invented the vaccine herself.

“Hi,” the guy said. “I’m Eric Hawkins. You can call me Hawk.”

“How delightful for me. I’m Nicole Keyes. You can call me Ms. Keyes. Are you with the police?” She looked him over, trying not to be impressed by so much male perfection in such a tiny space. “Is your uniform at the dry cleaner’s?”

His smile widened. “I’m the football coach at Pacific High School. One of my buddies at the station took the call and phoned me.”

People thought of Seattle as a big city, but it was made up of a lot of small neighborhoods. Mostly Nicole liked that about her hometown. Just not today.

Disgusted, Nicole looked at the woman behind the counter. “Maggie, would you call the police again?”

“Maggie, hold that thought,” Hawk said. He nudged Nicole’s cane aside so the kid could scramble to his feet. “Raoul, are you okay?”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. What could possibly have happened to him?”

“He’s my star quarterback. I’m not taking any chances. Raoul?”

The kid shuffled and ducked his head. “I’m good, Coach.”

Hawk took the kid aside and had a whispered conversation with him. Nicole watched warily.

Washington State might not be Texas, but high school football was still a big deal here. Being the winning quarterback of a high school team was nearly as good as being Paris Hilton. Hawk probably expected her to succumb to his questionable charm and let the kid off with nothing more than a shrug over the misunderstanding. Which was so not happening.

“Look,” she said, her voice as stern as she could make it. “He stole five dozen doughnuts. In your world, that might be perfectly fine, but it’s not okay to me. I’m calling the police.”

“It’s not his fault,” Hawk told her. “It’s mine.”

She was sorry she’d rolled her eyes before—it meant she couldn’t do it now. “Because you told him to steal?”

“Raoul, wait for me in my truck,” Hawk said.

“Raoul, don’t even think about moving,” Nicole snapped.

She watched as Hawk’s good humor faded. He pulled up a chair next to hers, sat down and leaned toward her.

He was one of those guys who took up too much space, she thought, fighting the need to scoot back. Still, she held her ground, even though he was so close, she could see the various shades of brown, green and gold that made up his irises.

“You don’t understand,” he said, his voice low. His breath smelled minty. “Raoul is cocaptain. Every Friday the captain brings in doughnuts for the guys.”

His hands were massive, she thought, distracted by their size. Big and strong looking.

She forced her attention back on the conversation. “Then he should have paid for them.”

“He can’t,” Hawk told her, still speaking softly. “Raoul’s a good kid. He lives in foster care. Normally he holds down a job, but during training, he can’t. Our deal is I give him a few bucks for the doughnuts, but I forgot yesterday and he was too proud to ask. It’s Friday. He had to provide doughnuts. He made a bad choice. Haven’t you ever made a mistake, Nicole?”

He’d almost had her. The sad story of poor Raoul had actually touched her cynical heart. Then Hawk had dropped his voice to an intimate tone and drawn out her name in a way that really annoyed her.

“Don’t play me,” she snapped.

“I’m not—”

“And don’t treat me like I’m stupid.”

Hawk held up both hands. “I’m not—”

She cut him off with a glare.

She could just bet he was used to getting his way, especially with women. One flick of that killer smile and anyone with an X set of chromosomes melted like butter in the sun. Well, not her.

She stood, then grabbed her cane to support herself. “That kid is going down.”

Hawk sprang to his feet. “Dammit, that’s not fair.”

She pointed to the doughnuts still scattered all over the floor. “Tell it to the judge.”

Hawk moved toward her, but Raoul stepped between them. “Coach, it’s okay. I was wrong. I knew it was wrong to steal and I did it anyway. You’re always saying we have to learn to accept the consequences of our actions. This is one of them.”

The kid turned to her, then dropped his gaze to the floor. “Not having the money isn’t an excuse. I shouldn’t have done it. I was afraid of being embarrassed in front of the team.” He shrugged. “I’m sorry, Ms. Keyes.”

Nicole hated that she wanted to believe him. There was something so defeated about Raoul’s posture. She told herself he could be playing her, too, that the two of them made a real great team, but somehow she sensed the kid was telling the truth. He had been embarrassed and he was sorry.

She debated what to do. While stealing was wrong, she didn’t want to punish Raoul just to get back at Mr. High and Mighty. The fact that his coach was a womanizer/possible former underwear model/jock wasn’t Raoul’s fault.

Knowing she was going to be hating herself come morning when the kid didn’t show up, she said, “I’ll make you a deal. You can work off what you stole. Be here at six tomorrow morning.”

For the first time since she’d tripped him, Raoul looked at her. Something very much like hope brightened his dark eyes. “For real?”

“Yes. But if you don’t show up, I’ll hunt you down like a dog and make you regret the day you were born. Do we have a deal?”

Raoul grinned. She sighed. Give it a couple more years and he would be just as deadly as his coach. How fair was that?

“I’ll be here,” he promised. “I’ll be early.”

“I won’t.”

Hawk turned to her. “Now can he wait for me in the truck?”

“Sure.” Although if it were up to her, Coach Hawkins could go, too. They had nothing to say to each other.

She looked at him then wanted to rub her eyes. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, but she would swear he’d just gotten better looking. Talk about annoying.

HAWK GLANCED OVER at the woman glaring at him. She reminded him of a stray cat his daughter had brought home years ago. All spit and attitude.

Nicole was sensible. He could tell from her exactly-to-the-knee skirt in dark denim, her plain T-shirt, the lack of makeup and the way she hadn’t bothered to do more with her long blond hair than pull it back in a ponytail. She wasn’t the kind of woman who impressed easily. Not that he was worried.

“Thanks,” he said. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“You’re right. I didn’t. I also know I’m going to regret letting him off like that.”

There was temper in her blue eyes. She looked like she wanted to hit someone. He thought about offering—it wasn’t as if she could hurt him—but sensed she would think he was mocking her. Which he was…a little.

“You won’t. He’s a good kid. He has a lot of talent—he can go all the way.”

“You see yourself in him, don’t you?”

Hawk grinned. “Yeah.”

“That is just so typical.” She glanced at her watch. “Don’t you have to be somewhere?”

“Practice. The guys are waiting.” He pulled out his wallet. “How much do I owe you for the doughnuts?”

She frowned. “Weren’t you listening? Raoul is going to pay them off with hard labor. At least that’s my fantasy.”

“Then I still need five dozen for the team.”

Nicole looked at the women behind the counter. “Maggie, would you get the coach his doughnuts so he can get out of here.”

Hawk bent down and picked up the doughnuts on the floor. “You’re trying to get rid of me.”

“You think?”

“But I’m the best part of your day.”

“Maybe I’ll get a splinter later and that can be my highlight.”

He laughed. “You’re not easy.”

“That’s the first smart thing you’ve said.”

He put the crumpled boxes and doughnuts on one of the tables. “I’m plenty smart, Nicole.”

“Keep telling yourself that and one day it might be true.”

He stared at her, his gaze steady, until she began to squirm. “Why are you trying so hard not to like me?” he asked. “Do I intimidate you?”

“I…You…Just go away.”

With that, she braced herself on her cane and moved toward the back of the bakery.

“No snarky comeback?” he called after her. “Does that mean I win?”

She turned and glared at him. “Not everything in life is about winning and losing.”

“Sure it is.”

Her jaw clenched. “Go away.”

“I will because I have guys waiting. But I’ll be back.”

“Don’t bother.”

“It’s not a bother. It’ll be fun.”

He left the bakery, whistling as he walked to his truck parked out in front.

Hawk could tell Nicole disliked not having the last word. She was obviously used to being in control and getting her way. Football had taught him a whole lot about life. Sometimes teams got too cocky about being really good at one thing. If you could take that away from them, they were left scrambling. The same with women. Especially women.

It was going to be a good day, he thought as he handed Raoul the doughnuts and started the engine. Suddenly there were a whole lot of possibilities.

”WHAT DO YOU THINK?” Claire asked.

Nicole continued to flip through the shirts on the rack. “No.”

“Come on. It’s pink.”

“Uh-huh.”

“You’re not even looking.”

