But according to Evan, who kept in touch with a lot of the players who’d been invited to training camp, Marcus had been out with a rough group. He’d taken it hard when he hadn’t made the Hurricanes’ regular-season roster after getting cut by a West Coast team last spring.
“That’s good of you.” She feathered a light touch along his cheek, her expression troubled. “I hope he listens.”
“Me, too.” He kissed her forehead and waged an inner battle not to slide his hands beneath the sheets and lose himself in her one more time. “And I hope you can get some more sleep.”
She ignored his efforts at restraint, sidling over to him and slipping a slender thigh between his.
“I’ll sleep better knowing you left the house happy.” Her whispered words were like a drug, finding their way into his bloodstream and sending a fresh wave of heat through him.
“I could get used to this in a hurry.” He gripped her hips and molded her curves to his, her breasts flattening against his chest.
He needed to be inside her, exploring her heat and hearing her soft moans in his ear. He’d never felt this way about a woman before, when every time with her made him want her even more. Again and again. He’d barely be able to walk by tomorrow at this rate.
But he didn’t even care.
She pressed kisses along his shoulder and skimmed a hand down his chest. Lower.
“Good. Because I want you thinking about me at work today. And I want you to rush home early because you need to be with me all over again.”
They both knew that was exactly what would happen, too. Already he couldn’t imagine spending hours away from her. For a moment, he felt a pang of conscience that he was allowing this kind of relationship to grow unchecked, the kind where they could lose themselves in each other completely. He wondered how he would handle it once that heat finally burned itself out, but far more important, he should be thinking about Adelaide.
What would it do to her?
Not ready to consider that right now when they were only just beginning to discover all the ways they could drive one another to new heights of pleasure, Dempsey shut down his thoughts. He let the magic of Adelaide’s touch carry him into a sensual world that was all their own.
* * *
Afterward, Adelaide walked along the lakeshore at sunrise as Dempsey showered and prepared to drive into the training facility. The grounds all around the Reynaud homes were breathtaking, the landscaping exotic and a little wild. She’d never gardened much herself, but she knew well how fast things grew in this kind of weather, and that it would take a whole fleet of full-time gardeners to meticulously maintain all of the dense plantings around the low-rock retaining walls and fountains, or the vines crawling up some of the outbuildings.
And, to her way of thinking, the rich greenery and abundance of flowers looked more natural than precisely trimmed boxwoods or well-spaced English gardens. Turning her attention back to her path along the lake, she spied a feminine figure walking toward her.
Princess Erika Mitras was engaged to Dempsey’s older brother, Gervais, and she’d recently moved into his home near Dempsey’s place. Adelaide had met her a few weeks ago when she’d first arrived and been thoroughly dazzled. Refined, royal and incredibly lovely, Erika was the kind of woman who would always draw stares, but there was much more to her than that. She’d served in her country’s military, defying her parents’ wishes to fulfill a call to civic duty.
Smiling, the princess navigated the walking path in glittery gold sandals and a gauzy white sundress. Her cool Nordic looks and platinum blond hair were shielded by a wide-brimmed hat.
“Good morning,” Adelaide greeted her. “Did you happen to see the sunrise?”
Even now, the sky streaked with bright pink light.
“I was awake and waiting for it.” She covered a yawn. “It is the curse of pregnancy that I can only sleep when I do not want to.”
Adelaide turned to walk in the same direction as the other woman. In the distance, she saw a shirtless Gervais running toward them.
“Well, you look fantastic for someone who didn’t sleep well.”
“Maybe it is the pregnancy glow,” Erika said wryly. “Or else just plain happiness. I cannot believe how lucky I am to have Gervais in my life. I told him how beignets settle my stomach in the morning, and now he has fresh, warm beignets for me every day.”
“How thoughtful. And romantic.” Adelaide wondered if Dempsey would do things like that for the mother of his child one day. She paused to pick up a piece of driftwood with an interesting shape, thinking she might find a spot for it in one of the gardens.