Later?

They wave goodbye and disappear through the door, and Jack turns back to me. There’s a long silence in the foyer as we eye each other.

Why did he walk in the church?

Is he interested in Laura? She’s not one of his jersey chasers, but she’s absolutely pretty. And they’ve obviously spent some time together.

The foyer is empty, and he’s just watching me, hands in his pockets, and I can’t seem to find my words.

He gives me a grin, looking much more relaxed than last night. “You should have seen your face when you saw me. Priceless. I should have taken a pic. I mean, your mouth was open. Flies could have gotten in.” He pauses. “Are you mad I’m here?”

I give myself a mental shake. Am I? I don’t know. “It’s church. Everyone is welcome.”

He smirks, a rather boyish expression on his face. “It feels as if we can’t stop running into each other. Is that fate?”

“It’s something.”

“Hmm. I have your panties, Elena.” He pulls a piece of the fabric out from his front pocket, just a few inches, but the sequins are right there.

My mouth gapes as I dart my eyes around the foyer. Still empty.

“Because you knew I’d be here?” How is that possible?

“No, I didn’t know you’d be here, but I hoped to see you today.”

Oh.

His finger rubs at the fabric, never taking his gaze off me. “Do you want them?”

I lick my lips, my finger twitching with the urge to snatch them away from him.

“Come get them.”

I shiver at the authority in his tone, at the tug I feel when he talks, that husky, dark voice . . .

I curl my hands into little fists.

How dare he bring those panties to church? With Mama right here.

I’m really going to kill the football player this time.

Chapter 14

JACK

“Where are you going?” I call after her as she pivots and sashays down a hallway and to the left, straight for a room with a closed door. I tag along, feeling unsure and nervous as a kid about to ask a girl out on a date for the first time.

Without answering, she opens the door and indicates for me to follow. I try to get a read on her face as I stalk past her. Her little hands are clenched, and there’s a vulnerable bent to her shoulders that I don’t like, and I hope I’m not the reason for it. I don’t want to be. I want to be . . . shit, I don’t know, except that I haven’t been able to get her out of my head. Does she have any idea how much trust it even took for me to have a conversation with her last night outside the club?

The room is slightly darkened, the only light coming in from a small window that overlooks the manicured back lawn of the church.

There’s a huge window that overlooks the sanctuary, and I check it out. I find the women she came in with on the back row—one blonde, the other with auburn hair like Elena’s.

The window is one way, judging by the glass, much like the VIP room. A speaker is in the top corner of the room, and I hear the soft drone of the choir as they sing.

“They can’t see us?” I ask. “Church has its own VIP room. Cool.” I sound like an idiot.

“Yes. It’s for nursing mothers.” She’s turned to face me, her chest rising.

Oh. Okay. I never went to church growing up, and I haven’t stepped in one since one of the players got married a few years ago. I didn’t grow up with religion, not from my mom and not in foster care with Lucy.

“Ah. Nice.”

We stare at each other.

Why can’t I think of anything else to say?

Because you’ve never had to work for it, asshole.

She leans against the door, as if needing a quick escape. “Want to explain why you’re here?” Her tone trembles around the edges, and it only ramps me up, knowing I can affect her.

“I happened to have breakfast with Timmy and Laura this morning. We planned it yesterday after the press conference. They also invited me to church, and I followed them here, not really sure if I’d come in or not. What are the odds you’d be at the same church?”

“There are only two in town, so fifty-fifty.”

“I saw your car in the parking lot. I don’t know what I expected. If I hadn’t seen you in the foyer, I might have sat down and tried to catch you after it was over.”

“I see.” She chews on those lips.

“You drove away from me last night, Elena. After I told you some stuff I don’t tell anyone.” I ease in closer to her, hot awareness zipping down my spine. And I know exactly what that prickle means. I want her. Bad.

She clasps her hands in front of her. “Jack, look, you seem like a nice guy—”

“I’m not.”

She frowns. “You are.”

