Heart of the Game Read online

  The kiss deepened slowly, a passionate dance, a mutual exploration of lips and tongues. Duke wrapped her arm around her waist and across the small of her back while the other twisted delicately in the hair at the base of her neck. A world of contradictions spun through her mind. How was it possible to fall while being held so securely? Reaching out, inspired purely by desire, she sought the curve of Duke’s hips and anchored herself to the feminine arch she’d admired for so long. Her hands slipped beneath the hem of Duke’s thin T-shirt, and her fingers clutched smooth skin while her thumbs traced the grooves of solid abs. Her breath grew ragged with want. She stole air in tiny gasps from the corner of her mouth rather than pull away.

  Duke groaned as Molly worked her hands farther under her shirt, strumming her thumbs over the ridge of her rib cage and into the swell of softness near the side of her breast. Duke’s muscles contracted beneath Molly’s fingers. A heady sense of power shot through Molly at the way this beautiful body reacted to her touch. She brushed her fingers over the same spot again, and Duke arched into her, pressing their chests together. Another surge of heat crested inside her. Her hands had pulled need from this amazing woman. She wanted more, had to see what else they could inspire in each other.

  She didn’t break the kiss so much as shifted it, moving to suck lightly on the corner of Duke’s mouth before pulling her lips along her firm jaw to the delicate skin of her neck.

  “God, Molly, you’re making me crazy.” Her voice sounded even lower now, breathier too, causing Molly to smile through the kiss she placed on the curve where shoulder met neck.

  Duke worked her hands between them, running quickly over Molly’s chest, her fingers twitching as if they ached to linger there. Instead she clutched at the fabric separating them. She twisted the barrier, coiled strength threatening to shred it, but Duke exhaled forcefully and pushed away as if trying to wrestle her body back into submission.

  Molly stared at her, taking in her dark eyes, her bruised lips, and the way her chest rose and fell dramatically with each breath. What were they doing? A few hours ago she’d been reminding herself of all the reasons Duke wasn’t right for her, but all she could process now was how wrong the minute amount of space between them felt. She stepped forward again, desperate to fuse their bodies together once more, but Duke stepped away, her back colliding with the hallway wall. Looking nearly frantic, her voice cracked. “Please, Molly. I’m not strong enough to go slow when you look at me that way.”

  “What way?”

  “Like, you…like you want me.”

  “I do want you. Very much.” Saying the words only cemented what her mind and body had been screaming at her.

  “If I don’t stop now,” she rasped, “I won’t be able to stop at all.”

  She smiled at Duke for trying to do right by her. She smiled at her ability to wreck such a strong, centered woman. Mostly, though, she smiled because the battle for self-restraint, while noble, was totally unwarranted. “Don’t stop, Sarah.”

  “Don’t stop?” Her knees seemed to waver as the weight of the command settled on her. “What? Wait—did you call me ‘Sarah’?”

  “Yes, I did.” Molly stepped closer once more, allowing their bodies to brush chest to chest, hips to hips, as she ran her fingers lightly up Duke’s neck and into her short, fine hair. “The people closest to you call you Sarah, and I like it. It’s softer, sexier. It suits this version of you away from the ballpark. And besides, if I’m going to sleep with a woman for the first time, I want to be able to call out a woman’s name in bed. If it’s okay with you?”

  Duke’s lips parted on a silent breath, and she nodded. “It’s fine. Yeah—bed?”

  “Bed,” Molly confirmed.

  The look on Duke’s face spoke the words she couldn’t seem to find. Eyes first wide with surprise transitioned quickly under lids made heavy with lust. Clutching her tightly once more, she unleashed the hunger she’d previously fought to hold at bay. Molly relished the wave of passion and allowed herself to be swept away in the tide.

  The renewed kiss left her gasping in a matter of seconds, but Duke remained relentless, her mouth pressing, her tongue searching, pulling every ounce of desire from her. Her hands moved over her hips, kneading, working into her, driving Molly wild. She wrapped her arms around Duke’s back, pinning them together tightly.

