Riley had always been beautiful. Gangly legs, messy hair, and all. Now she was stunning. A blind man would have noticed. And Sean was not blind to women. Especially when they looked like Riley.
“He is interested. Right?” Riley shot Gaige an embarrassed look. “Don’t say it. I’m acting like a girl.”
“Yes,” Gaige nodded. Then to temper his annoyance, he winked. “You’re allowed some hormonal backtracking, Riley. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”
“You’re a good friend, Gaige. To both Sean and me.”
“Which means I am officially benching myself. I will now be a casual observer firmly entrenched on the sidelines. You and Sean are on your own.”
“Which means we’re bound to make a mess of it.” Riley’s smile conveyed a touch of humor. Inside, she was a bundle of uncertainty.
“What can I say? I have faith you’ll work it out. One way or another.” Gaige walked with her across the field, stopping at the exit.
“One way or another? You make it sound so simple.”
“Life isn’t simple, Riley. As for love? Beats me. I’ve never fallen.”
“Why not? Why hasn’t Gaige Benson lost his heart to some lucky lady?”
Gaige was the most together person Riley knew. His personal life was a mystery because he chose to keep it that way. The pictures of him and his woman of the moment filled page after page on any internet search.
However, he didn’t carry the same reputation as Sean. They called Gaige the Gentleman Lover—a moniker he hated—because he managed the seemingly impossible task of leaving his women happy. No fits of jealousy, no broken hearts. Riley imagined there had to be the exception, but no one who had dated Gaige spoke ill of him to the press. In this day and age, that was impressive.
Gaige had lovers and playmates and friends. What he didn’t have was love. Unless…
“Are you pining for an unrequited love?” Riley reached for his hand, ready to give comfort. After years of leaning on him, she wanted to return the favor.
“Pining? Unrequited?” Gaige shook his head, his green eyes filled with laughter. “No and no, Riley. My heart is untouched and unbroken.”
“Never a twinge?”
“No.”
Riley had a million questions. And she kept them all to herself. She knew Gaige. The look on his face said that this subject was closed. She wouldn’t push because she respected his privacy. If the day came that he wanted to open up, she was always here. She wasn’t going anywhere.
“See you at the party?” Riley returned Gaige’s grateful smile, letting him know she understood that the change of subject was appreciated.
“I’ll be there.”
“Are you bringing a date?”
Gaige laughed, his easy good humor restored. “Don’t I always?” With that simple yet telling response, he turned and walked toward the locker room.
“Aren’t you afraid the well of new women will run dry?” Riley called out after him.
“That’s just it,” he called over his shoulder. “How can I settle for one when there is a never-ending supply?”
A never-ending supply.
The words stuck with Riley as she drove away from the stadium. Gaige was looking forty in the eye and he was still a major player. What made her think Sean was ready to settle for one woman?
What made Riley think that woman would be her?
Sean was interested. Gaige had said as much—and Riley had learned to figure out when a man wanted her. Would it be enough? If Sean was only interested in an affair, was Riley ready to turn away? Or would she embrace the chance to have him—on any terms?
Tonight was the first step in finding the answers to her questions. This was the debut of the new Riley.
It was time to find out if she was dealing with the same old Sean.
CHAPTER EIGHT
CORRINE PRESTON ENJOYED hosting the yearly kick-off party for the Knights.
She didn’t give a damn about football. It was the main subject of conversation. Defense. Offense. Salary caps. Injuries.
Ugh!.
Corrine smiled through the inane chatter, tuning out the voices. Her pleasure didn’t come from the game; it came from the players. Eye candy. Young men in the prime of their lives. Fit and fabulous.
The guest list was carefully assembled. The team—naturally. Coaches and trainers. The Knights’ board of directors. Girlfriends and wives were a necessary evil. The older she got, the younger the other women became. However, with the help of good genes and a discreet plastic surgeon, Corrine fought Mother Nature at every turn. For now, she was winning the battle.
