by Nana Malone
She would find another court after she managed to get another racket, and that would be that. He’d go back to being a picture on tabloid pages, a figure on the TV screen. She would make him stop being a real person. She had to. Wanting him was dangerous, because a guy like him would never want someone like her. It was better to remember that.
Tami froze, pulled out of her reverie by the appearance of the man, himself.
This was what she got for thinking about him. Think of the devil and he shall appear. “What are you doing here, Bryce?”
“Odd, you never mentioned you worked for Legacy.”
She frowned. “Odd, you never asked.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because it isn't relevant. I barely know you, remember?”
Bryce shoved his hands in his pockets. “Why'd you take off?”
“I get it, you want to be a nice guy, but—”
“Look. Your racket. I have it in the car. I do hope you’ll still accept it.” She could hear the sincerity in his voice. No pretense. No games.
What did he want from her? She wasn’t used to this kind of just-because kindness.
“I…uh…”
“Tami,” Jim spoke behind her, and she jumped as if she’d been caught doing something very wrong. As she turned, he caught sight of Bryce. He immediately straightened, and beamed a smile. “Mr. Coulter. We weren’t aware you would be stopping by today. I understood your father was coming in to sign off on the accountant’s audit.”
Bryce nodded politely. “That's why I'm here. My father is unavailable right now, so I’ll be signing off on that for you.” he said, his gaze flickering to her face.
She swallowed hard, willing him to be silent. The last thing she needed was for her boss to know she’d been out that morning with one of the owners’ sons. She would never hear the end of it.
“Well, Tami here can show you around while I get it for you.”
“That's perfect. Because I've got questions for her.”
Jim scurried away, and Tami swallowed down a sigh. She knew there was no escaping Bryce. She was going to have to deal with him sooner rather than later.
Nine
Tami working at Legacy complicated things, but maybe they didn't have to. “Look, you didn’t buy a racket yourself, did you?”
She broke eye contact. “I haven’t yet,” she admitted. “I just got here an hour ago; haven’t had my break. I’ll get around to finding a new racket in my own time.”
There was something in her expression that gave Bryce pause. She might be picky when it came to choosing a new racket—he knew exactly what it took to find that perfect combination of grip, weight, and balance—but there was something more to it for Tami. She was worried about something besides her racket.
“Well, I know you liked the racket I bought you earlier. Since you did agree to let me replace the one you broke on my behalf…” Her expression didn’t change. It didn’t matter how long he talked; she wasn’t warming up. “Maybe we can talk later? When do you get off?” he asked, trying a different tactic.
“Not till later tonight. But…I will accept the racket from you. Thank you. I can take my break now and you can move it to my car. No need for you to have to wait. I’m sure you have places you need to be. I just need to go punch out and grab my keys from my locker.”
Damn it. Strike two.
Ten
Tami heard the clicking of Bryce’s crutches, as he followed her through a door marked ‘Employees Only.’
“Did I do something?” Bryce asked, as he tried to keep pace with her.
She knew her way around, which put her at a distinct advantage. It was childish, perhaps, but she almost hoped she might be able to lose him in the labyrinth of hallways leading from the storeroom past the delivery docks and to the break room. Completely unlikely. “Nope. Just being you.” Too perfect. Too much.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to make me go away?” he continued.
“Whatever could’ve given you that idea?” With him so close, she felt off-balance. The moment the words were out, she regretted them. She wasn’t good at this kind of stuff. Bryce would chew her up and spit her out. But she didn’t want to hurt him.
They reached the break room, and Tami breathed a small sigh of relief when she discovered it was empty. She crossed to her locker and began twirling the knob to enter the combination.
Bryce pulled himself up alongside her, and leaned against the bank of lockers lining the rest of the wall. “I think that if you really wanted me to go away and leave you alone, you’d have said something,” he whispered. “I think—”
“You seem nice. But I think you’re barking up the wrong tree. You, this, us. Save your breath; we wouldn’t work.”
Bryce’s smile faltered. “You know what I think? I think I get under your skin and it freaks you out.”
Tami shook her head; she needed to focus. She lost her place in opening the lock and had to start again. “You’re wrong. I don’t feel anything. Hell, I barely know you.”
“I’m…” His voice trailed off, and he sighed. “I like you, and I’m trying here. If we could just…start again,” he said carefully. “Tami, I would like to take you out to dinner.”
Damn he was persistent. And she was only so strong.
She successfully opened the lock, and pulled the door to the locker open. “As a way to repay me for dealing with that mugger? Look, the racket is more than enough—”
“No, I would like to ask you out on a date,” he clarified, slowly, as if she didn’t understand English, or something.
Tami looked away from him as she reached for her purse. She couldn’t look at him and say ‘no.’ It was the one thing she knew she should say, and she wanted to say it, but she couldn’t.
“I just…I don’t think that would be a good idea,” she managed.
Tami watched his jaw tighten. The fact that she hadn’t actually said ‘no’ had clearly been noted. “Give me one good reason. A legitimate reason. Not a bullshit one.”
She sighed.
