Caught (Men of the Show Book 3) (6 page)

“Hmm?
 
What do you mean?”
 
He turned toward her with an arched brow.

Shannon shrugged. “I don’t know. Like maybe you had to sacrifice too much?”

“Absolutely not,” he said. “It takes dedication, drive and hard work to be successful. You can’t achieve that if you only give part of yourself to it. If you want it all, you have to commit it all.”

“Makes sense,” she murmured.

He turned fully to her. “Is there a problem?”

“No.”
 
She shook her head and gave him a small smile. “I was only wondering…if…I don’t know…if perhaps I shouldn’t give up too much.”

“Shannon, you are a driven, intelligent and exceptionally bright young woman. I have no doubt you’re going to be very successful. You’re young and have all the time in the world for whatever you want. Don’t worry about that,” he said with a smile and a pat on her arm before he turned and walked away.

Shannon eyed his departing back, and even though he’d been trying to cheer her up, she felt worse.

*
 
*
 
*

Matt was only half listening to his teammate as he watched Shannon talk with her father. He had no idea what they were discussing, but she appeared upset, and for some reason it bothered him more than it should that her always-present bright smile was absent.

He’d been looking forward to getting to know her over dinner, but then she’d starting talking about her job, the center of her life, and he’d understood that was all she had time for, all she wanted now. The revelation had been a mood-dampening dose of reality, even though he’d already known there was no point in asking her out, but a deep sense of disappointment settled over him anyway. He tried to ignore her, tell himself it wasn’t his business—
she
wasn’t his business—but when her father left her side and when he’d completely tuned out his buddy, he accepted he wasn’t going to be able to do just that.

Excusing himself, he strode across the room to her. “May I have this dance?”

Shannon turned and her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of him before a smile broke out on her beautiful face. “Sure,” she said letting him take her hand in his to lead them to the dance floor.

Matt settled one of her hands on his shoulder as he held her close to him while trying to retain a respectable distance between them. The light citrusy scent of her perfume made his mouth water, and he had to restrain from pulling her closer.
 

“So,” Matt said, striving to make casual conversation but coming up empty.

“So,” she repeated and they both chuckled. Shannon cleared her throat and said, “I thought I’d run you off.”

“Why is that?”

“All the talk about my work. When I get on a roll, I don’t stop sometimes. Sorry.”

He turned them to avoid crashing into another couple who appeared at their side as he gave a small shrug. “There’s nothing wrong with being passionate about something. For you, it’s your job.”

“You too, but you’re not spouting off about it all the time.”

Matt smiled. “I get tired talking about my job. People are always asking me questions and sharing their opinions, whether I want them or not. It’s nice not to talk about it every once in a while.”

“I guess I feel the need to justify things,” Shannon told him.

He frowned. “Why’s that?”

It was her turn to shrug. “People don’t understand the sacrifices and commitment I need to make in order to be successful…to make partner. They feel sorry for me or think I use my job as an excuse as to why I don’t have a boyfriend or am not getting married and having kids, or whatever.”

“Who cares what other people think?” Matt asked. “As long as you’re happy with your decisions, then that’s all that matters. Are you happy with your decision?”

“Yes.”
 
Her reply seemed rushed and forced, as if she was trying to convince not only him, but herself as well.

He didn’t point it out, however. “Then that’s all there is to it.”

 
“I know it sounds stupid. You think I’m stupid that I’m letting this bother me.”

“I don’t think you’re stupid. You should do what you want. If that’s being a lawyer, then go for it. If not, then find what you really want.”

“Yeah,” Shannon agreed as she stared off over his shoulder, but there was no mistaking the doubt in her voice. “I know. I only wish…never mind,” she said as she shook her head.

“What?
 
You wish what?”

She gave him an embarrassed smile before looking down at their feet. “I just wish there was a way to know for sure, you know?
 
Before it’s too late…”

“I think everyone wishes that. A quick peek into the future,” Matt said with a grin as she glanced up at him. “Definitely would make life easier.”

Shannon studied him. “Do you ever wonder?”

“Me?”
 
Matt shook his head. “No, but that’s because baseball is all I ever wanted. There was no question for me. Without baseball, there’s nothing.”

“Nothing?” she asked with a raised brow.

“Nothing,” he repeated. “It’s who I am. I can’t even imagine not playing the game. I don’t want to, so don’t make me,” he joked.

Shannon laughed. “Okay, I won’t make you.”

They smiled at each other and heat passed between them, making him slightly dizzy. It was killing him not having her completely against him. Unable to resist anymore, he tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her closer. She felt wonderful in his arms. He loved being able to gaze directly into her eyes as they danced and that her lips were at the perfect height for his should he want to take them, and he realized that he did, very badly.
 

He cleared his throat. “Can I tell you something?”

“Sure,” she said with a questioning look.

“Remember when we met the first time?
 
After that game?”

“Yes,” Shannon answered, sounding a little breathless.

“I really wanted to ask you out,” he admitted.

Her face flushed and filled with surprise. “You did?”

“Oh, yeah. Big time.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Matt turned the question back on her. “What would you have said?”

The corners of her mouth tipped up as she eyed him, probably wondering if she should be completely honest or not. She finally said, “Yes. I remember hoping you would.”

Matt tugged her closer still and, with the front of her flush against him, Shannon moved her arms around his neck, but her gaze stayed on his. The blacks of her pupils expanded as her lips parted slightly. “That would have been fun,” he said, his voice sounding rough and gravelly to his ears.

