So what was the allure? Was it loneliness, a piece of her life she hadn't consciously realized she'd been missing? Or was it Tucker?
Her doorbell rang, so her soul-searching questions remained unanswered for now.
Tucker was there, wearing a black button-down shirt and dark jeans, and looked just damned edible, as always.
"You look hot," he said, stepping inside and pulling her toward him to brush his lips against hers.
"Thanks. So do you." She grabbed her jacket and her purse, then turned to face him. "I'm ready to go."
"Great." He led her out the door and to his car, opening her side and waiting for her to get in before heading over to his side.
Once they were on the way, she looked over at him. "So tell me about this party."
"It's for Liz Riley's birthday. She's married to Gavin Riley."
"I know Liz very well since she works a lot with the team as a sports agent."
"Right. Sure you do. Anyway, we're all meeting at Gavin and Liz's house. Not a big thing, just a few people from the team. Wives, girlfriends, some friends."
If she'd known about this, she might not have come. Anyone connected to her father--like Liz--like the team--could tell her father about her seeing Tucker. She wasn't sure she was ready for her dad to know she was dating one of the players.
Which she most certainly wasn't.
Or she supposed she was, since going to a party with him could definitely be considered a date.
"You're chewing your lip."
She looked over at Tucker. "Excuse me?"
He pointed to her face as he drove. "You're chewing your bottom lip. Like you're worried or thinking or something."
She licked her lip. "I'm fine."
"Did you have a bad day at work?"
She shrugged. "My day was fine. Normal for me."
He pulled onto the highway, merged over into the fast lane. After a mile or so, he asked, "Then what's bothering you?"
"Nothing's bothering me."
"Something is, because I've seen you do that thing with your lip before."
She looked at him. "Really. And you know me so well that you think it's because something's bothering me."
"Yes."
He was so confident. Then again, he was also right, which kind of irritated her. She decided not to answer him and looked out the window. Trees were in bloom, color had started to burst into her city. Spring had definitely sprung in St. Louis, which brightened her mood immensely despite all the rain they'd had lately.
Besides, rain was a good thing. It renewed everything.
"So are you gonna tell me or not?"
She shifted her attention back to Tucker. "Tell you what?"
"What's bugging you?"
She finally sighed. "The party."
He took a quick glance her way. "Liz's party?"
"Yes."
"You don't want to go."
"I didn't say that, it's just--people there know me."
"Okay. And that's a problem."
"Maybe."
His fingers flexed on the steering wheel, and she could tell that she'd upset him, which hadn't been her intent.
"It's because you don't want anyone you know to know that we're seeing each other, especially anyone in baseball or connected to baseball who knows your dad."
When he said the words out loud, it sounded petty and ridiculous. What difference did it make if she was dating one of the players? There was nothing in their contracts that prohibited it, and certainly nothing about it that would get her father riled up. He'd likely not care at all. He'd probably never know. It wasn't like anyone other than Liz routinely spoke to her dad. She was worrying for nothing.
She was just going to go and mingle with people she knew and have fun and quit worrying about it.
"Actually, everything's fine. I'm not concerned at all."
He looked like he didn't quite believe her. "Are you sure?"
She gave him her most sincere smile. "Absolutely."
He exited the highway and pulled onto a street with enormous trees. It was dark and a little foreboding, and the house was huge.
When they pulled to the end of the long, dark driveway she noticed a lot of cars. Like, a lot of cars.
"Okay, then," he said, putting his car into park before turning to her and laying his hand on her thigh. "Let's go party our asses off, Aubry."
LIZ ANSWERED THE DOOR LOOKING LIKE A KNOCKOUT, as always. In her mid-thirties, was Aubry's guess, and she looked late twenties at most. Her stunning red hair was cut in a short bob, the silken ends sweeping along her chin. And, despite a busy career as a sports agent, being married to Gavin Riley, the team's first baseman, and dealing with the couple's two-year-old daughter, Genevieve, she'd never known a woman more put together, on top of . . .
