For the Love of the Game

by Rhonda Laurel

  “Well, I’m lucky if I can get a tank of gas with my credit card.”

  “If you need anything, I would be happy to—”

  Morgan put her hand up to his chest in an attempt to stop him from finishing his sentence. Seth put his hand over hers.

  “Morgan. Don’t over think this. I’ll send a car to get you at eight.” Seth’s hands fell to her waist; he pulled her against him. His mouth covered hers, his tongue pressing lightly for her to open, and Morgan’s tongue met his. She glided her hands up his back and caressed him under the polo shirt he wore. For a moment the world faded out and it was only the two of them. It wasn’t until Patton let out a loud whistle that they realized they were in the middle of a festival. They broke apart, both breathing heavily.

  “Eight o’clock,” Seth said with a wild look in his eyes.

  “Yep,” Morgan breathed.

  “What are you doing to do with the merchandise?”

  “You bought it. What do you want to do with it?”

  Seth stepped forward to address the crowd. “Can I have your attention, everyone? My wife, Morgan, has been gracious enough to donate the remainder of her merchandise. Anyone interested can help themselves to what’s on the tables.”

  Morgan’s tables were clean within fifteen minutes.

  * * *

  Morgan was getting ready for her date when her doorbell rang. It was her driver for the evening, who introduced himself as Oscar, handed her a dozen roses and informed her he would be waiting for her outside whenever she was ready to go. Oscar opened the car door for her when she emerged from the apartment building. She climbed in to find a bottle of champagne waiting for her.

  The ride to Seth’s penthouse was sublime. Oscar had classical music pumping through the speakers, and Morgan even poured herself a glass of champagne. She peered out the dark window, watching the scenery. Philadelphia seemed majestic to her at night. Oscar finally stopped in front of the Ashcroft Building, an old historic landmark that had been turned into luxury condos about twenty years ago. The lobby of the building looked like a museum. She remembered a newspaper article that said it was being listed as a stop on a tour schedule for its architectural history. She even had a book on the history of the Ashcroft at the bookstore.

  Oscar escorted her in and handed her over to a surly man named Eli. Eli smiled politely at her and informed her that Mr. Blake was waiting for her. He escorted her into the elevator, entered a key and pushed the penthouse button, then stepped out.

  Butterflies invaded her stomach as she ascended higher and higher. She played with her ponytail and suddenly felt underdressed. She’d opted for a nice pair of gray slacks and a blue cardigan. She’d even managed to put on some lip gloss. She’d seen him in cargo pants, a speedo, and even jeans. She wondered what the superstar football player dressed in when he was lounging around his penthouse apartment in a building that had been featured in several style magazines. She got her answer when the elevator doors opened and Seth stood in his doorway waiting for her in a pair of black slacks and a black silk shirt. Although it kind of looked like bed head, his hair was perfectly moussed, and she could tell he’d shaved. The only thing missing was a ten-gallon cowboy hat and a pistol on his side.

  “Morgan,” was all he said.

  “Hi, Seth.”

  Seth took her hand and guided her into the penthouse. “Did you enjoy the car ride?”

  “I-it was excellent,” she stuttered, distracted, as he caressed the back of her hand.

  “Welcome to my humble abode. Let’s get the tour out of the way. Shall we?”

  Seth kept a firm grip on her hand as if she was going to break loose and make a run for it. Not that she didn’t think of it. Every room he navigated her through had something eloquent, exotic, or sophisticated in it. There was rich black leather in the living room, an elegant marble dining room table with place settings for eight, and several flat screen televisions bolted to the walls of a room he called his strategy den. Each television was tuned to a different sports program. There was a wall with glass shelves that housed all his trophies. His bedroom was just as she’d imagined it. It looked like a man lived there. He had a king-size sleigh bed draped in a bluish-gray bedding. There were two huge plasma televisions positioned on the wall opposite the bed.

