First Down (Texas Titans #3)

by Cheryl Douglas

  She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t need to eat. I had some fruit and yogurt before I left the house.”

  “In that case,” he said, taking a huge bite out of a muffin, “I’ll have both of these myself.”

  “No way!” She grabbed for the bag.

  He laughed as she dug in and glared at him when she saw three more muffins.

  “Greedy little thing, aren’t you?” he said.

  “You have no idea.” Her bright green eyes shone with mischievousness. She wasn’t embarrassed by the double entendre.

  Shaking his head, he couldn’t hold back a smile. In the span of twenty-four hours, she’d made him forget the names of the last six women he’d dated. If she continued intriguing him, he would be ruined for all other women. Grayson was falling. Hard. Fast. And without a hope of a soft landing. She didn’t want a relationship, nor was she interested in going to bed with a man who reminded her of the ex she couldn’t escape. Was he crazy for wanting to spend time with her? Probably, but that didn’t stop him from thinking about how much he wanted her to meet his family tomorrow.

  “Don’t you want the address?” she asked, reaching into her purse for a slip of paper.

  “Pardon me?”

  “The first apartment we’re going to see.” She held up the crinkled paper. “Don’t you want to punch the address into your GPS?”

  He put the car back in park. “Yeah, that would probably be a good idea.” Glancing over the three addresses, he put the paper in the cup holder between them. “No problem. They’re all within walking distance of the office. I know exactly where they are.” As he pulled out on to the road, a troubling thought gripped him. “You’re not planning to walk to and from work, are you?”

  “Why not?” She shrugged. “It’s good exercise.”

  “What if you have to work late?” he asked, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. “You can’t walk home alone in the dark.”

  “It’s not exactly a high crime area. But I do appreciate your concern.”

  “When you look like you do—” He bit his tongue to keep from finishing that thought. She wouldn’t appreciate it, and he didn’t want to start the day off with tension between them. He would just make sure he told her boss she had to leave work promptly at five o’clock. No overtime, no matter the circumstances.

  “Oh, look!” She smiled when she caught sight of two blond-haired girls at a lemonade stand. “Aren’t they adorable?”

  “Sure.”

  “You don’t like kids?” she asked, glancing in his direction.

  “I love kids. Just ask my niece and nephews. They think I’m the world’s coolest uncle.”

  “I’m sure they do,” she said, chuckling. “I’ll be right back.” She hopped out of the car at a stop sign.

  “Hey, I can’t just stop here,” he shouted after her. She was already making her way down the street toward the little girls. “Oh, what’s the use?” He eased over to the curb so other cars could pass him. “Damn woman has a mind of her own.” And you love that about her. He did. He loved that she was headstrong, determined, and laughed at him as well as with him.

  “I knew you couldn’t resist,” Alana said as Grayson walked up behind her. “What could be better on a hot day than a nice cool glass of lemonade, right, girls?”

  They nodded in unison, making Grayson smile. He saw the curtains move. Obviously their mother was keeping a close eye on their customers. Not that he could blame her. He would do the same if those little angels were his daughters. Where the hell had that thought come from?

  Alana helped the girls count out change, and Grayson noticed that they shared the same hair color. The sisters both had green eyes and a healthy glow. It would be easy to imagine Alana with little girls who looked just like them…

  Alana handed him one of the plastic cups. “Are you ready to go?” She frowned. “Are you okay? You don’t look so well.”

  Sucking in a deep breath, he forced a smile as he took the cup. “Must be the heat. Thanks, girls,” he said, winking at them. “Hope y’all have a great day.”

  They giggled and waved as he ushered Alana to the car.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? I can drive if you need me to.”

  He looked at his Aston Martin. His baby, as the boys called it. He’d never let another person drive her, not even his best friends. “You want to drive?”

