Tyler felt the change in Gabriella the moment it happened. Her nonchalance as she wiggled from the counter and re-draped the towel around her hips was almost comical. She’d figured out his caller had been a female and she didn’t like it.

Tyler knew women. Women like Gabriella. Women who said one thing, but meant another. For once though, Tyler didn’t feel as if he were being duped. He believed Gabriella believed she was the type of woman to carry on a casual relationship.

His buddy Garrett had gone through a similar thing in the spring with a woman as hot and sweet as Gabriella. Garrett Donovan arrived at his first spring training with the New York Empire and had promptly begun an affair with the owner’s daughter, Jessa Montgomery.

Tyler had warned Garrett about women like Jessa. Women who wanted more—whether they admitted it or not—than a quick fuck or two, and a hasty it’s been fun, but…

Garrett hadn’t listened. Now the fucker was getting married. Oh sure, Garrett was nauseatingly giddy over the whole thing. Tyler was happy for them. He was. He liked Jessa. He really liked how strung up Garrett got whenever Tyler flirted with her, which was pretty much every time he laid eyes on her.

Tyler was man enough to admit he had misjudged Garrett’s relationship. He’d only been looking out for his friend. Everyone knew sex clouded a man’s judgment. Crazy good sex made a man downright malleable

But Tyler soon discovered Jessa was special. She wouldn’t use Garrett for his position or his money—she had those things all on her own. Tyler knew Jessa had enough self-worth and integrity not to walk away if things got tough, as they inevitably would. She’d fight for Garrett.

Something deep in Tyler’s gut told him Gabriella and Jessa were cut from the same cloth.

Christ. Getting involved with Gabriella was a bad idea. A bad, bad idea.

Tyler watched her flit around the kitchen like a nervous little bee. Man, it was a damn shame to cover those gorgeous legs. He’d give anything to go back a few minutes to when she’d been almost bare and wrapped around him.

To hell with it. Bad was his middle fucking name. Time to smooth some ruffled feathers.

“That was my sister. I’m headed to my dad’s this afternoon to watch the game. Maddie wanted me to pick up a few things on the way and to check if I was staying for dinner.”

Gabriella stopped rinsing glasses at the sink and turned, crossing her arms. “I hope I haven’t made you late.”

“She’ll get over it.” Eventually. Maddie was a champion grudge-holder. “She should hope I get over the interruption. That’s twice I’ve been stopped long before I was finished with you. Next time, I’m locking us alone in a room without electronic devices—including clocks.”

Tyler moved close enough to smell the faint coconut scent of her skin. Another half step and he could touch her. Draw the warmth radiating from her into his body, and bask in it for a few hours.

Goddamn his sister and her crappy timing.

“Come with me.” Tyler had a blast playing pool with her the other night. She knew how to have fun. He wasn’t done with her, not by a long shot. “Matt will be there. It would give us all a chance to talk about schedules. I’d like to hear what your plans are for me, as well.”

Her eyes widened. “You want me to meet your family?”

Tyler wiped a hand over his mouth, mainly to cover the smile that threatened. “Well, when you say it like that, it sounds serious. I mean, if we were more than…” Shit. What the hell were they? They weren’t a couple. They hadn’t had sex, so they weren’t exactly lovers—tack a big yet onto that one.

“Friends,” Gabriella supplied. “And if you say ‘with benefits’, I’ll punch you in the junk. What we do within the boundaries of our friendship is between us. We don’t need a cheesy distinction to create a box we can’t get out of once we’re no longer working together.”

Tyler liked the way she thought. And he liked the idea of building a friendship with her. A lot. “Yeah. Okay. As I was saying … if we were more than friends—”

“Which we’re not.”

Adorable. “Exactly,” he agreed. “So coming with me to watch the game and eat some food shouldn’t be a big deal. It’s not as if you won’t know anyone. I’ll be there. Matt and Devon will be there.”

“Devon?”