  Two huge balcony doors led to a terrace lit softly with white decorative lights. When she peeked in the bathroom, she was amazed to see not two, but three sinks, a Jacuzzi, a shower fitted with ten strategically placed showerheads, and a claw-foot tub. In the center of the room was a fabric-covered bench with a magazine laying on it. So this was how the rich and famous lived?

  When they returned to the living room, she was at a loss for words. She knew it was rude the way she kept quiet, but she was still taking it all in. There seemed to be never-ending contrasts and layers to this man. The simple, sweet, anonymous Seth she’d met on the island was getting further and further away from her, and she missed him. But was it really fair to make him some one-dimensional character in her mind? Perhaps if they’d never seen one another again she could have lived with that perception of him. And now that she was crawling out on the other side of her romantic dream getaway scenario, it was a bit overwhelming.

  “You look very nice tonight.” He smiled. “I forgot to tell you that when you got off the elevator, I was so happy you didn’t cancel.”

  “Thank you,” she said she as wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I had no idea I was coming to… I would have worn something else.”

  “Nonsense. I only dress up when I’m networking. I would rather be back on my ranch at home with a pair of dirty jeans on and taking a stroll with Iris.”

  “Iris?” She bit her lip, hearing another woman’s name.

  “Iris,” he repeated and brought her over to a photo. “Iris is one of the best things in my life.”

  Morgan reluctantly honed in on the picture only to discover that Seth was in it standing next to a horse. A beautiful horse, but nonetheless a horse. She let out a chuckle. “Iris is a horse.”

  “Not just a horse.” He grinned and grabbed her hand. “A good friend. But admit it. For a minute you were jealous.”

  Morgan suppressed a grin. The man wanted her to admit being jealous over what had turned out to be a horse. “You really are a cowboy, aren’t you?”

  “I’d love to take you to the ranch. We could ride together.”

  “I don’t ride, Seth.”

  “I don’t believe that.” He smirked.

  “Where exactly have you seen a slew of horse stables in Philly?”

  “They’re around. And you have the rest of the state of Pennsylvania.”

  “I’m a city girl. And no matter what I’m surrounded by, I’ve always remained within my urban perimeter.”

  “I could teach you to ride,” he said in a husky tone. “Riding a horse is all about finding a rhythm. It’s like making love. When you find that right person, you develop a rhythm with them. It’s all about moving together and keeping a pace.”

  She hadn’t realized it, but Seth was putting his own words into practical application. He placed his hands on her waist and drew her closer to him. As he pressed her against him, she thought maybe he did have a hidden gun somewhere on him because she could feel a bulge in the front of his pants. Seth leaned down and moved his mouth against hers; it only took Morgan a second to let him slide his tongue into her mouth. He sucked on her tongue and ran his fingers through her hair, stopping at the clip holding her ponytail in place. He opened the clip and slid it into his pocket. His skin warmed every place Morgan’s hands glided on his body.

  Seth was pretty sure he was getting another hand job from her, but this one was on purpose. He started his journey from the living room to the bedroom. With each step they took, a piece of clothing was removed. By the time they reached the doorway of his bedroom Morgan was wearing a fancy black lace bra and panties and Seth was naked. He couldn’t kiss her enough, caress her enough, or love her enough. That
was what he was feeling—love for his petite, feisty, stubborn bookstore owner. His heart began beating faster as the word love bounced around inside his head. Seth pulled back his sheets as best he could while liberating Morgan from her bra. He immediately cupped her breasts. She moaned in appreciation of his thoughtfulness. Everything about her body was smooth and soft. Nothing in his life could compare to the feelings this woman evoked in him. He reached in his nightstand and pulled out a condom. If Morgan had given the slightest hint that he didn’t need to use it, he would have happily hurled it over the balcony. But for now being responsible won out over throwing caution and common sense to the wind.

