by Taylor Hart
Xavier was a member of the Triple Threat, the three top football players in the nation and the heroes of their Texas Titans football team. Tonight, he was up on the auction block as one of the eligible bachelors. The prize was a date with the man himself. Izzy sucked in a breath as she looked at him—six foot four and full of muscle with smooth, brown skin and sculpted facial features. He’d made The Rising Star’s “Most Handsome Men” list five years running. It wasn’t just that he was easy on the eyes. It was also those irresistible dimples and the story of him rising from poverty. Not to mention, he treated his mama like gold. What woman didn’t love that? He flew her to every home game, remodeled her home because she refused to move from her downtown Denver neighborhood, and bragged about her anytime anyone asked. He seemed perfect. Well, except for the fact that he dated and dumped women faster than Izzy could complete a shift at work.
Izzy realized he was staring at her with an arched eyebrow, and she still hadn’t answered his question about escorting her in. “Um, sure, that would be … delectable.”
“Delectable?” They walked slowly down the hall, and Izzy knew people were staring at the two of them together. Did Xavier know she was the owner’s daughter?
“I mean, nice.” Had she truly just said delectable to Xavier Newton? She shouldn’t be flirting with this man, but couldn’t seem to help herself. There was something different about Xavier … something she wouldn’t mind exploring.
He grinned again. “Sitting with you at dinner would be delectable.”
Izzy blushed, grateful her skin was dark enough he probably wouldn’t notice. “I don’t think we get that choice.” They entered the room, and she pointed at the setup. The head table had only three seats. Kade Kincaid, Ace Sanchez, and Xavier Newton were the guests of honor and were expected to be on display for all the hungry women waiting to bid on them and claim their right to a date with one of the superheroes. Izzy wondered how out of control the bidding was going to get.
“No, really?” He shook his head. “I hate these things.”
She looked him over. His tailored navy-blue suit perfectly encased his lithe frame, and his face was exquisite, with manly lines, deep brown eyes, and dimples everyone died over. She knew the women would be lining up to bid on him. She couldn’t help but smile. She would win that bid because her father had instructed her to, and the money would all go to her beloved hospital. Her smile fell as she wondered for the hundredth time why her father had been so insistent she bid on Xavier. This whole thing was going to go viral. Maybe her father just wanted more exposure for his precious football team. He thrived on exposure. Please, please don’t let the press have seen my near fall and Xavier’s catch. She laughed. He really was good at catching things. Then she realized Xavier was studying her with a quizzical expression. Oh my. He was going to think she was a nut job and beg someone else to bid on him.
“Your face is very expressive,” Xavier said. “But I’m not sure if you agree with me about the absurdity of these sort of events or if you’re laughing at me.”
“I’m sorry. I was just thinking I hope the photographers out front didn’t get pictures of my near-fall and your catch.” She clasped her hands together and admitted, “And then I was thinking about how good you are at catching things.” A mental image of his glorious biceps as he stretched out to catch a ball had her biting at her lip again.
Xavier smiled. “Catching you was more fun than any football I’ve snagged.”
“Oh, really?” She put a hand on her hip and tossed her long, dark curls. “More fun than catching the winning touchdown pass from Kade Kincaid at the Championship Game?”
He chuckled, and those dimples were so irresistible she wanted to touch them. She refrained, barely. “Okay, you got me there. A different kind of fun.” He leaned closer, and she was blessed with a whiff of his cologne—some kind of delectable mix of lime, musk, and salt. There she went, again, thinking how delectable he was. It was a word one of her young patients had used recently. It had cracked her up, and now, she couldn’t get it out of her head, especially in relation to Xavier.
“But I’d catch you any day of the week,” he said in a low tone reserved just for her.
Izzy almost fell so he could catch her in those nicely-built arms again. She settled for fluttering her eyelashes. “Maybe you’ll get a chance later.”
He chuckled again, removed his hand from her lower back, and stuck it out for a handshake, all formal-like. “I’m Xavier Newton. It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”
Izzy was the one laughing now. “The pleasure is mine, Mr. Newton.” She put her hand in his. Instead of shaking it, he simply held onto it.
“And you are?”
“Izzy.”
“Just Izzy?”
