“Hey, stranger,” he said. “Good to see you.”
“Seems you’ve got quite the operation going on.”
Chuckling, he jogged over and dropped a kiss on her cheek, as he always had, as if they hadn’t had a huge argument a few days before. “Yeah, been doing this every day since the park.”
“Here?”
“Yep.”
Wow. She really had been MIA.
Mac walked over with a duffel bag full of gear and slapped hands with Tommy. “Okay, I’m out of here.”
“All right man, see ya tomorrow.”
Mac disappeared through the back door.
“Can I get you to help me with something?” he asked her as he used a towel to wipe the sweat off his face and neck. “I’m rusty on some of the grappling moves and could use the practice.”
She hesitated. Not that she hadn’t done this in the past. But she wasn’t sure if she wanted Tommy to touch her, not after what had happened.
Didn’t she want it all to go back to normal?
Yeah, she did.
“Sure. What do you want me to do?”
He motioned for her to follow him on the mat. After he lay down on his back, he beckoned her closer with his fingers and gave her a cocky smile. “Climb on.”
“W-What?”
“I’m having a problem with full mounts. So I need for you to mount me.”
He said it like it was everyday business for him, which, okay, it was, but straddling that man’s hips was an erotic escapade for her.
You can do this.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped over him with one foot, then lowered to her knees until her very feminine center met his very manly front. Air whooshed from Tommy, and with almost lightning speed, he yanked her up by the ass to the middle of his torso.
“I thought I needed to be lower than this.”
“No. You’re shorter. Got to be here.” The strain in his voice was evident.
Had she hurt him when she sat on him? Judging by his clenched jaw, she must have.
“What do I do now?” she asked.
“Brace your hands on either side of my head.”
As she leaned forward to do as he instructed, he scooted his body farther underneath her.
“What are you doing?”
Green eyes jumped to hers. “What?”
“All this shifting?” At least his moving was keeping her from focusing on the fact she had his body between her legs.
“I’m trying to compensate for the fact you’re not a six-foot dude, okay?”
She scowled. “You don’t have to get all snippy. Jeez.”
Two large hands grabbed two handfuls of butt cheek and hauled her even farther up his chest.
If he brought her much higher, she’d be sitting on his face.
Ah, hell.
Tingles erupted low in her belly. Why, oh, why had she gone and thought that?
He whacked down one of the arms she had braced beside his head, and she squealed in surprise. Next thing she knew, she’d been rolled onto her back and was looking up at the darkening sky instead of Tommy. Why? Because his face was lower. So much lower. Belly button lower. She was having a very difficult time catching her breath because the weight of his upper chest was pressing very intimately against her, between her legs. And he wasn’t moving.
Why wasn’t he moving?
Oh, wait. Now he was. Scrambling, actually. As though he couldn’t get off her fast enough.
Once he’d turned his back to her, he said, “Thanks. That helped,” as he yanked on a pair of gloves, then went to town on the bag.
Sadness lay heavy in her chest. She was watching, helpless, as he slipped away from her.
And it was all because of that damn kiss that never should have happened.
Chapter 7
Julie twisted to look at herself from every angle in the mirror. The coral handkerchief dress she’d put on fit her perfectly. Trimmed with faux diamond rhinestones, the strapless bodice hugged her breasts, while the empire waistline made the fabric drape loosely around her waist and thighs. She’d twisted her hair up in a loose updo, leaving a few strands to curl around her face.
Everything was perfect. Down to the silver-studded peep-toe pumps she’d bought specifically for the wedding.
She could hear Tommy moving around. Pacing. Muttering. A curse here, a curse there. She didn’t go investigate. He’d been on edge all morning. After she’d asked him about it, he’d barked out that he wasn’t looking forward to the wedding. Then she understood. It would be the first time he’d been around most of the guys, including Mike, in months. After that realization, she’d given him space to deal with the stress of it.
She glanced at the clock. The wedding started in less than an hour. Brody should arrive at any minute to pick her up. When she went into the living room, she froze. Tommy stood in front of the window with his back toward her, wearing a black suit.
As he turned to face her, her stomach twisted. The blazer hugged broad shoulders and was unbuttoned to reveal the tight button-down black shirt underneath. His red tie lay flat against his chest, and it made her gaze zero in on the way the fabric hugged his torso and trim waist.