Nicole held in a smile. “I don’t have to look. No. It doesn’t fit.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you’re maybe three months pregnant and you’ve gained all of five pounds. You don’t need maternity clothes.”

“But I want to buy something.”

“Get a receiving blanket.”

“I want something I can wear.”

Nicole glanced up and groaned as she saw her sister standing in front of a mirror wearing a bright pink T-shirt with a sequined arrow pointing toward her stomach and the word Baby in case anyone was confused.

“You’re kidding,” Nicole muttered.

“Maybe not this one, but I want people to know I’m pregnant.”

“Have cards printed. You could hand them out to everyone you see.”

“You’re not helping.”

“You don’t need help being insane. You do great all on your own.”

Claire flipped her long blond hair over her shoulder. “You’re not a very good sister.”

Nicole smiled. “I’m the best sister you have and your favorite twin.”

“My only twin and I haven’t decided if you’re my favorite sister. Maybe one with ducks?”

“No.”

“Bunnies?”

“The baby is the size of a pencil eraser, Claire. Maybe a grape. You don’t need special clothes because you’re carrying a grape.”

“But I’m pregnant.”

“In a couple of months, when you’ve gained all of eight pounds, we’ll talk. Until then, wearing anything maternity is going to make you look like you’re in a potato sack.”

“But I’m excited.”

“I know, and you should be. This is very cool news.”

Claire beamed.

Nicole considered her own genuine excitement at her sister’s pregnancy a testament to her good character. She could find happiness for Claire even knowing the odds of her ever having a kid of her own were as great as her winning the lotto…not that she ever bought a ticket. Pregnancy, unless one wanted to get science involved, generally meant having a man around. She’d given up on men. Permanently.

“Are you okay?” Claire asked. “You’re thinking of Drew, aren’t you?”

Nicole flinched and leaned more weight on her cane. “How do you do that? Know what I’m thinking?”

“We’re twins.”

“Fraternal.”

“Still. I know you.”

It was borderline creepy, Nicole thought. And annoying. She didn’t know what Claire was thinking all the time.

“I’m not thinking of Drew,” Nicole told her. She refused to waste any mental time or energy on her soon-to-be ex-husband. “I was thinking about men in general.”

“You’ll find someone,” Claire promised, sounding irritatingly pitying.

“I don’t want anyone. I’m barely separated and I’m perfectly content to be on my own.” Or she would be if everyone in her life stopped assuming she was crumbling from the emotional devastation of walking in on her baby sister in bed with her husband.

Yes, it had been horrible and degrading and maybe even heartbreaking. But she was dealing.

“I need to get used to being alone,” Nicole said.

“Why? You were alone before, when you were married to Drew.”

“Ouch.”

Claire sighed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean for that to come out that way.”

“It’s fine.” Nicole wouldn’t show heartache. Not even to her sister.

Claire gave her a gentle smile. One that spoke about compassion and an internal decision to bring this up later. When Claire felt Nicole was stronger, emotionally.

Oh, great. Now she could read her twin’s mind? How delightful.

Nicole glanced at her watch. “We need to go meet Wyatt.”

“Oh! The time. I’ll hurry.”

Claire darted back into the dressing room. Nicole wondered if she should scold herself for tricking her sister into forgetting to talk about Nicole’s tragic life, but then decided she’d earned the reprieve. After all, here it was, a Friday night and she was at the mall, an obvious extra party in what should have been a twosome. But they’d asked and she hadn’t wanted to spend the evening by herself.

“I’ll meet you out front,” Nicole called toward the dressing room.

“I’ll just be a sec,” Claire promised.

Nicole walked out of the maternity store and found Wyatt waiting by the front window display. He looked uncomfortable as he studied an obviously pregnant mannequin.

“Hey,” she said. “You owe me. I just kept your fiancée from buying something hideous.”

“You did it for yourself,” Wyatt told her. “You’d care more than I would.”

Nicole knew that was true, so she ignored the statement. She glanced at the bag in Wyatt’s hand. It was from the bookstore.

“Another instruction manual on pregnancy,” she teased. “Is there one left you don’t have already?”

“We want to do it right,” Wyatt told her. “Like you’d be any different.”

Nicole knew she wouldn’t, but that wasn’t the point. She was about to suggest they take in a movie when Wyatt said, “How are you doing?”

She blinked at him. “Excuse me?”

“We haven’t talked in a while. You okay? You know. With stuff?”

“Stuff” being man-talk for anything emotional.

Wyatt had been her friend and brother-in-law long before he’d fallen for Claire. He knew way too many of her secrets. He’d offered to beat the crap out of Drew when he’d learned about the cheating. She loved him like a brother—except for right now when she wanted to slap him upside the head.

“Have you and Claire been talking about me?” she demanded. “Am I the subject of one of those horrible ‘what are we going to do about poor Nicole?’ conversations? Because if I am, you need to stop right now. I don’t need help from either of you. I’m fine. Better than fine.”

Wyatt was unimpressed by her outburst. “You’re mostly staying home, you’re not seeing anyone. You’re crabbier than usual, which is a trick.”

“I’m not in the mood to date. I know that’s a surprise, but there we are.”

“Don’t judge everyone by Drew, okay? There are great guys out there. You need to get back on the horse again.”

“Tell me you didn’t just say that. Back on the horse? I didn’t fall off my bike. My husband cheated on me with my little sister. In my house. That is not a ‘back on the horse’ moment. It’s the kind of thing that makes someone rethink her sexual preference, okay?”

Her chest felt tight. Was it just her, or was it hot in here? “Look, I have to go. Thanks for letting me tag along for dinner. I’ll talk to you later.”

She turned and moved away.

“Nicole, wait.”

She kept walking. When she saw the sign, she hurried—as best she could—toward the parking structure, incredibly grateful she’d met them at the mall. At least she had her own car.

Thirty minutes later she was home where it was quiet and familiar and there was no one to ask her stupid questions or feel sorry for her. There were also too many memories and an emptiness that made her flip channels until she found a sitcom. She stared at the screen and vowed she wouldn’t cry over Drew. Not now and not ever again.

CHAPTER TWO

SATURDAY MORNING Nicole arrived at the bakery about ten minutes before Raoul was due for his shift. Not that she was actually expecting the teenager. She’d reacted to the moment—she’d been nice. And she was a firm believer that no good deed went unpunished. So he wouldn’t show and she would be pissed, mostly at herself.

She walked toward the rear door of the bakery, only to be joined by a tall, dark-haired kid who fell into step with her.

“Good morning,” Raoul said politely.

She glanced at him. “You’re early.”

“I didn’t want to be late.”

“I’m impressed you’re here at all.”

“You didn’t expect me?”

“No.”

“I gave my word.”

“You stole doughnuts. That makes your word questionable.”

She wasn’t exactly looking at him as she spoke, so she couldn’t be sure, but she caught what looked like a flinch out of the corner of her eyes. Because she doubted him? Because she mentioned the stealing? Great. Every morning should start with a hypersensitive pastry thief.

“You’re also a jock,” she added, not sure why she felt compelled to make him feel better. “I have this thing against jocks. It dates back to high school, when all the guys I had crushes on ignored me.”

“I don’t believe that.”

She sighed. “Are you trying to be charming?”

“Only a little. I’m practicing.”

She could guess who the master he’d learned from was. “Save it for someone who’s more easily impressed. I’m immune.”

“I noticed. You didn’t like Coach Hawkins much.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Nicole murmured, even though it was true. She thought Hawk was gorgeous and had an amazing body more than capable of making her entire being go up in flames, but that didn’t mean she had to like the man. There was no way she was going to be taken in by his practiced smile and sexual heat that sizzled so much it probably contributed to global warming.

Raoul held open the door to the bakery. Nicole went in and waved at Phil.

“Morning,” she called.

Phil, an older man dressed all in white, including his apron, hurried toward them.

“Morning,” he said, looking Raoul over. “You ready to do work?”

“Yes, sir.”

Phil didn’t look convinced. “This isn’t going to be easy and I’m not interested in complaints. You hear me? No whining.”

Raoul straightened. “I don’t whine.”

