Page 23 of Second Round

Shoot. I was supposed to drop by her place after I finished up here. In my lust-daze, I had completely forgotten. I called Sharon. “So sorry, I got tied up. Is it too late todropover?”

“You know I’m a night owl. But I was worried about you. Iseverythingokay?”

“Yeah, I ended up having dinner with Leo and forgot I wasseeingyou.”

“Who’sLeo?”

“Umm, Leo is CoachJerk-head.”

“Oooh,” she cooed. “You’re on a first namebasisnow?”

“Yeah. That’s what I need to talk to you about. See you in fifteenminutes.”

I released the parking brake and eased out from the curb. Was there any chance that Leo was watching me now? Then he’d know exactly what I was: a sexless hockey mom. V-A-N spelled out woman used to hauling large numbers of kids and groceries, not woman used to hauling high heels, lingerie, or sex toys. Maybe you didn’t even need to shop for those things. Maybe if you were afemme fatale, your many lovers brought you sexy gifts and laid them at your stilettoed feet—like Minx brought her ratty mouse to meeveryday.

Blergh. He probably drove a sports car orsomething.

Even thinking about Leo was making me breathe faster. He was so incredibly hot. Not only that body, but also his take-charge manner. Why did that caveman thing turnmeon?

I parked in front of Sharon’s house. Like the shoemaker’s children, her place was always in the midst of some renovation. Right now the front steps were missing, so I climbed up the cement blocks that were a substitute. I knocked and walkedrightin.

“It’s me. Not a burglar or anything. Shouldn’t you be locking the door?” Sharon was in the living room with her feet up and a glass of winebesideher.

“You think whenever you leave the safety of West Van, you’re entering a war zone.” She shook her head. “Soooo, what the fuck’s up with thiscoach?”

“Oh God. I went to his place to finish up the kitchen and hang the curtains in the little girl’s room. I thought he was on a road trip, but it turns out that’s nextweekend—”

“Get to the good stuff.” Sharon handed me my own glass of wine and then relaxed against thecushions.

“He walked into the kitchen while I was there andscaredme.”

Sharon frowned. “Isthatit?”

“No, he had just taken a shower, and he was only wearing a towel. He has this amazing body, with muscles here and here.” I motioned to my chest and arms. “And there were little beads of water on his skin. He lookedsohot.”

I paused and closed my eyes, remembering everything about how he looked. “He’s good-looking too. Not in a conventional way, but he has these sharp angles in his face. His cheekbones, his eyebrows, his mouth...everything.”

“So far you’re only giving me an inventory of facialparts.”

“Oh, sorry.” I snapped out of my daze. “I saw hisbusinesstoo!”

“His business? For fuck’s sake, Jackie, how old are you? You mean his penis,right?”

I nodded vigourously. “Through the towel. It was um, impressive. And you know what? My mouth actually fell open, and he laughed at me and said somethingsuggestive.”

“Seeing that he was half-naked and you were drooling, I’m surprised that nothing happened. Nothing happened,didit?”

“No.” My lower lip turned down. “Not tonight anyway. He askedmeout.”

“Fuck, yes! You’re finally going on a date. It’sabouttime.”

“I’ve been on dates,” Iprotested.

“Yes, innocent, polite little coffee dates. Not evening dates with the possibilityofsex.”

I swallowed hard. Could a date with Leo end up in sex? I was willing to make whatever ritual sacrifices were necessary to make this happen. “He’s the first man I’ve been attracted to since Brent. Andit’shuge.”

“Are we talking about his dickagain?”

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