Everything.
"I'm so glad you're here, Tucker," Liz said, her eyes widening as she turned from him to Aubry.
"Aubry." Liz enveloped her in a tight hug. "I didn't expect to see you. And you're with Tucker?"
"Yes."
"You have to come with me. We have some catching up to do. Tucker, go grab a beer with the guys. They're downstairs."
"Yes, ma'am." He looked over at Aubry. "You okay?"
"Fine. I'll catch up with you later."
"Don't worry about him," Liz said, her arm firmly linked in Aubry's. "All the guys are downstairs shooting pool or playing video games or whatever it is they all do when they're not watching sports."
Liz led her into the kitchen. "First, we get a drink. Mixed or beer or wine?"
"A glass of white would be great. And I'm not picky."
"All right, then. I'm trying out a new chardonnay tonight, so we'll both have a glass."
Liz poured them each a glass of the chardonnay, handed a glass to Aubry, then leaned against the counter. "Before we head into the family room to join everyone else, I have to ask--how long have you been dating Tucker?"
She took a sip of the wine before answering. "Oh, Liz. This is very good."
"It is, isn't it? I tried it at one of our favorite restaurants the other night and knew right away I'd have to have some."
"It's crisp, not sweet, but not too dry, either. It's perfect."
"And you're avoiding my question." Liz's eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Sorry. Not long. We're hardly dating, really."
Liz's brows rose. "Which means what, exactly? That you're just friends or you're just in it for the sex?"
Aubry laughed. "I don't know. It's too early to make a call. I like him. The sex is good. But as far as a relationship, I don't know. My work keeps me busy and I haven't really had any kind of relationship since my undergrad years. Who has time?"
Liz waved her hand back and forth. "You have to make time for the things that are important, Aubry."
"I am making time right now. For the sex part."
"Hmm." Liz studied her. "But you're not having sex with him right now. You're here. At my party."
"Happy birthday, by the way."
She laughed. "Thank you. It's just an excuse to have people over and have a good time. I'm ignoring birthdays for the most part these days."
"Why? You're gorgeous and you look about my age."
"You win best compliment of the night since you're what? Twenty-two?"
Now it was Aubry's turn to laugh. "Now I feel complimented."
"How is doctoring going these days?"
"Intense but rewarding. You know I switched over to emergency medicine, right?"
"Yes. Do you like it?"
"I love it. But it does occupy a lot of my time."
Liz nodded. "Hence the lack of a hot man in your life."
"Right."
"Honey, you've got one now, don't you?"
"For the moment."
Liz pushed off the counter and grabbed the bottle. "Come on, let's join the other ladies. But before we do, a word of advice."
"Sure."
"Tucker's a great guy, Aubry. He's smart,
damn fine looking, and he's got a good career ahead of him. You could do a lot worse, you know?"
"I do."
"So maybe take a few deep breaths, step away from being all-work-all-the-time-Aubry, and have some damn fun. No one says you have to marry the guy."
"My friend Katie tells me that all the time."
Liz nudged her with her hip. "Your friend Katie is very smart. You should listen to her."
They joined a group of the wives and girlfriends of players, along with sports agent Victoria Baldwin, who was good friends with Liz. Liz also introduced her to a few of her neighbors. All in all, a great group of women.
"Where's Genevieve?" she asked Liz.
"Spending the night with Gavin's parents. Since my birthday is actually tomorrow, it's an early gift to me so Gavin and I could enjoy an adults only party. No kids, no little one getting up in the middle of it all, and we get to sleep in tomorrow."
"Anyone who's a parent knows what an amazing gift that is," Shawnelle Coleman, one of the players' wives said. "And since I have two kids who are spending the night with their grandparents tonight, believe me, I appreciate it just as much."
Shawnelle lifted her glass of wine in a toast. Aubry couldn't relate since she didn't have kids yet, but she was definitely enjoying her chardonnay, so she was glad to toast with the other women.