  Duke arched off the wall, pushing Molly back as they went. Unwilling to break the kiss, they performed a lip-locked tango down the hall, stumbling and bumping off walls as they went. Grabbing and scratching at each other’s clothes, almost frantic for bare skin, Molly’s back pressed against the wall once more. They weren’t getting very far very fast until Duke cupped her ass with both hands. She lifted her easily. Molly wrapped her legs around her waist and allowed herself to be carried to bed. The move was sexy and raw, and she thrilled at the ripple of muscle in Duke’s biceps against her sides.

  Molly leaned back as Duke laid her on the mattress, then scooted backward up toward the pillows. The separation of bodies was enough to bear—she refused to break eye contact as well. Duke grabbed the thin collar of her own shirt and pulled it quickly over her head, revealing tight abs and muscled shoulders meeting in a swell of soft breasts. Molly couldn’t wait a second longer to touch the breathtaking display of strength and femininity. Sitting up, she caught Duke by the waistband of her shorts and pulled her toward the bed.

  Duke lowered her head, capturing Molly’s mouth once more, but this time she didn’t get lost in the kiss. She slid her hands under the hem of her tight shirt, pushing up as she worked her way along Molly’s side. She paused only momentarily to toy with the cups of her bra before breaking the kiss to remove the shirt completely. Dropping it to the floor, she returned to worship Molly with her lips, this time kissing down her neck, sending a trail of heat through her core and to places lower. Molly arched up to meet her, so lost in the luxury of her lips on sensitive skin she didn’t even notice Duke had unsnapped the clasp on her bra until she pulled it gently away. She’d expected her to be an attentive lover, a passionate one, but she’d never expected her to be so smooth or skilled.

  Duke’s eyes raked over her body as she eased herself over Molly and guided them both back down to the bed. No one had seen her naked in more than three years, and she would’ve been nervous about such a blatant appraisal now if not for the awe in Duke’s expressive eyes.

  “You’re amazing, Molly,” she whispered before kissing her again. Molly swept her tongue through Duke’s mouth one more time, gathering in the taste of her. Duke pulled away slowly to start a sensual descent along her neck and chest. To her credit, she didn’t go straight for Molly’s nipples, instead kissing and sucking a slow path around them until Molly couldn’t stand the suspense anymore and arched up to meet her. Duke complied with the unspoken request instantly, and Molly moaned in relief. She ran her fingers through Duke’s hair, soaking up the softness there while encouraging her to continue the work her mouth excelled at.

  She took her time tracing the curves of Molly’s body and thoroughly explored every area Molly granted access to. Only when she began to squirm for more did Duke move her trail south, placing hot, wet kisses along the way. Her lips skimmed over the plane below Molly’s breast to the rise of her stomach until she reached the thin, pale line just above the waistband of her shorts.

  Duke ran her fingers lightly over the scar, then looked up, the question quietly in her eyes, as always, leaving the decision to Molly.

  “Charlie was a C-section.”

  “Of course he was.” She smiled. “What a beautiful reminder of your resilience.”

  “Beautiful?” She’d always worried that the marks the boys had left on her body, the scars, the stretch marks, the stubborn belt of extra weight that had protected them in the womb, would be a turn-off to women who’d never experienced the miracle of giving birth.

  Duke kissed the scar. “This body created life and sustained life, and healed and adapted. So amazingly strong, and yes,
beautiful.”

  No one had ever seen her body in such a powerful way. Now on top of inspiring a desire that ignited her every nerve ending, she’d also opened a window to her heart and released emotions she’d never associated with sex before. She’d never felt beautiful or wanted. She’d never felt sexy or in control. Most importantly, she’d never let herself feel vulnerable.

  She didn’t have time to reflect on any of those emotions now, though, not with Duke unzipping her shorts and pulling them slowly down her legs. The heat of Duke’s breath on her thigh returned Molly’s focus entirely back to the physical. She kicked off the shorts, allowing Duke to move up once more, this time peeling away Molly’s bikini briefs. The wait was excruciating as Duke slowly pushed them all the way down before running her hands back up, massaging her calves and kissing along her inner thighs.

