by Lea Hart
“I don’t like listening to my heart, because it’s proven to be completely unreliable. It can’t be trusted in situations like this. Hell, I dated Brian…even when I knew better.”
“That was probably just hormones and nothing more.”
“Isn’t that what this is? Lust, desire, and hormones?”
Leaning forward, he grabbed both of her hands and made sure that she was paying attention. “This is the real thing. This is the thing that lasts a lifetime. Don’t get confused, Ronnie…this is what happens when two people are meant to be together—forever.” Studying her, he realized that she wasn’t happy at the prospect of the two of them together for a lifetime. Oh well, someday she would be. Nothing good came easy, and he was all about the hard work. “More champagne?”
“Yes, please. I would love to see your sexy behind…so go get us more champagne.” She laughed at her own joke and almost slipped under the water. She felt his hand pull her up and forward. “Please.” The water moved as Chase stepped out of the tub, and watching the view made her smile in delight. Maybe this was her reward for years of bad dates, missed opportunities, and good behavior: Chase Bedford’s naked behind walking away to get her some more to drink. The man was perfection, and he seemed to want her for more than a quick affair. Could she believe in the fairytale again?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Monday
Walking along the path to the restaurant, Chase searched for Ronnie. She wasn’t sitting on the steps like she had been for the last couple of days. He’d finished his run and expected to see her with a cup of coffee and the phone glued to her ear, and she was nowhere to be found. He felt a small trickle of panic run down his spine and wondered if the woman who’d been threatening her had tracked them down. Knowing it was ridiculous didn’t stop the thought from buzzing around in his head. Walking up the steps to the restaurant, he spotted her sitting at a table with her laptop open and a phone glued to her ear. A whoosh of breath left him when he saw that she was unharmed, though the look on her face had him wondering if everything was okay. She appeared worried, and her agitated voice suggested it was more than a problem with her business. He watched her end the call and glance up at him with worried eyes. “What can I do to help?”
She pulled his hand and held it as he sat next to her. “The woman who’s been threatening me showed up at the office this morning and pulled a knife on Amanda. This is all my fault.” Tipping her head against his chest, she felt a tear run down her cheek. “I should’ve taken this more seriously. I thought she was just a money grubbing slut, not a dangerous woman. I never would’ve guessed she was capable of this.”
Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her head as his heart beat noisily against his chest. The idea of Ronnie being in danger terrified him, and he knew he would do anything to keep her safe. “You are not responsible for what a crazy woman does.”
“Oh, yes, I am. I didn’t have the proper alarm system installed, and now my employee was terrorized. I’m responsible.”
“Let’s get a system installed, and I’ll hire security for the office. Neither of you will ever be left alone again. I should’ve done this before we left. Gerald told me about the threats, and I ought to have been more proactive.”
“It’s not up to you to, Chase. It’s up to me.”
“It’s up to us. I didn’t like the idea of the flimsy locks that you have on your office doors, and the parking situation is completely unsafe.” Feeling her pull away, he relaxed his hold and studied her face. “I think I met the woman who has been threatening you. I had an encounter with a crazy lady the day that I brought the cookies, and she mentioned your name. I can’t believe that I didn’t put it together before this. I’m sorry, honey.” He watched her face for a reaction, and he saw a resolve that told him that she was ready to deal with the situation. No more pretending like it wasn’t real. For either of them.
“There’s no way that you could’ve known that the encounter was related to my predicament.” She moved her fingers over his and took comfort in his presence. “I spoke with Joel, and he’s having a system put in today, and they’re looking into the threats the woman has made. He’s going to come over this afternoon and give me a report and a plan.”
“Who the hell is Joel?”
Patting his leg, she shook her head. “Take a breath and relax while I explain.” She waited while he pulled himself under control. “Joel heads up the SAI office in Miami. He’s a retired SEAL and works with Max, who’s married to Rory, who is Birdie’s best friend and Ana’s cousin. It’s a family thing.”
“I have no idea what you just said, except the family part.”
“That’s all you need to worry about. He’s going to handle security and have one of his guys make sure that Amanda is safe.” She lifted her hand and signaled to the waiter for more coffee. The charm bracelet that he’d given her last night slid down her wrist and made a little tinkling sound. Smiling, she laid her hand over his. “I’m going to handle this and not ignore it anymore.”
The waiter came up and refilled Ronnie’s cup and then filled one for him. “We are going to handle it together. I’m not leaving your side until the woman is put away.”
“Let’s not go crazy until we hear from Joel.” Shaking her head, she took a sip of coffee. “I put Amanda in danger, and I feel horrible. I told her to take the next couple of weeks off and promised to make the changes necessary before she came back.”
The waiter returned and asked if they were ready to eat. Chase gave him their order and watched the man walk away. “What made this woman so mad?”
“Her boyfriend told her that he couldn’t buy her a car because he was on a budget. She lost her mind and grilled him, and he did what I tell all my clients to do. He blamed me. It usually works and the women back off, knowing that the men only have limited funds. I do this specifically so that my clients can learn to live within a reasonable budget and also not succumb to every request that comes their way.”
