CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Macy called a break at lunchtime, and Newman stripped off the multiple layers he wore and breathed a sigh of relief when he was down to a bare torso and had pulled on a pair of shorts.
They ate on the grass in front of the trails, and Newman watched Hope as she tidied her gear. He’d seen yet another side of her today. She was methodical and serious when she was behind the camera. She’d moved them around with military precision, and touched him without a thought. He’d felt it, however, all over his body. He watched her closely, and thought that once was not going to be enough with this woman. She fired him to life, challenged him, and he wanted more of her. He wasn’t sure if he was alone in that or not.
“Just go over there and kiss her. We won’t look.”
“What?”
“Hope. You’re looking at her like she’s your last meal.”
Buster, who’d arrived later with food, was seated beside Newman, devouring a chicken and potato salad sub. His eyes may have appeared lazy, but everyone believed that to their detriment.
“The hell I am. Now shut up and eat.”
His friend laughed softly, but said nothing further. When Brad produced a ball, the men got to their feet.
“No bruises!”
“Aw, come on, Macy, where’s the fun in that?” Tex said, accepting a pass from his brother.
“You play, Hope, you were good at catching a ball in school,” Annabelle said. “Unfortunately, I have to sit this one out.”
“What? Why?” Jake moved closer to Annabelle and looked her up and down. “You sick or something?” He touched her forehead.
“No.” She swatted his hand away.
“Then why aren’t you playing?”
“Tell them, honey.” Tex moved to her side.
“We just found out yesterday. I’m going to have a baby!”
Silence settled for about a second, then everyone spoke at once. Branna shrieked. Brad whooped and hugged his brother hard. And Newman thought it was a wonderful thing. He kissed Annabelle on the cheek and hugged her gently.
“You’re going to be a kickass mother, girl.”
“Do you think so?” He saw the uncertainty. Annabelle had been raised without good role models, so to her mind she had a lot to learn.
“I know so. Plus, you got all of us.”
“I really do, don’t I?” Her smile was blinding.
Newman nodded, then gave Tex a chest bump.
“Pretty weak excuse, it has to be noted, Annabelle. But seeing as we have to have a token female for the PC brigade, you’re it, Hope,” Newman said. She was a few feet away, watching the excitement but not joining in. Socially awkward, his mother would have called her.
She backed away, shaking her head. “Ah no, thanks.”
Newman started making soft clucking noises, then did the chicken walk.
“I’m not chicken. I just don’t want to do it!”
“Sure, you hold on to that belief, sweet cheeks, if it makes you happy.”
“I’m not.” She glared at him.
“Sure sounds that way though.” Newman continued to needle her as he threw the ball long for Jake. He caught it, and Buster tackled him seconds later. Newman heard Hope mutter, “Mother of God, that had to hurt.”
“It’s not for girls, except Annabelle, Hope. So maybe you’re better off sitting out.”
That was the final nudge she needed. He watched as she pulled off the hideous shirt in an as yet undetermined color, though maybe “carsick yellow” was accurate. Underneath, she wore a plain baby blue tank. Low on her hips were khaki shorts that actually showed off her legs, the hems resting midthigh. She bent, giving him a fine view, and unlaced her boots, and then jerked off her socks.
“Now, Hope, I don’t want you to get hurt,” he added, in a patient and annoying tone.
“Yeah, Hope. I’d hate for you to get hurt,” Buster mimicked.
“Don’t listen to them, honey. You come and join the Texans, we’re always a winning team.”
Newman watched Brad sling an arm around Hope’s shoulders. She didn’t stiffen, which he found interesting. Brad led her to where Ethan stood.
“The Texans and Hope are one team. Buster, Jake, and Newman, the other,” Annabelle said.
“Who made you ref?” Newman asked.
She stuck out her tongue.
“I’m sure you should be responsible, now you’re going to be a mother.”
Branna had refused to play, and Mikey had one of Hope’s cameras and was taking pictures like she’d told him to, so it was just three each side.
They stood facing each other, Hope directly across from him. He smiled; she bared her teeth. He looked down her top, and she hoisted it higher.
The first play had him running decoy. Jake set up the pass, and Buster caught it with ease. He then did his requisite touchdown dance.
“I hate that dance, it makes me want to ram his teeth down his throat,” Brad growled.
“Now, now, young’un,” Buster crowed. “Just watch and learn from your elders.”
It was true, Hope had been good at sports in school. She also did a bit of running and the occasional gym session when she had time, but hadn’t for a while. She’d been an idiot to let Newman bait her, because now she was sucking in oxygen and her shirt was sticking to her ribs. They’d been playing for what felt like a week, but was only thirty minutes, and she was about done.
“Aww, what’s the matter, sweet cheeks, this all a bit much for you?”
She looked into Newman’s sweaty face, and her first instinct was to jump him. His clothes clung to his big hard body, and for a man who made his money in a suit and tie behind a desk, he looked far too primal. Dragging her eyes away, she looked at Jake McBride. She felt nothing.
“Don’t smack talk me, pretty boy. You concentrate on perfecting your pasta sauce.”
Hoots of laughter greeted Hope’s words. Newman simply sent her a sizzling look, and called the last play.
This time Brad was running decoy, Tex had the ball, and Hope was zigzagging all over the place like they’d told her to. She faked, dodged, and went up for the ball. Making the catch, she slammed it down and shrieked.
“Touchdown!” She danced to the left on her toes, then to the right with her hands in the air, and had to admit it felt good. She’d not done anything frivolous for years.
