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Caught off guard by his answer, she paused in turning on the faucet. “We could’ve rescheduled, Scott. It would’ve been okay. You didn’t need to rush back.”
He joined her at the sink and turned on the water himself when she didn’t do it. “I know, but I didn’t want to. The problem in London will be there tomorrow. The game won’t be.”
Whether he wanted to or not, it would’ve been the best thing for him. Not only did he appear worn out, his facial expressions told her how much pain he was in. He needed more than a few ibuprofen and water. He needed some rest.
“Let’s skip going out tonight and watch the game here instead. You need to relax.”
“You told me you couldn’t wait to finally get to Fenway. I’ll be fine.”
All week she’d looked forward to seeing her first baseball game at Fenway Park. But having Scott suffer while she watched the game would take all the enjoyment out of going. “The place opened in 1912. I don’t think it’ll close anytime soon. I’ll go some other time.”
He’d heard the excitement in her voice when they’d decided on driving into Boston to see a game. Disappointing her now rubbed his conscience the wrong way. At the same time, his head pounded as if several drummers had spent a few hours practicing inside it. The rest of his body wasn’t doing much better. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a decent night’s sleep. The smart move would’ve been canceling their plans today and staying in London until he straightened out the newest setback. He’d considered it, although not for very long. Even though they’d only known each other a short time, he’d missed her and each of their conversations had only intensified his desire to see her again.
“We don’t even have to watch the game. I’ve got plenty of movies we can pick from. Everything from sci-fi to a few classic black-and-white movies.”
Absolute contentment, like he’d never experienced before, settled in his chest. She really was quite unlike the women he’d dated before. “We’ll stay in tonight, but I promise before the season is over I’ll take you to a game.” Regardless of the professional drummers in his head, he leaned closer. The kiss he’d given her earlier had been meant as a greeting, nothing more. What he had in mind now was something else.
The ringing in his back pocket stopped him short. With a low growl, he yanked the device out and switched off the ringer. “I’m done for the day.” He tossed it on the kitchen island. Sherbrooke Enterprises would survive without him for one damn night.
“Probably a good idea.” She pressed the bottle of ibuprofen into his hand and gave him a quick kiss. “The sooner you take these, the sooner you’ll feel better. Have you eaten today?”
He’d grabbed breakfast before boarding the plane, but nothing since. Even so, he wasn’t starving now, which wasn’t uncommon. When he got a headache like this one food was often low on his priority list. “Breakfast this morning. But I’m good.”
“It might help if you eat something. Even if it’s a small snack.”
“Maybe later.” The fact that they’d canceled their plans because of him bothered him enough. He didn’t want her waiting on him too.
Since the game didn’t start until five anyway, they headed outside. Like many of the other homes in the neighborhood, a fence surrounded Paige’s backyard, providing them privacy. An above-ground pool with a wooden deck attached to it took up a good portion of the yard. Across from it, there was a small vegetable garden.
Scott picked up a small soccer ball, just one of the many dog toys on the patio, and tossed it. Ryder, who had followed them out, didn’t hesitate to bolt after it, almost catching it in the air. “He’s fast,” he said as the dog trotted back toward them, the ball in his mouth.
“You have no idea, but once he gets the initial burst of energy out, he slows down somewhat. I used to take him running with me.”
He remembered she’d said an injury had stopped her from running the Boston Marathon again in April. “Did he contribute to your broken ankle?” Scott’s gaze dropped to her legs. The shorts she wore tonight provided him with the best view he’d gotten of them so far.
Paige accepted the ball Ryder brought to her. Before she threw it, she gave the dog a scratch behind the ear. “No, he wasn’t even with me. I slipped on some black ice. I’m thinking about buying a treadmill so I can run inside this winter instead. I’d rather not break anything again.”
Reaching over, he ran his fingertips up Paige’s thigh. His exhausted body stirred to life at the combination of toned muscle and soft, warm skin. Scott gritted his teeth. Not only had he just gotten there, but she’d insisted they cancel their plans because he needed rest. Tugging her inside and pouncing on her would not be considered getting rest. For now, he’d have to suffer with both his headache and the growing erection straining against his zipper.
“I’ve got one in my gym at home, but I prefer running outside. Not that I train for marathons or anything. Twenty-six miles sounds like torture to me. Do you really enjoy it?”
“Yes and no. I love when I get into the zone, and knowing I was able to do it. But I don’t think I’ll be doing any more marathons. Since the surgery, my ankle isn’t the same. Most of the time I keep my runs between five and ten miles.”
It didn’t appear as if her legs had suffered any from her shorter runs. He trailed his fingertips back down toward her knee. Goose bumps formed on her skin beneath his hand and he mentally smiled. The goose bumps on her leg had nothing to do with being cold. It wasn’t possible. Even with the shade provided by the table umbrella, it remained warm where they sat.
“Five miles I can handle. Ten? I don’t know.”
Paige passed a critical eye over him, starting at his face and traveling down and up his body once. When she fin
ished, she leaned closer on the bench and placed a hand on his chest. “Something tells me you get plenty of other exercise, so you’d have the stamina for it.”
He’d love to show her just how much stamina he had. Maybe later. “I don’t know. I spend a lot of time sitting in a chair.”
Paige rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah, it looks like you spend hours doing nothing.” She moved her hand across his chest and wrapped her fingers around his biceps. She gave it a gentle squeeze. “Feels like it too.”
Heat surged through his veins and straight to his erection despite his headache. Moving forward, he claimed her mouth, caressing her lips and transferring some of the passion racing through his body into their kiss. When she parted her lips, he didn’t hesitate to thrust forward, tangling his tongue with hers.
Paige pressed into him, her rapid heartbeat thudding against his chest, and satisfaction surged through him.
