Tank nodded. “Mm-hmm.” He cupped her cheeks in his large hands, tilting her head so he could see her pretty face.
The quick swipe of her tongue over her lower lip and the way her eyes started to drift closed told him all he needed to know regarding her willingness. Maybe she wasn’t as committed to that professionalism of hers as he’d thought.
Hot damn.
Tank pressed his lips to hers.
His original intent had been to keep the kiss gentle, soft. That idea lasted for all of a second and a half.
Overwhelmed by her taste, her scent, and everything else about her, Tank ran his own tongue over her lips, encouraging her to open for him. The moment she did, he took her with a passion he’d never felt before.
One hand remained on her cheek, the other sliding through her hair, gripping it roughly and using it to twist her head, allowing him to deepen the kiss.
She whimpered hungrily into his mouth. Her tongue stroked his, her desire matching his own.
Tank started to push her inside the house, ready to expand on the embrace, but he’d obviously overplayed his hand, and she broke the kiss.
“We can’t do this,” she said, taking a large step away from him.
“Why not?”
“Because this wasn’t a date. It was work.”
The entire night had felt like a real date to him, so hearing that it hadn’t to her bothered Tank. A lot.
But he decided maybe it would be smart to take things slower with her. Because starting a relationship with McKenna—hell, with any woman—had been so low on his list before tonight, it hadn’t even registered.
The fact he was considering one with McKenna was throwing him for a loop. Not the desire—he was finished denying that he wanted her—but the how-to. He’d never had to woo a woman, never had to convince her to go out with him. McKenna was going to make him work for it, was going to fight him every step of the way.
On top of that, Tank was an impulsive guy. Thinking wasn’t something he ever did. If he wanted something, he just took it. But that wasn’t going to work with her.
So he’d take a knee—only for tonight—and make a goddamn game plan. But he wasn’t going to lie and agree that tonight was just work, because it wasn’t.
When the silence lingered too long, McKenna filled it. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at the game.”
Tank nodded.
“Good luck,” she said.
He smiled. “Thanks.” Then, even though he knew he shouldn’t, he gave her another kiss, careful to keep it quick and platonic.
McKenna’s cheeks were still flushed from their first heated kiss, so he ran the back of one finger over her soft pink skin.
“Good night, Mouse. Sweet dreams.” He sent up a silent prayer that he featured heavily in those dreams.
Tank waited until she got inside her house and he heard the dead bolt slide into place, then he walked back to his car, trying to grapple with all the new emotions flowing through him.
Climbing behind the steering wheel, he started the car, heading in the direction of his condo. He was decidedly grumpy and horny…until his brain kicked in, and he realized that while she might have pushed him away in the end, initially—and for several minutes—she’d kissed him back.
Which meant he wasn’t the only one struggling from this unexpected attraction.
Yeah, he thought.
I can work with that.
Chapter Six
McKenna scrolled through the team’s Facebook page, making sure all her posts for today went live and perusing the comments from fans, particularly the ones on the posts that showed her and Tank together at the gala.
