“You won’t even take jewelry, Anna. I’m not worried about you coming after my house.”

But instead of agreeing with him, she frowned. “But you don’t know anything about me.”

He couldn’t keep away from her, had to move closer. “You sure about that? Seems to me I’ve learned quite a bit about you since last night.”

Her beautiful face flushed. “I’m not talking about sex.”

“Sure you are, sweetheart. You can’t hide from your sensuality anymore. I won’t let you.”

“I’m not hiding from anything.” She thrust her chin up into the air, putting her lips even closer to his.

He moved even closer. “My sweet little liar. Don’t you know you give yourself away every time you look at me like that—like you’ll die if I don’t kiss you in the next five seconds?”

Her eyes widened again, but this time desire trumped her surprise, and he had to kiss her.

Her mouth opened for his, her tongue meeting him halfway.

Cole loved fucking as much as any other guy. More, probably, given the rampant opportunities in his line of work. But usually after he’d come a couple of times, he was pretty much done for a while. At least until the next day.

Not this time.

Not with Anna.

For some reason, just looking at her, just talking to her, teasing her, had him wanting her so bad he was about to bust through his zipper. She made him feel insatiable to the point that he knew he could easily spend the rest of the night taking her again and again. Hell, the only reason he could see to get out of bed at any point in the near future was because he had a job to do out on the field Sunday.

Which meant they had a good twelve hours to fill until then.

But the way she'd said, “You don't know anything about me,” bothered him. “Where were you born?”

Her body stiffened in clear surprise. “Why?”

“Tell me, sweetheart. Where were you born?”

“Palo Alto.”

Noting that she hadn’t moved far from home, her apartment barely an hour from her childhood home, he asked, “College?”

“Stanford.”

He wasn’t surprised to hear that his sweet little sex goddess was carrying around a big brain too. Intelligence sparkled from her ocean eyes.

“Major?”

“Education.”

“Favorite color?”

“Yellow.”

He had to smile against her lips, where he’d been asking his questions. He loved talking to her like this, right on the verge of a kiss, knowing he could take her mouth, devour her at any time.

“Hobbies?”

“Reading.”

“Any ex-husbands?”

She tried to pull away from him. “No!”

He tightened his hold on her, was glad to feel her relax back into his arms. “I know you have four sisters. Any brothers?”

“No.”

He knew her age and birthday from the marriage license they’d filled out. “Favorite movie?”

“Hoosiers.”

This time he was the one shifting in surprise. “A basketball movie?”

She grinned. “Basketball is just one facet of the story. It’s actually a very moving portrayal of second chances and overcoming racism and finding real love.”

He grinned back at the woman he’d married. She was just so likeable.

And so damn pretty.

“Your turn. But let’s do it backwards. Movie?”

“Pretty Woman.” Her eyes sparkled. “Are you laughing at my answer?”

“No.” A giggle erupted. “Okay, yes. A little bit. It was a great movie, but you’re such a guy.”

“What guy wouldn’t like the part where Vivian waited for Edward at his dining table wearing only a tie and spike heels?”

“Perv.” She smacked his chest, but she didn’t try to move out of his arms. “Brothers or sisters?”

He shook his head. “I wish.”

She paused for a moment, her eyes softening, her fingers unconsciously stroking his biceps. “Ex-wives?”

“Hell, no.”

She raised an eyebrow at that. “Hobbies.”

“Crushing the offense.”

She cocked her head to the side. “What does that mean?”

“I’m a linebacker, sweetheart. My job is making sure no one gets through the line.”

“What about your spare time? What do you like to do when you’re not playing football?”

He grinned wickedly. “How about I show you again right now?”

“Cole!” She smacked his shoulder. “Apart from that.”

He shrugged. “Helping out a teammate’s camp for kids and doing some reading with a literacy program.”

Cole was used to people looking at him like he was a walking bank account. Like he was a hero, a sports god. But no one but his grandmother had ever looked at him like this, like she saw something inside him that pleased her.

Anna's mouth was a light brush of pleasure against his. “Favorite color?”

He licked the curve of her lower lip, made her shiver against him as her nipples hardened into his chest. “Green.”

It sounded like she was having some trouble breathing evenly as she asked, “College?”

“University of Las Vegas.”

“Major?”

“Football.”

She gave him a hard look. “Do you ever think about anything else?” He shot her another wicked glance and she quickly said, “Never mind. Forget I asked. But apart from football, what classes did you like best?”

“Probability. Statistics.” Jesus, why was he telling her these things? “It’s one of the reasons I like football so much. Coming up with plays is a lot like the problems I used to do in class.”

Her answering smile stole his breath. “I thought you all just ran around and jumped on each other.”

“You’re so sweet. So naïve. Good thing there’s nothing I’d rather do than teach my sweet little schoolteacher all the things she doesn’t know.”

He cupped her ass and pulled her tighter into him, ready to move onto the next part of getting to know each other better.

“Wait,” she said breathlessly, “I still don’t know where you were born.”

“Vegas.”

“What about your parents?”

He gave her his standard answer. “I don't have that many memories of them.”

“How old were you when they passed away?”

He’d been asked this question a thousand times at press conferences and interviews, but never with such palpable concern.

Never by anyone who really cared.

“Five.”

“Cole.” She stroked his cheek, her fingertips feathering pleasure across his skin. “I’m so sorry.”

He forced a shrug. “My grandmother took care of me. She was great.”

“You’re great, Cole.”

And then, finally, he was back to where they started, with his mouth a breath away from hers.

The chorus to I Just Called To Say I Love You played from her purse.

“Oh no. I need to get that.”

She pushed out of his arms and pulled the phone out of her purse on the kitchen counter.

“Hi, Mom. I was going to call, I swear. It all happened so fast.” She shot him a wild look. “You want us to come over? Right now?”

Cole fought back panic. Meeting the parents wasn’t something he did. Hell, there’d been no chance of that from one-night stands.

But he’d married Anna.

And her family wanted to meet her husband.

Fuck.

It had all seemed so simple in the club, when he was kissing her, and holding her, and looking for a Hail Mary pass that would fill his grandmother’s dying wish.

First the paps. Now Anna’s parents and siblings.

What would be next?

Anna looked so panicked—he hated to see her doing anything but smiling or crying out in ecstasy—that when she sent him a silent question with her eyes, he found himself nodding.

“Okay. Yes, we can come. Back in San Francisco. No we haven’t eaten.” Her eyes grew bigger. “Everyone’s going to be there?” She swallowed hard. “Fantastic.” She put the phone down. “We’re having dinner with my family.” She put her face in her hands. “What am I going to tell them?”

Shit. He’d asked her to lie to his grandmother. But he couldn’t ask her to lie to her own family.