Circulating through the crowd, Corrine scoped out the new meat. Mmm. There was nothing better than a young, malleable lover. From birth, her life had been ruled by powerful men. First her father, then her husband. She liked to be in charge in the bedroom. It was one of the few places she had complete control.
The room was filled with past conquests, potential new ones and, much to her chagrin, a few failures. Corrine hated rejection. She never made a move unless she was certain of the outcome.
Her first mistake had been Gaige Benson. She took one look at his blond hair and green eyes coupled with a body made for giving her pleasure, and Corrine couldn’t see anything else. She was shocked when he turned her down. Her first reaction had been to get him traded. Gerald laughed at the suggestion.
“Benson is a franchise quarterback. The Knights are not letting him go.”
“But he…” Corrine hesitated. She and her husband had an open marriage. However, that didn’t mean they discussed their lovers.
“Suck it up, Corrine.” Gerald knew his wife’s penchant for young football players. He approved of anything that kept her out of his hair. She could screw the whole team and staff for all he cared. Still, it amused him to see her bent out of shape over a rare miss. “You hit on the wrong man. As shocking as it may be, not everyone finds you irresistible.”
Corrine suffered the humiliation. It was a bitter pill to swallow. However, Gaige Benson was only one man. One mistake. Her only mistake. Until Sean McBride.
She blamed Riley. Corrine’s interest in Sean had been minor. He had too much experience for her taste. However, when she saw the opportunity to take a taste and rub her daughter’s holier than thou nose in it, she couldn’t resist.
The backfire had been instantaneous and painful. The look of disgust on Sean’s face after she playfully squeezed his chest was bad enough. Riley’s reaction was a blow she felt to this day.
Lord, it had felt good to slap that smug little bitch’s face. She should have done it sooner. Corrine had hoped for tears and recriminations. Instead, Riley threatened her. Her. It had been unthinkable. Unpalatable. For five years, the need for revenge had simmered in Corrine’s mind. One day, she promised herself.
That was for another time. She looked forward to this night every year. She planned on enjoying being the most beautiful and desirable woman in the room. Fluffing her freshly highlighted hair, Corrine entered the room. The smile that was meant to be seductive froze on her lips when the first thing she saw was a beautiful young woman surrounded by men. Her men.
It had been five years. The changes in her appearance were startling. However, Corrine recognized the brunette in the cherry red dress immediately.
Riley.
Her daughter was the laughing, sparkling center of attention. The men grinned and fawned over her like anxious puppies. Corrine’s eyes narrowed. Her face grew hot. It was all she could do not to stomp her foot in frustration. She had money and beauty. She was always the belle of this ball. The hostess with the mostess. This was her territory and she would not stand by and let her place be usurped.
“She looks good, doesn’t she?”
Corrine jumped. She hadn’t heard anyone approach. She could see Gerald out of the corner of her eye, but her attention stayed fixed on Riley.
“I suppose.”
“It’s amazing what a few years and some polish will do.
Neither of us realized our daughter had been such a diamond in the rough.”
“Can the faux pride, Daddy.” Corrine’s voice dripped the kind of sarcasm reserved for her husband. “You don’t like her reappearance any more than I do,” she added with a sneer. “If you were any kind of a man, you would have given me a son.”
“You think a son would have made you happy?” Gerald tried picturing it. The kid would have turned out one of two ways. A sniveling mama’s boy, or a sociopath who would snap, killing them in their sleep. He had no paternal love for Riley, but a least he didn’t worry about her giving him a shotgun blast to the head.
Then, because this was Corrine and he couldn’t resist one more jab, he said, “Are you certain she’s mine?”
“You asked me that twenty-five years ago.” Until Riley had been born, Corrine hadn’t been sure of the answer. “Look at her. She’s you in a skirt. And without the five o’clock shadow.” She ran a hand over his bristly cheek. “Your latest trollop must like the unkempt look. You are such a slave to your dick.”
