Slope of Love (Love in Bloom: The Remingtons) (20 page)

“I’ll stop.”

“Don’t,” she panted.

Her right shoulder throbbed. It was all she could do to let it fall to the mattress, and she saw in his eyes the worry pulling him away. She pulled his mouth to hers again, rocking her hips into him over and over. And in the space of a breath, the pain forgotten, they were back in sync, and he was tasting every speck of her flesh he could reach, while still driving her up, up, up to the edge and holding her there as she gasped and panted for air.

“More.”

He shifted his weight and drove in deeper, and they both stilled with the shock of intensity that curled Jayla’s toes and tightened her insides around him.

“Oh…God. More.”

His hands slid down her ribs, gripping her hard, holding her in place as he moved within her and gazed into her eyes, making her whole body tingle and her insides squeeze tight. In the next breath, his eyes widened and then went dark before slamming shut as his body shuddered against her and he groaned out her name.

MOONLIGHT CUT THROUGH the dark bedroom, illuminating a path across Jayla and Rush’s legs on the bed where they lay side by side, breathing heavily.

“Holy Christ, Jayla.” Rush reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “How did we go from talking about dinner to that?”

“I have a better question. Why would we ever leave our bed?”

Our bed
. A little thrill ran though him. He rolled onto his side and drank in her silhouette against the darkness.

“You are truly beautiful, Jay.” Even in the dark he sensed her modesty and knew she was blushing. He ran his hand along the curve of her stomach and over her lean, muscular hip, then back up her ribs, along the side of her breast, to the arc of her shoulder. His heart ached for the pain in her shoulder and for the accusation of Kelly Baker, which he knew he should tell her about. But tomorrow was their last workshop with her daughter, and after tomorrow, that particular headache would be gone. Besides, with her shoulder and the stress of what it might mean, the last thing Jayla needed was more to worry about. If the coach didn’t think it was significant enough to talk to Jayla about, then he could table it, too.

He moved closer and caressed her sore shoulder with his fingertips. Her muscles tensed at his touch.

“Relax. Close your eyes and let your muscles relax.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to work. You’re naked and you’re touching me. The two don’t really add up to relaxation. In fact, they have quite the opposite effect on me.”

“I know it hurt your shoulder when we were…”

“A little.”

He moved in close and gazed into her eyes. The pain she was hiding, and the fear that lay beneath, tore at his heart.

“Can I get you some pain medication? Anything?” He pressed a kiss to her lips.

She shook her head. “I’m good.”

“I know. You’re good. You’re strong. You can take anything.” He fell back on the pillow with a sigh. “Would it be so bad to really let me in? It’s not like I’m going to run to the coach and tell him that you’re in pain. I told you I’d support your decision to compete before you see a doctor, and I will.”

“I know you will.”

“Then what’s the issue?” He leaned over her again and ran his finger down her cheek. “I know how strong you are, babe. I respect you for your strength, but I also love you, and you can let your guard down when we’re together.”

Jayla blinked several times. She reached for his hand and laced her fingers between his. “Coach asked about my shoulder. He said he noticed that I was favoring it.” Her forehead wrinkled and her eyes dampened.

“It’s okay,” he whispered.

“He said…” She swallowed hard. “He…”

A tear slid down her cheek, and Rush brushed it away. He pressed his cheek to hers and held her. “It’s okay, babe.”

Tears slid between their cheeks like secrets. Her body rocked with sadness. It killed him that he couldn’t fix this for her, and he knew the last thing she wanted was for him to
try
to fix it. They lay together for several minutes, until her breathing calmed and her tears dried. Then Rush held her until he felt the tension in her body ease as she sank into him. And then he held her a little longer. He wanted to protect her from all of it—the accusations, the pain, the sadness, and the fear they conjured. He wanted to be the person who brought a smile to her beautiful face and who made her lose her mind when they were close. When the emotions became too much to hold in, he let them free.

“You’re everything to me, Jayla. You don’t have to say anything. I know this is all overwhelming.” Her fingers pressed into his skin. “Why don’t I draw you a warm bath? It’ll help you relax.”

