One Wild Wedding Night_ No Way Out - Leslie Kelly [15]
When the sweetest female voice on earth answered, he couldn’t help smiling. “Hey, baby.”
“Daddy! You’re late. I had to hide my Hello Kitty phone under my pillow so Granny wouldn’t take it.”
He laughed softly. His baby girl might only be four, but she was already a bossy thing. Funny, she reminded him of the female sleeping in his bed. “I’m sorry, sugar, you know I’m in the middle of the country where the clocks are different.”
“The clocks are different? You mean they tell different times? Is it thirty-eighty o’clock there?”
He chuckled again, liking the wonder in her voice. Telling her what he’d meant, he asked about her day and listened intently as she related all the important stuff happening in her little-girl world. She probably could have gone on for an hour, but he knew it was way past her bedtime. Promising to call earlier the next night and telling her to be good for Granny, he whispered, “I love you, sugar-baby.”
He was just hanging up the phone when he heard a noise and looked up to see Vanessa watching him, wide-eyed. Tight-lipped.
“V, I’m sorry, did I wake you?”
“No. Did you wake your sugar-baby?”
Was that…it couldn’t be jealousy on her face, right? The woman had been swearing she hated him a few hours ago. Despite the wild loving they’d shared, she couldn’t have strong enough feelings to be jealous, could she?
The deep frown said that yes, she could. Which, for some reason, brought a smile to his lips.
“If you’re married, I am going to string you up by that thing you so prize between your legs.”
He reacted like any man. He scooted back and crossed his legs a little. Instinct. “I’m not married.”
“But you have a girlfriend.” Not waiting for his answer, she swung around as if to march back into the other room and get dressed for her big dramatic exit. “Why did I ever trust you?”
“I was saying good-night to my daughter,” he murmured.
Vanessa froze, slowly turning back toward him. “Your what?”
“I have a four-year-old daughter. Her name’s Kendra and I was calling to say good-night. It’s not so late in L.A.”
That seemed to take all the energy out of her. Vanessa slowly sank onto the edge of a chair, still naked. Still…oh, so nice.
“A daughter? How did I not know this?”
“I like my privacy. There’s some crazy folks out there.”
She nodded, understanding immediately. “But the mother?”
“We were married for about five minutes right after I got drafted into the NFL. She’s not around anymore.”
“Oh?”
“She wasn’t interested in Kendra—ever—and lost all interest in me when I was injured during my rookie year and it looked like I’d never play again.”
Vanessa’s jaw dropped and that fire sparked again in her eyes. He wondered if she had any idea that she was shaking—in indignation, and on his behalf, he had no doubt. “She walked out on you when you were hurt?”
“Best thing that could have happened. I found out early what she wanted from me and was able to get custody easily.”
“What happened when you came back to the game?”
“She tried to come back, too.” He couldn’t prevent a slightly evil smile.
“Bet I know how that turned out.”
“Bet you do.” He hesitated, then added, “If you’ve been wondering, about the news stories…”
“The women,” she said drily.
“Yeah. I went a little crazy after the breakup. But I wised up quick, I wouldn’t do anything to hurt Kendra.”
“I know. You’re too good a man to be a bad father.”
He wondered why that quiet confidence warmed him as if he’d just been named player of the year. Funny how much her opinion mattered to him…still.
“Now, if you’re satisfied, and I don’t have to worry about you punching me again, how about we go back to bed?”
She rose, slowly approaching him. “How about we stay here?”
Right here sounded fine. Just fine. Especially when Vanessa crawled onto his lap, straddling him. She was already wet and creamy, and she slid up and down on his hard cock, mimicking the way they’d made love just a little while ago.
He grabbed her face