Gerald captured Corinne’s wrist, his grip tighter than necessary. “Let’s sheath the claws and work together. Unless you like Riley’s newfound popularity.”
“What can you do?” Corrine was open to anything that would pop Riley’s balloon.
“God, you’re bloodthirsty.” Gerald recognized the look in Corrine’s eyes. Dangerous and potentially lethal. It had made her exciting when they were first married. Then, like all women, she grew tiresome. Now, he could use it to his advantage.
“This,” Gerald motioned around the room, “is her biggest weakness. She loves the team.”
“Ruin them.” Corrine could find new playmates. “You should have done it years ago.”
“There are too many checks and balances in place.” Gerald had tried to get around his father’s convoluted will—it hadn’t worked. “I’ve kept this team a middle of the pack non-contender. Riley wants to change that.”
“Can she?”
“Yes.” Gerald hated to admit it, but it was true. Riley had her grandfather’s savvy and business sense. Combined with her love for the game, it was exactly what the Knights had been missing.
“I can’t ruin the Knights.” Gerald watched Riley place a friendly hand on Gaige Benson’s arm. “However, I can make life very uncomfortable for our daughter. By mid-season, she’ll be happy to leave town.”
“I liked her in Boston.”
“Liked?”
“Fine. I preferred when she was three thousand miles away.Whatever you need, Gerald. I’m in.”
“When was the last time we worked on something together?”
Riley’s laughter rang out. Happy. Carefree. There wasn’t room in Seattle for two Preston women. Especially when one of them was younger and cosmetic surgery free.
“About twenty-five years ago.”
“WILL IT MAKE you uncomfortable if I admit to having a bit of a girl crush? If we weren’t the same age, I would want to grow up to be you.”
“Me? You are a tough-ass business woman. I want to be you.”
Riley smiled at Claire Thornton. They wore dueling four-inch heels. Riley’s put her a shade over five feet nine. Claire’s had her topping six feet. The blond was slim and athletic with killer legs and blue eyes the color of a cloudless day. Had Riley said girl crush? She was one step away from wishing she swung both ways.
It was an interesting situation. Riley knew Claire through Gaige. The women had spoken on the phone, but this was their first face to face meeting.
Riley had been a little nervous. Her temper was still simmering. Claire had been up for the assistant trainer’s job. It was her dream—a goal she had worked her ass off to obtain. Then, just when she thought the job was hers, it had been pulled out from under her. Boom. Thanks for playing, but no cigar.
“I wish I could have changed their minds, Claire.”
Claire shrugged with a half-smile. “Football is a man’s game—on and off the field. I should have known the owners wouldn’t want a woman treating their athletes. Things change. But it is a slow and arduous process. A woman will get there, it just won’t be me.”
It was true. However, it didn’t make Riley happy. Outraged, she hadn’t taken her fight to her father. This time, she went to a man who judged people on their abilities, not their gender.
Ross Morrisey was a minority owner in the Knights. He also ran a very successful sporting goods business based out of the Northwest. He had given Riley’s fledgling consulting firm a chance, making them both a lot of money. She thought if she could get Ross on her side, she would rally the other owners and get Claire the job she deserved.
Riley hated to fail, but there was no budging Ross or anyone else. No one would come right out and say it, but they were not going to hire a woman. No matter how qualified she was.
“Let it go, Riley. I have.”
“Really?”
“No.” Claire laughed. The fact that she could, said a lot. Last week a smile was beyond her abilities. “But I’m getting there. It helps to have someone special in my corner.”
“Gaige?” Riley’s smile turned sly. “Or Logan?”
“Both.” Almost to herself, she said, “Gaige’s misfits.”
“Excuse me?”
“Gaige has a way of collecting people in need. He gave me a boost when I was at the end of my rope. Logan had given up on ever playing football again. Who knows how many others he has helped over the years.”
“Misfits.” Riley supposed she could add herself to the club. “You might want to keep that to yourself.”
“He loves to help but hates to be thanked,” Claire agreed. “Our Gaige is a complicated man.”
