“What!” Mia gasped in a high-pitched tone. Her voice seemed louder against the music in the background.
Cole smiled down at me and looked like he was actually waiting for me to answer.
“Well?” he prodded. Now the interest in his eyes seemed to pique.
Mia looked completely intrigued, and the intensity of her gaze on me was burning a hole in my skull.
“Cole, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but leave me out of it.” I found my voice and straightened my shoulders to square off with him. I knew I must have looked comical next to him looking like I was ready for battle. Me with my five feet and four inches against him at six foot six and solid powerful muscle.
“Well, look who grew up to be all woman-sized. Vanessa Cartwright, I have to say I’m loving the look and attitude. It suits you.” He nodded, then he shocked me further by leaning in close to my ear. I would have moved back, but the scent of his aftershave tickled my nose and forbade me. “Fiery suits you, goddess. It would look good on you in my bed too. Just on that fine body of yours and nothing more. What do you say?”
Jesus, please take the wheel because my head felt light. To say I was stunned didn’t quite explain the shock that flew through me.
I had to step back, away from him, to catch my breath. Now I was absolutely certain the universe was screwing with me big time.
When last I’d checked, this man before me was the same Cole Buchanan who had laughed me to scorn when I told him I wanted him to be my first. Then he told me to run on home and come back to him when I grew a pair of breasts.
No matter the stir of emotion deep inside me at his words tonight, I had no plans on answering his question, or any other question he might have for me.
I looked away from him, set my cue stick down, and walked away, leaving him with a wolfish grin on his handsome face. Completely unfazed. And far too confident. Not like the average human.
Mia joined me, falling in step, and grabbed my arm before I could get through the door. She pulled me to a stop and glowered at me.
“Vanessa, Jesus Lord, what the hell was that about?” she bubbled like she’d just gotten some juicy piece of news.
“Nothing,” I answered quickly.
“Don’t you dare lie to me. What was the nothing about?” she insisted.
I shook my head at her. “Mia, please. Not now.”
“Oh wow, this feels very bad. But oh so interesting.”
“It’s not.”
“Oh, but it does, and there I was thinking you were boring.”
I wish I was. She liked to think she was the daring one. The carpe diem girl who seized the moment. At one point that was me, and I’d learned my lesson well.
I may be on this mission to lose my virginity, but I would never be so foolish as to throw myself at anyone the way I did to him.
The devil was looking at me now, knowing he’d made his mark.
He was right because just like back in high school, I couldn’t get him out of my head.
Chapter 3
Vanessa
Mom smiled at each of us as she walked into the meeting room.
She’d come just in time to save me from another one of Abby’s attempts to make me crazy.
Abby had come in this morning like she had some sort of plan for it too. It was always about sex. Although, admittedly, she used to goad me a lot more before she married Gilly, and definitely a lot more before they had their son, Zack.
She’d calmed down a lot in the last two years, and I was grateful. Sometimes, though, she caught me in her snare. Like this morning when she started talking about a screaming orgasm while having sex on the beach.
It started out with reference to the cocktails, but I knew her better than that and knew to be wary of any kind of conversation like that. She’d looked to Mia for backup when I turned red, but thankfully, Mia was somewhat on my side. We’d had this unspoken code between us since I sort of helped her reason out a few things in relation to Eric when they first started seeing each other.
This morning, though, she still had that curiosity in her eyes from two nights ago when we’d left Cole at the bar.
“Girls, how are we this morning?” Mom asked in that good-natured bubble.
I straightened and smiled when she walked around to me and tapped my head the way she used to when I was little.
“Perfect, Mom,” Abby answered.
“Peachy and excited to find out what’s ahead,” Mia added, looking at me specifically.
God… I’d managed to avoid her all of yesterday, and I didn’t answer her calls either. I knew just from looking at her that I was going to get the grilling of my life later. What I needed to be careful of was that she didn’t tell Abby. It was times like these when I wished Taylor were around. Taylor was the mediating sister, but unlike us, she worked in PR. She ran Cartwright PR with Dylan, her husband, as her business consultant. She was a girl who’d been constant her whole life when it came to me. While she was as man crazy as these two, she’d been a calmer version that was great to have around to take the heat off me.
“We have much to discuss,” Mom said, taking her seat at the head of the table. She tucked a lock of her pixie cut hair behind her ears and looked at each of us again. “This year is the twenty-fifth year of your father owning the teams. The Gladiators and The Centaurs. Both teams have been multiple Super Bowl winners. They’ve done well, and we’ve done well. It’s been a great time, and I want to make this year big. PR is already all over it with all the plans Taylor and Dylan have and all that they’ve been doing. I want us to jump on track too.”
As I listened to my mother speak, I allowed myself to get lost in her words. I loved the way she took charge and that she had that balance in her life with everything. Dad might own the marketing agency, but Mom was boss here, and he made sure she got to do all that she wanted to do with no limits on her imagination.
I loved working for her and with her. There had been no doubt in my mind after I’d left college that this was where I wanted to be. It gave me the chance to write and be creative. She did too.
“I’m excited, Mom,” Abby said with a firm nod.