“We’ll see.”

Phil led him away.

Nicole watched them go. Raoul would work off what he owed her by scrubbing massive mixing bowls used to make bread dough. That would be followed by an assortment of tasks designed to make Raoul think twice about stealing rather than buying. She wondered if the lesson would be learned or simply endured.

FOUR HOURS LATER Nicole had gone through the pile in her in-basket, a task she always dreaded. But she’d wanted to stay through Raoul’s shift and working in the bakery itself wasn’t going to happen until she was cane-free. She dropped the invoices into a folder and labeled it to go to her accountant. Phil knocked on the open door and stepped in front of her desk.

“How’s it going?” she asked.

“Good. Better than I expected. The kid can work. He does what he’s told, no attitude, no slacking off. I like him.”

Nicole raised her eyebrows. “That’s unusual.”

“Tell me about it. I think you should offer him a job. We need somebody like him in the off-hours. He goes to school and plays football, so he’d be available then. That’s when I could use him.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to him.”

Nicole stood and stretched. The ache in her knee was manageable and getting better.

Raoul was in the back, stacking sacks of flour. He set each one squarely on the bag below, making sure the piles wouldn’t lean and eventually topple.

“Nice work,” she said. “You impressed Phil and that’s not easy.”

“Thanks.”

“You want a real job? Part-time. We’d work around your school schedule and football. The pay isn’t bad.” She named an hourly rate slightly above what he would get working retail or even at a restaurant.

Raoul put the last bag in place, then wiped his hands on the apron Phil had found for him.

“I can’t,” he said, not looking at her.

“Okay.”

“I need the money. It’s not that.”

“Then what? It’s casting season for the new TV shows and your agent is going to want you to fly to L.A.?”

That earned her a slight smile that faded quickly. He seemed to collect his courage before looking at her. “You won’t want to hire me. Not yet. I’m going to be eighteen in a couple of weeks. When I’m an adult, I can petition to get my juvenile records sealed. Until then, I have a criminal record.”

She was a little surprised and disappointed. “What did you do?”

“I stole a car when I was twelve. To impress my friends. It was stupid and I got caught five minutes later. I didn’t do anything else before or since. Except the doughnuts and you know about that. I learned my lesson.” He dropped his gaze to the floor. “There’s no reason for you to believe me.”

There was one, she thought. Checking out his story would be easy, so he’d be an idiot to lie. And Raoul didn’t strike her as stupid.

“Starting your criminal life by stealing a car is pretty impressive. Most people just shoplift. You headed right into the big league.”

That earned her a slight smile. “I was a kid. I didn’t know any better.”

He was still a kid, she thought. Did he know better now?

“The job offer still stands. It’s not easy work, but it’s honest. And you’ll get all the leftover baked goods you can stomach.”

“I can stomach a lot.”

“Then this is a great deal for you.”

He looked into her eyes. “Why would you trust me?”

“Everybody gets to screw up once.” She thought of her baby sister. Jesse had been given four or five hundred chances and still managed to blow every one.

“Then I’ll take the job,” he said. “I have football practice every afternoon, so maybe I could work in the morning, before school.”

“Talk to Phil about that. He’ll be your boss. If you’re interested in more hours once the season is over, let him know.”

Raoul nodded. “Thanks. You didn’t have to do any of this. You could have called the police.”

She didn’t bother pointing out that she’d tried. Instead of Seattle’s finest, Hawk had shown up.

“What is it with men and football?” she asked. “Why do you play? For the glory?”

“I love the game,” Raoul told her. “I want to go to college. I can’t afford it, so I’m hoping for a football scholarship.”

“Then you’ll turn pro and make millions?”

“Maybe. The odds are against it. Coach says I have talent.”

“Is he in a position to judge?”

Raoul frowned. “He’s my coach.”

Which didn’t answer the question, Nicole thought. How would a high school coach know if any one player would make it all the way to the pros? How could anyone?

“You don’t know who he is,” Raoul said, sounding shocked. “You have no idea.”

Nicole shifted uncomfortably. “He’s your coach.” And totally hot, but that was beside the point.

“He’s Eric Hawkins. He played pro for eight years and retired at the top of his game. He’s a legend.”

She found that hard to believe. “Lucky him.”

“He’s the best. He doesn’t have to work for the money. He’s teaching high school football because he loves the game and he wants to give back.”

Nicole resisted the urge to yawn. Raoul was reciting what sounded very much like a canned speech. Probably one the kid had heard dozens of times from the legend himself.

“Good to know,” she said and pulled forty dollars out of her back pocket. “Here.”

He didn’t take the money. “You can’t pay me.”

“Sure I can. You won’t be an official employee until you fill out the paperwork. So take this for now. You’ll punch a time clock and get a real paycheck soon enough.”

He actually tucked his hands behind his back. “I was working to pay off the doughnuts I stole.”

“Technically you didn’t even get them out the door. You’re not very good at the whole stealing thing.” She sighed when he didn’t smile. “Look, you worked hard today. I appreciate that. You earned this. Take it or I’ll get really crabby and trust me, you don’t want to see that.”

He reached for the money. “You think you’re really tough, but you don’t scare me.”

That almost made her laugh. “Give it time, kid. Give it time.”

NICOLE LED RAOUL to the front of the bakery, where she filled a couple of bags with day-old pastries and baked goods.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said, even as he stared longingly at the half-dozen cookies she scooped up.

“You can handle the calories. Like I said—it’s a perk.”

“Are there other perks?”

That question didn’t come from Raoul. Nicole didn’t have to turn around or even think to know who’d been speaking. And in case there was any confusion in her brain, her entire body flushed a welcome.

She straightened, braced herself for impact, then turned. Sure enough, Hawk stood behind the case, smiling that sexy, you-know-you-want-me smile of his.

He was slightly more dressed than he had been the previous day. Today his shorts were longer and his T-shirt covered all of his chest and stomach, which was both good and bad. In theory she should be able to think more easily. In reality, she was just a little disappointed.

“What do you want?” she asked, not caring that she sounded snappish.

“Interesting question,” he murmured, then winked at Raoul. “I came to see how my star player worked out. He impressed the hell out of you, didn’t he?”

Nicole found herself neatly trapped. She actually liked Raoul and had been happy to offer him a job. But with Hawk there, she felt the need to say nothing had gone well and she was happy to be rid of him.

“He was fine,” she said and handed the bags to Raoul. Afraid she would see disappointment in the kid’s eyes, she added, “Better than fine. He did great.”

“I knew it.”

“This isn’t actually about you. I know that’s an amazing concept, so I should probably give you a minute to wrap your mind around it.”

Hawk chuckled. “Raoul, you don’t have to stick around here. I’ll see you at practice in a couple of hours.”

The kid nodded and left. Nicole watched him go because it was easier than trying not to look at Hawk. The man was like catnip.

When they were alone, Nicole suddenly didn’t know what to do with any part of her body. She wanted to back up…or move much, much closer. Her arms felt funny just hanging at her sides. But crossing them seemed too hostile.

She hated this. The man had the power to make her feel awkward in her own skin.

“You don’t still need to be here,” she told him.

“I want to thank you for giving Raoul a chance,” Hawk told her, easing closer without seeming to move.

Quite the trick, she thought grimly.

“He worked hard. That happens a whole lot less than I would like. I gave him a job.”

Hawk raised one eyebrow. “He did impress you.”

“He needs the work, I need the help. Don’t make it more than it is.”

Dark eyes seemed to stare into her very being. “You want people to think you’re tough.”

“I am tough.”

“You’re a marshmallow inside.”

She stiffened. “I could have had your player’s ass thrown in jail. Don’t think I wouldn’t have done it if he hadn’t shown up today. I’ve been running this place for years. I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you like what you’re doing?”

“Of course,” she said automatically because it was always what she answered. She’d known she would run the bakery from the time she was eight or nine years old. It had been understood…expected. Hers wasn’t to be a life of many surprises. Lately there sure hadn’t been any good ones.

Wait. There had been Claire. Reuniting with her sister had been good. Watching Claire fall madly in love, get pregnant, get engaged and find total happiness had stretched her good nature a little, but she was dealing. Because what choice did she have?