Yeah, okay. He wouldn’t take offense to how happy Devon’s presence seemed to make her. “Yep. He has to attend a charity dinner in California with a bunch of other hockey players next week, so he’ll be taking off tomorrow. Personally, I think it’s an excuse to get out of the heat.”

“Can’t say I blame him. In fact, does he need a date?”

Tyler laughed and pulled her into his arms. “You’re not available to go to California.”

She blinked. “I’m not?”

He kissed her hard and fast. “No. I need you here.” She licked her lips, tempting him to steal another.

“Selfish man.” She poked him in the chest, but her smile softened the blow. “It’ll be hard to help you if I’ve melted.”

Oh, she’d melt all right. Under the heat from his tongue. Later, though. While he wanted nothing more than to strip her naked and spend hours feasting between her thighs, he’d made a commitment.

“I’ll risk it.” He spun her around and gave her cute ass a pop. “Go change.” He checked his watch. They’d be late, but not overly so. “It’s almost game time.”

“I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume you aren’t told no a lot.”

“Do you have other plans?”

“No.”

He took a chance. “Have you ever watched an entire baseball game before?”

She huffed. “No.”

“There, you see? There’s two no’s right there.”

“You’re shameless.”

“Does that mean you’ll come with me?”

Gabriella’s voice melted. “I certainly hope so.”

To say the innuendo hit below the belt would be an understatement. His whole body stiffened in response to the wicked laughter she left behind as she rounded the corner, out of sight.

Gabriella was different from the other women he’d been with. Open and honest. Sweet. Definitely sexy.

And she wanted to play.

For the first time in months, Tyler was looking forward to the summer.

---

The quaint, suburban street was lined with cars. Gabriella recognized the neighborhood as one of the older, more prestigious areas in Little Rock. The houses were large, but a little too close together for her taste.

Tyler pulled into the driveway of a bungalow style house, a frown marring his handsome profile.

“Looks like there’s quite a crowd.”

“You didn’t mention this was a big party.” Nervous energy made her voice shake. Not only was she about to meet Tyler’s family, but apparently half the neighborhood as well.

“It wasn’t supposed to be.”

Gabriella poked him in the side, making him jump. “Stop frowning, or you’ll make me think tagging along wasn’t such a great idea.”

Too late.

She’d felt weird about it since they left her house. She was part of his therapy team. She called them friends, when in fact they were little more than strangers at this point. Granted, she knew what he did for a living and the particulars of his injury. She knew the feel of his skin. Knew the taste and heat of his mouth.

Okay, not total strangers. But there were too many unanswered questions.

Would they really become lovers?

Her gaze traveled over him. Yeah, the odds were pretty good.

But for how long? One time? Two? How many times could she be with him before her heart wanted more? Would her heart want more?

Too. Many. Questions.

They hadn’t even talked about how he’d introduce her. She shouldn’t be worried about it—any of it—but God help her, she was.

Swallowing hard, she peered out the window. She’d just have to follow Tyler’s lead. He had more experience traversing the waters of casual … uh … friendships.

“This is some place,” she said, needing a new train of thought before she made herself crazy.

“You like it?”

“What’s not to like? It’s beautiful.” The house had a wide front porch along the front and the greenest lawn Gabriella had ever seen.

“There’s no pool.”

Gabriella feigned disappointment. “Oh. Well.” She waved her arm. “Forget it, then. Take me home.”

A burst of laughter escaped his throat. “Not a chance.”

He didn’t move to get out of the car. He sat there staring at the house, eyes narrowed. She felt his need to linger more than she understood it. Gabriella turned to face him, determined to get her nerves under control. “This is where you stay when you visit?”

“No. I usually take a suite at The Capital Hotel.”

“Oh.” In her line of work, she’d learned how to read people. How to listen to more than what came out of a person’s mouth. The subtle tic in his jaw, the slight stiffening of his shoulders, told her Tyler had specific reasons for staying at a hotel. She wouldn’t pry. Instead, she stayed quiet, giving Tyler the choice to elaborate or change the subject. She didn’t have to wait long.