“I’ve seen the kinds of girls you usually date, and that’s not me, that’s not who I am,” she started rambling. “I’m not someone who is comfortable winding up on the front page of a tabloid, or being watched and followed anywhere by anyone. I get that you’re someone who’s used to having things go your way all the time, but I can’t stand that, and don’t want to be around anyone who’s like that—frankly, I get more than enough of that here at work, so it’s not something I’m looking—”
“You think that I’m only interested in you because you’re playing hard to get?” His lips tipped into a slight smile.
Tami halted. Why was he smiling? “Well, it’s the only thing that makes sense. And I’m not playing. I don’t date.”
“Like, me specifically, or you don’t date guys? Or you don’t date ever? Because the fact is, that I think you’re beautiful, and in my professional opinion, I think you’re good enough to compete—and maybe you have, maybe you haven’t, but I have. And if you think there isn’t…rejection, or—or criticism that comes along with all that—playing in front of hundreds—thousands—of people—and with my family’s history tacked on… If you think I’m only pursuing you because I’m not used to hearing someone tell me ‘no,’ then you are mistaken. I hear no all the time. Hell, have you seen the tabloids lately? My ‘career’ is in shambles, or so they tell me. I like you. Just say yes.”
Tami swallowed and reached for her purse, at a complete loss for words.
“However,” Bryce added softly. “I think there’s more to this than you saying you’re not interested. Maybe I’ve come on a little strong, and if I have, I apologize, but I think you like me too, and you’re scared.”
Her brows shot up. “How can I like you when I don’t even know you?”
“Then get to know me,” he offered with a small smile. “That’s kind of the point of a date. Come to dinner with me tonight. Or if you are so convince
d that you don’t like me—that you’re not attracted to me—and you don’t want to bother wasting your time, why don’t you save us both some time and just kiss me now. If you don’t feel anything, or if it’s all one sided, then I’ll leave you alone. I promise.”
Kiss him? Hell, yes. No. Kissing him would lead to wanting, and wanting would lead to another broken heart.
She turned to the door and began to lead the way through the hallways once more. “Forget the fact that we don’t know each other. What about me makes you want to get to know me in the first place? Is it some weird Florence Nightingale thing, ’cause I beat that guy up and helped you?”
“For the record, I was only there that night because I wanted to see you again and talk to you,” he said. “My interest in you predates my being indebted to you for your assistance. Not that I couldn’t have totally kicked his ass. You know, without the crutches.”
“Assistance? I saved your ass,” Tami rolled her eyes. Why couldn’t she just walk away? It was completely undermining her arguments against him and would only encourage him further.
“Fine. You did. But I wanted to learn more about you. Like how to make you smile more often. And how to make your nose scrunch up because it’s cute. And how and when you learned to play. You have a lot of talent, and watching you was just… It was mesmerizing.”
She eyed him skeptically. “Really? Was it just my skills you were checking out?”
He shrugged with a sheepish smile. “Well, I’m a guy, so of course I was, ah, admiring your physique,” Bryce admitted. “But it doesn’t mean I didn’t notice the level of your game. You have a strong, natural talent, but what’s more important is that you clearly want to be there. You are passionate about it. I can see that more, now that I know more about you,” he emphasized.
He continued speaking as he followed her back through the corridors. “You need to play. Even after working however many hours on your feet, you still go to that court and play your heart out, because it’s something you love. And that…I get that, and there are times—like now,” he said, indicating his injured leg, “when I need to know that someone else gets it the same way I do, that it’s not about whether or not I can get back to the top in a major tournament. It’s about getting back out on the court at all. And if I can’t do it as a player, what are my options? And when I saw you playing… I don’t know why, but it gave me hope—more hope than I’ve felt from my family or my doctors or anybody else in a long time. All I get from them is pressure and hollow assurances; nothing I can feel in my gut or believe with my whole being.”
He flushed a little under the fluorescent lighting, as if he realized just how much of his soul he’d just bared to her. And just like that, there went her willpower. She turned, reaching up to caress his face. She knew he was going to kiss her. She knew she shouldn’t want it. But she did. Even if she knew where it would end. As soon as their lips met, Tami knew it was the best and worst thing she’d ever done. But he tasted so damn good. For once, she wanted to not worry about consequences.
He hesitated a beat before deepening the kiss. But then he took over. His mouth was warm and soft on hers, as he shifted his weight on the crutches and brought one of his hands up to rest along her forearm, holding her in place. She opened her mouth beneath his, and he groaned as his tongue slid between her lips. She shifted closer to him so he wasn’t quite so hunched over, and he could bring his second arm up behind her and press her into his chest.
It still wasn’t close enough. And therein lay the biggest problem. One kiss, and she wanted more.
Holy hell. She tasted better than he thought. Like strawberries and hot summer nights. When she wound her fingers into his hair, he pulled her closer. It was supposed to be sweet. It was supposed to be brief. Fuck. But then, she slid her tongue over his, and it was like his brain shorted out. The next thing he knew, he had his hands in her hair, and he was kissing her deep. Tongues dueling, bodies pressed together. He licked into her mouth, again and again, making her whimper. God, she tasted so good. Yes. This. More. His brain function had been reduced to nothing more than a desperate, clawing need to have more, taste more. All he registered were the soft moaning sounds she made in the back of her throat, and the way her fingers clutched at his shirt. Blood rushed in his skull and all he could hear was the roar as lust chased away reason. His erection pressed tightly against his zipper.