  Tomorrow he would tell her his true intention for inviting her to his house. Tomorrow he would give her a heartfelt speech about how he was falling in love with her and wanted to share his crazy Seth Blake, the Quarterback Corporation life with her. Tomorrow he would tell her the book signing at Reed Books was a ruse to let him pay for her repairs so she didn’t have to worry so much about keeping the store afloat. Tomorrow he would tell her he’d had his entire staff in Texas looking for a stallion for her so she could learn how to ride with him. Tomorrow they would figure out how to integrate two very different lives in a happy living arrangement. Tomorrow he would give her keys to the penthouse, hoping like hell she’d say she’d move in with him. Tomorrow.

  * * *

  Seth Blake might have been the pride of Philadelphia right now, but his greatest test was going to be surviving meeting Morgan’s family. After spending almost every day together for three weeks, she told him she would be busy the following Saturday.

  “Family thing. I promised my dad I would a while ago. But we could meet up afterward.” She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  Seth started the blender again, mixing his daily ritual breakfast energy shake. Morgan winced at half the things he put in there, but he was convinced he could get her to try it.

  “Uh, Morgan honey, did it ever occur to you to invite your husband?”

  “Hey, Seth, did you know your Southern comes out of you when you are trying to be charming or mildly pissed off?”

  “Is that right?” He winked at her.

  “That’s right.”

  “Why didn’t you invite me?”

  “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to go. We’ve been doing a good job dodging the press, but my family is another thing. I’m not sure you can handle it.”

  “I can handle it.” He patted his chest. “Me strong like bull.”

  “Do you bring your equipment home? You may need it.”

  * * *

  After summoning them all to her father’s house to tell them about her marriage and wading through a myriad of arguments with her family, she finally called Seth over. Four grown men waited on the porch for Seth like he was coming to pick her up for her first date. She had to hand it to Sydney, her father’s wife, for stepping in and calming everyone down. She and Sydney had never had very much to say to each other, but she was thankful her father had waited until Morgan was sixteen before he started dating again. He had been alone for a while; Morgan’s mom had died from pneumonia when Morgan was nine. By the time Curtis and Sydney were getting serious, Morgan was on her way to college.

  She could see Seth getting out of his Range Rover and thought how incredibly brave or brain damaged he was for coming to her father’s house. But he was serious about his intentions.

  “I don’t know who’s crazier, you for having the guts to face your family, or Seth for walking into the lion’s den,” Sydney said as she watched the debacle unfolding.

  “Would you believe I had no idea who he was?” Morgan asked.

  “I can believe that. If it weren’t for your father and brothers you probably wouldn’t know what a football looked like.” She snickered. “Good gracious, he’s even better-looking in person.”

  Morgan went for the door but Sydney put her hand on her shoulder. “I know you are a grown woman and can make your own decisions, but those men on that porch care about you in their own obnoxious, overbearing way. They’ve never really met anyone you’ve dated before, and they have to feel like they didn’t just give you to Seth. I know it sounds silly, and it is, but that’s what they probably feel.”

  Morgan turned around, amazed at the quiet wisdom of her stepmother. All those years she’d been avoiding her like the plague, trying to keep clear on her feelings for her mother. So she followed Sydney into the kitchen and they fixed something to eat and some iced tea in silence. Eventually the men came in the house, and if she was correct, she even heard some laughter.

  “All clear?” Morgan yelled from the kitchen.

  “Really, Morgan,” her brother Robert said, “you would think we were animals or something. We just had to check Seth out. MVP last year or not.”

  All the men seemed to get a chuckle out of that. It seemed being the MVP had once again been an asset to Seth. A few hours later she gave him a tour of her dad’s house and they ended up in the backyard on a swing.

  “So this is where you spent your summer days?”

  “Yeah. Must seem really small compared to the sprawling ranch you lived on.”

  “Not really. In Texas there’s just a lot of land.”

  “Yeah, but still.”

  “Morgan, I know you look at us and see so many things that are different. And in this world today people make sure they stick with their kind and promote separatism. I can assure you we have more in common than the things we don’t. And just to let you know, I’ve dated all kinds of women before. But I’ve never dated a bookstore owner.”