He pulled the sheet over her to keep her warm and went into the bathroom, which was tiled in earth tones with white ceramic floors. The mirror was framed in dark wood to match the antique-style double sink and the brushed bronze faucet. The oversized Jacuzzi tub was big enough for the two of them, but he didn’t want Jayla to feel like he was smothering her. He took a shower while the bathtub filled. When he returned to the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and Tylenol and Motrin in his hand, Jayla was sitting on the edge of the bed with the sheet tucked under her arms.

“I need to bring you one of my T-shirts so you don’t have to cover yourself with a sheet.”

She blushed.

“Let me remind you again. I have seen you naked.”

“I know. It’s weird, isn’t it? I mean, I always knew what you looked like, but now I really know what all of you looks like.” Her cheeks flushed.

He lifted her chin until their eyes met. “And we know exactly how the other tastes, too.” She dropped her eyes again, and he had to kiss her again. “You’re too damn cute for your own good. If I wasn’t worried about your shoulder, I’d lay you down and enjoy dessert.”

She pushed him playfully away. “Rush.”

“What? Just being honest.” He handed her the Tylenol and Motrin and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. “Are you sure you don’t want something stronger?”

“No. I’m good.”

He picked up his briefs from the floor and handed her the glass of water before dropping his towel and stepping into them. Jayla’s eyes shifted to his naked body, and the edges of her lips curled up.

“You better be careful, eyeing me like that.”

“Come here.” She swallowed the pills, took a drink of water, and set the glass on the nightstand.

Rush crouched before her so they were eye to eye, and for a minute Jayla just looked at him. She tilted her head to one side, then the other. She ran her fingers along the tattoo on his left arm and knitted her brows together. Finally, she sighed and touched his cheek.

“Coach said I need to think about the team, and if I can’t win, then I need to let someone else take my spot.”

“That’s bullshit. How can he say that? If you’re ready, you’ll compete.” The
man
in Rush reacted viscerally before the athlete or the boyfriend in him had a chance to weigh in. Rush didn’t like to be told what he could or couldn’t do.

“And if he’s right?” Her voice was a thin thread.

Rush weighed his answer, and in the silence, the sound of the tub caught his attention. “Hold up a sec.” He turned off the tub and then brought Jayla a towel.

“Here you go, Little Miss Modest. Why don’t you get in the tub and relax, and we’ll figure this out.”

She tucked the sheet under one arm and slid the towel beneath, exposing her naked body for only seconds when the sheet dropped to the bed and she stood, before wrapping the towel fully around her.

“So how does this work? After we have sex, I shouldn’t see you naked? Because if that’s your plan, I’m kinda hating it already.”

She laughed as she passed him on the way into the bathroom, looking adorable in the thick white towel that barely covered her ass. The bathroom was warm with steam, and when she set the towel on the sink and stepped into the tub, Rush realized he was staring and turned away.

“You don’t have to turn around.”

He faced her again with a wide grin. “Really? So I’m not banned from the naked Jayla show?” One look at her and he got hard again.

She shook her head.

He looked down at his tented briefs. “Maybe banning me isn’t such a bad idea.” He went to retrieve his jeans, then came back and leaned against the doorframe, putting a little distance between them, and hopefully, allowing himself to concentrate on something other than wanting to touch her again. “Sorry. What do you want to do about the competition?”

“I want to compete more than I want to breathe.”

Rush crossed one ankle over the other. “Okay then. That’s what we tell the coach.”

Jayla leaned her head back, exposing her long, graceful neck, and heat swept through him again. The way his body reacted to her took him by surprise and confirmed what he’d already known. He’d been burying his feelings for her for a very long time. He just hadn’t been anywhere near equipped to recognize or handle them before now.

She turned toward him with a tentative smile.

Rush couldn’t maintain the distance. He knelt beside the tub with a washcloth, dunked it in the water, and began gently washing her. He’d never bathed a woman before, and with Jayla, the desire came naturally. She closed her eyes as he washed her arms, chest, and shoulders.

“I’m not sure it’s fair to the team,” she said.

