First Down (Texas Titans #3)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “You’d be able to do it now if you’d just fought for what you deserved,” Kari said.

  Alana loved her friend for looking out for her, but Kari would never understand the hell Ronan had put her through. By the time she finally broke free, she’d only wanted to cut all ties. Holding up their divorce in litigation would have been a nightmare. “I’m just glad it’s over. I’m finally rid of him, and I couldn’t be happier.” Alana got up when she heard a car pull into the gravel drive.

  Kari snuck a peek out the window as Grayson slammed the door of his silver Aston Martin. “Oh my God…” Her face lost color, and her blue eyes went wide with shock.

  “What’s wrong?” Alana asked, gripping her friend’s shoulder.

  “I thought that was him for a minute.”

  “Who?”

  “Ronan.”

  “Oh, yeah.” A nervous giggle escaped Alana’s lips. “The resemblance is uncanny, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, but he can’t possibly be as big an ass as your ex.”

  “Don’t be so sure about that,” Alana said, linking arms with her friend. “Come on, let me introduce you to Mr. Wonderful. You can decide for yourself whether he’s the devil in disguise. Lord knows I can’t trust my own instincts.”

  Chapter Three

  Quaint. That’s the word Grayson would have used to describe the little house where Alana was staying. It wasn’t at all what he’d been expecting. He’d pegged her for a gold digger, even though she claimed she hadn’t wanted anything from her ex. She’d no doubt married him for the cars, jewelry, clothes, trips… Grayson knew that type of woman too well. They wanted it all without expecting to give anything in return.

  He must have been scowling, because when the petite gray-haired lady answered the door, she asked, “Would you like to try that again, son?”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am,” Grayson said, feeling a little hot under the collar. She reminded him of his mother, who still scolded him when he forgot to mind his manners. “My name is Grayson. I’m here to pick up Alana. Is she ready?”

  “She is,” she said, opening the door farther and gesturing for him to enter. “Come in. My name’s Joanie. I’m Kari’s mama. Can I get you a glass of sweet tea before y’all leave?”

  “No thank you, ma’am. We really should get going. We have a dinner reservation after the gym.”

  She laughed as she slid her silver-framed glasses up on her head. “I can’t say I’ve ever had a date take me to the gym. I guess you score points for originality.”

  “Oh, this isn’t a date,” Grayson said quickly. “It’s just a business dinner. You see, my partner offered Alana a job and…” The words got stuck in his throat when he saw her descending the stairs in a black racer-back tank and running shorts. She hadn’t been kidding when she’d said she loved working out.

  “Hello, Grayson,” Alana said, gripping the wood banister as she cleared the last step. “You’re right on time. Are you trying to set a good example by being punctual?”

  She was teasing him, and he’d be damned if he wasn’t smiling. “I guess I am.” He glanced at her friend. She was short, blond, and curvy—the type he normally went for. But standing next to Alana, she didn’t hold his interest for more than a second.

  “I’d like you to meet my closest friend,” Alana said, gripping the blonde’s hand. “Kari Bennington, I’d like you to meet Grayson Barrett.”

  Kari’s eyes widened, and her mouth formed a little O before Alana squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry, Grayson.” Kari laughed lightly. “You just bear an uncanny resemblance to someone I used to know.”

  Grayson had no doubt she was referring to Ronan. After Alana had left his office, he’d gone online to research her ex, and he had to admit the resemblance was startling. His mother had told him everyone had a twin, and he suspected his was making millions in Sacramento.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Kari.” He took her hand.

  “Have you met Joanie?” Alana asked, smiling at Kari’s mother.

  “We have indeed, dear,” Joanie said.

  “Well then, I guess we should be on our way,” Alana said.

  Grayson glanced at the black gym bag over her shoulder. “I did mention we’d shower and change at the gym, didn’t I?”