She was happy to see Alicia Riley, who was engaged to Garrett Scott. "How's the wedding planning going?"
"Actually, pretty smooth so far. Now that baseball season is in full swing again, it might be a little harder to manage everything."
Liz waved her hand. "Don't be ridiculous. You're a Riley, and you have all your sisters-in-law and your cousin Jenna to help you out. Whatever you can't deal with, we can pitch in to assist."
Alicia grinned. "This is true."
"I imagine it's tough for you being on the road with the Rivers all the time," Aubry said, "plus trying to plan a wedding."
Alicia shrugged. "That's my life as a physical therapist for the team, so I'm pretty used to it. Plus, it keeps me close to Garrett, so I don't mind. And like Liz said, between my mother and my Aunt Kathleen, plus Liz and Jenna and Savannah and everyone else, I have a lot of help. I don't think there's any detail that'll get missed as far as the wedding."
"Not if we have anything to say about it," Liz said with a confident smile.
"It sounds like you have things well in hand. Or at least a lot of hands to help."
Alicia nodded. "Hopefully so. And still able to juggle the job along with the wedding planning. Oh, and speaking of the job, I was wondering how yours was going in emergency medicine."
"It's going well, thanks."
"You were originally going to specialize in obstetrics, right?" Alicia asked her.
Aubry nodded. "Yes. But then during my internship I did a rotation in the emergency room, and I fell in love."
Victoria smirked. "With blood and guts."
Aubry laughed. "Something like that. More like the fast pace of the ER department. I had several conversations with some of the doctors there during my rotation, and every day I spent in the ER lit a fire in my blood. I couldn't sleep at night because I kept thinking about it. I knew it was where I was supposed to be and it was then I decided emergency medicine was my calling."
"It's intense, isn't it?" Liz asked.
"It can be. But the care we give is immediate, and often lifesaving. That's what I enjoy about it."
"I'm sure it's very exciting. But so much work," Shawnelle said.
"Spoken by the lawyer," Liz said. "Now there's someone with an amazing career."
"Spoken by the sports agent," Shawnelle shot back. "I think we all do our share of intense work, honey."
Liz nodded. "That's true. As long as we love what we do, it doesn't matter how intense it is, does it?"
"You have a point," Aubry said. "There are days I'm so busy and so involved in what I'm doing, the hours just fly by. And I'm never bored."
"I can't imagine you would be," Alicia said. "What you're doing is so rewarding."
Aubry smiled at her. "Thank you. You're a caregiver yourself. Often an athlete's future is in your hands. Your job in rehab is so important."
"Thanks. I love what I do."
They all talked work for a while, until Liz went to answer a knock at the door. Even though it was late, having started the party after the baseball game, it was Friday night and a lot of people had come, which was nice for Liz.
Aubry eventually followed the women downstairs.
There were quite a few men there as well. As Liz had said earlier, several were playing pool. There was also a dartboard, some pinball games and a video game system. All in all, it was one hell of a setup. There was a very nice bar against one of the walls, so a bunch of the guys sat there drinking. She spotted Tucker talking with Gavin Riley and Dedrick Coleman, Shawnelle's husband.
Aubry, Liz and Shawnelle wandered over to listen to them talk about another team.
"I don't know," Gavin said. "They've got a power hitter in Green, with Soong in the cleanup position, but the bottom of their order is weak. Tucker, I think you could go strong against them, especially if they can't hit your curve."
"But their pitching is solid, and you might find yourselves up against Peters, who has one hell of an ERA so far this season," Tucker said. "Still, your bats are hot right now. I'd say we take at least two from them."
"You're talking about Cleveland?" Liz asked.
Gavin nodded, and put his arm around Liz as she came up beside him. "We have a three game series with them next week."
Shawnelle slid in next to her husband, Dedrick, and Aubry didn't quite know what to do. Until Tucker motioned for her to join him, so she did, scooting up next to his side.
