He emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist, pale, wan, shaking, and looking like death warmed over. He headed directly toward his bed, all dark eyes and stubbled strong jaw and edgy attitude, with droplets of water scattered over his long, tough body. She watched one fall from his hair to the tense muscles of his back, then run down the indention of his spine before vanishing into the towel. Her tongue would like to make the same trek.

“Thought you walked,” he said.

“Is that what you’d do? Walk away?”

“No, that’s what other people do to me.”

Her heart squeezed hard. “Well, I’ve never been very good at walking away, even when I should. Lie down, Pace, before you drop. I’ll go get the pills.”

He unhooked his towel and let it fall to the floor. Naked, he hit the bed, sprawling half facedown, half on his good side. He didn’t cover himself up—either because he didn’t care or because he couldn’t. Choosing to believe it was the latter, she pulled the covers over him, over those mile-long powerful legs, over the buns of steel she wanted to lean down and bite, over the sleek, smooth, sinewy expanse of his back.

“Thanks,” he muttered into his pillow. “Fair warning, my stomach is considering revolting.”

“Eat the toast.” She sat it down by him, then went back to the foyer for her purse, where she’d stuffed his pain pills.

There on the tile floor was the duffel bag Tucker had left. It’d opened a little when he’d tossed it down, and a foil pack was sticking out. Two of them, actually, one a vitamin packet, the other a powder labeled a long name she didn’t recognize.

She picked it up and flipped it over to read the ingredients, and recognized none. Grabbing Pace’s pills and the packet, she went back to his bedroom to ask him about it, but he was out like a light. She covered him with another blanket and went back to her bag, where she pulled out her laptop. With one ear cocked for Pace and anything he might need, she set about doing some research, while also doing the other thing she’d promised—not walking away.

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

It’s no coincidence that female interest in the sport of baseball has increased greatly since the ballplay- ers swapped those wonderful old-time baggy flannel uniforms for leotards.

—Mike Royko

By early evening, Tucker had gone back to Pace’s place. Sam dropped by as well, and Gage’s sister, and a few other friends. With Pace still sleeping, showing no signs of waking until morning, Holly left him in good hands. She went home to call a contact of hers in LA, who worked at a pharmaceutical company and could identify just about any substance.