Stealing Kisses

Chapter 2

The next morning, the taxi taking Natalie to Derek’s Brooklyn apartment snaked through rush-hour traffic. Frustrated drivers honked horns and shouted out car windows. Yet she was so focused on the task before her that she barely heard any of it.

Although her initial research was complete and all of the necessary arrangements had been made, being efficient didn’t erase the knots in her stomach. Convincing Derek to go along with her plan wouldn’t be easy, but she knew it was the only way to help him get his life back on track.

When they finally arrived, her mouth fell open. Derek was sitting on the front stoop reading a newspaper. Waiting for her.

She paid her fare, stepped out of the taxi and slammed the door, half wishing she could jump back in and go home.

He looked up and folded the paper. “You’re late,” he chided.

His eyes tumbled over her body and her face flushed hot with embarrassment. She was never late for a client meeting or anything else for that matter.

She gulped in a breath. “I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”

He crossed his arms on his knees, a slight smile upon his lips. “That depends on the excuse.”

She hesitated. The “I got caught in traffic” line wouldn’t fly, especially since she was supposed to be a pro at managing time. But she couldn’t tell him the entire truth, either.

How she’d tossed and turned all night, remembering the feel of his massive body brushing against hers during their playful game of one-on-one. The sensual instant replay had eventually lulled her to sleep.

Yet when she’d woken up, bleary-eyed and aroused, she’d almost called Derek’s manager to tell him to find someone else. All because of a six-letter word that starts with D and ends with heartbreak:

Desire.

Muscles, hard and lean, twisted out of his sleeves. His eyes caught her looking and his smile widened.

“Well?”

Her face heated again. Keep your mind on the mission, not on his body.

“I overslept,” she blurted. That was the truth, although she still couldn’t quite believe it herself. She never slept late, not even on holidays. There was nothing, or no one, to keep her in bed past 5:00 a.m.

Derek tossed the paper aside. “I’m not surprised.”

“Excuse me?” she said, trying not to sound offended.

He leaned back on one elbow. “Playing basketball in bare feet had to be tough.”

His eyes rambled over her shoulders, down her turquoise sundress and settled on her legs.

He whistled low. “But, girl, you’ve definitely got game.”

The exposed areas of her skin tingled as she stared at him with a mix of pleasure and astonishment.

Derek had every right to be angry, especially after her little speech about time management and organization. Yet he was clearly flirting with her.

Why?

More troubling was the fact that she enjoyed it—a dangerous way to feel. She decided it was best to ignore his comment, and her growing attraction to him.

“Nevertheless, it’s unacceptable and—”

“Unpredictable.” He cut her off and flashed a brilliant smile. “I like it.”

She choked back a laugh. As someone who alphabetized every spice and canned good in her kitchen, she was the least unpredictable person on the planet. It was just another indication that he wasn’t her type. Not that she cared, she reminded herself.

“Just do me a favor,” he continued. “The next time you’re going to be late, at least give me a call.”

He was right. “I’m sorry,” she admitted. “But I just assumed you’d be sleeping and that I’d have to get you out of bed when I got here.”

He chuckled and held up his hands. “Whoa, not on the first date!”

She blew out a breath and put her hands on her hips. “Mr. Lansing, this is not a date, and quite frankly, I don’t think I need to remind you why I’m here.”

Derek’s amused expression turned grim. “You’re right.”

He tucked the newspaper under his arm, stood and opened the door.

She stepped inside and he led her to a freight elevator that had a huge basketball with the number seventeen painted on it.

“A housewarming gift from my neighbor,” he said, punching in a code. His voice suddenly dropped to a whisper. “He’s an artist. I guess he thought I’d forget my own number.”

She stifled a laugh as the doors opened with a monstrous squeal. After they were both inside, Derek slid the heavy metal gate closed with ease.

The elevator began its slow, creaky ascent. Silence stretched between them. Yet something crackled, too.

Neither understood nor acknowledged it, but it was still there, manifested in the way he leaned against the wall, inviting her eyes to take in the length of his legs and her hands to take hold of the brute strength she knew lay beneath the loose-fitting navy-blue athletic pants. It dared her nose to inhale deeply the hint of spicy cologne in the air, knowing it would make her hunger even more for the man who wore it.

Time stood still. Suspended by that delicious bubble of heat neither hoped would break.