  Molly parted her legs and reached for her. She wanted to pull her in, craving her in ways she couldn’t have believed possible even a few hours ago. It felt as if a dam had broken inside her to release a flood of want and need she’d denied for years.

  “Sarah, please, touch me.”

  She brushed the backs of her fingers along Molly’s clit, causing Molly to lift her hips off the bed in search of greater pressure, but Duke had more exploring to do before she’d give in. Parting Molly open gently, she paused, poised to enter her, and looked up, silently asking permission.

  “Please,” Molly couldn’t say anything more through the desire clogging her throat. She nodded, almost frantically. She needed more of those skillful fingers on her, in her.

  She pushed forward deliberately, their eyes locked as Duke became part of her. Molly held that deep blue gaze so full of wonder and lust for as long as she could. She wanted to remember the way she looked right now. This captivating and skillful woman, so gentle and so strong, had surprised her at every turn of their relationship. Now with the hands Molly had long admired, she’d unlocked a new world, both physical and emotional.

  As Duke withdrew and then pushed forward once more, Molly’s body arched up to meet her. Her hips rocked and her head fell back on the pillow. The rhythm of their rise and fall accelerated in time with their increasing need. The next time Duke thrust into her she followed her fingers with her mouth. She wanted to luxuriate and incinerate simultaneously. The impulse to wait and the one to rush warred within her, but the press of Duke’s tongue ultimately proved too much to bear. Molly clutched at the back of her head, sinking her fingers into her short blond hair, and held her in place while waves of pleasure coursed through her. Bursts of red and white flashed behind her eyelids as her muscles tightened and then collapsed, leaving her spent and gasping for breath.

  Duke kissed her way back up over her stomach, abs, and breasts before snuggling in beside her and kissing her temple. Then she whispered, “Thank you.”

  “Thank me?” she laughed. “Thank you. Wow.”

  “Wow?”

  “Yes, wow. I did not expect that. I mean, I hoped someday I’d experience something like that, but…did I mention, wow?”

  Duke grinned. “You might have.”

  “Well good, because you…I underestimated you.”

  “I merely followed your lead.”

  “No.” Molly shook her head but didn’t have the energy to actually lift it off the pillow. “I only opened the door. You did the rest. And honestly, if I’d known what we had, this thing between us, could be like that, I might have opened the door a lot sooner.”

  Duke propped herself up on her elbow, looking more serious and introspective. “Do you regret it now? I mean, if it was a heat-of-the-moment sort of decision, I understand. You could have your pick of women, Molly. Why me?”

  The honest question deserved an honest answer. “I didn’t see it right away, but it turns out I’d been looking for the wrong things, surface things. I guess the more time I spent around you, the more I began to suspect you were better than your box score.”

  “It’s sexy when you speak baseball.”

  “Yeah?” Molly liked the idea of Duke finding her sexy. “Then here’s another little bit of baseball terminology for you. You knocked this one out of the park.”

  Top of the Sixth

  Swing for the Fences

  Duke fell exhausted to the bed once more. She lay on her back, one arm behind her head, the other wrapped around the amazing woman next to her. Molly ran her hand up Duke’s chest between her breasts, and Duke watched hypnotized as it rose and fell with each breath. Even after hours of relishing each other’s bodies, the mere sight of her fingers, soft and slender, against bare skin could turn her on again. Molly might have been a novice when it came to making love with women, but over the last few hours she’d proved herself a quick learner.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “When you do something, you really do it.”

  “The same could be said for you, you know? You’re nothing if not dedicated.”

  “I’m glad you think so. I do believe anything worth doing is worth doing well, but I’d set much lower expectations for tonight.”

  “What did you expect?”

  “I don’t know if I had specifics in mind. I wanted to get closer to you. A kiss would’ve made my whole weekend, but, you? You swung for the fences.”

  Molly rolled onto her back, giving them the first separation their bodies had experienced in hours. “I didn’t really intend to either, but when you kissed me, I got swept up in you. I’ve never lost control like that, not in my whole life. I didn’t know what had come over me. All I knew for sure was I didn’t want you to stop.”