  She cast an appreciative glance at the car, taking in the sleek lines as she ran her hand over the polished hood. “It’s your call. If you don’t want me to, I’d certainly understand. Ronan would never let me drive his cars. They were like his babies.”

  That comparison made Grayson feel a little queasy. He didn’t want to be anything like the jerk who’d hurt her, though he feared Alana wasn’t the only one who would note the similarities. “Have fun.” He tossed her the keys.

  She closed her hand around the key ring sporting the High Rollers logo. “Are you sure?”

  “I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t sure.” He looked at his watch. “What time’s our first appointment?”

  “Oh no,” she said, glancing at the time on her cell phone. “We have to be there in fifteen minutes.”

  “No problem,” he said, waiting until a truck passed before opening the driver’s door for her. “We’ll make it if we hustle.”

  Chapter Seven

  Alana wandered around the third and final one-bedroom apartment. She poked her head into the tiny bathroom while Grayson stood at the window in the living room, frowning at the view of the apartment building next door. The apartment wasn’t luxurious or spacious, but it would be all hers, and that meant more than granite or closet space. It’ll be cozy. She imagined how it would look when she’d painted, made curtains and a duvet cover…

  “Can we have a minute?” Grayson asked the realtor, who was hovering in the kitchen.

  “Of course,” Mr. Allen said, smiling. “Take all the time you need. I’ll just be outside returning some calls.”

  He was a High Rollers patron, and he’d recognized Grayson from their ads. He’d been licking Grayson’s boots ever since, probably thinking Grayson was the one footing the bill for his friend’s apartment.

  “You know what he thinks, don’t you?” Alana asked, glaring at the door the realtor had closed behind him. “He thinks I’m your mistress and you’re looking for a little hideaway to stash me in.” She was too familiar with people’s perceptions of the women who kept company with men like Ronan and Grayson.

  Grayson laughed, masking it as a cough. “I can promise you that I wouldn’t ‘stash’ you in a place like this if you were.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with this place,” she said defensively, crossing her arms. “Okay, it’s a little plain, but paint and fabric will fix that.”

  “Nothing will fix this place,” he muttered. “Look, I have a few rental places. The tenants are moving out of one not far from here at the end of the month. Why don’t we go and look at it before you make any decisions? It’s a great little house.”

  “I can’t afford a house,” she said, trying to control her temper. She’d barely known him a couple of weeks, and he was already trying to tell her where to live. That was exactly the kind of stunt Ronan would have pulled.

  “You can pay me whatever they were going to charge you for this place.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why would you take a loss like that? First you offer to let me use your car, now you’re trying to get me to move into your house? Why?”

  “Because living here would be depressing.” He swatted at a fly buzzing around his head.

  “Maybe for you,” she said, swallowing as her pride took a hit. “But not all of us can live in gated communities on golf courses.”

  “Isn’t that the life you left behind?”

  “That’s exactly the reason I don’t want it,” she cried, throwing her hands up. “I hate everything about the life you live. I just want a simple life without all of the material tr
appings. I just want to be happy.” She blinked back tears.

  “Hey,” he said, taking a tentative step closer. “Don’t get upset. I know this is your call. I’m just trying to help.”

  “I don’t need your help,” she said, sniffling. “I don’t need anyone’s help. I can make it on my own.” Before he could get any closer, she stormed out of the apartment. Grayson was hot on her heels. “I’ll take it,” she said as soon as she spotted the beady-eyed realtor sneaking a puff outside of a beat-up Ford. “I’ll take this apartment.”

  “Alana, for Christ’s sake,” Grayson said, grabbing her arm when he finally caught up to her. “Don’t you think you should at least sleep on it before you decide?”

  “No, I don’t, and who the hell are you to question me?” She felt her heart pounding and her chest tightening. She’d thought moving there would lessen her anxiety, but with someone like Grayson in her life, she might have to fill the prescription she’d refused to take.