Suddenly the elevator lurched to a stop and Natalie lost her balance. She grabbed hold of Derek’s outstretched hand and he pulled her into his arms where she landed with her cheek nestled against the tight fabric of his T-shirt. In his tight embrace, her heart flipped so loudly in her chest she was sure he could hear and feel it.

“This elevator has a mind of its own,” he explained. “I should have warned you. Are you okay?”

She looked up, touched by the concern in his gray eyes. “Yes, I’m just a little startled, that’s all.”

He nodded. “Still, it needs to be fixed.” His full lips parted into a warm smile. “But today I’m kind of glad it wasn’t.”

Was it her imagination or did his embrace get even tighter?

He seemed to be waiting for her to respond and she wanted to say, “Me, too,” but she remained silent. Yet there was no mistaking the rush of disappointment she felt when he released her and pulled open the gate.

He bowed slightly and Natalie giggled. “Come on in. I’ll make it up to you with a cup of my famous café au lait.”

“Ooh-la-la,” she joked, her footsteps echoing on the shiny hardwood floor as she followed him.

His converted warehouse apartment was immense. Floor-to-ceiling windows spanned one side of the room, bathing it in gorgeous sunlight. The furniture consisted of a huge flat-screen television, a large leather sectional, a couple of end tables and some modern lamps that, due to all the natural light, probably only got used at night or on rainy days.

Derek tossed the paper onto the sparkling granite countertop and pulled out a high-backed chair.

“Have a seat.”

She slipped her purse strap around the back. “Thanks.” Derek remained by her side until she was seated, which she thought was a nice gesture. Yet, when he moved to the other side of the counter, she was oddly relieved. Being in his arms those few minutes had spurned a mini whirlpool of desire within her and she knew that she couldn’t do anything about it.

She watched him prepare the coffee to distract herself. As he poured the milk into the steamer, his movements were unhurried, graceful, and she began to relax.

It was almost as though he was taking care of her because he felt a need to, rather than simply being hospitable. The feeling was comfortable and she leaned back and exhaled lightly, wondering what it would be like to sit here with him every morning, watching him making coffee, after a night of lovemaking.

His eye caught hers and he winked. It was almost as if he could read her mind and a blush spread over her cheeks.

Natalie glanced around. “Your apartment is nice.” She hesitated. “Did you just move in?”

Derek shook his head, his voice slightly raised over the sounds of the coffee machine. “No, I’ve been living here since I signed with the Skylarks three years ago.”

He poured two mugs of coffee, then topped both off with the steamed milk. When he set one mug down, her nostrils twitched as she lightly inhaled the rich aroma.

“With all the traveling we do during the season,” Derek continued, “I’m just not around that much.”

His shoulders rolled back, as if he was trying to loosen some imaginary knots, but the subtle hitch in the tone of his voice was real. She had to explore it, if only to guide him to a place where he could begin to trust her.

“Being on the road so much must be hard. My clients complain about that all the time,” she said, empathizing. “This place is huge. Maybe it needs some more furniture or something. So it won’t feel so...um...empty when you come home.”

Derek furrowed his brow and looked past her into the living room. “It doesn’t look empty to me. I’ve got my top-of-the-line TV, a custom-built couch and the remote.” His eyes settled back on hers. “What more could a man want after a long trip?”

She shrugged and slid her mug closer, debating whether to take another sip under his gaze. It was watchful, curious and just plain sexy. Yet he seemed totally unaware of her at the moment and instead appeared to be pondering her question seriously.

Suddenly, Derek picked up both coffee mugs and put them aside. “But in a way, though, I think you may be right.” He leaned both elbows on the counter. “This place is missing something.”

Derek inched closer, his head and eyes nearly parallel now with hers. Natalie held her breath, trying not to focus on his full lips and strong jaw threatening her ability to remain aloof.

“It needs a woman’s touch,” he teased. “Interested?”

His steel-gray eyes had a hint of fire in them. But there was no question that the rest of him, from his locks down to his toes, was smoking hot.

Interested? She’d be a fool not to be, and an even bigger fool to fall for his charm and good looks.

This is business, she reminded herself as she picked up her mug and leveled her eyes at him.

Steam from the hot liquid rose between them, tickling her nose. Her lower abdomen pulsed with the tension of desire.

Derek didn’t move. Neither did Natalie.