  “And now?” Duke’s chest tightened as the silence stretched between them while Molly considered the question. She stole a glance at her across the pillow, Molly’s dark hair splayed out across crisp white sheets, her body ample and alluring in all its glory beside her. She ached to touch Molly to rekindle the fire that burned between them, but doubt began to creep in.

  “I don’t know what comes next,” she admitted, and Duke felt her slipping away.

  “Well,” Duke rolled over to stare into those deep dark eyes, “it’s up to you, of course. You’ve been in the driver’s seat with me since day one, but usually when someone hits a home run, they take a victory lap.”

  Molly kissed her tentatively on the mouth before pulling back far enough to say, “Tell me more.”

  Duke kissed her again quickly but deeply. “Well, you see, that there is first base. You’re already on it.”

  Molly pressed her lips together playfully. “Nice, I like first base.”

  “Yes, it’s a good base. Mind if I enjoy it with you for a moment?”

  “Please do,” Molly answered, then connected their lips once more, her tongue brushing against Duke’s in a delicious dance.

  Duke took the increase in momentum and pushed for another, running her hand up the curve of Molly’s hips until her fingers brushed against the soft swell of Molly’s breast. She gently caressed the smooth skin, working slowly toward the center until she palmed her completely. Then she broke the kiss long enough to whisper, “There’s second base.”

  “Hmm.” Molly hummed a little noise of contentment. “I like that one, too.”

  “Yes, as you can see, baseball is a most wonderful game.”

  “I don’t know if I can decide for sure until I’ve touched all the bases. Why don’t you show me the way to third?”

  “It’d be my pleasure…and hopefully yours, too.”

  Duke splayed her fingers and slid her hand smoothly downward, across the rise of Molly’s stomach, over the thin white scar toward dark curls, but her path toward a triple halted abruptly when Charlie shouted, “Mama!”

  Charlie’s shrill cry was instant frostbite. Both she and Molly jumped out of bed and grabbed whatever clothes were closest. Molly obviously had more practice responding to these types of interruptions, because she rushed out the door and across the hall while Duke was still trying to retie the drawstring on her swim shorts. By the tim
e she made it to the door of the bedroom, she could hear Molly talking to him. She stepped out into the hallway but froze with her hand on the door to his room.

  “It’s okay, Mommy’s here,” Molly cooed. “Everything’s fine.”

  Her initial impulse had been to help, but would her presence be more disruptive than soothing? Surely he was too young to assume she’d stayed until the middle of the night for any sort of ulterior motive involving his mother, but her showing up in his room in the middle of the night could confuse him. Molly clearly had the situation under control, and Duke had learned her lesson about the need to defer parenting decisions to the actual parent. Maybe she should go back to bed and ask Molly about the best way to handle similar situations in the future.

  Just then the door to Joe’s room opened, and he padded into the hallway. She froze in place, hoping he was sleepwalking, or maybe he really needed his glasses, which he wasn’t wearing, but Joe apparently only needed to rub his eyes, then widen them.

  “Hey, Duke,” he exclaimed happily, but his initial excitement faded into suspicion. “What are you still doing here?”

  “I just…I’m…Charlie had a bad dream, but everything’s okay now.” Her attempted redirect might not have been her most subtle work of persuasion, but it was all she could think of on the spot. “Why don’t you head on back to bed?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Your shirt is on backward…and inside out.”

  Embarrassment burned her face. “Buddy, it’s three o’clock in the morning. Why don’t we hold off on this conversation until tomorrow?”

  He nodded thoughtfully and started to shuffle away, then stopped and turned to look at her. His eyes focused and his cheeks flushed as though he’d put the pieces together all on his own. “Are you having a sleepover with my mom?”

  She didn’t know what he knew about adult relationships, but he was a smart kid and more attuned to people’s emotions than most. He clearly understood enough to realize this wasn’t the type of sleepover where they stayed up late watching scary movies or doing each other’s hair. She didn’t want to overstep her bounds, but he’d asked her a direct question, and she’d never lied to him.