She did the online and digital marketing. Mia dealt with the fundraising, which tended to be more periodical. So, this next phase really was kind of on me and Abby.
“I’m excited too,” I added, and I wished it didn’t sound like a lie.
“Yes,” Mia agreed still looking at me.
Abby didn’t miss that. She looked from me to Mia, narrowed her eyes with suspicion, then returned her focus to Mom.
“Good, so I have ideas and plans on what I’d like us to do. Abby, you work with me and Taylor. I’d love for you to get a campaign going to take over social media in whatever way you can.”
Abby loved the sound of that. “I am definitely your girl for anything social media. I already came up with a draft campaign and thought we could fundraise on the side. All proceeds could go to the inner-city kids for football camp next year.”
Mom snapped her fingers. “Fantastic, and I love that idea. The next few months are going to involve a lot of travelling, and that’s going to be difficult to do all the time with Zack, so you can stay grounded here with me.” Mom then turned to Mia and me. “Mia, I know you’ll be seeing a lot of Eric’s away games, so the bulk of the plans will be perfect for you.”
“I’m in whatever you need,” Mia answered.
“I’d like you to support Vanessa.” Mom looked to me, and her eyes twinkled. Her eyes twinkled, and my lungs constricted. This was supposed to be a happy moment because I loved my job and everything I got to do here would help my career. I had no hopes of owning the place like Taylor had with the PR company, but I really did want to have more say in the publications side of the business. I got the feeling I was about to get my chance.
“That sounds like you have a lot in mind for me, Mom,” I surmised.
“I do.” She opened her palms and gave me that look of adoration. “Yo
u’ve done a lot in regard to our clients and publications. This season is time for you to shine. I want you to organize three publications. The first will be to open the season. I’d love an article about our presence in the sport and our goals. The next is an exclusive with Coleridge Buchanan.”
I’d just taken a sip of my water when she said Cole’s name, and as she said it, I started choking. And that definitely got Abby’s attention. Like a honing device, she looked to me and her curiosity intensified.
“Are you okay, dear? Drink some more water,” Mom suggested with concern.
“I’m fine, just went down the wrong pipe.” I coughed feeling far from fine. I took a gulp of the water this time and wished like hell that idea wasn’t set in stone. “Mom, why him? There’s the other players like Gilly, Eric, and just the others.” Heck, we even had a whole other football team to play around with.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I have plans for them. I just think it’s good to take note of the talent we have. It would be a great idea to welcome him into the team, as he’s our newest addition and has such a great track record coming from the Patriots. He’s the last to join the family, so to speak. Ultimately, the last thing I’d like you to do is put together the first issue of our new magazine.”
Now I froze. She definitely had my attention in a big way. “What? What new magazine?”
Mom smiled and rubbed her hands together. “Prospects. That’s the name I have so far. I want the first issue to cover the players from the two teams with twelve articles on the notable key players that have had various accomplishments and achievements over the last five years. Six from The Centaurs and six from The Gladiators. So, here’s where we get to do exclusives on players like Gilly and Eric. That is all I’m saying by way of guidance because I want you to take the lead on this. I think your expertise will be best placed on a project like this. We can do this exclusive edition and launch it just before Christmas, and then we decide how often we want the publication to run.”
I blinked several times. “Mom, God, wow. That is… just wow.” It was amazing. It really was amazing. I was in my element when I was writing. There was something freeing about it and I loved that Mom was allowing me free reign to use my creativity in whatever way I’d wanted.
“I thought you would like that.”
I nodded. “Yes. I love it.” I did, and I didn’t care what game Cole was playing; he wasn’t going to ruin things for me. I just had to get my head around the part where I’d have to do this exclusive on him. It was just a little article and I’d just have to spend half an hour max on him. No biggie.
“Perfect, it’s all settled, then. Let’s focus on this straightaway, girls. Anyone have any questions?”
We all shook our heads.
“Good. Vanessa, I’ve been in touch with Cole’s PA. She’ll contact you to let you know when he’ll be able to talk. Try to get the ball rolling for that asap. I want the article up on the sports page by the first Friday after the season starts.”
Although I nodded, I was silently cringing. “Sure, I can do that.”
That was all I needed to tell myself. I could do it.
Mom ended the meeting, and I was the first to get up. I figured I’d make a run for it before Mia could get to me.
Fortunately, Mom started talking to Abby about Zack, but I wasn’t so lucky with Mia. I managed to get as far as the foyer when she caught up with me.
She grabbed my arm and practically yanked me to a stop.
“Not so fast, missy.” She winced and looked me over from head to toe. She reminded me of Grandpa when she did that, because he’d make that face too. The kind when he knew you were up to something, or hiding something.
“What? What’s up? I thought I’d get a head start on the magazine so we could talk later,” I replied, trying to change the subject.
She stepped closer into my personal space and pointed her finger at me.
“You little devil. I don’t know who you think you’re fooling, but it’s not me. Vanesa Cartwright, you better tell me right now what happened between you and Cole Buchanan, and don’t give me that bullshit about nothing.”
The thing was, nothing did happen. “Mia, I really don’t want to talk about it.”
