Page 26 of Match Point

“I want the truth every time you’re injured, have a twinge, or feel the need to sneeze. Every little bit matters when it comes to your health,” he said, his voice huskier than normal.

“I’ve never been in better shape, nor have I ever been this physically sore.” Or frustrated. She felt his touch to her very core, the cramp gone. Another, more burning desire took ahold of her body. Strong, capable hands continued to work her tight muscles, sliding ever closer to where she wanted them. She dropped her head back and met heated eyes, pupils dark and liquid.

“Good, that means it’s working.” Leo’s thumb skimmed along the top of her thigh while his long fingers drifted to her inner leg. “Your leg is full of knots.”

“Are you saying it’s knotty?” she said with a tongue-and-cheek grin, anything to distract her from the temptation of his mouth. It had been months since she’d been with a man and by the wild kiss they’d shared at the club, the sex promised to be good.

At what cost?

The rain began to come down in a steadier rhythm.

“Very naughty,” he said with a sensuous growl. He dipped his head and brushed his mouth across hers. She returned his kiss, moaning as the tip of his tongue breached her lips. Her entire body came to life, every nerve sparked to a hyper state. She ignored the tiny voice that protested the foolishness of their encounter. Inviting a man into her life would complicate things. After the passion flamed out, they’d be left in an awkward position, two people forced to work together. It had happened to her once before and it hadn’t been a pleasant experience.

Her mind screamed to stop. She bit his bottom lip, soothing it with her tongue before she kissed him with deep, voracious need.

What was it about this man that sent her heart to racing one minute and infuriated the crap out of her the next? She opened her mouth to his exploring tongue, absorbing the taste unique to Leo. She moved her hand down his front, caressing his cock though the soft cotton of his jeans.

Hail stones hit the ground, pelting them.

“Oh shit.” Leo hopped to his feet and helped her up.

Sorcha grabbed the bike and climbed on. She followed Leo down the trail, the hail still coming down with brutal force. The universe was trying to tell her something, and she’d do well to listen to it.

Chapter Nineteen

Leo flipped the hamburgers on the outside grill. The rush of a cool breeze off the mountain was a refreshing change from the city. The terrible weather that had stopped him from making a complete fool of himself over Sorcha had given away to weak sunlight. Every time he came to Grams’, he was reminded how much he missed this place. It had been a peaceful haven during a time when his entire world had been turned upside down.

Grams’ laughter floated to him, followed by Tucker’s raspy tones.

Tall and much too thin, Sorcha’s new coach wasn’t completely wheelchair-bound as she’d led Leo to believe. He was, however, wearing leg braces, a testament to how far he’d come since the bombing.

Leo adjusted the flame, keeping his back to the group that had gathered around the picnic table. Crickets chirped a familiar tune. They’d lulled him to sleep in the States and in Latin America where he’d served in the Army as a logistics officer.

Sorcha stepped from the house and onto the back porch, her hair flowing down her shoulders. She’d changed out of her wet clothes and into a pair of jeans. The material clung to her thighs, legs he’d explored after her fall. The kiss still burned a path through his mind. He willed his gaze to remain on her face and not on the curve of her breasts under a tight pink t-shirt. But fuck, it was hard to do. Underneath the fabric, she was all woman. She climbed the two steps onto the deck and stopped in mid-step, wincing.

Shit. “You’re limping.” He adjusted the brim of his baseball cap, feeling guilty all over again.

She waved a dismissive hand. “My ankle is acting up. It’s nothing.”

Any injury to an athlete was a big deal and her fall had been his fault. “An injury isn’t nothing. Is it the same ankle you hurt before?”

Thin fingers ran through her still wet hair and she averted her gaze. “I’m okay, Leo. It’s not a big deal. I iced it and took some anti-inflammatory.”

“It is a big deal.” It was an amateur move to trust the trail was safe. It had been many years since he’d been on the mountain and nature was unforgiving to the unwary.

“Why didn’t you tell me your ankle was acting up before we rode back here? You could have injured yourself permanently.”

“What would you have done, pack me down the mountain?” She relaxed her arms and plucked a loose thread from the sleeve of her jacket. “I guess with all the adrenaline from the ride, I didn’t feel the aches and pains until now. Those smell great. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve eaten a grilled hamburger,” she said.

“Nice try, but no to both. “He pointed to the patty off to the side of the grill, pleased for something to do. “The chicken burger is yours, and no bun, no mayo.”

She wrinkled her nose, blue eyes bright. “No fun. I can’t have a bun? That’s not fair.”

“I thought we established that fact already.” He flipped the burger again, trying to push their earlier encounter to the back of his mind. With Tucker in the picture, his time with Sorcha would be limited to her endurance training. Tucker would oversee the gym and tennis workout. Unless Leo found another trainer. Something inside balked at the notion. He’d see this through, no matter how uncomfortable it made him.

“How am I supposed to eat it without a bun?” She snatched up a piece of watermelon from the table, taking a bite, a rivulet of juice spilling onto her chin. She licked at it, frowning down at her shirt. “Crap, you can’t take me anywhere.”

Leo could name one place he’d love to take her. He averted his gaze, unable to look at her without recalling how close he’d come to his body’s desire. He’d dodged a bullet on that one. From that moment onward, he vowed no more kissing, touching, lusting after her. Easier said than done, but he’d do it for both of their sakes.

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