  “Well, I’ve never dated a jock.”

  He made a coughing noise. “I will have you know that I am more than a jock. I got my college degree, and I’m currently taking courses online for my master’s. It fits into my schedule and cuts down on the hysteria sometimes, staying in the shadows.”

  “So what are you getting your master’s degree in?”

  “Psychology,” he said. “I’m a good player, because I look at all aspects of the game. And a bulk of the game is played in your head before you hit the field.”

  “Well, well.” She chuckled and gave him an appreciative look. “You’ve met the immediate family. How do you feel about meeting the rest of them?”

  “Anything you want to do is fine with me.”

  “I want to go back to your apartment and let me show you my appreciation for putting up with my family.” She waggled her eyebrows.

  Morgan let out a giddy yelp as Seth picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and headed for his Range Rover.

  * * *

  The family party was the following weekend, and Seth had not wavered about wanting to attend. Morgan thought it was sweet he wanted to meet her family and have a public relationship. This would be the first of many steps of acknowledging to the world that they were a couple. She only wished her family wasn’t so outlandish. There was no doubt in her mind that something wacky would happen; she’d had a knot in her stomach all morning. But when Seth grabbed his car keys and her hand and headed for the elevator, she began to feel at ease. She was a nervous wreck and he seemed cool as an ice cube.

  By the time they arrived, the family barbecue was in full swing. Morgan held Seth’s hand and made her way to her father and brothers. She gained confidence when she was around those burly, meddlesome men. Some of her cousins came over, and just like she’d imagined, word was spreading that Seth Blake was here with her. Her father made a stern yet friendly quip that Seth was there to spend time with his daughter, not sign autographs or give mock interviews. It all seemed to be going nicely until trouble arrived. Her brother Charles was the first to spot them coming up the driveway to the backyard.

  “Well, what do we have here?” Charles said in a thick voice. “Seth, my man, you are in for a treat today. ’Cause this barbecue is about to get interesting.”

  Morgan turned around to see why Charles was pointing. Her cousin Charisma had just walked into the backyard with
none other than Jason—her Jason—on her arm. Jason must have felt a chill as cold as the Grim Reaper’s hand on his shoulder because his gaze flew up and locked onto hers.

  Morgan had gone silent, but her brothers and her father were grumbling something about whooping the guy’s ass. As if they knew they were the center of attention, the guy and girl slowly came their way, with all eyes following them.

  The woman spoke first. “Hey Morgan. I know this is awkward and embarrassing as hell, but Jason and I have been trying to tell you for weeks about us. We didn’t know if you would come today, but frankly I’m tired of putting my life on hold for you. We are happy.” Charisma took a step back and rubbed Jason’s arm. “And I am sorry you didn’t satisfy him or he wouldn’t have come to me.”

  Morgan stared at both of them in disbelief. Charisma stood there with her arm around Jason like someone had just given her a new puppy. She had to get her bearings. A part of her wanted to ask the outraged questions and let the family drama play out, but she knew in her heart, no matter how it had happened, that she wasn’t terribly upset that someone took Jason. Though her family probably still reeled from the fact that superstar Seth Blake was at their barbecue, she thanked God he was there. First, it took a sting out of this moment of humiliation. Secondly, she also realized Seth was standing behind her with his hand at the small of her back, and she found that very comforting. She would do damage control later. Right now she had to deal with the two would-be conspirators in front of her.

  “And what am I supposed to say, Charisma?” Morgan said, musing to herself that the plot just thickened when she said the name Charisma, knowing her cousin lacked any ounce of charisma. “Am I supposed to thank you for taking Jason off my hands?”

  “No, I expect you to be a lady and leave us alone,” Charisma said loudly.

  Jason decided to speak. “I’ve been trying to tell you. For months now.”

  “And when was that? Before or after you proposed we get married? Settle down?”