Darcy smiled and nuzzled his chest, slowing her pace so that she might catch up. It felt so good to touch him, to share her body with him, to enjoy his body without any fears or hesitation. With Kel, sex was so simple, just passion and lust and desire and nothing more. She didn’t have to think about her past or about her future. For now, he was hers and she’d have him whenever she wanted.
They climaxed together, shuddering into each other’s touch until they were both completely spent. Then Kel gently drew her back beneath the shower and washed them both. Darcy was so relaxed that she could barely stand and leaned on him lazily, her arms wrapped around his neck.
“Take me to bed,” she said.
He wrapped her in one of the thick terrycloth robes that hung beside each steam shower, then grabbed one for himself. They walked back through the pool house, Kel grabbing up his clothes and retrieving his room key from the pocket of his jeans. Before they got to the lobby, he drew the hood of Darcy’s robe up over her head to hide her from any curious staff members that they might encounter.
Darcy was too relaxed to worry about anything but crawling into Kel’s bed and falling asleep in his arms. They rode up the elevator snuggled together, her nose buried in the soft dusting of hair on his chest. And when they reached his room, he helped her out of the robe, then tucked her into his bed.
They could have made love. Instead, they talked, lying in each other’s arms and learning all the little details of childhood adventures and first loves and silly embarrassments. But with every detail that Kel gave her, she felt as if she knew it already.
She’d known him, in her heart, since the very first time they’d met. And everything that he told her now was simply confirmation of the man that she knew him to be-a man that she might not ever stop wanting.
4
“AS YOU CAN see, the kitchen needs a bit of updating. New cabinets and appliances could do wonders. But the layout is good, nice and spacious.”
“I don’t do much cooking,” Kel said as he strolled to the sink. He turned on the faucet to check the water pressure then turned it off. A window over the sink opened onto the view of Crystal Lake and the long lawn that led down to the water.
“Is there a pier down there?” he asked.
The real estate agent nodded. “There’s also an old boathouse, original to the property. And there’s a Victorian gazebo just beyond the trees that is just lovely.”
Kel smiled. “Are the neighbors quiet?”
“Most of these homes have been in the families for years,” she said. “The neighbors on both sides are retired. I suppose you’re looking for a bit more action?”
Kel shook his head. He’d had enough action. If he decided to retire, he wanted a place where he could be himself, where people wouldn’t constantly be staring or requesting autographs or asking him to recount their favorite moments in Giants baseball. And a place where he could have a boat and do a little fishing. He could have that here.
“I think I’ll fit right in.” He pointed out the window. “I’m just going to walk down to the lake. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“You have one hundred feet of frontage,” she said. “There’s also a sandy beach. And there’s a nice little flagstone terrace they’ve built down there.”
Kel stepped through the door and strolled across the wide cedar deck to the lawn. He hadn’t expected to like the first place he saw, or even the second or third. In truth, Kel thought he’d have to look long and hard to find a house that pleased him.
Kel had never thrown money into real estate like many of his teammates had. Some of the guys had additional homes in Colorado and Florida and Arizona. Kel owned an old mansion in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood, a Mercedes, a pickup truck and a decent wardrobe of Italian suits and shoes. Beyond that, he’d spent his money on the typical toys: stereo equipment, televisions and computers.
Most of his teammates might call him frugal, but from the start of his career, Kel knew the precarious position he was in. A simple pitch could lead to a career-ending injury. In the blink of an eye it could be all over. His parents had always struggled to make a living, raising seven children on a high school teacher’s salary. Kel wanted to be in a position to give them whatever they needed as they got older and, at the same time, have a comfortable future for himself.
When he reached the water, Kel walked out on the rickety dock. The lake was beautiful, calm and serene, the sun sparkling off the surface. A fisherman bobbed in a boat nearby, lazily casting his line and reeling it in. He waved at Kel and Kel returned the greeting.
“I could live here,” he said, slowly turning and taking in the view. He could imagine his siblings coming to visit in the summer, the rambling house filled with his nieces and nephews, lazy days spent out on the water. West Blueberry Lane wouldn’t make a bad address.
The agent was still waiting for him in the kitchen. She opened the door and he stepped back inside. “Well, what do you think?” she asked.
“How long has it been for sale?” Kel asked.
“Five weeks,” she said. “The mechanicals need to be replaced along with the roof and that might be scaring people off. I think it’s priced a bit high. I think it might go soon. There’s a woman in town that has been seriously considering putting in an offer. So if you’re interested you should probably get an offer in before she does. And I know of a bank that will push your financing through quickly.”
He nodded. If the agent knew who he was, she wasn’t giving any indication. Financing really wasn’t an issue, as long as Kel wanted the house. But this was a big decision. Buying a house in Austell meant that he was about to begin his life after baseball-and he’d begin that life living just a few miles from Darcy Scott.
“Let’s put together an offer,” Kel said. “Offer the asking price, no contingencies.”
The agent gasped. “None? What about financing?”
He shook his head. “I can pay cash,” Kel said. “I’m just going to walk through once more, if you don’t mind.”
Dumbstruck, the agent shook his hand and Kel walked back through the house to the living room. Maybe he was being too optimistic, but he was sure that he could find here the peace and quiet he’d always craved.
Kel wandered down the hall to the master bedroom. He tried to imagine it freshly painted and decorated, furnished with a comfortable bed. He could see the two them, snuggled in bed on a Sunday morning. He’d make breakfast for them and they’d spend the day reading the paper and making slow, sweet love. Kel paused and shook his head. Funny how the image automatically included Darcy. Since when had she become a permanent part of his future?
As he walked through the other bedrooms he thought about a family. He’d always known that marriage and kids wouldn’t have been a smart choice as long as he was playing-not that over the years he’d ever found a woman he wanted to marry. His baseball career had occupied so much of his energy, he hadn’t had a lot left over to share. But he had more time now, time to find the right person.
Kel headed to the front door and walked outside, taking one last look at the façade of the house. He could be happy here, with or without Darcy. But with her would be much better, he mused.
As he pulled out of the driveway, Kel glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Darcy had left his room this morning just after dawn. They’d spend the past three nights together in the same bed. Of course she’d be the first woman to come to mind when imagining his future here.
Kel turned the car towards The Delaford, then remembered his original reason for driving into town. “Damn,” he muttered. Condoms. He usually carried an adequate supply of them, but he and Darcy had been going through at least three or four a day. By all rights, he should have been exhausted. But Kel felt like a guy at the top of his game. Life had never been better.