“I like my privacy. A commodity hard to come by around here.” Tyler shook his head and sighed as he grabbed the door handle. “Come on, gorgeous. The game’s already started.”

She could’ve sworn she heard him mumble “Let’s get this over with,” as she threw open her door and got out. She met him at the sidewalk. Tyler slung an arm over her shoulders, fit her against him. He smelled good. Masculine. An intoxicating mixture of sweat and spice.

He led her to the front door. With a final squeeze, he dropped his arm and knocked once before opening the door.

Follow his lead.

“Anyone home?” Tyler called, stepping back to let Gabriella through.

Footsteps echoed. A man appeared and came to meet them in the foyer. Not as tall as Tyler, but the resemblance was unmistakable. Same strong jaw, same blue eyes, same broad shoulders. That was where the resemblance ended.

“Good to see you, boy. Late as usual.” The man extended his hand to Tyler. The gesture seemed robotic, lacking any semblance of warmth despite the smile. The man’s gaze swung her way, but he tilted his head with a jerk toward Tyler. “No discipline, this one.”

The rude greeting set Gabriella on edge. Whenever she went home to see her parents, she was greeted with hugs and kisses. Laughter. Love. If this was what awaited Tyler at home, no wonder he took a room downtown.

Tyler glanced at her, his jaw tight. “This is my dad, Charlie Brady. Dad, this is Gabriella.”

Gabriella accepted Charlie’s hand. She hated when men limp-noodled a handshake just because she was a woman. It made her feel inferior, as though she wasn’t worthy of a little effort. She ended the contact as smoothly as she could.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Brady.”

“Call me Charlie.” Then, to Tyler. “And who might she be?”

“She’s a friend, Dad.”

She’s standing right here.

“Right,” Charlie muttered. He looked her up and down, his gaze lingering where it shouldn’t.

Jerk.

“Well then … welcome, Gabriella. As I’m sure you can hear, the men are in the front room watching the game. The others are in the back.”

“Gabriella’s here to watch the game too, Dad.”

“You know, I’ve seen Tyler’s stats, Mr. Brady.” Gabriella kept her tone light and friendly. “It would take a great amount of discipline to be ranked as one of the top five first basemen in the league, wouldn’t you think?”

She should’ve kept her mouth shut.

Charlie grinned ear-to-ear, as though she’d just handed him a present. “That was last year. Won’t be seeing stats like that this year, will you, boy?” Charlie clapped Tyler on the shoulder.

His left shoulder.

Gabriella was stunned. What the hell had she just walked into?

Tyler didn’t flinch. “Is Mom around?”

“She went with a friend to Memphis for a few days.” Charlie’s brows lowered. “Game’s already started. Don’t you even want to know how your team is doing without you?”

Again, Tyler ignored the dig. “We’ll be right in.”

“I’ve got friends here waiting to see you.”

Tyler’s whole body went rigid. His fists clenched at his sides. “Yes, sir. We’ll be right in,” he said again.

Tyler grabbed her elbow. His legs were long and she had to walk fast to avoid being dragged down the short hallway and through the spacious kitchen to a second, less formal living area.

Gabriella relaxed when she saw Matt. He and Devon were sitting on an oversized sectional, eyes glued to the flat screen mounted above a large stone fireplace. A woman who looked to be about Gabriella’s age was curled up next to Devon, reading what looked to be a textbook of some kind. A young man sat to her left.

They must be the ‘others’ Charlie referred to.

“Tyler!” The young man shouted and raised a fist in greeting.

“What’s up, punk?” Tyler walked over and bumped knuckles with the kid. An affectionate smile spread Tyler’s lips. The first Gabriella had seen since they walked in.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Devon tossed a lop-sided grin her way. He slapped his knees and stood. “I thought we’d never see you again.”

Matt’s brows soared. “You know Gabriella?”

Devon winked at her. “We go way back, don’t we, Gabby?”