“Earth to Nicole.”

She blinked and saw Hawk standing a little too close.

“I lost you there,” he said.

“That must be a first,” she said without thinking. “A woman focusing on something other than you for an eighth of a second.”

“Because I’m so hard to resist?”

“Not for me.”

“I don’t believe that. You’re interested.”

If she’d been able to look at him for more than five seconds at a time without wanting to make moany noises, she might have picked up something heavy and clocked him on the head. As it was, he was telling the truth and she was too embarrassed to figure out a quick way to verbally eviscerate him. Which left her with the humiliating comeback of, “I’m not interested.”

He grinned. “That was convincing.”

“I don’t care what it is, it’s the truth.” Almost. Annoyance pushed her to honesty. “You know you’ve got a great body and you obviously enjoy flashing it at the world. Which means what? You’re well into your thirties. Shouldn’t you be over that by now? Shouldn’t you spend about a third as much time developing your mind as your body? You can’t be a football coach forever.”

Too late, she remembered that, yes, he could be a coach forever and that Raoul had mentioned something about him being a professional football player. Which probably meant he was rich.

“You’re assuming I’m stupid?” he asked in a tone that was both amused and outraged. “Is that because I have muscles or because I play football? Isn’t that the same as me assuming you’re an idiot because you’re a natural blonde?”

Maybe. Yes. She ignored the question. “How do you know I’m a natural blonde?”

“My excellent powers of observation.”

“I run a successful business. I’m obviously more than capable,” she said primly.

HAWK LIKED how Nicole got all pinchy when she was annoyed. He liked how every time he moved closer, she got flustered and didn’t know where to look. If she hadn’t been interested, she would have told him to back off and get away, but she hadn’t said a word. He liked that, too.

“Obviously,” he teased, as he moved closer.

“Don’t you have any respect for personal space?”

“No.”

She raised her head and glared, but before she could speak, he said, “You have beautiful eyes.”

Her mouth opened and closed. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Flirting.”

“Why?”

“It’s fun.”

“Not for me.”

“Everyone enjoys attention.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“You don’t think your eyes are beautiful?”

“They’re fine. Functional. I don’t care about the color.”

“Sure you do. You have to know they’re pretty. You’re pretty.”

Nicole blushed.

He didn’t see it at first. She turned away and muttered something under her breath. All he caught were a couple of words, including “unbelievably arrogant” and “ego.” So he wasn’t paying attention until he saw her press her fingers to her cheeks as if trying to cool the skin.

Why would someone so together blush because he noticed she was pretty? Unless no one else bothered to look. He had a feeling she was the kind of woman who scared off men and then wondered why she was lonely.

He could fix that.

“You like me flirting with you,” he said. “It’s the best part of your day.”

“You’re amazing.”

“I know.”

She groaned. “I don’t mean that in a good way. You are delusional. Nothing about you is the best part of my day.”

“Liar.”

She made a sound of frustration low in her throat. It was almost a growl. He wondered what she sounded like right before she lost control in bed. He had a feeling she would scream.

“Save the flirting for someone who’s interested,” she muttered, holding on to her cane so hard her knuckles turned white.

“You’re interested.”

She shook her head. “Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?”

“Sure, but this is more fun.”

“No, it’s not.”

He was getting to her. The blush deepened and she couldn’t decide if she wanted to throw herself at him or punch him. Frustration was good. It meant she was interested and annoyed with herself at the same time.

“We should go out,” he said, knowing the invitation would push her further off balance.

“What? No.”

“Dinner. We’ll go to dinner.”

“I’m not going to dinner with you.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not a good idea.”

And the first round went to him. If she really hadn’t been interested, she would have told him directly.

“Sure it is.” He moved so close that she had to tilt her head back to continue to meet his gaze. “It’s an excellent idea.”

“I’m not going.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I’m not and you can’t make me.”

He walked to the door of the bakery and paused. “Want to bet?” he said, and then he left.

As he crossed to his truck, he could practically hear her sputtering. That had gone well. It was early in the first quarter, and he was already deep in enemy territory and poised to score.

“AMY’S THERAPY is going really well,” Claire said as she chopped more mushrooms, then scooped them into a bowl. “She’s young, which helps. Her brain is still open to change. Unlike those of us who have closed brains.”

Nicole shredded lettuce into a bowl. “I have no idea where my brain stands on the whole open-closed issue.”

Amy was Wyatt’s daughter and Claire’s soon-to-be stepdaughter. She’d been born deaf and had recently asked for a cochlear implant to help her hear. While the surgery put in the required hardware, special therapy was required to train her to recognize sound in a new way and process it.

“Amy’s so excited about the implant,” Claire said. “She asks me to play for her every night.”

“Which you love.”

“I do. She’s my biggest fan.”

Given that Claire was a world-class concert pianist, with Grammy-winning CDs and more concert dates than she could fill in two lifetimes, that was saying something.

“I thought Wyatt was your biggest fan,” Nicole teased.

“He is. In other ways.”

Her sister laughed and Nicole smiled. She was happy for Claire. Seriously. She didn’t want Wyatt for herself. She tried telling herself she didn’t want any man for herself, but she knew she would be lying. She wanted someone special. Someone who would love her and always be there for her. Unfortunately she’d picked Drew.

Instantly she flashed back to that night when she’d walked in on Drew and Jesse in bed together. They’d been kissing, or about to. Jesse’d been topless. Nicole had—

She reminded herself not to go there. She had to stop torturing herself with the past. She’d put Drew behind her; she had to move on. She should think about something more pleasant.

Immediately images of Hawk filled her brain. The man might make her crazy, but he had a body to die for. She’d never been all that into appearance, but in his case, she was willing to make an exception.

Time for a mental change of subject, Nicole told herself.

She finished with the lettuce and passed the bowl to her sister. “So have you figured out your fall traveling schedule?”

Claire shrugged. “Nearly. Lisa gave me a list of places and I’m narrowing them down. I don’t want to be gone too much. Not just because of missing Wyatt and Amy, but I don’t want to get exhausted for the baby.”

“Are you checking with your doctor?” Nicole asked, trusting the medical profession with Claire’s health a lot more than she trusted Lisa, Claire’s manager.

Claire nodded. “She wants me to keep travel to a minimum during the last couple weeks of my first trimester. Then I’ll travel a lot during the second. Less during the third. Lisa mentioned something about a holiday concert series in Hawaii, but I don’t think I’ll be up for it.”

Nicole reached for an avocado. “Why not? Can’t you take Amy?”

“Oh, sure. We’d have a nice beach house to use, but it’s so far and not really a time when I want to be traveling. You know. Away from family.”

Nicole was about to point out that most of Claire’s family—her fiancé and his daughter—would be with her. Then she got it. Claire didn’t want to be gone from her. She didn’t want to leave Nicole alone for Christmas.

“I’ll be fine,” she said quickly. “You should go.”

“This isn’t about you,” Claire said, but she didn’t sound convincing. “This is our first chance to be together at the holidays since we were six. I’m not going to Hawaii. I don’t want to.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I can’t help that,” Claire told her.

“You worry about me.”

“Sure, but I’ll get over it.”

Nicole tried to smile, but couldn’t quite make her lips move. She appreciated that people cared, but disliked the need for sympathy. Normally she managed her life such that she was the capable one. The one others looked to for guidance. She wasn’t usually the one they pitied.

“Speaking of getting over things,” Claire said casually. “Have you talked to Jesse lately?”

“You know I haven’t.”

“You have to eventually.”

“Why?” If Nicole had her way, she wouldn’t deal with Jesse ever again. “Bad enough she slept with my husband. Then she stole the secret family recipe and sold our famous Keyes Chocolate Cake on the Internet.”

Just thinking about it made her crazy. Drew was one thing, but screwing with the business, too?

“It’s just like her,” Nicole muttered. “I bet you anything that if I talked to her, she’d have a million excuses. She never takes responsibility.”

“You threw her out,” Claire said quietly. “She had to make a living.”