“Whatever makes him tick, we are very lucky to have him in our lives.”
“Amen.”
“Now that we are halfway to BFFs.” Riley grinned, tapping her wine glass against Claire’s. “It must have felt good to arrive with Logan. A few weeks ago you two were still hiding your relationship.”
“Keeping it on the down low wasn’t easy.” Claire loved that she didn’t have to look around in case anyone was listening. “Until we knew if I got the job with the Knights, I was Logan’s physical therapist. Period.”
Other than Gaige, Riley was the only one who had known the truth.
When Gaige went to Oklahoma to see Logan Price, he took Claire Thornton with him. Claire had some radical ideas about rehabbing sports injuries. She stayed with Logan, getting him ready for his comeback. Gaige was tickled to death that the pair had fallen in love.
However, Claire had wanted the assistant trainer’s job with the Knights. They decided it would be best if she and Logan didn’t advertise just how close they had become. If Claire wanted to get her foot in the door, being a player’s girlfriend wouldn’t be an asset.
In the end, it hadn’t mattered.
Claire didn’t have the job, but she had Logan—and understood that she had come out a winner.
“About those ointments and potions you’ve developed?” Claire had her own concoctions that she used to help an athlete’s aches and pains. She had used them on Logan. If he were any example, they had worked wonders.
“What about them?” Claire took a salmon puff off the tray of the circulating waiter.
“I want to help you get them on the market.”
“Really?” Claire almost choked on the puff.
“Careful.” Laughing, Riley gently patted her on the back. “If I do my job properly, and I always do, those magic elixirs are going to make you a rich woman. You want to be around to enjoy it.”
“Riley. I don’t know what to say.”
“We’ll hash the details out, then you can say yes.” Riley loved that she was in a position to do something for Claire. “The deal will be more than fair.”
“I’m sure.”
“Don’t be. Get a lawyer. Gaige will give you the name of a good one. Read everything. Twice. If you don’t understand something, ask questions.”
<
br /> “Are you planning on cheating me?”
“No. But I won’t be the last person you deal with. There are a lot of people who wouldn’t blink if it meant making an extra buck.”
“Thank you, Riley. I know there’s more I want to say, but right now I’m a little overwhelmed.”
Understanding, Riley changed the subject.
“One more week and the games count.” Riley looked to where Gaige and Logan were speaking with Sol Bellows and Pete Jacobs. “Logan has looked great in pre-season. You’ve done wonders, Claire.”
“He has worked his ass off.” Claire beamed with pride. And love. She and Logan could try to hide it, but anyone with eyes could tell how they felt.
“Is he nervous?”
“Sure. In a good way.” Claire took a sip of her drink. “I’m the one who can’t sleep. As much as I hated it, I would go back to waiting tables if it meant Logan could play football again.”
No doubt about it, Riley thought. Claire Thornton and Logan Price had the real thing. Love with a capital L. It made her long for the same—with a certain someone who might never feel the same.
“Speak of the devil.”
“Is that what we were doing?” Following the path of Riley’s gaze, Claire nodded. “Ah. I see. Sean McBride. He certainly flirts like the devil. If I weren’t off the market, I would have been tempted to give that man a ride. Oops. Did I hit a nerve?”
“It’s an old one. Why it hasn’t toughened up by now, I don’t know.”
“Don’t you?”
Sean chose that moment to meet Riley’s gaze. She was used to the jump of her heartbeat and the flutter in the stomach. However, this was something new. It was what she saw in his eyes that made her skin tingle with thousands of tiny electric jolts. She hadn’t changed. Sean had. He wasn’t looking at her with the old amused indulgence. He saw a woman. And he wanted her.
“It isn’t fair. He’s already gorgeous. In a suit and tie and freshly shaven. I’ll bet he smells like heaven.”
Riley’s eyes widened. She hadn’t meant to say that aloud. How embarrassing.
After All These Years (One Pass Away #2) Page 8