“Oh yeah, sure we—uh,” she puffed out as Devon swooped her into a bear hug. What the?

“Sorry about the other night,” Devon whispered against her ear. “But I see it didn’t stop Tyler from getting his hands on you again.”

“Devon,” she choked out. Her face burned as she tried to wiggle free. She’d rather not share where Tyler’s hands had been with the whole room. “Can’t breathe, big guy.”

Tyler’s big hand clamped down on Devon’s shoulder. “How about you quit clutching on the lady and give her some space?”

Devon laughed. “Sounds like someone’s jealous.” He offered her another wink and set her free.

Tyler’s expression was unreadable. The tension that had been building since they walked in hovered around him like a storm cloud. He jutted his chin toward the couch. “Of course, you know Matt. The punk over there is my kid brother, Owen. And that’s my sister, Madison. Guys, this is my friend Gabriella.”

Owen was cute. A much younger version of Tyler with longer hair that curled on the ends. Gabriella would bet he was popular with the girls.

Madison had set her book aside, and was busy glaring at Devon. When Gabriella caught her eye, she had the distinct feeling she was being measured.

Oh lord.

Gabriella sent up a silent prayer for the girl if she was crushing on her brother’s best friend. Devon didn’t seem to notice, or care, about the looks Madison was tossing his way.

“How’s the game going?” Gabriella asked. That was the reason they were there, after all. Matt slid over to make room for her, then slid some more at Tyler’s insistence. Call her a chicken, but she would prefer to stay with this group rather than be wherever Charlie and his buddies were watching. Tyler urged her to sit so he must’ve had the same thought.

Follow his lead.

“New York is up seven to four,” Owen said. “Garrett has hit two home runs. That dude playing your position—Sandquist—he hit a double to bring in a couple of runs.”

Tyler dropped down to sit on the floor, his right arm brushing her leg. “Oh yeah? That’s great.” He stretched his long legs out in front of him and leaned back against the couch.

“He also ignored a signal and got thrown out at third,” Matt added.

Gabriella jumped as Tyler’s knuckles brushed over the sensitive skin of her ankle.

“He’ll hear about it, I’m sure,” Tyler said, his expression neutral. From where he sat, no one would see his wandering hand. Not unless they leaned around him and looked directly at her feet.

Devon laughed. “Unless I’m mistaken, he was already hearing about it by the time he reached the dugout.”

Gabriella didn’t hear the rest of the conversation. Try as she might to focus on the game, on the chatter about who hit what and when, all she could do was feel.

Tyler shifted, pushed the heel of her sandal until her foot slipped free. Gabriella tensed as his fingertips caressed the inside arch of her foot. Her heartbeat quickened. She swallowed, trying to keep the rhythm of her breath as steady as possible as he traced the shape of her big toe, tickled over the top of her foot.

She watched Matt’s mouth move. Devon’s too. Owen’s. They didn’t look to her, so she felt assured they weren’t expecting her to participate. Madison had gone back to her book, ignoring all of them.

Gabriella stared down at Tyler. A tiny crease in his cheek was the only indication of the smile he held back as he explored the contours of her foot.

Blood rushed through her body, pulsating in the most inconvenient places. Casually as she could, Gabriella folded her arms across her chest. Her nipples tingled, and she knew without looking they were straining the thin cotton of her tee.

Tyler drew lazy circles up her calf. Her skin pebbled at his touch, awakened with renewed intensity to feel him—all of him—against her, in her. When he headed for the back of her knee, she jerked her leg up, crossing it securely over the other.

She squinted at the TV. Bottom of the fourth. If she was expected to watch five more innings, she damn well couldn’t do it with Tyler’s hands distracting her.

Loud, masculine cheers came from the front of the house.

Or maybe he was distracting himself.

“Tyler!” Charlie’s voice boomed through the house.

“It appears I’m being summoned.” Tyler dropped his head back and gave her a weak smile. “You ready for a drink?”

Gabriella nodded, wondering if it would be impolite to ask for the whole bottle.