She couldn’t give him her last name. She wasn’t ready for that. Sure, Knight was a common enough name, but he had to know the owner of his team’s name, and he could easily put the connection together if he hadn’t already recognized her. The local media liked to broadcast pictures of her occasionally. She wasn’t nationally acclaimed for being the girl who had dumped her billionaire father, but in Texas, she was a household face and name.
“You have to earn a last name, football star.” She gave a saucy little shake, shocking herself again. Was she losing all her inhibitions? Her mother had been a fabulous salsa dancer, and Izzy had dreamed of following in her footsteps, but her father had only ever agreed to ballet, getting a sad look in his eyes every time she begged to dance salsa or mambo as a little girl. Izzy hadn’t truly danced in years.
Xavier’s eyes widened, but he grinned more broadly. “I hope I get a chance to earn it. Who are you here with, Izzy?”
She recognized exactly what he was saying. How did she afford to pay five thousand dollars for this dinner, and who had invited her, or was she here on her own merits? Oh my, she’d completely forgotten about her security. She glanced around, but they were blending in with other security personnel surrounding the walls. They must’ve realized Xavier Newton wasn’t a threat, not physically at least. He was about to make her have an emotional seizure, holding her hand and flirting with her.
“I’m a nurse for the Dallas Children’s Hospital. I understand you hate these events, but we’re very grateful you are willing to donate your body, I mean, a date for the children.”
Xavier laughed, but sadly released her hand. Her fingers felt instant remorse. “I’d do anything for the children, but I hope it’s just a date. Not ready to donate my body yet.”
“X!” Kade Kincaid yelled across the room. “Get over here.”
Xavier glanced over his shoulder at his buddy and lifted his index finger, signaling for one more minute.
“You’re being summoned,” she said.
“Sorry,” he said to her. “When Kade Kincaid wants something, he usually gets it.”
“I’ve seen that.”
“Do you watch our games?” He suddenly looked like an adorable boy asking if his favorite friend was going to support him at little league.
“Every single one.” She assured him. “Who could miss the Triple Threat?”
“Thanks. That means a lot.” He cleared his throat and shifted closer. “Could I offer you a ride home after the event?”
Izzy’s heart slammed into her chest. It was just a ride, but it felt like much more. Would he still want to take her home after she’d bought him like cattle on the auction block? Something was really bugging her about her father being so gracious with his money for the hospital on the condition that she buy Xavier.
“I don’t take rides from someone I’ve just met.” She folded her arms under her chest and lifted an eyebrow.
Xavier’s eyes dipped for just a second, but they quickly came back up to focus on hers. “That’s a shame. Here I am selling my body, I mean, a date for your hospital, but you can’t make the sacrifice of a simple ride?”
He had her. Oh, man, did he have her. The thought of him selling that body brought heat to her
neck. “So riding home with you would be a sacrifice?”
“Depends on where we go on the ride.” He smirked and gave her a suggestive look that had her panting for air.
Izzy put a hand on his chest and tried to push at him. Unfortunately, he didn’t budge, but the sculpted muscles of his chest felt sumptuous under her fingertips. “I’ll have you know that I’m a good Christian girl, and we won’t be going anywhere for a ride.” She pinned him with a look.
A laugh bubbled out of his chest. She could feel it and hear it. He wrapped his large palm around hers. “I like you, Izzy with no last name. At least wait for me after. We can … talk.”
Izzy pulled her hand free, not ready to make any promises. He’d quickly reminded her that he was a player in every sense of the word, and that was not the type of man she was looking for, ever. She’d buy him at the auction because it would help her hospital, but if he thought he was getting action on that date, he had another thing coming.
“I don’t … talk.” She flipped her hair. “Goodbye, Mr. Newton.” She strode away angrily, not an easy feat in these stupid heels.
“X!” She heard Kade call again. She made the mistake of glancing back at him when she reached her assigned table. He was watching her with a bemused expression like she was a toy he would like to have fun with. Well, she was nobody’s toy, no matter how successful, famous, and handsome they were. Especially when they were all of those things. Her father could be described as two of those three things, and he’d only brought misery to her and her mother, heaven rest her soul. Izzy would stay safe and far away from men like Xavier Newton. At least, she would after she got through tonight and the date she would be purchasing. Hopefully, Xavier would only want to go to dinner in a very public place, and she could just put on a fake smile and soldier through. Too much time spent alone with that man would spell a lot of trouble for her, and trouble wasn’t something she had time or energy for.