“It sounds like a great strategy. Except when you have a person like the one who’s coming after you.”
“I tell my clients that I’ll stand between them and anyone who wants to separate them from their hard-earned wealth. I work too hard to have it pissed away. This is a huge life change for most of the people I work with, and it takes a while before they’re ready to manage it responsibly. I have to make sure their money works for them for the rest of their lives.”
“When I signed my first big contract, it felt like winning the lottery. I came from a middle class family, and all of a sudden, I had an insane amount of money at my disposal. If it hadn’t been for my manager and agent, I probably would’ve pissed a lot of it away,” Chase said.
“I saw your portfolio, and it appears that you didn’t do that, because the only thing you’ve splurged on was your airplane. You seemed to have kept most of it and make it work for you.”
“By the grace of God and my stubborn agent.” The waiter brought their food to the table, and Chase made sure that Ronnie had what she needed. He watched her scoop half of his bacon onto her plate along with some eggs. She put several pancakes on his and pushed the fruit in front of him. Nodding her head in satisfaction, she started eating. This was definitely more than two people rolling around in the sheets; this was something real. At least it was for him. The small ways she took care of him made him feel like it might be for her, too.
“That’s all I want for my clients. This is their shot at changing not only their lives but their kid’s lives and doing some good in the process.”
“How long is your waiting list for new clients?”
“I’m not sure. The last time I looked it was over two hundred.” She poured some syrup on her pancakes and then licked her finger. “I was going to expand my office, but I decided not to. I know it’s possible to have it all, but it can’t all happen at the same time. I want babies soon, so I’m going to keep the business the size it currently is.”
He covered her hand with hi
s and gave her a huge grin. “I’m available for baby-making, Ronnie. I would love to put a baby in you.”
“It’s good to know. Ana told me that we would make some good-looking kids together, so I’ll move your name to the top of the list.”
“Who the hell else is on the list?”
She swirled her pancakes in the puddle of syrup on her plate and shoved a bite into her mouth. After she was done chewing, she wiped her mouth delicately and smiled. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
“Very mature.”
“That’s what you are…but what am I?” Snorting, she slapped her leg as her own joke made her laugh.
“I wish your clients could see you now.” He watched her straighten as her smile fell away. Bad move.
“You wouldn’t do that, would you?” She gave him an evil eye to make sure that he understood the gravity of what she was saying. “It’s important that they have confidence in me. I’m managing an enormous amount of money for these people, and they need to think of me as a serious professional…not a girl who snorts at her own jokes.”
Leaning forward, he kissed her head. “Honey, I would never do anything to jeopardize your business. It was just a bad joke. I wouldn’t tell anyone about how we are together. This is private.” He captured her mouth and kissed her with the feelings that were starting to fill his heart. “This is real, and it’s between you and me and no one else.”
Leaning her head against his, she let out a small breath. “I have to make sure that my clients trust me, so I act professionally at all times. I don’t have the luxury of becoming friends with them, because then they won’t listen to me.”
“I know, honey. It’s the same way I behave when coaching. I have to be the example of what I am asking from the players. Lead by actions and not words.”
“Exactly.” She stole a piece of bacon off his plate and smiled as she ate it. Chase was turning out to be a lot more than she bargained for. Sitting before her was a man who had experience and maturity. He was different from anyone that she ever dated, and that was turning out to be a very good thing. Running her fingers up his forearm, she sighed. He certainly had the potential to become everything she ever dreamed about.
*******
Ronnie stood next to the car as Chase loaded their bags into the back. “I hate to go home and face reality. This was one of the best weekends of my life, and I would love to come back soon.”
“Let’s check our calendars and figure out when we can come back.” He enveloped her in his arms and glanced over her head at the ocean and let out a sigh. He knew it was going to be difficult to preserve what they had when they moved back into their own lives. But he was determined to figure out a way.
“I think that coin has flipped, Chase. What I’m feeling for you definitely has nothing to do with hate. It’s something else entirely.”
He leaned over and smiled into her eyes. “It’s just the beginning.” Opening the car door, he helped her in and buckled her seat belt. This was the window of opportunity that he’d needed, and he was going to make sure that he made the most of it. Climbing in, he smiled in her direction. “Let’s go and meet Joel and see what we can do to make sure that you and Amanda are safe.”
“All right. Time to face the music.” His hand covered hers as she leaned her head back and caught one last glimpse of paradise. “Sometimes, I don’t enjoy being an adult.”
Chase navigated them off the resort and made his way to the highway. “You seem to excel at it.” Glancing over, he noticed her smile had faded. “I thought you were a fearsome thing when I spoke to you on the phone that first time. You gave me the what for and never backed down, even though I gave you everything I had.”