  “Maybe you two would like a little more time to decide,” the agent said, wiping sweat from his brow. “I wouldn’t want to get in the middle of a lover’s quarrel.” He laughed awkwardly and cleared his throat when Grayson scowled at him over Alana’s head.

  “We’re not lovers!” Alana burst out. An older couple passing by shook their heads in disgust at her outburst, and she blushed. “He’s my boss. Just my boss.”

  “Whatever you say.” The realtor raised his hands in surrender. “It’s none of my business.”

  “At least you’re smart enough to realize that,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. She crooked a finger over her shoulder at Grayson. “Which is more than I can say for him.”

  “Watch it, Alana.”

  The murmured warning made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She’d heard that warning in exactly that tone before. She was being warned that if she didn’t toe the line and do exactly as the boss man said, there would be consequences. Well, to hell with him and his consequences. She would live life on her terms, not his. She slowly turned on him. “You know what you can do with your job? Shove it!”

  His mouth dropped open before snapping shut. “You don’t mean that.”

  “Don’t tell me what I mean. I wouldn’t work for you if your company was my last resort, which it’s not, by the way. I have plenty of options. I’m a damn good accountant, and any company would be happy to have me on their payroll.” Hopefully she could find one who would back up her claim before she found herself homeless in a strange city.

  “You’re angry. I get that,” he said, sighing. “I’m sorry I overstepped, but I’m not sorry for looking out for your best interests. Lord knows someone has to.”

  “Excuse me?” She felt her blood boiling.

  “You’re not thinking clearly. You’re making rash decisions because you’re so anxious to distance yourself from the life you used to live.”

  “You don’t even know me!” Knowing there was no sense arguing with a man who thought he knew it all, she turned to Mr. Allen. “Would you mind dropping me off at a friend’s house? It’s not far from here.”

  “Damn it, Alana,” Grayson said, in a sharp tone, “I’ll take you back to Kari’s. We need to talk about—”

  “We don’t have anything to talk about. I told you I’m not interested in working for you.”

  “You need a job.”

  She heard the frustration in his voice. Too bad. Let him suffer. “And I’ll find one, just not at High Rollers.”

  “Why are you being so goddamn stubborn?” he asked, reaching for her arm. “You know you want that job as much as I want you to have it. Let’s just forget what happened today.”

  Alana recognized the signs of a controlling man. Grayson may promise to mind his own business from now on, but he’d break his vow as soon as she did something he didn’t agree with. “I’m still not interested. About that ride, Mr. Allen…?”

  He shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

  “Give me your business card,” Grayson snarled at him.

  The man reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and handed a card to Grayson. “Why?”

  “Because if she doesn’t make it home safely, I’m going to hunt you down and make you wish you’d never met me.”

  Before Alana could lash out at him again, he was in his car, burning rubber out of the parking lot.

  “Geez, he’s one guy I wouldn’t want to cross,” Mr. Allen said, shaking his head. “Funny, he seems so easy-going in those TV commercials. Maybe you bring out the worst in him, huh?”

  “Maybe,” Alana said, taking a few deep breaths as she clenched the door handle. “He definitely brings out the worst in me.”

  ***

  “Hey, big brother, I thought Mama said you were bringing a girl to dinner.”

  Grayson’s mother shot a warning glance at her youngest daughter. “His plans changed, Terri. Pass the sugar, please.”

  Terri chuckled. “You must’ve done something to piss her off. Come on, tell us what happened.”

  “Mind your own business,” Grayson said, trying to release his death grip on his fork. He should have known his family would have questions when he showed up alone after making such a big deal about bringing Alana. Next time he’d keep his mouth shut. Not that there would be a next time. He’d learned his lesson. He’d stick to women who didn’t make it their mission to make him miserable.

  “She must have been pretty special,” his other sister, Raelyn, said. “I can’t remember the last time you brought a girl home. High school, maybe?”

  “She’s just an employee,” Grayson said, trying to sound casual. “She’s new in town, and I thought she might like to meet some people. Something came up, and she couldn’t make it. No big deal.”

