Page 22 of Double Play

“I hope so,” he said seriously. “You’re the only one I want to date. The only one I want to kiss. Or anything else,” headded.

She licked sauce off her lips and his pants tightened. He wouldn’t mind doing “anything else” with her right now, in the half hour left before hisdeparture.

“That’s good.” Nina put the rest of her pizza down. “There’s something I want to tell you beforeyougo.”

Her serious tone made his stomach crater. This had to be something disastrous and momentous, big news that must be delivered beforeheleft.

“I’m avirgin.”

He stared at her. Her big blue eyes held his. “Okay,” he said, since nothing else really cametomind.

“I’ve never been in bed with a man. I’ve never done anything beyondsecondbase.”

“Well, now you can do the shortstop,” he quipped, then immediately dropped his smile because the joke sounded sleazier than it had inhishead.

“Ha ha. I’m being serious. The reason is, I only want to have sex with the man I’m going to marry.” She sat back in her chair, as if relieved she’d gotten that off her chest. “I decided that early on, when I knew I wanted a family more thananythingelse.”

He nodded like a bobble-head. It all made sense. And yet, it didn’t. She wanted a family, she wanted to save herself for marriage. Fair enough. But she also wanted to date him. Did that mean she saw him as a potentialhusband?

Wow. That bombshell was even bigger than getting called up. He needed to think about this. No, he needed to hit the road. No, he needed— God, he didn’t know what heneeded!

“I understand.” He pushed his chair back. “I completelyrespectthat.”

She stood up too, giving him an uncertain look. “Youdo?”

“Of course. I’d never push you into something too soon. I can wait. As long as you want,I’llwait.”

A beautiful smile bloomed on her face. “Then Iwilltoo.”

They stood beaming at each other, as if they’d taken a step over some important line. They were in new territory now, Jim realized. And they were walking through ittogether.

“You can kiss me now,” Ninaremindedhim.

“Thank God,” he said fervently. He stepped toward her just as she did the same thing. He picked up her right hand, which curled trustingly in his. With his other hand, he touched the silky blond wisps of her hair and cupped his hand around the back of her neck. Every part of her was so fresh and downy, like morning dew on the petals of a sunflower. “I’ve had an enormous crush on you for a really longtime,Nina.”

In answer, she tilted her head and parted her lips for his kiss. The first touch of their lips made his head swim. She kissed the way she teased him, sweet and hot and sassy. Her hands went around his neck and she pulled him closer. The way she pressed against his body made him groan against hermouth.

“God, Nina,” he murmured. He couldn’t stop running his hands all over her body, exploring all the temptations that had been driving him mad for months. The flare of her hips, the arch of her back, the dip of herwaist.

In a few seconds, they were both panting and hungry for more. But she wanted to wait, and he wanted to respect that, and he had toleave,and…

“Touch me more,” she whispered against his lips. “I don’t want you to forgetaboutme.”

Oh God, if he went much further he might lose it. “I could never forget about you.Never.”

She lifted her top and placed his hand against the warm skin of her belly. “Touch my nipples. Please, I want you to. Your hands feelsogood.”

His cock was so hard he could split rocks with it and she wanted him to go further? He marshaled all his willpower and slid his palm up around the curve of her ribs to her plump little breast. It settled into his hand perfectly, a soft pillow of flesh. She gave a little gasp as he brushed her nipple, which pebbled under the friction of his thumb. As she moved against him, he felt every bit of her sexy body, the heat between her legs, her mound rubbing against his cock, and…ohGod.

He pulled away before he totally embarrassed himself. “I can’t. Have to stop.Gottago.”

Her eyes wide with dismay, she tried to step close again, but he firmly held her off. “Seriously. Havemercy,Nina.”

“Okay, you’re right.” She hugged herself, and he noticed that her body was trembling as well. Maybe she was just as turned-on as he was. “I’msorry.”

“God. No. Please, please, don’t be sorry. I’ll be reliving this over and over until I see you again.” He took a step back, hit a chair, then righted it. Moving around like a maniac, he swept all the paper plates and pizza crusts into the trash, washed his hands, then grabbed his suitcase. “Ready?”

“Are you okay?” She skipped to his side and tookhishand.

---