“You cheated.”
“Like hell.” She gave Buster the eye. “You just don’t like losing.”
“There is that,” he groused.
“Swim time!”
Hope watched as the men stripped off various items of clothing and leapt into the water. Annabelle and Branna were seated on a blanket in the shade with Macy, looking at the photos Mikey was showing them on her camera.
“You coming in?”
Newman was clad in his undershorts. No more revealing than swim trunks, but teamed with those abs, it was a good look on him. She’d touched a great deal of that body… and more.
“No, I’m good, thanks.”
He did the chicken walk again, and Hope ground her teeth.
“That’s not working on me again!”
He ignored her and cannonballed into the water, spraying Brad.
She was hot and sticky. Her face was red, and sweat was running down her back and between her breasts. Her feet carried her closer.
The men were all messing about like a pack of young kids, so she felt safe to crouch and cup some water. She hadn’t seen him go under, but Newman appeared before her. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her in.
She surfaced spluttering.
“Get him, Hope!”
Branna and Annabelle called out their encouragement. Mikey was in the water being thrown around now.
The water felt blissful against her heated skin, but she wasn’t telling him that.
“I said I didn’t want to come in. I don’t have other clothes!”
“Aww, poor baby.”
“I’m going around there.” She pointed to a part of the bank that jutted out. Trees hung over the edge, and she’d get some privacy. “So stay here with your Neanderthal buddies while I take off my shorts and dry them out.”
Newman smiled, so Hope splashed him. She then dived under and swam away. When she was clear of the men, she shimmied out of her shorts and placed them on the bank. Her tank top followed, which left her in a bra and panties. She was concealed here, and while she wasn’t a prude, she also wasn’t used to being nearly naked in front of anyone.
A tug on her ankle had her shrieking. Newman surfaced beside her. His hair was slicked back and his blue eyes clear.
“Go away.”
“I don’t think so.”
He slid a hand up her leg and cupped her butt, urging her closer, then kissed her.
Hope tried to resist, she really did. But the man could kiss, and her resistance lasted a second, before she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Her legs twined around his waist, and soon she was pretty much plastered to him.
“This is wrong, Newman.” She eased back and looked at him.
“I know.”
He kissed her as his hand cupped her breast, and Hope wanted more.
“We have to stop, or they’ll come and find us.”
“I know that too.” He bit gently into the soft skin of her neck, and she sighed. “The problem started when you bent over across from me, and I looked down your top.”
“I can’t believe you said that.”
“I was just explaining why I’m so hot for you.”
“What are you, fourteen?”
“I feel like it around you.”
“Newman, this has to stop. We’re like oil and water.”
“Totally wrong for each other.” He kissed her jaw.
“I don’t care about labels, and you won’t wear anything without one.”
“To be fair, most clothes have labels.”
Hope’s breath hitched as he eased the cup of her bra down, and stroked her nipple.
“You know what I mean. You’re… well, you’re perfect, and I’m not. I don’t like perfect. In fact, all my life I’ve strived to not achieve it.”
His hand stilled as he looked at her.
“Not entirely true. You take perfect photos, and I have to say you’re damn near a straight-A student in bed.”
His face was inches from hers, lids lowered slightly, lashes spiky. Hope felt it then, the ache in her heart, and realized just how important this man was becoming to her. It was enough to have her moving away.
“Hope, wait.”
“No, Newman. This can’t happen again.”
“I need to tell you something. Something I realized this morning, at about 3:00 a.m., when I woke wanting you.”
“What?”
“I didn’t use a condom.”
Hope literally felt the color drain from her face. How had she not realized that?
“Are you on the pill?”
She shook her head. “I was… but now I’m not.”
He swore under his breath.
“I… I won’t be pregnant, Newman.”
“How do you know that?”
She didn’t know that. “I just think I’m not,” she finished lamely.
“If you are, then we will deal with what happens together.”
Her head was spinning, and she couldn’t believe he sounded so calm. Sounded like they’d been in a relationship for years, and this would have happened one day. When in fact they’d ravished each other once!
“I’ve never lost control and not protected a woman before, and I apologize for that, Hope.”
“H-how can you sound so calm?”
“It’s done. We can’t go back, only forward.”
“D-did you get that off a cereal box?” Her voice rose on the last word.
“Hope, just calm down, you may not be pregnant.”
He wasn’t panicking like her. How was that possible, when if she was pregnant, their lives would change beyond recognition?
“How can you be so calm?”
“It’s the only way to handle this. I’ll make sure everything is okay if you are pregnant, I promise you, Hope.”
She realized then that he was handling it the way he always handled everything. Deflecting away from him, and helping her.
“Stop trying to help me. For once be honest, and say you’re freaking out! Swear, lose control! A child, Newman. Not a dog. This will change our lives, and you can’t fix that.”
“I don’t want to fix it.” She was pleased to see he didn’t look as calm now. “I’m just saying that I’m there for you.”
“What about you? Will I be there to help you through this too, or don’t you need my help?”
He looked shocked at her words, as if no one had ever asked him something like that before.
“We don’t need to discuss this now.” She couldn’t handle this conversation any longer. Swimming to the bank, she hurried out and pulled on her still wet clothes. She didn’t look at him again.
“You will tell me.” He grabbed her arm, his fingers biting into her flesh. It was the only indication that he was as unsettled as she was. Strangely, she liked his anger. It was better than the calm surety.
“I will.”
She started back to where the others now stood, as a silver sedan pulled up. The man who got out, she recognized instantly. John Finch was in town.