She swallowed hard. His eyes immediately flicked down to trace the curve of her neck and her throat went dry. She’d always had a hate/curse relationship with her long neck, but the way Derek was looking at it made her wish it was even longer.

Although she was flattered by his interest, the man was making her feel things that could only hurt her in the end.

“I’m not available,” she said, her voice flat.

And she wasn’t. To any man.

Getting her heart broken was not on her to-do list.

His arms squeaked against the counter like fingernails scratching down a chalkboard as he stood. His back was ramrod-straight and he didn’t say a word. It was clear she’d hurt him and that surprised her. She knew his reputation. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have other options for female companionship. It shouldn’t even matter that she’d rejected him.

Then why did she get the sense that it did?

Time to change the subject.

She took another sip of the coffee.

“Ooh-la-la is right. This is heavenly.” She sighed. “By far the best café au lait I’ve ever tasted.”

The smile returned to his face, although her heart was heavy with the knowledge that when he heard what she was about to say, it wouldn’t last long.

“I thought you’d like it,” he responded. “Now that I’ve been benched for the next few days, I’ve got a lot of time on my hands.”

He rubbed his palms together as if he were formulating a devious plan. “So what’s on the agenda first? I’ve got a mountain of basketball shoes sitting in the middle of my closet just dying to be organized. One of the reasons I think I’m late in the morning is because I can never find shoes that match.”

She flipped open her notebook. “That’s not quite what I had in mind.”

He frowned as he stirred some sugar into his coffee. “O-kay. Maybe we can go shopping for a couple of new alarm clocks that have really annoying rings. The one on my phone obviously isn’t enough to wake me up.”

She crossed her legs to steady her nerves, aware of his eyes on them as he sipped his coffee.

“Actually, we’re going to see your father.”

Derek clattered his mug against the granite countertop. “What are you talking about?”

Her heart lurched at the sudden change in his demeanor. The hard stare he gave her now was a far cry from the way he’d been looking at her moments earlier.

She shifted in her seat. “I’m talking about making things right with your family, especially your dad.”

He flattened his palms on the counter.

“How did you find out about him?” he demanded. “I thought you were a life coach, not a private detective.”

She kept her voice calm. “I do background research on all my clients, and it’s amazing what you can find archived on the internet. The newspaper articles are all there and—”

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. “My dad doesn’t want anything to do with me. Trust me.”

“I think the opposite is true,” she ventured.

His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t think you want anything to do with him.”

He said nothing, yet something seemed to deflate within him.

“As I was saying, there are tons of articles about your rags-to-riches success story on the web, but your family is rarely mentioned.”

“So?” he challenged. “I thought you were here to help me get off the bench and back on the basketball court where I belong, not poke around where you don’t belong.”

She understood his anger, but she wasn’t going to let herself be deterred by it.

“I’m here to help you in any way I can,” she replied.

Derek walked around the counter, sat on the chair opposite her and crossed his arms. “Well, you can start by leaving my past out of it.”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t do that.”

He leaned forward. “Why not?”

She met his eyes and kept her voice firm.

“Sometimes when people have unresolved issues in their past, it can affect their lives in the present, as well as the future. No matter how successful they become, there’s always something missing.”

She knew that feeling all too well. It was something she struggled with every day.

He waved her comment away and crossed his arms over his massive chest. “That sounds like some kind of self-help mumbo jumbo, Dr. Kenyon.”

She took in a sharp breath and brought her hand to her mouth.

“Don’t look so shocked that I did a little investigation of my own,” he advised.

She said nothing for a moment, preferring to forget about that part of her life. A time when she’d tried to start over, and failed miserably.

“Actually, I’m glad to hear that you did a little digging on your own,” she said, recovering quickly. “It shows you’re highly invested in doing things in your life differently.”

“Or it could show that I’m highly interested in you,” he added, watching her for her reaction.

Her heart fluttered, yet she managed to keep her expression calm and her voice light. “I’d heard you were a huge flirt, Derek. You don’t have to prove it to me.”

His brows knit together and she sensed he was disappointed with her response. What had he expected her to say? Her interest in him was strictly professional and her fantasies were hers alone.

“Do you remember Jamal Carter?” The former NBA star turned heroin addict had been her last patient in her short-lived second career as a psychologist.