  “I have everything I need here.” Looking uncertain, she said, “That’s assuming dinner will be fairly casual? I didn’t plan to stay in town long on this trip, so I just brought a couple of sundresses. If that’s too casual for what you had in mind—”

  “No, that’s perfect.” Grayson couldn’t deny he was surprised. He’d expected her to be a high maintenance girl who dressed to impress. Maybe he’d misjudged her, he thought, watching her give Kari and Joanie a peck on the cheek before promising she wouldn’t be home late. Grayson smiled at the mother and daughter waving to them as they made their way down the walk.

  “I hope we’ll be seeing more of you,” Joanie called after them.

  “Mama,” he heard Kari whisper, “he’s her boss, not her boyfriend.”

  “No reason he can’t be both,” Joanie muttered.

  “Oh God.” Alana grimaced as he opened the passenger door for her. “I love that woman with all my heart, but sometimes I think she was born without the part of your brain that censors your thoughts.”

  Grayson laughed as she slid into the low leather seat and buckled up. “Sounds like my mama. She claims she’s too old to give a rip what anyone thinks. Problem is, she’s always been like that, so she can’t blame it on age.”

  Alana looked up at him, flashing straight white teeth and shallow dimples.

  “Damn, you’re too beautiful.” He hadn’t intended to say that aloud, but he couldn’t be sorry he had when he saw how flustered she got. She was cute when she was flustered.

  “You didn’t say where we’re going for dinner,” she said as he started the car. She was obviously trying to change the subject.

  He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Why is it so difficult for you to take a compliment, Alana?”

  She pinched her lips together as though she was trying not to say the first thing that came to mind. “I guess I haven’t had a lot of practice.”

  “Are you kidding? You must have to carry a can of mace in your purse just to ward off would-be suitors.”

  She clasped her hands in her lap and stared out the window. She was obviously uncomfortable with his line of questioning, which only made him want to pursue it more. What was she trying to hide? Had she been unfaithful to her husband? Is that what broke up her marriage? He wondered how he could pose the question delicately.

  “Were you and your husband together a long time?” he asked, deciding to ease into it.

  “He was my only boyfriend,” she said quietly.

  “Seriously?” He expected her to have left a string of broken hearts. Could she be telling the truth that she’d only been with one man?

  “We met when I was in college and married two weeks after I graduated.”

  She still wasn’t looking him in the eye. Then a man beside them at the stoplight winked and smiled at her. She jerked her eyes from the window so quickly her gaze collided with Grayson’s.

  “He was flirting with you,” Grayson said, glaring at the kid wearing the cowboy hat and driving the beat-up Ford truck.

  “So what?” she said, sliding her palms down her bare legs.

  “You could be my girlfriend or wife for all he knew.” He reached for the button to roll down her window so he could give the kid a piece of his mind. Normally he wouldn’t care, but the unwanted attention bothered Alana so much he saw red. “I don’t appreciate when someone disrespects me or the woman I’m with.”

  “Grayson, please,” she said, looking panicked. “Don’t.”

  Before he could respond, the light turned green, and the kid drove off.

  “Hey, are you okay?” he asked, noting her breathing seemed labored.

  She flattened her palm over her heaving chest. “Yes, I’m sorry. I j
ust didn’t want that to turn into an ugly scene.”

  She looks about ready to have a panic attack. “What makes you think it would have? I just wanted to tell him to back off. Where I’m from, when you see a woman with another man, you don’t come on to her. Period.”

  “Oh God.” Alana clutched her stomach. “I’m sorry. I don’t feel very well.” She pointed at the dirt parking lot. “Would you mind pulling over for just a minute? I need some fresh air.”

  “Sure,” he said. The last thing he wanted was for her to lose her lunch all over his leather interior. He rolled her window halfway down. “You were feeling all right earlier, weren’t you? I mean, I know you weren’t feeling all that hot this morning, but I thought that was because you’d skipped breakfast. Could you be coming down with something?”

  “No, I don’t think so,” she said, leaning forward and taking big gulps of the fresh air blowing through the window. As soon as the car stopped, she reached for the handle. “I’ll be back in a few.”