“Exactly. She had to get a job. There are dozens of jobs out there, but did she even try to find one? No. She stole. First Drew, then the cake.” Nicole’s stomach started to hurt. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“It’s not going away until you figure out how to reconcile with her.”

“Maybe I don’t want to have anything to do with her.” Nicole fought anger and hurt. “There was this kid who came into the bakery last week. He stole a bunch of doughnuts, or at least he tried. When I confronted him, he took responsibility for what he’d done. He felt guilty and knew he was wrong. He worked off the amount he’d stolen. He did such a good job that he’s an employee now. Why can’t Jesse be like that? Why can’t she take any responsibility for what she’s done?”

“I know she hurt you.”

“More than hurt,” Nicole muttered. “A lot more than hurt.”

“You two have to figure this out.”

“I know,” Nicole muttered. “I will. Eventually. I think about it but then I get so mad I don’t even want to see her, let alone talk to her.”

“It makes me sad that you’re not getting along,” Claire told her. “You’re family.”

“Not any family I’d want.”

“I don’t believe you.” Claire looked at her. “You have every right to be angry and hurt, but I think it’s time to ask yourself how much of your behavior is about teaching your sister a lesson and how much of it is about getting revenge.”

CHAPTER THREE

NICOLE FELT STUPID and obvious as she leaned on her cane and walked toward the high school football stadium. She was too old to be at a Friday-night game…or too young. She wasn’t a student and she didn’t have a kid in high school. So what exactly was she doing here?

“It’s what I get for talking to my employees,” she grumbled to herself. She should have just waved and kept on walking. But no. She had to stop and talk to Raoul at the end of his first week working for her. She’d asked how things were going, because she was an idiot. And when he’d mentioned the football game tonight, she’d pretended that she was interested.

“You could have said no,” she reminded herself. When Raoul had asked her to come, she could have easily said she was busy. Only she wasn’t and she didn’t lie all that well. In a spiritual sense, that was probably a good thing, but as to how it affected where she would be spending her evening, it sucked.

She looked up at the rows of benches that passed as seats. She didn’t know anyone here. Still, given the choice between the high school kids and the parents, she would pick the parents. At least she had a chance of talking to one of them.

“Nicole!”

She turned toward the field and saw one of the football players running toward her. He was suited up in his gear and it took her a second to recognize Raoul.

“Hi,” she said as she walked toward the railing separating the field from the stands. “Impressive. You look mean and burly.”

Raoul grinned. “Yeah?”

She nodded. He looked different. Older. Dangerous. The urge to tell him not to get hurt welled up inside of her. Apparently maternal instincts didn’t need much to kick in.

“Are you playing a tough team?” she asked.

“They’re okay. We’re gonna kick their butts, though.”

“I look forward to that.”

He grinned. “Thanks for coming tonight. I don’t usually have anyone at the games. Except for my friends, you know. Not an adult.”

That was her. Adult. “I’ll cheer a lot and try to embarrass you,” she teased.

“Good.”

A pretty blond girl in a cheerleader uniform ran up. “Hi,” she said with a big smile. “I’m Brittany.”

The teenager was even more lovely close-up. She looked perfect and popular. Nicole thought about hating her on general principle.

“Nicole,” she said.

“My boss,” Raoul said. “I told you about her. Brittany’s my girlfriend.”

“Nice to meet you,” Nicole said.

“You, too. I hope you enjoy the game. We’re going to have a great year.”

Someone blew a whistle on the field.

“I gotta go,” Raoul said. “I’ll see you after the game.”

He ran off before Nicole could explain that she wouldn’t be staying. Then she reminded herself it wasn’t as if she had a full social calendar. So what if she spent the whole evening there?

“Couldn’t stay away, could you?”

Nicole heard the voice, felt the rush of heat and despised both him for causing it and herself for reacting.

She looked over the railing to where Hawk stood on the grass.

For once he was dressed…khakis, polo shirt in school colors. He looked good. Better than good. Talk about annoying.

“Raoul asked me to come watch him play.”

Hawk looked unconvinced.

“I’m telling the truth,” she insisted. “He says he doesn’t have any adults come watch him. Why is that?” “He’s in foster care. Has been for a long time. It’s nice that you could take an interest.”

He sounded sincere, which made her feel guilty about complaining about coming.

“It’s no big deal,” she mumbled.

“It is to him. I gotta go. Enjoy the game.”

Hawk ran off. Nicole tried not to stare at his butt as he moved, although it was difficult to ignore any part of him. Weird, because she’d never been that superficial before. She was always far more interested in a guy’s mind.

It was because of where she was in her life, she told herself as she turned back to the bleacher seats and started to climb, using her cane for balance. Under any other circumstances, she would barely be able to remember Hawk’s name.

“He’s damn pretty,” a woman said.

Nicole looked at her.

“The coach. He’s the best part of the game, although my two boys would be humiliated if they heard me say that.” She smiled. “I’m Barbara.”

The woman scooted over to make room.

Nicole sat next to her. “Hi. I’m Nicole.”

“You’re a little young to be a mom,” Barbara said. “You here for Hawk?”

“No,” Nicole said quickly. “I own a bakery. One of the guys on the team works for me. He asked me to come.”

“That’s nice of you. I’m not sure I’d be here if I didn’t have to be. Of course I’ve been sitting on hard seats for years now. My boys are twins and they’re into sports. We’ve done it all. Little League, soccer, football, baseball. My husband travels a lot so it’s up to me to show up at the games.”

“It’s great that you want to see them. I’m sure they appreciate the support.”

Barbara wrinkled her nose. “They never say anything unless I can’t make a game. Then they won’t stop complaining. But I’m used to it by now.”

Family, Nicole thought sadly. That’s what people did for each other in a family.

“So,” Barbara said, her voice low. “How do you know Hawk?”

“I, ah, met him through Raoul.”

“Dating him?”

“No.”

“Tempted?”

“No.”

“Because you’re dating someone amazing?”

“Not really.”

Barbara smiled. “So you’re either into girls or you’re lying.”

Nicole laughed. “How are those my only choices?”

“I don’t believe any woman can be around Hawk and not wonder what it would be like to have her way with him. He’s got that body of his. Plus, he’s actually nice. I know it seems unfair, but there we are. He’s single and he likes to play. Rumor has it he’s a real gentleman out in public and a wild animal in the bedroom. They say he can go for hours.”

Barbara fanned herself. “Not that I have any personal experience. He doesn’t get involved with married women and I wouldn’t cheat. At least I don’t think I would. No one’s ever asked.”

Nicole didn’t know what to say. This definitely fell in the category of too much information.

“He used to play professionally,” Barbara continued.

“I’d heard that.”

“It’s an amazing story. He got his high school girlfriend pregnant. Everyone said they wouldn’t make it, but they got married anyway. They lived on macaroni and cheese while he was in college on a scholarship. Had the baby, were blissfully happy. Then Hawk got drafted into the NFL and started making big money. Instead of living on a golf course somewhere, they bought an average house in a regular neighborhood here, in Seattle. Raised their daughter.”

This was the expanded version of what Raoul had told her, Nicole thought. Although she hadn’t known about a child. Hawk was a father? He seemed too flashy and sexually charged for that.

“Then Serena, that’s the wife, got cancer. It was maybe six or seven years ago. Hawk quit the NFL to stay home with her. She died and he became a single dad. He took the high school coaching job because he wanted to give back. He sure doesn’t need the money.”

Barbara pointed to the pretty blonde Raoul had introduced Nicole to earlier. “That’s his daughter.”

“Brittany?”

Barbara looked at her. “You know her?”

“We met earlier. She’s dating Raoul, my employee.”

“That’s her. She’s absolutely perfect. Good grades, head cheerleader, interested in saving the planet. Loves her dad. I console myself that even if I was single and Hawk was desperately in love with me, Brittany would be a challenge to any relationship. She’s a real daddy’s girl. But who can blame her?”

Nicole studied the teenager urging the crowd to cheer, then turned her attention to Hawk. He paced along the sidelines, a clipboard in his hands.

“So he’s not a jerk,” she murmured.

“Not even close. You still not interested?”