With a frustrated groan, he backed her up against the wall. He needed both of them more stable, so he could kiss her more deeply.
He groaned his satisfaction. Fuck, she was so dangerously addicting. But it was when she rocked her hips against him, that his legs threatened to give out. Her pelvis pushed against his straining erection. And holy fuck, that felt good. So damn good. He did it again and she matched his returns. The tingle in his spine warned him that this was too fast. Too soon. But God… yeah… so good. Just then, there was a noise farther down the hallway.
“Bryce,” Jim called before rounding the corner.
They sprang apart and Tami's fingers flew to her lips.
Jim's eyes went wider and wider, and he started to sputter.
“Jim, I can explain,” Tami started. Bryce reached for her, but she tugged her arm away. “No. My life was good before you showed up. Now, everything is chaos. Just stay away.”
“Tami!” he called, attempting to pursue her on his crutches. “Wait!” He could only watch helplessly as she ran toward the exit.
As she ran, humiliation and fury coursed through Tami. What had she just done? Let Bryce Coulter hump her against the wall…at her workplace. Check that—former workplace, judging by Jim's expression. That was it. It was over. Her locker was already empty—she generally kept all her belongings in her purse, anyway. Digging out her keys, she managed to make it to her car—slamming the door and throwing her purse to the floor—before the tears breached the threshold.
She kept them mostly at bay until she was halfway back to her apartment. The rest of the drive was a watery blur, until she let herself into her apartment and flopped down on the couch to mourn the loss of the job she tolerated and…whatever it was that she’d felt with Bryce. She didn’t want it. The feelings, the longing, the need. They were too much.
Then why did she miss him already? Because you’re an idiot, that’s why.
***
“Jim, that was not what it looked like.”
The older man blustered. “It looked like one of my employees fraternizing with management.”
Fuck, this was the last thing he needed. “That kiss was my fault. And to be fair, she was on her break.”
In Tami’s absence and under Bryce’s fierce scrutiny, Jim was losing his bluster. “Such behavior is not and will not be tolerated,” he persisted.
Bryce hated people like this—ones that used their name and position to get their way. But he was pulling out all the stops, if it was going to protect her. “It is my family’s company,” he pointed out. “She was on break. She wasn’t on the clock. Yes, I picked the wrong location, but you won't even write her up for this. I doubt you’re allowed to fire her for anything she does while she’s on personal time.” He knew he was reaching, but he wasn't letting this button-pusher try and fire her, simply because he’d taken the opportunity to kiss her.
Jim paled. “I…I’ll…I’m sure this can be cleared up.”
“I’ll go talk to her,” Bryce promised, eager to get away from someone so needy and sycophantic. He took the forms from Jim’s hand, and quickly signed them. He needed to find Tami quickly. There was just one problem…he still had no idea where she lived.
Bryce kept his head down as he hobbled through the store. His earlier stumble had attracted enough attention, and he doubted people had stayed quiet about it.
He made it through the store and to his car unimpeded, ignoring the hum of recognition growing behind him. Maybe a few people had snapped photos on cell phones, but since his injury, general interest in him had faded.
He didn’t
have much to go on to find her. The only options he had were the court, or the pizza parlor she'd taken him too.
Pizza parlor it is, then.
When Bryce walked into the pizza parlor, the man behind the counter remembered him, but wouldn’t give out Tami’s address.
“She’s one of my best customers. And she’s a good kid. I don’t even know you.”
“Thanks anyway, man,” Damn, Bryce needed a break. Just a chance to talk to her. She was right—he’d showed up, and in the span of only a few days, she’d lost her racket, her place to play, and almost lost her job.
Just as he was about to turn to leave, the guy reached across the counter and gave Bryce a tap on the arm. “I can’t give you her address,” he said, lowering his voice, “but I don’t mind telling you that she doesn’t always call ahead for delivery. Actually, she has a bit of a regular schedule. Most of the time, she picks up a slice or two here. It’s cheaper.”
“Most of the time?” Bryce asked, still unsure just what the man was trying to convey.
“I think you should order a slice for yourself and take a seat in that booth over there.” He pointed to a spot that was out of the way for most people coming into the pizzeria, but had a direct line of sight to the counter. “If you eat slow enough, you might find it worth the wait.”
“Ah,” Bryce said with a nod, understanding flashing in his brain. “Just one slice, and I’ll have a bag of chips, as well.” Just what he needed. It would give him some time to contemplate his plan of attack.
“So he kissed you.” Amy's brows rose.
Tami wrapped her arms around herself, and rocked back and forth on Amy’s white shag carpet. Her friend’s roommate had excellent taste in modern furniture, right down to the carpeting. “Not exactly. I—uh, I kissed him.”