He slipped his arm around her. "Having fun?"
"Yes. Definitely." Which was the truth. Despite her trepidation about coming here, she was having a great time surrounded by very smart, fun women. And she was tired of second-guessing her decision to be with Tucker. She decided Liz was right. It wasn't like she was thinking down the road or toward the future. It was best to just stay in the "right now" with him.
And right now, his fingers drew circles along her back and his touch made her tingle.
What was it about Tucker's hands on her that could send skitters of sensual awareness down her spine?
She supposed it was too early to ask him if he was ready to leave, but for some reason, she wanted to be alone with him. Like now. She slid her hand along his arm and did the same thing to him, letting her palm rest against his chest, her nails digging in just enough to get his attention.
He looked at her with a questioning glance, then smiled as her hand snaked lower, toward his belt buckle. She kept her movements unobtrusive and easygoing so no one would notice. Nothing overt, just enough so only Tucker was aware of what she was doing.
"Something you want?" he asked.
"Definitely."
He smiled, his movements picking up with a little more intent across her back. When his hand rested on her hip, his fingers tapping on her butt, she inhaled--deeply.
"Tucker."
The wicked look he gave her was filled with intent and promise. "Yes, Aubry."
She shifted her gaze to everyone around her, realizing they were engaged in conversation and not paying attention to them, which was a good thing since at the moment she was very much hot and bothered. When her gaze met Tucker's again, she realized he was still focused on her.
"We'll continue this conversation later," she said.
"Yeah. We will."
Funny how very little had been said between them, but so much had been implied.
But it was good to know they were both on the same page.
AUBRY MADE HIM HARD. JUST HER TOUCHING HIM made him hard, not to mention her hands roaming over his body. Oh, sure, she made it look all innocent, but the looks she gave him, and just the goddamned way she breathed, turned him on.
And now she rested her
hand on his thigh while she sipped her wine and talked to her friends like she didn't know exactly what she was doing.
He finally had to think about something else until his erection subsided, then he slid off the bar stool to get away from Aubry and cool down.
He headed over to watch some of the guys play darts, figuring that would pull his attention from the hot woman who made him want to grab her by the hand, drag her out to the car and bury himself inside of her until the ache making his balls throb went away.
And thinking in those terms wasn't helping, because now he had a visual of fucking her in the backseat of his car.
Darts. He needed to concentrate on the dart game.
"You should put your tongue back in your mouth, man. People are starting to notice."
He shot a glare to Trevor Shay. "Fuck off."
Trevor laughed. "It's kind of obvious that you have it bad for Aubry."
Tucker shrugged. "We just started seeing each other. No big deal."
"It's the beginning, when things are really hot and heavy. It is a big deal, when you can't get enough of each other."
"Is that how it was with you and Haven?"
Trevor's gaze drifted over to where Haven stood in the middle of the crowd of women. As if she knew he was staring at her, she looked up and smiled. Trevor smiled back. "It's still like that."
Tucker shook his head. "She's so got you hooked."
"Yup."
"And you don't have a problem with that."
"Not at all. Why would I? She's gorgeous, smart, and we've known each other a long time--long enough to clear all the bullshit out of the way. She knows the worst parts of me, and for some reason she loves me anyway. So yeah--I'm man enough to admit I love her."
"You make it sound so simple."
Trevor pushed off the wall and looked at him. "Once you find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, it really is that simple. Ask any of the guys who are married or with one woman long term. They'll all tell you the same thing."
"What thing?" Gavin asked as he and Garrett came over.
"We're talking about our women," Trevor said.
"What about them?" Garrett asked.
"How you know when the right one comes along."
"Oh." Gavin grabbed his beer from the table next to him and took a long swallow. "Yeah. You might fight it, kicking and screaming for a while. A lot of us don't realize she's staring us straight in the face because giving up our freedom is a hard thing to reckon with. But once we think about what it might be like to live without her, it doesn't take long for common sense to kick in."