“He’s just someone I know,” she said. “Nothing more.”

Not that she wanted more. He was the kind of trouble she didn’t have time for.

She watched him point to a couple of kids and send them into the game. He was totally focused and intense, and he never once glanced in her direction, damn him.

NICOLE SPENT the rest of the game watching the plays and trying to figure out what was going on while listening to Barbara fill her in on everything from which teachers might have a drinking problem to which parents were divorcing. It was an information dump that made her head spin.

When the game ended, Pacific High School had beaten the other team 38 to 14. Even her untrained eye had told her that Raoul was an outstanding quarterback with an arm that never seemed to get tired.

She stood and thanked Barbara for sharing her section of bench, then rubbed her numb butt as she made her way to the railing. Raoul and Brittany stood close together, talking intently. The blonde reached up and touched his face. Then Raoul saw Nicole and hurried over to the railing.

“What did you think?” he asked.

“You’re great,” she said honestly. “I was incredibly impressed. Even knowing nothing about the game, I could tell you did really well. How far can you throw a football anyway?”

Raoul grinned. “We were awesome tonight. The whole team really pulled together. No one player can make or break a game.”

“I see you’re already training for your sports interviews,” she teased.

Hawk joined Raoul and gave him a high five. “Great job,” he said, then turned to Nicole. “Our boy’s going all the way.”

She ignored the implied connection. “I’m happy to hear it.”

“So how many can you take in your car?” Hawk asked.

“What?”

“Kids. How many can you take in your car?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said.

“She drives a Lexus Hybrid,” Raoul said. “So four, but the three in the back can’t be huge. They won’t fit.”

Hawk nodded. “I’ll have them meet you in the parking lot.”

She made a T with her hands. “Who are they and why are they meeting me anywhere?”

“Pizza,” he said. “We get pizza after the game. The players, their girlfriends, a few kids from school. It’s a tradition. I like to keep them busy while the adrenaline is still pumping. Hanging out at a pizza place is safer than just cutting them loose where they could do something stupid and hurt themselves. Not all the kids drive, so we need rides.”

She was aware of Raoul standing right there. For some reason she wasn’t comfortable refusing in front of him. Maybe it was because she knew he didn’t have anyone on his side. But if she agreed, she knew she would feel as if she’d been manipulated into doing something she didn’t want to do. Worse, Hawk would probably assume she was only hanging out on the off chance she got to spend time with him.

Why did everything have to be a complication?

“I’ll be waiting in the parking lot,” she said, her teeth clenched.

“I’ll have the guys look for you. They know where we’re going. I’ll see you there.”

“Not if I can help it,” she muttered.

JOE’S HOUSE OF PIZZA was one of those great neighborhood places with plenty of tables, a jukebox and delicious smells of fresh garlic, peppers and tomato sauce.

Nicole hadn’t eaten dinner before the game but didn’t think she was starved until she walked into the building and took a breath. Suddenly she was weak with hunger and desperate for the recipe.

The four boys she’d brought with her drifted away as soon as they arrived. They’d been polite, but obviously terrified that she would want to join them for the evening. She’d thought about explaining that she wasn’t interested in interfering with their good time when she realized she didn’t really know anyone here. The only parent she knew was Barbara, who hadn’t come. The only other adult of her acquaintance was Hawk and she was confident he would be holding court with his players. Not that she wanted to sit with him.

It would probably be best if she just left, she told herself. Maybe she could order a pizza to go.

She was already in line at the counter, leaning on her cane, when something large and warm settled on the small of her back. She’d never felt the touch before, but she recognized it. Recognized it and melted from the inside out.

How was it possible for her body to react so strongly to one man? What combination of chemistry and cosmic humor made her want to turn around, pull Hawk close and demand that he prove all the things Barbara had said about him weren’t just cheap talk?

She carefully sidestepped his touch. Instead of taking the hint, he grabbed her hand.

Just like that. Palm against palm, fingers lacing. As if he owned her. As if they belonged together. Worse, he wasn’t even looking at her. He was talking to some father.

She wanted to pull her hand free and demand that he stop touching her. She wanted to tell him that they weren’t together, they would never be together, and ask him what the hell was he thinking. She wanted to see if that bench seat in his truck was big enough for the two of them.

The father walked away and Hawk turned to her. “You don’t have to order,” he said. “They know we’re coming. I called ahead to let them know when the game was over. Technically you can get a beer, but I’d rather you didn’t. I don’t like anyone drinking in front of the kids on game night. It’s probably dumb, but there it is.”

His eyes were dark, as if they could absorb all the light in the room. She had the weirdest feeling she could get lost in his eyes, which just went to show that she’d moved past being hungry and was well into low blood sugar delusions.

“You’re holding my hand.”

One corner of his mouth turned up. “It’s all I can do in a crowd, but once we’re alone I’ll crank up the heat.”

She jerked free of him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but let me be clear. You and I are never—”

“Hey, Coach, did you order salads?” one of the cheerleaders asked. “You know some of us don’t want pizza.”

“I ordered salads,” he said, sounding tired, then he turned back to her and grabbed her hand again. “What is it about women and their damn weight? Okay, yeah, carrying around an extra thirty or forty pounds is bad. But women today are obsessed with every fat cell and teenagers are the worst.”

“She’s a cheerleader. What did you expect?”

“That she should be happy she’s healthy and athletic and get off me about salad.”

“Doesn’t your daughter worry about her weight?”

One eyebrow raised. “You’ve been talking about me.”

“Not on purpose. The mothers are all too willing to chat about you. I’m confident you totally love their interest and do whatever you can to fan the flames.”

It was as if he didn’t hear anything she’d said. “You were asking questions.”

“Did you listen at all? I didn’t ask. It wasn’t necessary. Information was offered.”

He smiled, a slow, sexy, self-confident smile that made her both want to hit him and crawl inside of him. “I’m getting to you. I can tell.”

“Someone just shoot me now,” she muttered.

One of his players came up and asked him a question about the game. As Hawk answered, Nicole tried to pull away, but he didn’t let go. Short of a tugging match, she seemed trapped and couldn’t decide if that was good or bad.

She glanced around the place and saw several mothers glaring at her. When she caught their eyes, they turned away and whispered to each other.

“The fan club isn’t happy,” she murmured to Hawk. “I don’t know you well enough to be risking life and limb.”

“I’m worth it.”

“You know, if we could harness your ego, we could solve the energy crisis.”

Just then several servers walked out carrying massive pizzas. All the kids milling around dove for tables. Hawk kept hold of her hand as he moved to a large booth in the corner, one apparently reserved for him.

At his urging, she slid in. He followed. She found herself shifting closer and closer to make room for players and their girlfriends. Despite her efforts to keep at least six inches between them, they ended up touching from hip to knee. She tried to find a good place for her cane, but there wasn’t one.

“I’ll take that,” Hawk said, pulling it out from under the table and placing it along the back of the booth. “What happened to your knee?”

“I fell and tore it up.”

“Are you getting better?”

“It’s a slow process.”

“I had knee surgery,” he told her. “We should compare scars.”

A simple statement, but the way he said it, the words sounded dirty.

“Maybe another time,” she murmured as three pizzas were placed on the table. Plates were passed out and pitchers of soda poured.

“Coach, whatcha think of that last play in the first quarter?” one of the guys asked. “That block came out of nowhere.”

“You handled him,” Hawk said. “Good job with the footwork. The extra practice is paying off.”

The kid, at least six feet three inches of solid muscle, beamed.

Nicole reached for a piece of pizza as Hawk was bombarded with question after question. The players didn’t just want to talk about the game—they wanted to make sure their coach knew they’d worked hard and done well.

It was probably a very healthy dynamic, one responsible for immature teenagers blossoming into responsible, productive citizens. She should be listening attentively, or at least taking notes, but all she could think about was how she and Hawk were touching.

His skin was hot against hers, as if he had a higher body temperature than mere mortals. She was aware of the muscles bunching and releasing—amazing, rock-hard muscles. Hawk was a big guy. Drew, her cheating bastard of an almost ex-husband, had only been a few inches taller than her and not much heavier. Hawk had massive hands, which made her think about old wives’ tales and possibilities.