Her insides quaked at the memory of their counseling sessions. Some of the stories Jamal had told her about growing up in one of the fiercest projects in Brooklyn still haunted her. Despite his wealth and success, he could never get past all the pain he’d experienced as a child.

She’d quit practicing psychology soon after his death from suicide. Even though she knew it wasn’t her fault, not a day went by when she didn’t ask herself if she could have done or said something to prevent it. Questions that would forever remain unanswered.

Derek ran a hand through his locks and looked uncomfortable. “Of course I remember him. He grew up in the same projects I did. I was brought in to replace him on the team after he died. You were Jamal’s therapist?”

She nodded. “I counseled Jamal for a few months before he died. He was an incredibly gifted and successful athlete. But his past ultimately destroyed him.”

He crossed his arms. “That’s not going to happen to me,” he insisted, looking away.

She hated the prideful tone in his voice, yet she knew it wasn’t the result of arrogance. The man was wealthy, yet he didn’t flaunt it like some of her other clients. There was something that mattered more to him than money and whatever it was, she had a feeling it scared him more than he wanted to admit.

“Don’t you see, Derek? It is already starting to happen!”

He lowered his head, refusing to look at her even when she slid off the chair and stood next to him.

“Your playing has been off-kilter for months, you’ve been suspended right before the most important games of the season and your reputation in the media has taken a major hit.”

“I know,” he muttered, running his hand down his face. “I can’t seem to get it together. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Natalie smiled inwardly, secretly pleased he didn’t deny what was happening to him, even if he didn’t know what it was.

On the flip side, it made Derek even more attractive to her. He was less of an untouchable sports celebrity and ultimately more human.

“Do you really think seeing my family is going to help?” He lifted his head. “I haven’t spoken to my dad or my brother in over ten years. Not since high school,” he murmured. “Can you believe that?”

The shame in his voice curdled in her ear. It was so real and so familiar that she just wanted to bolt. But perhaps it was time for her to stop running. Sometimes her faith and her inner drive to succeed, no matter the consequences, were the only things that kept her going.

She forced her voice steady. “You can do this. I’ll help you.”

He shook his head again. “No, Natalie.” Derek’s voice was firm. “I haven’t seen them in years. It will never work.”

“Only because you won’t let it,” she charged, even though she knew she should be more patient. The stubborn determination in his eyes upset her because it could only mean one thing: his mind was made up.

She turned away and grabbed her purse. Why couldn’t he see that this was for the best? Even worse, why did she care so much? So soon? She had that irrefutable feeling in the pit of her stomach that made her want to dive into his muscular arms and never come up for air.

“Thanks for the coffee,” she snapped. For reasons she knew she’d analyze to death later on, she was deeply hurt by his rejection of her plan. “I’ll let Tony know that we won’t be working together.”

Her heels tapped out a brisk rhythm as she walked to the elevator.

As she was searching for the down button, Derek placed one arm against the wall and turned her around to face him. Her breath came out in a rush of surprise.

“There’s a security code,” he reminded her.

“So why don’t you punch it in, so I can leave,” she retorted.

He didn’t move.

Behind his gray eyes: pure pain.

Between their bodies: pure heat.

“Look. I hurt a lot of people when I was coming up. My family mostly. And you’re right. I need someone to walk through this with me.” He stepped a little closer. “Someone who doesn’t want anything personal from me.”

Natalie’s heart plummeted and bottomed out in frustration. Mostly at herself for thinking the spark she’d felt between them yesterday and this morning was more than just a bunch of molecules colliding together.

Derek wouldn’t be the first person who hadn’t bothered to look beneath her expensive clothes and runway-model looks. No one but she knew that she existed within a carefully crafted persona, designed over the years to avoid being hurt by anyone.

She’d given up on the dream to be loved for who she was a long time ago.

Nothing personal, huh?

Fine. She could keep it real. Real superficial.

Besides, keeping it casual was just the way she liked all her relationships to be, business or otherwise. She hadn’t been called “Ice Queen” back in her skating days for nothing.

She met his eyes and plastered on a confident smile that belied her true feelings. “All I want is to get you back on that court. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

He ran a thumb along her jawline and she shivered at the gentleness of his touch.

“Is that a promise?”

She had a feeling that despite his imposing presence and competitive spirit, there was a soft and tender side to him that was rarely seen. She was always a sucker for teddy bears, especially a big, hard-muscled one like Derek.