“You know that as a member of that team, I want to say he’s probably right, but as your best friend, I want to stand behind you and tell you to compete if that’s what you want to do. But as your boyfriend, I want nothing more than to take you to the doctor and find out what’s going on. You’re the strongest female competitor I know.” He bathed her legs with the cloth. “But you’re trying to make a decision without any concrete information. Why don’t we see the team doc and get a feel for how bad the injury really is? Then you can at least make an informed decision, knowing if this is a labral tear or something else altogether.”

She looked away, and he set the cloth on the side of the tub.

“Baby, level with me. How bad is the pain? One to ten?” He reached under the water and took her hand in his. Every silent second that passed held what-ifs and worst-case scenarios. She wasn’t going to budge, and he knew not to push. “This is your decision, and I’ll support whatever it is that you want to do.”

Her eyes found his again. “I’m not a quitter.”

“Everyone knows that.”

“I can do it. I want to do it. Even if I don’t win first place. I have to try. I haven’t come this far to just throw it away because of a little pain.”

It killed him to support her decision to compete, but if there was one thing Rush understood, it was a competitor’s mind-set. He’d feel the same way if he were the one injured. “Damn right.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

He had to try one more time. “Okay. Do you want to talk to the doc just to get a clear picture of—”

“No. No way. If he thinks I can’t push through the pain, he’ll pull me from the competition.” She sat up straight and tall. “And I can push through anything.”

“I know you can.”

She wrinkled her brow. “I think I need pizza.”

“And gummy bears.”

“Definitely.”

“I’m on it.”

TWO HOURS LATER, they were cuddled up on the couch in Jayla’s cabin watching
Dirty Dancing
. An empty pizza box sat open on the coffee table beside a half-full bag of gummy bears. The remnants of Hawaiian Punch pooled in the bottom of a wineglass on the end table.

“I love Patrick Swayze.” Jayla snuggled against Rush, his arm draped over her chest, her legs stretched along the couch. Rush’s feet were propped up on the coffee table, and Jayla traced the seam of his jeans. “He’s like the total package: hot, badass, and sensitive.”

“And what am I? Chopped liver?”

Teasing him as his lover was so much more fun than teasing him as his best friend. “Hm…” Jayla looked at his feet and tapped her chin. “Let’s see. Fuzzy slippers, and you’re watching
Dirty Dancing
.” She sat up a little and turned to him, using her left hand to steady herself as she raked her eyes down his tight T-shirt. “Not bad to look at.” She ran her hand along his tattoo. “You do have cool tattoos.” She touched his chin. “And stubble is definitely rugged and sexy.”

He clenched his jaw, and she touched the jumping muscle.

“And the jealousy is hot. Definitely hot.”

He kissed her, deeply and sensuously, sending her world spinning again.

“Definitely hot,” she whispered.

“Tease.”

Rush’s phone rang, and they stared at it like it was a foreign object.

“Who is calling this late?” Rush grabbed his phone from the coffee table. “It’s Jack. Hey, man. Is everything okay?”

Jayla mouthed,
Want me to pause it?

He nodded and she did.

“That would be fantastic. Yeah.” He listened. “What are you doing up so late?” He mouthed,
Everything’s fine,
to Jayla
.
“Bummer. No, no problem. I’m just watching a movie with Jayla.” He listened again. “Mm-hm. I can’t really…Right. Mm-hm. Okay.” He pulled the phone away from his mouth and said to Jayla, “Some of my family’s coming to watch the competition on Saturday.”

“Great.” Jayla admired the way Rush’s family supported one another, and she was looking forward to seeing them again. As she listened to him wrapping up the call, the nervous flutter returned to her stomach.

“All right. Yup. See you then, bro.” Rush ended the call and tossed the phone onto the table. “So, looks like there’s going to be a Remington reunion here on Saturday. Apparently, Kurt has a book signing about two hours from here this weekend, and Siena and her boyfriend, Cash, are visiting his brother in Allure. I guess Jack’s flying my parents and Savannah in. Dex and Ellie can’t come because of some deadline or something, and Sage and Kate are in South Africa with their company, but Jack and the others are excited to see you.”

“I’m excited to see them. I love your family, but…”

“But what will they think of us as a couple?”

She reached for the bag of gummy bears, and he pulled her back against his chest.