  Both stunned and confused, Grayson watched her hit the running track. What was up with that woman? She acted as if being near him was a challenge she wasn’t up to taking on. He gave her a few minutes to get it together before he decided he couldn’t wait another second to find out what was bothering her. He locked his car and pocketed his keys before doing a few quick stretches while he waited for her to come back to his side of the track.

  Falling into step beside her, he said, “You wanna tell me what the hell that was all about?”

  A tear slid down her cheek, and she quickly brushed it away with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak out on you. It’s just that I…”

  “You what?” Grayson felt like a jerk for pursuing it when she clearly wanted to let it go, but he needed to know what was bothering her.

  They jogged in silence for a few minutes before she finally said, “I suffer from anxiety. I swear it won’t affect my job performance. In fact, I’m hoping it’ll get better when I’m finally away from Sacramento.”

  Her light-headedness in his office, her rapid breathing in his car when he threatened to challenge that kid… Whatever her reasons for wanting to escape her hometown, they obviously ran deep. “You want to talk about it, Alana?”

  She swallowed a few times before forcing herself to take a deep breath. “My ex-husband used to do stuff like that all the time… call out men for looking at me. I can’t tell you how many guys ended up in the hospital just for being a little too friendly at a party.”

  Grayson processed that new information. No wonder she had freaked out. Given the things she’d undoubtedly witnessed with her ex, she probably thought he had planned to pull that kid out of his car and beat him senseless. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I wouldn’t have laid a hand on him, you know. That’s not my style. I don’t go off for no reason.”

  She didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure about that?”

  “Trust me. I’m not the jealous type.”

  “Really?”

  “I’ve never been in a fight over a woman. The way I see it, if she wants someone else, let her have him.” Curiosity got the better of Grayson as they put another mile behind them. “Did you want someone else? Is that what broke up your marriage?”

  “What? No!”

  He could tell he’d offended her, which hadn’t been his intent. “Then why did you leave him? Or was it the other way around? Did he leave you?”

  She stopped dead, glaring at him with her hands fisted on her hips. “Not that it’s any of your business, but my husband was an arrogant, jealous, controlling, manipulative son-of-a-bitch who thought he owned me. That’s why I left him. Do you have any more deeply personal and highly inappropriate questions to ask before I tell you to take me home?”

  Grayson stared at her, shocked by her sudden fit of temper. She was a pistol, with her eyes shining with fury, her breasts heaving, and a sheen of sweat on her beautiful face. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been more captivated. He wanted to take her home all right—to his home.

  “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to piss you off. I was just curious about what happened with your ex.” He planted his hands on her shoulders, cautious about what she might do with that knee if she decided she didn’t appreciate the gesture. “Let me make it up to you with a nice dinner. My buddy Zach’s parents own a golf course and country club. That’s where I wanted to take you tonight. Since we’ve already gotten some cardio in and it’s getting late, why don’t we just head back to my place to shower and change?”

  “Your place?” she asked, sounding wary.

  “I promise to be a perfect gentleman.” He crossed his finger over his heart with what he hoped was a disarming smile. “I’ll set you up in one of the guest bedrooms, and you’ll have your own bathroom. It’ll be easier than getting ready at the club where you’ll have to elbow other women out of the way for a spot at the mirror.” His eyes raked over her petite frame. “Not that I doubt you could hold your own against any of those socialites. Just flex those muscles, and you’ll scare them all away.”

  Her mouth twitched before she said, “You’re an ass.”

  “Is that any way to talk to your new boss?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “I thought the jury was still out on that.”

  “The jury just returned the verdict,” he said, grinning. “It was unanimous. You got the job.”

  “Hmmm…” She looked him over thoroughly, the same way he had given her the once-over. “Since we’re going to be working together, I guess I have to make nice, don’t I?”