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Keep reading for a sneak peak of Ace’s Story, The Persistent Groom…
The Persistent Groom
The first rule of event planning: no matter how thoroughly you plan an event, something always goes wrong.
Silver knew the drill. In fact, she made a practice of adding in extra time to deal with unexpected hiccups. But this job had been riddled with problems from day one. What made it worse was that the Light the Way Gala and Bachelor Auction was her biggest event yet—the one that could either make or break her rising business. Silver had been jumping from one problem to the next all day long, putting out fires. Judging by the pinched expression on her assistant’s face, it wasn’t getting any better. She let out a long breath, bracing herself for the bad news. “What’s wrong now?”
“The photographer says if you don’t pay him extra, he’ll pack up his crew and leave.”
“What?” Silver exploded, her hand going to her hip. “That’s ridiculous. I already paid him the first half of his fee. He doesn’t get the rest until the job’s done. That was our deal.”
Marla threw her hands up in defeat. “I tried to tell him that, but he won’t listen. Says he’ll only talk to you.”
She muttered under her breath, shaking her head. Her regular photographer was doing a wedding this weekend, forcing Silver to get someone else. This guy came highly recommended, but was trouble from the get-go. And now, thirty minutes before the start of the Gala, he was threatening to leave. “He’s supposed to be setting up at the entrance to photograph guests as they arrive, and his people are to be inside as well.” A red-carpet reception was an integral part of the event, and having a photographer on site to take pictures was mandatory. Swarms of reporters and paparazzi were already camped out on the front grounds of the mansion, waiting for Dallas’s elite to arrive, donning their finest evening wear. As far as Texans were concerned, this gala ranked right up there with the Oscars. This year, the event was bigger than ever because the famous Triple Threat of the Dallas Titans were participating in the auction. The three most celebrated football players on the team also happened to be bachelors. Three lucky ladies would bid exorbitant amounts for the opportunity to go on a date with one of the trio. News media outlets dubbed the gala Dallas’s most important event of the year. The tickets, which cost five thousand dollars a head, sold out the first hour they were on sale.
When Silver got the opportunity to plan this event, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven, hardly believing something like this could fall in her lap. Then she almost cried when she discovered which football players were participating in the auction. Fate certainly had a sense of humor. Here she was, planning an event where Ace Sanchez would be one of the main participants. She could only hope she could avoid him. An unbidden image of Ace flashed through her mind, and she saw his black, soulful eyes and lopsided grin. Her heart picked up a notch as she balled her fists. She shook her head, brushing aside all thoughts of Ace. Whatever was between them ended a lifetime ago. They were living separate lives in separate universes. She had to remain focused on the task at hand. Her business depended on it. Silver tried to think of a solution that would appease the photographer. The wretched man had her over a barrel, and he knew it. She’d have to pay the bozo extra to keep him tonight, but she certainly didn’t have to use him again. Her eyes narrowed as she straightened her shoulders. “I’ll go talk to him.”
Marla nodded. “I’m afraid there’s more.”
Silver tensed. “What else?”
“America Starr has been causing a ruckus, refusing to eat the food laid out by guest services. The poor caterer is at her wits’ end.”
An incredulous laugh bubbled in Silver’s throat. “Well, what does the caterer expect? Everyone knows America’s reputation. Furthermore, she’s not the first celebrity to make waves at an event. It goes with the territory. As a professional, the caterer should be used to celebrities making unreasonable demands.”
“America threw the entire tray of food out in the hall where it splattered all over her body guards.”
Silver’s eyes bulged. “What?” A world-renowned pop singer, America, was one of the emcees for the event. She was notorious for being difficult, but her fame provided the gala lots of publicity. So, the organizers of the event turned a blind eye to America’s antics. On camera or in front of a crowd America was gold; but in real life, she was a spoiled, teenage brat. America pitched a royal fit because she was picked up from the airport in a regular rental car rather than a limousine. She flat-out refused to ride in the rental car. Instead, she sat on the curb at the airport with her luggage piled in mountains around her until a limousine was called. Also, her two-thousand-dollar a night suite in an award-winning, five-star-hotel was in her words, “too stuffy.”