  “No big deal, huh?” Terri winked at her sister. “Is that why you’ve been grumpy as a bear all day?”

  “I have not been grumpy,” he said, forcing himself to take a deep breath. His kid sisters made it their mission to rile him.

  “You have been sort of grumpy, Uncle Grayson,” his niece, Kylie, said. She looked up at him with eyes the same shade of blue as her grandmama’s.

  He dropped his fork and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry, kiddo.” He kissed the top of her sun-bleached head. “I don’t mean to be.”

  “It’s okay.” She giggled when he squeezed her tighter. “Mama says everybody gets grumpy sometimes. She tells me when I feel that way I should go to my room and sulk ‘til I feel better. Maybe you should go to your room, Uncle Grayson.”

  The table erupted in laughter. Grayson adored his niece, mainly because she wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion, even when it got her into trouble. He’d always been that way and had never regretted it… until yesterday. He’d over-stepped with Alana, and it was costing him. He wanted to give Kylie advice that might prevent her from making the same mistake, but she was only ten.

  Looking around the table, he saw the people he loved most and realized no one knew him better, with the possible exception of his best friends and partners. But he couldn’t talk to them about his problem. “The truth is…”

  His brothers-in-law set down their utensils, giving him their full attention. They’d been with Grayson’s baby sisters since high school, and both were like the brothers he’d never had.

  “I did want Alana to come with me today. I screwed things up in a big way.”

  Terri raised an eyebrow before glancing at the three children sitting around the table. “Why don’t y’all run outside and play?”

  “Awww, we wanna hear this too,” Kylie whined.

  “Do like your Aunt Terri says,” Raelyn said, waving toward the door. “Run along, now.”

  Grayson waited for three grumbling kids to shuffle outside before he continued. “We, uh, hired Alana as an accountant. Actually, Jaxon hired her.”

  “Where’s she from?” Terri scraped peach cobbler off her plate and popped the last bite in her mouth.

  “California. She wanted to get away from
her ex-husband. From what she told me, he was a real domineering S.O.B. who tried to control every area of her life. I don’t know a lot about him. Just that he owned some big software company and Alana worked for him.”

  “I’m surprised you haven’t had him checked out yet,” Terri said, grinning.

  His family knew him too well, though he’d never admit he’d gone to those lengths to protect a woman he barely knew. It wouldn’t make any sense to his family. They wouldn’t understand his connection with Alana unless they saw it. She lit him up, plain and simple.

  “So what’d you do to piss her off?” his brother-in-law, Duane, asked.

  “I guess she didn’t appreciate being told what to do.” He grimaced, sliding his hands over his face. “That wasn’t my intent, but that’s the way it came across. I went apartment hunting with her yesterday, and I guess I was kind of judgmental about the places we looked at. I suggested she think about renting one of my houses instead.”

  “I take it she didn’t care for that idea?” Raelyn looked amused. She, better than anyone, knew how obstinate her big brother could be.

  “Apparently not,” he said, clenching his hand into a fist. “She’s the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met. She had to sell her car to move here, so I offered her my truck. She refused. I offered her a great little house for the same money as the dump she was going to rent, and again, she refused. What the hell am I missing? I’m just trying to help the girl.”

  “Sometimes a girl needs to know she can stand on her own two feet, Gray,” Terri said. “It sounds like her ex may have done a number on her.”

  “That’s another thing that really pisses me off,” Grayson said. “She keeps comparing me to him. Says I look just like him, and she seems to think I’m treating her the same way he did. That’s total bullshit! I wanted to help her. He wanted to control her.”

  “Maybe it feels the same to her,” Raelyn said. “You know you want to help, but when a good-looking, successful guy tells you where you should live, work, what you should drive…” When Grayson glared at her, she shrugged. “I’m just saying it may seem like déjà vu to her.”