“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.

CHAPTER FOUR

NICOLE KNEW that 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.

She told herself Hawk wasn’t all that different. That there was something chemical making her react this way, but it was meaningless. He wasn’t special. Which sounded great, but didn’t stop her from parting for him, or nearly gasping in pleasure when his tongue touched hers.

He moved inside, taking her with a sureness that made the trembling worse. He kissed her deeply, thoroughly, as if he had all the time in the world and planned to use every second to please her.

He explored and stroked, withdrawing, then plunging inside. He kept one hand on her waist and settled the other on her hip. Slowly, achingly slowly, he moved it down, over her rear, cupping the curve, then squeezing. Instinctively she arched against him, thighs touching, her breasts nestling against the rock-hard muscles of his chest.

Then her belly came into contact with something big and thick and …

She pulled back and stared into his fiery dark eyes. He was aroused. She’d felt his erection. Which meant he was excited by what they were doing.

Nicole liked to think she had herself pretty together. That she was confident and capable and finding her husband having sex with her baby sister hadn’t totally destroyed her self-worth. Still, it was something of a shock to realize that a few minutes of kissing had turned on a sex machine like Hawk. A good shock.

“Kiss me again,” she told him.

“You’re demanding.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Hell no.”

He pulled her hard against him, then claimed her with a kiss that made her insides clench. She rubbed her stomach against his erection, which turned out to be a bit of a mistake as it made her think about his offer to take her to bed. He moved his hands up and down her back, but didn’t shift them anywhere interesting.

Probably because they were outside in a parking lot, she told herself, wondering how tacky it would be to do it on the hood of her SUV.

He slipped his fingers through her hair and tugged slightly. They stared at each other. He smiled.

“You want me.”

“I’ll get over it.”

She said the words automatically, not sure she meant them. She did want him, and wasn’t that good? Except the last thing she needed right now was a relationship. Even one based on an explosive sexual connection.

He leaned in and nipped on her earlobe. She gasped and trembled.

“You’re wet right now,” he whispered. “If I were to touch you, you’d come for me.”

He was probably right, she thought, pulling back and suddenly feeling as if she were going to cry. The emotional outburst had nothing to do with Hawk and everything to do with her recent past. The body was willing but the spirit and the heart were too fragile.

“I can’t play that game,” she told him.

“Is that what they told you about me? That I play games?”

“It was implied.”

“What if they’re wrong?”

Meaning what? “I can’t take the chance.”

HAWK WAITED UNTIL TEN in the morning to knock on his daughter’s door. “Hey, sleepyhead,” he said as he pushed into the dark room and walked to the window. After opening the blinds, he faced the bed. “Do I have to tickle you?”

Brittany rolled onto her back and yawned. “Daddy, it’s Saturday.”

“You know, the calendar said that, but I wasn’t sure. Saturday. Huh. Thanks for the clarification.”

“I get to sleep in on Saturday.”

“It’s ten and I’m making blueberry pancakes.”

Brittany sat up. “I can’t eat those. They’ll make me—”

He held up his hands. “You know the rule. The ‘F’ word is not allowed.”

“I wasn’t going to say fat.”

“Yes, you were. Do you want pancakes or not?”

“I want them.”

“Then get your girly butt up, kiddo.”

Brittany grinned at him. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too.”

She scrambled out of bed. “Give me five minutes.”

“Sure thing.”

Her bathroom door slammed shut.

He returned to the kitchen where he heated the griddle, then stirred the batter. Brittany was growing up. She was a senior this year and even if she went to the University of Washington, she would be living in a dorm, so this was her last year at home. The time had gone by too fast.

Brittany walked into the kitchen just as he slid the cooked pancakes onto a plate. She kissed his cheek, then settled into a chair.

“The game was great last night,” she said. “The team is pulling it together. You’re going to have a kick-ass season, Dad.”

He eyed her. “Ass” was one of those borderline words. He decided not to start the morning with a fight.

“We’ll see how it goes. We’re focused on each game as it comes.”

“All you have to do is win the next game and the play-offs take care of themselves,” she said, repeating what he’d said a hundred times.

He laughed. “What are you doing today?”

“A bunch of us are meeting up around eleven-thirty. We’re going to lunch and an early movie. Then back here to finish up the homework I didn’t get done before the game yesterday.” She wrinkled her nose. “I have two more pages on my paper. It’s not due for another week, but I want it done. There’s a party at Michelle’s house, which you already know about. You talked to her mother on Thursday.”

“I remember.”

“So we’ll go to that. Tomorrow I want to work on my college admission essays.”

Hawk listened as she detailed her plan. As the words washed over him, he found himself thinking more about how much she’d changed in the past few years.

She was everything he could have wanted.

Popular, a good student, caring, responsible. He wanted to take all the credit, but he knew Serena had laid the foundation. She’d been the perfect mother. After she’d died, he’d done his best to fill in the gaps. Apparently he’d managed to do a pretty good job.

“Things okay with Raoul?” he asked.

She chewed a mouthful of pancakes, then swallowed. “Sure. We’re fine.”

“You seemed pretty tight last night after the game. You’re not taking things too far, are you?”

Brittany ducked her head. “Daddy, jeez. Get personal much?”

“You’re my daughter. I worry about you. You’re nearly eighteen. You’ve been dating Raoul for a while now. Do I have to kill him or not?”

“Not!” She shuddered. “This is humiliating. I won’t talk about this with you, mostly because there’s nothing to talk about. We’re not doing…that. It’s too soon.”

“Okay.” He kept his voice casual, but inside he was doing the happy dance. She’d said exactly what he wanted to hear.

If he had his way, his daughter wouldn’t have sex until she got married…around age thirty-five. But that wasn’t realistic. While he liked Raoul, he was wary. It wasn’t personal—he wouldn’t totally trust any teenage kid with his daughter. So he would do what he could to keep her safe and hope for the best.

He ate his own pancakes, remembering that when he’d been Brittany’s age, he and Serena had been doing it for nearly a year. They’d tried to be careful, but passion had often overridden common sense. Brittany had been the result. What had seemed like a disaster had turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him. He’d been lucky and he knew it.

Speaking of luck…He remembered the previous evening and kissing Nicole. There was an activity he could get behind in a big way. She wasn’t going to be easy, which was fine with him. He was more than up for the challenge.

NICOLE CONFIRMED the deliveries for the upcoming week, then shut down her computer. Once the rush for Saturday-morning pastries was over, there was a lull until the cake order pickups started. They were usually done by lunchtime. The bakery closed in the afternoon. She was often done by noon. Today she’d finished early because she’d forced herself to only think about work. It was either that or endlessly relive kissing Hawk. While it might seem like a great way to waste time, she knew he was nothing but trouble and she would be smart to avoid him, even in her thoughts.

Maggie knocked on her open door. “There’s a bunch of high school kids out front.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just what I said. They came in a few minutes ago, ordered coffee and pastries. Now they’re just sitting there, talking. Like we’re a hangout. We’ve never been a hangout.”

“Are they causing any trouble?”

“No. They’re real polite. It’s just weird.”

Nicole had to agree with her. “Let me see what’s going on,” she said.

She walked to the front of the store. Sure enough most of the tables were full of teenagers laughing and talking. They were a little loud, but not doing anything she could object to. She was about to turn away, when she recognized one of the girls. A pretty blonde in shorts and a T-shirt who smiled and waved.

“Hi,” the girl said. “I’m Brittany. We met last night.”

“Raoul’s girlfriend.” Hawk’s daughter—a fact that was still hard to believe.

“Right. We’re waiting until he gets off work, then we’re all going to lunch and a movie.”

“Sounds like fun.” Nicole glanced at the clock. It was quarter to twelve. “I’ll go tell him you’re here so he can finish up. It should only be a couple of minutes.”

“Thanks, but he doesn’t have to hurry. We’re having fun. Your Danish are incredible.”

Nicole patted her hip. “Tell me about it.”

She returned behind the counter where Maggie waited. “You know them?” her employee asked.

“I met a couple of them last night at the football game.”