“But you are, because I’m not going away. I would assume you slept with him from the way you’re behaving, but I would be wrong, unless you have some strange concept of virginity.” She narrowed her eyes and considered if it really was that. “Is that it? Are you one of these weird people who think that just because you used a condom, you didn’t really have sex?”
I bit the inside of my lip to keep from laughing. “Mia, who thinks that?”
“Like I said, the weird. Are you, Vanessa? Or, maybe you did sleep with him, and it was so bad you pretended it never happened. But I can’t imagine that being true. Look at the man. He looks like he knows his stuff.”
My damn cheeks burned right up just thinking of him. Thank God we were by ourselves because she was talking like we were talking about the weather. Not bothering to keep her voice down or anything. Mia wasn’t the best person for tact or awareness
“Mia,” I scoffed with wide eyes.
“What? I’m just being observant. Vanessa, this isn’t fair. Don’t think I don’t know you prefer Gage over me.” Now she looked hurt, and I felt guilty.
“That’s not true. There’s just some stuff I can’t tell you, or haven’t.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Vanessa, I’m your sister. What good am I if you can’t talk to me? Look how long it took you to tell me you’re still a virgin.”
“It’s not the kind of thing you broadcast.”
“But it’s not broadcasting if you’re just telling me. Plus, you really helped me a lot with Eric. He’s an athlete, just like Cole. I would love to help you too.”
I guess there were some similarities between us. Earlier in the year she had to work with Eric on the date auction we’d done as a fundraiser. However, what happened with her and Eric was not the same as me and Cole, as in there was no me and Cole. Eric and Mia were together prior to the fundraiser and it was very clear they were meant to be together.
“Eric’s not like Cole, Mia. The two are very different men.”
“Sure, of course they are. Come on though, I just want to be there for you. You’ve never allowed me to be before. You’ve been through something awful with Tony. So if I see a hot guy who looks like he’s into you, of course I’m going to want you to have him.” She nodded like Cole being hot was sufficient to tick all boxes for me.
“Mia, Cole is of a different variety.” It was the best I could say. The man had always had a way of mystifying me. I couldn’t say that the years without him were a bad thing. Nope.
“Oh my God Vanessa. What the hell does that even mean? You’re going to end up like the crazy cat lady who used to live by the school. Don’t you want to lose your virginity while you’re young?”
“Yes, of course I do. I absolutely do.”
“Then what’s wrong with Cole? He made it sound like something happened between you two.” That spark of interest returned to her eyes.
Okay… it seemed like I was going to have to tell her. I just had to find the right words.
“Nothing happened… because he rejected me.” There. I said it, and… I actually felt the weight of embarrassment I’d felt at the time.
Mia’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “What! What the hell, Vanessa?”
“I was sixteen. It was the day before my seventeenth birthday and, um… I thought that he teased me the way he did at school because he liked me.”
“Jesus.” She brought her hands up to her cheeks. “Why did you think that?”
I knew she would think I was stupid. “Because the magazine told me so. It’s a thing, right? The guy that bullies you the most truthfully likes you, until you find out he’s truly just a bully and you gave him more ammunition to throw at you.”
She sighed. “Oh God …Vanessa. So, you actua
lly what?”
“I …” I pulled in a deep breath and cast my mind back to the incident. I’d thought I was so brave. All the years of me hiding and drawing Vanessa + Cole love hearts in my notebook had finally come to some fruition. I was basically seventeen and ready to become a woman. “I snuck into his room and waited for him to come home. I waited for him in his bed. I even bought some stupid lingerie. When he saw me, he laughed and basically threw me out.”
I could see her dying with embarrassment for me. She even made this sound in her throat that was a cross between a shriek and a gurgle.
“Oh my God, girl. Why? Why didn’t you consult one of us first? And, Cole Buchanan? Vanessa.”
“Please… I know. It was the worst thing I ever did.” I released a slow sigh.
“And is that why you just never…”
I nodded. “Yeah, it was. I wish it wasn’t, but I just haven’t met anyone who I felt like I could be brave with since.”
“Okay, I get it, and I get why he’s your least favorite person. But, Vanessa, he sounded a lot like he was interested in you the other night.”
I shook my head. “No, he was messing with me.”
“Well, if that’s true, then why is he here?” she asked, looking ahead of her.
I groaned inwardly and turned to see Cole walking up the path from reception.
The question of why he was here was definitely a good one.
Today, he wore a suit and smiled when he saw me.
Cole in a suit was a vision to behold. Most men looked great in suits. He, however, made the suit look great.
Cole made his way over to us looking like he’d just stepped off a billboard advertising some movie where he was the heart throb every woman with eyes swooned over.
That smile of his made heat flush throughout my body, and again I cursed myself.
“So, I’m gonna leave now and call you later,” Mia said with a saucy giggle.
She sauntered away just as he approached.
“Miss Cartwright, how are you on this wonderful morning?” He beamed looking me over, revealing perfect white teeth. The slight twist in his nose as he squinted suggested it had been broken at one point, but that just added to his perfection.
Not Before Game Night (Bad Boy Bachelors of Orange County Book 4) Page 3