“Yep. She even sleeps on the thing.” Which was why he could never get rid of it. Any comfort he could offer his sister and his nephew, he would. He had tried several times to get Lily and her five-year-old son Alex to move to Kansas City and live near him. But Lily said she’d never leave Diamond. And Colt would never move back. Ever. He left behind a lot in that small town, including his spotted past, and it wasn’t until he left Diamond that he started to like the man he was.
Clack. Clack.
Colt’s stare zeroed in on JJ’s black heels, clicking every time she took a timid step on the hardwood. He was now exceedingly happy he had never put carpet down. Each sound of those damn shoes was like a call to him. Taunting him. Making him think of how those sharp heels would feel scraping against his ass as he fucked her on the counter, the table, the bed—
Stop it.
Easier said than done, because she had the kind of curves that made men think of sex. She was petite but built where it counted. Delicate face and neck, lush pink lips, and olive skin.
Colt watched as she examined his kitchen, her perfect little ass swinging in her wake. Her cream pants were so tight, he had a perfect view of her incredible body and toned thighs. There was clear evidence that she was either wearing a G-string or going commando.
Tearing his gaze away, he placed the bandages, cotton balls, and peroxide on the table.
“Well? You done inspecting?”
She glanced at him. “You have a nice home.”
Between sponsors and several large purses won over the years, Colt had plenty of money, but extravagance wasn’t his style. This little farmhouse on the outskirts of the city was his haven. Reminded him of home—without the memories that came with it.
“Come here and let me see that hand.”
“I appreciate you picking me up, but I can get a cab back to my hotel.” She walked toward him. “My flight back leaves tomorrow.”
“Lily going to pick you up?”
JJ nodded.
Diamond was too small a town to have an airport, but the neighboring city was only a thirty-minute drive away.
“Look, it’s late, you’re here, may as well just stay and sleep it off. We’ll get ya where you need to go first thing in the morning.”
He tried to sound casual. Tried. But his mind was racing, his thoughts centered on the smart teacher with unbelievable curves. Though she had a small waist, her hips flared, and every time she took a step, that seductive little swish damn near hypnotized him. The woman was built to please a man. And Colt had no doubt she could do just that.
He sat at the table and shifted in his seat. His dick had been hard since he walked into that bar and saw her swaying to the music. And the damn thing refused to go down.
JJ sat on the chair next to him.
Nope. She was still too far away for his liking. He reached out, slid his hand between her knees, and gripped her chair from underneath. A sharp breath left her mouth.
Colt smiled, loving how big her eyes got when she was caught off guard. He yanked her seat, and the hot little brunette that occupied it, toward him, not stopping until her legs had no choice but to part around his bent knee. Now, with her thighs surrounding his, Colt began cleaning her knuckles with a cotton ball.
“You seem to know what you’re doing.” She smiled.
“I’ve had worse injuries than this, sugar.”
“I know. I heard about your fall last spring in Texas.”
“So you’ve been following the circuit?” Colt grinned, liking the idea of JJ watching him on television.
“Two national titles are hard to miss. The whole town crowded into Penny’s BBQ last year to watch you on the big screen.”
A sting pricked his chest. He imagined the town he grew up in, his best friends from high school who were still there, successful, and keeping Diamond afloat, all rooting for him. He was a lucky son of a bitch to have such good people in his life. Too bad they all lived in a place Colt could never set down roots.
While his friends were back home, there were also a fair number of people who had a less-than-stellar view of Colt. Some flat-out thought he was either trouble or a playboy, both impressions he couldn’t really argue. He wasn’t the same angry kid he was ten years ago after his parents died, but small towns don’t forget, and a reputation was a hard thing to shake. Which was why he made a point to lie low whenever he made a quick trip to see his nephew and sister.
He cleaned the biggest cut on her hand, hating that she sucked in a deep breath as he put the Band-Aid on.
“You okay?” he asked softly.