“Then center field would have gotten it.”
Sharee eyed the center fielder, who was busy braiding her hair, and snorted.
Mark just looked at Sharee for a long beat. “Do you know who I am?”
“Yeah. Head coach of the Mammoths.”
“Do you know if I’m any good?” he asked.
“You’re the best,” Sharee said simply but grudgingly. “At hockey.”
Mark smiled. “I played hockey and baseball in college, before I started coaching. My players listen to me, Sharee, and they listen because I get them results. But when they don’t listen, they do push-ups. Lots of them.”
Sharee blinked. “You make grown guys do push-ups?”
“I teach them to play hard or not at all. You’re practicing for, what, maybe an hour a day? The least you can do is play hard for that entire time. As hard as you can, always.”
“Or push-ups.”
“That’s right.”
Sharee considered this. “I don’t like push-ups.”
“Then I’d listen real good. One hundred percent,” he said to everyone. “I am asking for one hundred percent. It’s effort. You don’t have to have talent for effort. You,” Mark said to the girl in center field, who was no longer braiding her hair but doing her best to be invisible. “What’s your name?”
She opened her mouth but the only thing that came out was a squeak.
“It’s Tina,” Sharee said for her. “And she never catches the ball.”
“Why not?”
Everyone looked at Tina, who squeaked again.
“Because she can’t,” Sharee said.
“So you make all the outs?” Mark asked.
“Most of ’em.”
“That’s what we call a ball hog.” He tossed the ball back to her. “Let’s see who else besides you can play.”
“But—”
Again he arched a brow and she shut her mouth.
Rainey stared, mesmerized, as he coached the uncoachable Sharee through an inning, getting everyone involved.
Even Tina and Pepper.
When it was over, Rainey sent the kids back to the rec center building so that they wouldn’t miss their buses home.
“Didn’t mean to step on your toes,” he said.
“I’m happy for the help. Nice job with them.”
“Then why are you frowning?” he asked.
Because she was dripping sweat and he looked cool as ice. Because standing next to him brought back memories and yearnings she didn’t want. Pick one. She grabbed her clipboard and started across the field, but Mark caught her by the back of her shirt and pulled her to him.
And there went her body again, quivering with all sorts of misfired signals to her brain. Her nipples went hard, her thighs tingled, and most importantly, her irritation level skyrocketed.
“What’s your hurry?” Mark asked, snaking an arm around her to hold her in place. The kids were all gone. She and Mark were hidden from view of the building by the dugout. Knowing no one could see her, she closed her eyes, absorbing the feeling of being this close to him. Unattainable, she reminded herself. He was completely unattainable. “I just…” Her brain wasn’t running on all cylinders.
“You just…” he repeated helpfully, his lips accidentally brushing her earlobe. Or at least she assumed it was accidental. However it happened, her knees wobbled.
“I…” His hand was low on her belly, holding her in place against him. “Wait—what are you doing?”
“We never really got to say hello in private.” He tightened his grip. “Hello, Rainey.”
If his voice got any lower on the register, she’d probably orgasm on the spot.
“It’s been too long,” he murmured against her jaw.
Telling herself that no one could see them, she pressed back against him just a little. “I don’t know about too long.”
A soft chuckle gave her goose bumps, and then he was gone so fast she nearly fell on her ass. When she spun around, she got a good look at that gorgeous face—the square jaw, the almost arrogant cheekbones, the eyes that could be ice-cold or scorching-hot depending on his mood. And no matter what his mood was, there was always the slight suggestion that maybe…maybe he belonged on the dark side.
It was impossibly, annoyingly intriguing. He was impossibly, annoyingly intriguing, and yet he called to the secret part of her that had never stopped craving him. She headed toward the building, and he easily kept pace. Between the field and the building was a full basketball court, with a ball sitting on the center line.
Mark nudged it with his foot in a way that had it leaping right into his hands. He tossed it to her, a light of challenge in his eyes. “One on one.”
“Basketball’s not your sport, Coach.”
“And it’s yours?”
“Maybe.”
“Then play me,” he dared.
“We’re wearing the same color shirt. Someone’s going to have to be skins.” She had no idea why she said it, but he smiled.
“I guess that would be me.”
She shrugged as if she could care less, while her inner slut said “yes please.” “I guess—”
The words backed up in her throat when he reached over his head and yanked his shirt off in one economical movement, tossing it aside with no regard for the fact that it probably cost more than all her shirts added together.
Her eyes went directly to his chest. His skin was the color of the perfect mocha latte, and rippled with the strength just beneath it. She let her gaze drift down over his eight-pack, and—
“Keep looking at me like that,” he said, “and we’re going to have a problem.”
She jerked her gaze away. “I wasn’t looking at you like anything.”
“Liar.”
Yeah. She was a liar. She dribbled the ball, then barreled past him to race down the court. She could hear his quick feet and knew he was right behind her, but then suddenly he was at her side, reaching in with a long arm to grab the ball away.
She shoved him, her hands sliding over his heated skin. Catching herself, she snatched the ball back, then executed a very poor shot that went in by sheer luck. Grinning, she turned to face him and plowed smack into his chest.
“Foul,” he said.
“What are you, a girl?”
That made him smile. “Gee, wonder where Sharee gets her attitude from?”
“Actually, she gets that from her abusive alcoholic father.”
Mark lost his smile and dribbled as he studied her. “It’s a good thing…what you’re doing here.”
Feeling oddly uncomfortable with the compliment and the way his praise washed over her, she snatched the ball and went for another shot. Competitive to the bone, Mark shouldered his way into her space, grabbed the ball and sank a basket far more gracefully than she’d done. Dammit. She took the ball back and elbowed him when he crowded her.
He grinned, a very naughty grin that did things to her insides. “Is that how you want to play?” he asked. “Dirty?”