“It would have,” she agreed in almost a whisper.

“Too bad we can’t do anything about it now,” he said, keeping his focus on her to judge her reaction. “I mean, given everything…”

Shannon gave a slow nod as she swallowed, her attention fixated on his mouth. Her eyes flitted up to his before she closed the remaining gap separating them. Matt leaned the side of his head against hers as they moved in slow, tight circles. His hands traveled slowly up and down her back before lightly tracing a line across her narrow shoulders, and her arms tensed around his neck as her breasts rubbed against his chest. The clothes between them dulled the sensation, driving him mad, and he wanted nothing more than to remove all the layers separating them.

The song ended and the band started a club beat, but they still didn’t separate. As everyone danced around them, Matt stopped and turned so his lips brushed against her ear, and a shiver passed through her. “Do you want to get some air?”

She nodded and he took her hand in his, leading them out the doors at the back of the room and into a quiet hallway of the hotel. It was empty and the lighting dimmed, offering them a secluded area away from the crowd.

Matt turned and Shannon was right there, her mouth immediately seeking his. Their lips touched softly at first, but soon the kisses became drugging in their intensity. His mouth moved hungrily over hers and Matt pulled her to him, walking them back until she hit the nearest wall. Her arms slid from around his neck, down his chest and she started to unbutton his vest. His hands skimmed up her sides, grazing the sides of her breasts, before he cupped her nape, angling her head in order to deepen the kiss. Deserting the buttons, Shannon’s fingers threaded themselves through his hair, pulling him toward her as she arched against him, causing a flood of desire to surge within him.

He should slow them down—at any point someone could walk in on them—but he was lost in her. For so long Matt had wondered about her and now that he had her where he wanted, he wasn’t eager to let her go, and she wasn’t exactly an unwilling participant. Flattening one palm on the wall next to her head, Matt settled his other hand onto the small of her back. He slowly trailed his fingers down her arm before circling around to find the zipper of her dress. He’d started to tug down when she jerked away from him.

Her eyes were unfocused, dazed and confused, and a high flush covered her face, but she quickly snapped out of it. “What are we doing?” Shannon asked as she tried to straighten up.

“Um,” Matt said, unsure how to answer since what they were doing was fairly obvious. At least to him.

“No, I mean, we can’t do this.”
 
She shimmied her dress back into place.

“Okay,” he said, disappointed and not bothering to hide it.

Shannon gave him a sideways glance. “Not that I don’t want to, but I just…I’m not…I can’t
do
this.”

“No, I get it. Don’t worry about it. It’s probably for the best anyway. It’s not like we can go anywhere from here.”

“Right,” she agreed, but her eyes searched his as if trying to determine what his true opinion was on the matter. “I mean, me with my job, and you with yours…it would be impossible.”

“Right.”
 
He stepped away from her, needing to put some space between them.

“I’m sorry.”
 

“Don’t be sorry, Shannon.”
 
Matt buttoned his vest. “No harm done.”

“None?” she asked, with a teasing hint to her voice.

Matt smiled. “Okay, well, maybe a little bit of discomfort, but I’ll be all right. No worries.”

She ducked in and gently kissed his cheek. “I really wish things were different, Matt. Really.”

He squeezed her hand with his. “Me too.”

Shannon gave him one last smile before walking away down the hallway, most likely in search of a bathroom in order to check herself before making a reappearance. He closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. It had taken a lot to step back from her and not try to convince her otherwise, but he respected her and her wishes. He also didn’t beg. He was above that…for the most part.

Maybe another time, another place they might have worked, but it wasn’t now and might not be ever. And as much as Matt hated regrets, the fact that he hadn’t acted on things when he’d first met her would be one he’d have for a long time.

Chapter 6

Shannon blinked hard at the computer screen as the letters started to swim together. She closed her eyes for a longer pause and reopened them, trying to force them into focus, but it didn’t help. She leaned back and blew out a breath. She needed to step away for a second and rest before restarting. She’d been going for God knows how many hours straight, trying to catch up from the time lost while she was in Michigan, and the strain was finally catching up to her.

She stared out the tiny sliver of a window in her office, watching the city move below her. Regardless of time of day or the season, the city constantly breathed with movement and life, drawing her in and mesmerizing her when she allowed herself a few moments away from work, a rare occurrence. The view wasn’t much, but she considered herself lucky to have one since many of the other associates’ offices were windowless. The favoritism was most likely because of her father’s friendship with one of the founding partners, inciting her co-workers to grouse and comment on the obvious partiality behind her back. Usually it bothered her, but about this, she didn’t care.
 

At the buzz of her intercom, she turned from the window.
 

“Who is tall and utterly yummy?” her assistant’s voice whispered.

“I’m sorry, what was that, Megan?” Shannon asked, certain she’d misheard her.

“Since when do you know Chris Evans?” Megan murmured in a low voice.

Shannon froze. Chris Evans?
 
That could only mean one thing since there was no way the real Chris Evans stood outside her door. It had to be the next best possibility, and that was Matt. What on earth was he doing here?

She’d done her best not to think about what happened between them at the wedding, since all she had to do was conjure up his crystal-blue eyes and his pulse-raising smile and she melted. Asking him to stop had been the hardest thing she’d ever had to do, and then he’d had to make it that much harder when he hadn’t even tried to make her feel guilty, increasing her respect for him. For such a good-looking guy and a star in his chosen profession, he certainly didn’t walk around with a sense of entitlement. But she didn’t do casual, not even with a guy as gorgeous as him.