Maggie had worked at the bakery for years. She and Nicole were friends, so a simple questioning look got the point across.

“I don’t know what I was doing at a high school football game,” Nicole admitted. “Raoul plays. He asked me to go. I wanted to be supportive. He introduced me to Brittany, his girlfriend. She’s a cheerleader.”

Maggie started laughing.

Nicole glanced at the kids. “Stop it. Nothing about this is funny.”

“It is to me. You’re popular.”

“Great. It only took ten years of being out of high school for that to happen.”

Nicole went in the back and told Raoul he could leave early. According to Sid and Phil, he was doing a great job. She appreciated having her instincts validated. She was about to leave herself when Maggie found her.

“You have a gentleman caller waiting out front.”

Nicole winced, even as her heart started thundering in her chest. Hawk? Was it Hawk? She hated how much she wanted it to be him. “No one talks like that.”

“I do and he’s gorgeous.”

Definitely Hawk.

“Thanks,” Nicole said. “I’ll go see what he wants.”

Maggie patted her hairnet. “If you’re not interested, ask him if he’s into older women. He’s what, in his mid-thirties? That’s only twenty years.”

Nicole grinned. “You’re happily married.”

“Don’t remind me.”

Nicole returned to the front of the bakery. The teenagers were gone. Hawk stood by the counter, looking more tempting than anything in the bakery. She would take him over chocolate lava cake any day.

Without wanting to, she remembered their kiss from the previous night. How he’d left her both wanting and afraid. Maybe she’d exaggerated the fear. If they kissed again, she would know for sure.

“Hey,” he said, giving her a slow, sexy smile that sent her heart into a healthy aerobic state.

“Hey, yourself.”

Low blood sugar, she told herself. It was low blood sugar. Or the flu. It couldn’t be the man. She refused to be nothing more than a quivering mass of nerves over a guy.

“I wanted to stop by and thank you for last night.”

Nicole heard a snort behind her and knew that Maggie was listening. She ignored her friend.

“Thank me?” He couldn’t mean the kiss, could he?

“For taking those kids to the pizza place and hanging around. For listening. You’re a great role model. Older than the students, but not a parent. You’re successful, together, someone they can look up to.”

Which all sounded nice but couldn’t she be his sex slave instead? No, wait. She wanted to be successful and together. Sex slave wasn’t her most comfortable role. She’d always been the girl-next-door type. Something told her that wasn’t Hawk’s style.

“You didn’t come out here to thank me,” she said, wondering if he was playing her and how long it would be before she trusted a man again.

“That’s part of why I came by.”

“And the other part?”

“Dessert.”

She flashed to a very big bed with rumpled sheets, naked bodies and someone—hopefully her—moaning with pleasure. That was a dessert she could get into.

He pulled a sheet of paper out of his back pocket. “We’re talking about thirty-five guys, a couple of parents, some friends. So say fifty people. Nothing fancy.”

She blinked. “You’re here to order dessert for fifty?”

“Uh-huh. Sunday afternoon we review the films from the game Friday night. It keeps them focused on the prize. I like them wired up on sugar. That way no one falls asleep. I’ve been using another bakery, but I like yours better. So what have you got?”

Disappointment made her want to snap at him, but she didn’t. No point in letting him know how pathetic she was.

“You won’t want a cake,” she said, stepping behind the counter and reviewing the contents of the case. “I would say cupcakes and cookies. I can put a selection together.”

“That would be great.”

“Any flavor requests?”

One of Hawk’s eyebrows raised slightly. “What do you suggest?”

No way she was falling for that, she told herself. “The usual cookies. Chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. They’re frosted but not decorated. Probably better that way.”

“You’re resisting.”

“What?” she asked.

“My charm.”

“Were you being charming?”

“You know I was.” He handed her a card.

She glanced at it. There was a logo for the high school, the address, his name and a phone number with an extension.

“This is?” she asked.

“Where I need everything delivered. About two-thirty tomorrow. The meeting room by the gym. I wrote the directions on the back.”

“I’m not delivering this stuff.”

“I have nowhere to store it. Or a way to get it there.”

She looked past him to the big truck parked in front of the bakery. “That would hold a lot.”

“Probably, but if you brought the dessert, you could stick around for the films.”

“I already saw the game once.”

“Not with me explaining what happened.”

Why on earth would he want her there? “It’s Sunday.”

“Do you have plans?”

“No, but that’s not the point.”

“Sure it is. Come on. You’ll have fun.”

She was confused, and not being in control always annoyed her. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because if you spend time with me, you’ll like me.”

“And that matters why?”

“You need to like me so you’ll want to sleep with me.”

Nicole was grateful for the cane. It helped keep her upright. “This is all about getting me into bed?”

“Naked,” Hawk added in a mock whisper. “Don’t leave out the best part.”

She totally understood her attraction to him. He was amazing looking and kind of funny and maybe nice, even if he was a playboy. Obviously there was a chemical thing going on, but that only explained her end of things. She wasn’t making it easy, which begged the question …

“Why me?”

“You intrigue me. You’re not easy.”

That was it? He couldn’t say he thought she was pretty or interesting or sexy? Intriguing was as good as it was going to get?

“I’m not sure about your standards,” she muttered, feeling slightly sick to her stomach.

She turned away. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back so they were facing each other and suddenly much closer than they had been.

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he said, staring directly into her eyes. “I want to see you again. Naked would be my first choice, but I’ll deal with clothes if I have to. Despite what those women you were talking to might have said, I don’t do this a whole lot. There’s something about you, Nicole. I can’t figure it out, but I will.”

And then what? He would be over her?

She didn’t know what to say, what to think. What was he asking? To date her? To have sex? Both?

She wanted to say yes, but the fear returned. The chilling emotion that warned her that, while she might be over Drew, she wasn’t over being hurt and she wasn’t ready to get involved or even play. Not that she’d ever been much of a player.

“Say yes,” he told her.

“I can’t.”

He leaned in and kissed her. It was hard and hot, his tongue pushing into her mouth. He took what he wanted and left her breathless. She kissed him back, feeling her blood heat. It was a battle of wills. Based on the way they were both breathing hard when they pulled apart, there was no clear winner.

“Say yes,” he repeated.

If only she could.

He sighed. “Bring dessert.”

“Okay.”

He released her and was gone. When her head stopped spinning, she saw he’d left a hundred-dollar bill on the counter, which would cover a whole lot of cookies and cupcakes.

Maggie walked in from the back.

“That was interesting,” she said. “He’s very clear about what he wants. I like that in a man. You should go out with him.”

“I can’t. I’m not ready to have a relationship.”

“Who said anything about a relationship?” Maggie’s smile faded. “Oh, right. Sorry. I forgot about what happened.”

Nicole bristled at the pity she saw in her friend’s eyes. She wanted to defend herself, to say she was doing fine. Based on how she couldn’t handle Hawk’s playful invitation, that wasn’t true.

“I’ll get the order together,” Maggie said. “You head home.”

“Okay. I’ll be in to pick it up tomorrow.”

Nicole left.

On the drive home, she tried to talk herself into a better mood. She should be grateful she had friends who cared. And she was. Sort of. But she really, really hated anyone feeling sorry for her. She prided herself on managing. Whatever happened in her life, she managed.

It was her own fault, she reminded herself. She’d wanted to go out with Drew. She’d accepted when he’d proposed. She’d known she wasn’t madly in love with him, but she’d begun to think no one would ever care about her enough to want to marry her. A stupid reason to get involved. There was nothing like a little hindsight to make everything clear. Unfortunately, knowing what she should have done didn’t change the past.

So now what? How did she get over what had happened? She wasn’t missing her bastard of an ex-husband, but she sure wanted her pride and self-respect back. If only she could buy them online.

She was still smiling at the thought when she pulled up in front of her house. A familiar car was parked on the street. The guy leaning against the car straightened as she drove by.

Speak of the devil, she thought grimly.

Drew waved as she circled around to the garage in back. She ignored him and parked, but he was waiting when she walked to the door and she had a bad feeling that ignoring him wasn’t going to make him go away.

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