  Alana was nothing like he’d thought she would be when he asked her out. He found that the more layers he peeled back, the more he wanted to get to the essence of who she was. “Come on, let’s go out and celebrate your new job. Please?” Grayson wasn’t accustomed to coercing a woman to spend the evening with him, but something about Alana told him she was worth the effort.

  “Fine, but no dessert,” she said, walking ahead of him. “I barely worked up a sweat on the track—probably because my running partner couldn’t keep up.”

  Grayson’s mouth dropped open at the cheap shot before his lips curved into a begrudging smile. Hell yeah, this was gonna be fun.

  ***

  Alana stared at her reflection in the steamy bathroom mirror. What was she doing? Why had she agreed to go out with her new boss? Maybe because he gives you butterflies. All the more reason not to go out with him, she argued. He looked like Ronan. Hell, he even acted like Ronan. He was a rich, handsome, powerful man used to getting his own way. She’d learned her lesson the hard way with her husband, and she’d vowed when she got involved again it would be with someone safe.

  “Almost ready?” Grayson asked, tapping on the bathroom door.

  God, even his deep voice gave her thrill bumps. Dinner was a bad idea. Pressing her hand against her flat stomach, she wondered if it was too late to feign illness. No, after the episode in his office, not to mention in his car, he would insist on seeing a letter from her doctor and her shrink before letting her set one foot back in his office building.

  “Be out in a minute,” she called, bracing her hands on the counter. “You can do this,” she whispered to her reflection, hoping he wasn’t standing outside the door. It’s not a real date. It’s a business dinner… with a man who bears a striking resemblance to your one and only lover. The man who’s terrorized you for the past year because you insisted on leaving him. “Just do it. Forget who he reminds you of. Focus on the fact that he’s your new boss and having a good working relationship with him would be to your advantage.”

  After her little pep talk, she shoved cosmetics back in her bag, squared her shoulders, fluffed her hair once more, and threw open the door. Her intent to remain calm and self-assured fled with a squeal when she saw him sitting at the foot of the guest bed, not more than a few feet from the bathroom door.

  He continued texting with a smirk. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
/>
  “It’s okay.” It wasn’t, but what was she supposed to say? It was his house.

  “I think it’s cute that you talk to yourself.”

  She wanted to run back into the bathroom, lock the door, and refuse to come out until he’d left, but that wasn’t an option. “I don’t talk to myself… much.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “That’s good to know. If it was a common occurrence, I might be concerned.”

  “It’s just that you make me nervous.” So much for playing it cool.

  “Why do I make you nervous?”

  He braced his hands on the bed behind him and made her mouth water involuntarily. His dark hair was still damp from his shower, and he’d changed into a white shirt, black blazer, and dress pants. His shirt was left open at the neck, highlighting his dark tan. She was wrong to think he could pass for Ronan’s twin. On closer inspection, she realized he was even better looking.

  “You didn’t answer my question. Why do I make you nervous?” he asked, tipping his head to the side.

  “I’m just not very good at this…” She gestured from him to her before she realized she was flailing her hand. “This whole male-female thing.” God, she was making it sound as though they were dating. “What I mean is I don’t have a lot of male friends. Not that we’re friends. Obviously this is just an employer/employee relationship. I know that. I wasn’t trying to imply—”

  “Alana,” he cut in, looking amused, “relax. I know what you’re trying to say, and for the record, I’d like us to be friends. I can’t say I’m friends with any of my other employees, but for you, I’d like to make an exception.”

  She appreciated that he was trying to put her at ease. Probably because he was afraid she’d go off at dinner and embarrass him if he didn’t figure out how to rein her in. She realized he was looking at her expectantly, as though waiting for a response to his offer of friendship. “I’d like that too. Honestly, I can use all the friends I can get.” When she realized how that must sound, she tried to backtrack. He didn’t need to know she wasn’t leaving many friends behind in Sacramento. Ronan had chased most of her friends away with his threats and intimidation tactics. “You know how it is, moving to a new city and all.”