I start. No one ever says that. “Then you need to read some of those articles about me.”

“I did. Forget that. Those opinions don’t matter. I saw how you looked at Timmy and see how the press is portraying it. I don’t believe everything I read, Jack. Also, Quinn thinks you hung the moon. Plus, you apologized very well last night.”

“I was sure I screwed it up, because you left.”

She bites her lip. “You did take your shirt off for me in the rain.”

Why is she standing so far away from me? I take another step closer, eyeing her curves in that skirt.

She holds a hand up. “And we had a . . . nice . . . Valentine’s Day.” Her lashes flutter for a moment. “And I forgive you for lying and leaving. But it can’t happen again.”

And by it, she means sex.

She sounds as if she’s reciting a speech, her spine straight, eyes stern enough to give me doubts about what the hell I’m doing. I waver for half a second before roaring back. I saw how she looked at me when I walked in. Like I was a lollipop she wanted to suck.

“I’ve seen you naked, Elena. It very much did happen. And quite spectacularly.” I stare at her face, taking in the soft curve of her cheek, the way she fidgets from one foot to the next.

A small laugh comes from me. “I don’t think I’ve chased after a girl this hard since high school. I did bring you back your . . . item. Doesn’t that make you happy?” I enjoy the blush that colors her face as I pull that scrap of fabric completely out and dangle it in front of her.

She takes a step closer. “So were you just going to show up at my house and hand them over? Because that’s fascinating. You obviously know where I live.”

I hesitate. “Yes.”

“How?”

“I had someone look into it. You have to come closer if you want these panties.”

“Fine.” She’s now two inches from me; I can feel the heat of her skin, the shirt she’s wearing close to brushing up against my chest. I inhale her scent, fresh with a bit of— “Did you drink whiskey before you came?” My words are incredulous. “Do you have no respect at all?” I chuckle.

She tilts her head up and gives me a glare. “It was a leftover sip from last night! If you had to live in this town and deal with my family—who, by the way, are doing their best to set me up with Patrick—”

Jealousy crawls all over me. “The preacher? No way. He’s not for you. You’re too wild.”

“No, I’m not!”

I grin. “Want me to tell you the ways you’re wild?”

She ignores me and makes a grab for the panties, and I jerk them behind my back. She reaches behind me, grappling for them, her tits against my body, firm and hard and so freaking perfect.

“Give me those,” she hisses.

“Take them.”

“You’re too big!” She makes another move for them and comes close to getting them. I dance off from her, and she follows me, teetering a little in her heels, making little grabs, but I switch hands and put them farther from her reach.

“Jack Hawke, give me my panties.” She looks up at me, little puffs of air coming from her chest.

“Give me a kiss first.”

Her arms fall at her sides, pretty eyes wide. “Why?”

“Because I can’t stop thinking about your lips.”

“You want them around your cock?”

I groan when that dirty word leaves her lips, then laugh at the surprised look on her face, as if she never expected herself to say that. “Maybe. We didn’t do that. But I’d also like a long, breathy, make-out kiss, the kind you give me when you haven’t had several gin and tonics.”

“Oh.” She looks confused, and I suck in a sharp breath at what I’ve said.

Make-out kiss?

Too soon, too fast.

My mouth still won’t stop.

“I want you, Elena,” I say softly.

She sways a little, as if she’s dancing, and I move in closer until I can see the white flecks in those big eyes, the way her lashes are thick and curled, the way her skin is so perfect, creamy and— She yanks the panties from my hands. “Aha! Mine, thank you very much.” She laughs up at me, red lips curving up, and my heart skips a beat.

“You tricked me.” I wrap my hand around her nape, tugging her hair down from her updo until it spills down her back. I arrange it until it falls over her shoulders, the strands silky and soft, the red and gold colors blending together.

“What are you doing?” she says, frozen, her voice hushed, laughter gone. “We’re in church.”

“You said cock in church, so this is nothing.”

“I could have been referring to a rooster.”

“You weren’t.”