Silver rubbed a hand across her forehead. “Tell the caterer to give America whatever she wants, even if it costs extra. We have to keep her happy.”
Marla nodded.
“Anything else?”
Marla seemed to duck slightly under Silver’s piercing gaze. “The sound system’s still cutting out. The techs are working on it and assure me it’ll be fixed in time for the auction.” She paused, shaking her head. “But, I dunno.”
Tiny beads of sweat popped over Silver’s forehead. She’d barely gotten a wink of sleep the night before, fretting over details of the event, and it was starting to catch up to her. “Okay, thanks for letting me know. There’s nothing we can do about that now, just hope and pray they get it fixed in time. How’s the ballroom? Is everything set for the banquet?”
“Exquisite.” Marla’s face brightened. “You should definitely use this florist again. The arrangements are the best I’ve ever seen. I love the contrast of the red tulips against the periwinkle hyacinths.”
Silver relaxed a fraction. “Good.” At least one thing was going right. Bliss Events was up and coming, but this was her business’s first time doing an event of this caliber … at Rosecrest Mansion, to boot. Once a residential mansion, Rosecrest was transformed in
to a world-class, luxury hotel that was a favorite gathering place for the Dallas social scene. Silver had a deep appreciation for the venerable mansion with its Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture that boasted a buttery vanilla stucco exterior, clay roof tiles and arched windows and doors. Silver always wanted to do an event here. If she pulled this off, it would bode well for her business. A few more hours, and it would all be over. She just had to hold her cool … and avoid Ace Sanchez at all costs.
Silver had just finished up with the photographer when her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket. It was a number she didn’t recognize. Figuring it to be someone calling about the event, she answered. “Hello?”
“Hello, this is Ruth Fielding from The Wexton Academy.”
Silver’s pulse increased as her hand went to her chest. “Yes?”
“I apologize for calling you after business hours, but I thought you’d like to know that your daughter Gracie has been accepted into our program.”
Tears sprang to Silver’s eyes. “That’s fantastic!”
“We have you scheduled for an appointment next Tuesday at nine a.m. This meeting is for you and Gracie. It’ll be a great opportunity for both of you to meet her teachers and get acquainted with our school. I’ll send you an email with the pertinent details and a list of resources accessible to Gracie. Let me check to make sure I have your correct email address.” Silver heard papers rustling in the background before the woman rattled off the address.
“Yes, that’s it.” Her head was spinning. Gracie would be attending The Wexton Academy! It was like she had to keep repeating it, for the information to sink in.
“Very good,” the woman said briskly. “We’ll look forward to seeing you and Gracie on Tuesday, June 3. Have a good rest of the evening.”
“Thank you.” Silver ended the call, her heart soaring. The Wexton Academy was one of the top private schools in the nation for Down syndrome children, helping them assimilate into a mainstream educational environment, but they were very selective about the students they accepted. Their waiting list was years long. Gracie was now five years old, and Silver had put her name on the waiting list a few months before she was even born. Gracie’s acceptance into the program was nothing short of a miracle—one Silver had prayed for too many times to count. The school was ghastly expensive. As a single mom trying to get a business off the ground, Silver had no idea how she was going to pay for it or fit the two-hour-commute into her schedule each day. But she was determined to make it work—even if she had to take on extra events and get up at four in the morning. She offered a silent prayer of gratitude for the blessing, and then asked that the event would run smoothly. She took in a deep breath and smoothed down her black evening dress, ignoring the intermittent flashes of pain in her feet caused by her skyscraper heels. She’d worn her tennis shoes for as long as she could, but put on the heels an hour ago. With her feet already hurting, it was sure to be a long night. She sighed, straightening her shoulders as she sucked in her stomach. No matter how stressed she was on the inside, she had to remain unruffled on the outside—look the part of the successful event planner. A large part of her job was mingling with the guests to ensure everyone was happy. Even though her budget was slimmer than a runway model, she’d splurged on one nice dress to wear to such occasions. It was simple but elegant, and she’d dressed it up with dangling, teardrop, faux-diamond earrings. Marla and two other employees would handle the behind-the-scenes details, keeping in close contact with her to make sure everything ran smoothly.