“I’m great in business. That’s my sweet spot of achievement…It’s just the rest of life that sometimes poses a challenge.” Squeezing his hand, she enjoyed the way he held on. He wasn’t shy about showing his physical affection outside of the bedroom. In fact, he always seemed to be touching her, not in a sexual way, but one that told her that he needed to be connected. What happened between them in bed was amazing, but what happened after they got out of it was making her rethink her approach. “I have a massive brain, and it usually works for me…until it doesn’t.”
“When does it fail you?” He released her hand and pulled her legs onto his lap and smiled when she sighed.
“Love. It fails me completely in relationships. The same thing has happened to Ana and Ella, but now they’ve found their mates, so they don’t have to worry about it. They both said that it was the men that made it work, and if it were up to them, they would still be single. My theory is that we are great at big ideas, but can’t seem to navigate the intricacies of human relationships. Unless it’s between our group of friends. The Stanford Five have remained close for all of these years because, for a long time, we were the only ones who got each other. I suppose it’s still true to this day. Except now Jack and Clark have joined our group.”
Rubbing her foot, he got them on the highway and headed home. “I know that Ella and Ana are part of the group. Who are the other two?”
“Jordan and Alex. Jordan has a doctorate in infectious diseases, and Alex plays for the Piranhas. We all met freshman year and we stuck, and they are the people that I rely on most in the world.”
“They are your team. It makes sense.”
“I never thought of it that way.” Smiling at him, she felt her heart fill with something that she didn’t recognize. Something warm and gooey. Strange.
“Each individual adds to the whole. Without one another, you wouldn’t be as strong or accomplish as much. Two is one, one is none, and a team is everything.”
“You’ve been on a team your whole life…What was it like when you retired and no longer had it?”
“Devastating. I knew that I wanted to go out on top, and that’s why I retired at thirty-three. We’d won our third Super Bowl, and I knew I could never top that. I wasn’t going be the guy holding on to something when it was time to pass on the torch. I didn’t need the money, and the fame never meant that much to me, but being on a team was everything. That’s why I decided to go into coaching. I still wanted be in the environment, and that was my best opportunity. I always thought I would end up coaching high school or at a small college, not an NFL team. But my former coach asked me to come out and help, and that’s how I landed up in Jacksonville.”
“So do you think you’ll stay with the team?”
“I don’t think so. I ended up with the head coaching job when my former coach passed away suddenly from a heart attack. They needed someone to jump in and save as much of the season as they could. So that’s what I did. The owner is not a football guy. He’s a billionaire who bought the team as a vanity project, and he treats it as such. He’s talked about moving the team to England, and I’m not sure there is a real future there for me. I don’t enjoy the politics of the head coach position. I like being on the field with my players making sure they’re doing the best they can and achieving everything possible. That’s not necessarily what a head coach does in the NFL, at least not for this particular team. I spend too much time on the phone with the owner listening to his ideas, and I have no patience for it. My agent is looking for a small college job for my next move.”
“Where would you like to end up?”
He knew that it was a loaded question, and he needed to be as honest as he could with her. “Up until Friday, it didn’t much matter to me. But I want something with you, so I’ve instructed him to find me something in South Florida.” Watching her face for a reaction, he continued. “After all, I promised to do the morning school run, and I can’t do that if I’m living in another state for six months out of the year.” He noticed that her hand had moved to her throat, and she was staring out the window like the answer to everything lay outside on the Overseas Highway.
She gave the window a faint smile and patted his arm. “I think I’ll take a nap.”
“Is your big bra
in failing you?”
“Absolutely. I’m calculating returns on Apple shares in my head to calm myself down.”
Patting her leg, he responded, “That’s a good idea, honey. When we get married, you’re going to have a lot of money to manage.” Chancing a glance in her direction, he noticed her face was scrunched up and her eyes were firmly closed. Maybe he should’ve saved that until later.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“It’s Tuesday morning, and I should be in my office, not at home,” Ronnie complained.
“You can’t go back to your office until Joel installs the new system and works out a schedule for your bodyguard.” Chase got up and grabbed the coffee pot and refilled both of their cups. “I thought what we did this morning would put you in a better mood.” Sitting next to her, he watched her face flush and a small smile form on her lips. “It put me in a great mood, and I expect it will last for the rest of the day.” Leaning over, he pressed his lips against hers and waited until she kissed him back. “I plan on kissing you a lot, because I don’t want you to go back to your wicked ways and kiss any man who crosses your path. Hell, I’m not going to let any man get within ten feet of you.”
Propping her face in her hands, she stared at him. “Last week I was searching for my gun. This week I’m rolling around in bed with you. I wonder what next week has in store for me.”
“Maybe we’ll get engaged and start on those babies you want.” Her hand came out and hit his arm, and then she left it there.
“Don’t be ridiculous. It will take at least a month for that to happen. Who knows, maybe you’ll irritate me, and I’ll start looking for my gun again.”
“I’m not going to let that happen. I plan on keeping you really satisfied so you’ll never have to hunt for your gun again.”