by Hart, Lane
"All right, I approve, but you're going to have your work cut out for you. She has…insecurities that might be a challenge for even a regular man." I'm an irregular man? Is that a good or a bad thing?
"What do you mean insecurities? She's beautiful." And I should know since I'm an expert on beautiful women. Last year I fucked all ten of Maxim's hottest women in the world. Natalie is hands down more naturally beautiful than all of them.
"Aww, you're so sweet. She is, although she doesn't listen to us. In a way I understand where she's coming from, but she's stubborn. Anyway, if you want to get her attention then I suggest you put in a little personal effort. She doesn’t have plans for lunch tomorrow. She likes Mexican food and Stargazer lilies."
"What the fuck kind of lilies?" I ask.
She laughs. "Stargazer. They're bright pink ones with what looks like red dots on them."
"Oh, okay. Thanks for the info, and I guess I'll see you around noon tomorrow."
"Awesome. We're all big fans here. Especially Natalie."
"Apparently not so much anymore. I was really late to the signing today."
"Oh, well then that explains it. Natalie takes her job here at the breast cancer foundation very seriously, especially the fundraisers. The money we raise pays for mammograms for women who can't afford them. Those scans helps save lives by catching the cancer as early as possible."
"Someone Natalie know have breast cancer?" I ask curiously.
"You could say that, but that's not my story to tell."
"I'll have to find a way to make it up to her with the auction. I know it's a great cause, and I swear I had no intention of blowing the signing off today."
"Ooh. Could I suggest you and your teammates do a calendar?"
"A calendar?" I ask.
"Yeah, you know, you guys mostly naked, January through December."
"Huh. I'll check with the guys and if I can get eleven more to agree then we'll do a calendar."
"Woohoo! Thanks, Zack."
"And thank you, Rachel."
Chapter Five
Natalie
Thank goodness! I'm finally finished uploading all the pics and descriptions for the auction. It's taken half the day, but it's done. Tomorrow, October first, is the start of breast cancer awareness month. The online auction on our website will continue accepting bids until Halloween, with the highest bidder for each item winning at the end of the month.
I lean back in my computer chair, stretching my arms over my head to work the kinks out of my back and neck from sitting still for so long. At the sound of rapping knuckles on my open office door, the chair almost tips over backwards with me in it.
"Hi, Natalie," the sexiest man in the world says as he casually leans a shoulder against my door frame. That wasn't just my personal assessment of his attractiveness. That was the official title he's been given by several magazines. And is he holding a bouquet of freaking flowers? Maybe I've fallen asleep at work and am dreaming.
"What...what are you doing here?" I ask.
"I came to take you out to lunch."
"W-what?"
"You know, lunch. The meal between breakfast and dinner?"
"But why?"
"I didn't know I needed a reason, but I guess it's because you're a beautiful woman, and I want to spend more time with you."
"I'm not going to sleep with you," I blurt the words I'm thinking out before I can stop them.
The gorgeous man’s dark chocolate eyes twinkle when he raises a blonde eyebrow and a cocky grin spreads across his perfect face. "Baby, if I got you into my bed, there wouldn't be any sleeping. At least not until you pass out from exertion."
Heat starts at my scalp and travels down my body, pooling between my legs. I have a feeling that isn't an idle threat.
Somehow, underneath the lust, I'm able to regain my indignation at his arrogance when the reality that I'm never going to find out if he's telling the truth douses the flames.
"Let me amend my statement, I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Okay," he says, unaffected. He strolls over and takes a seat in the chair across from my desk, spreading his long legs out in front of him and crossing one over his knee. I take in his tight black t-shirt and what has to be designer, faded blue jeans. There he just...sits! In my small office, holding pink lilies and looking mouthwatering good. "We can order lunch in. Mexican okay?"
Damn it. Why do I have to have a weakness for Mexican food? I can get it for dinner, I promise my growling stomach. "No, thanks."
"You don't like Mexican food?" he asks with a crooked smile.
"No. I mean yes. I mean, you're not staying for lunch!"
"That's too bad. I had a fundraising idea I wanted to run past you," he says as he stands up to leave. "Oh, and these are for you." He places the beautiful lilies on my desk before he starts for the door.
Wait, did he just say that he has a fundraising idea?
"What idea?" I ask, halting his steps.
"How about I tell you over lunch?" he asks from the doorway.
"Do you really have an idea?"
"Yes," he turns around and says indignantly with his hands spread on his narrow hips. "And I think it's a pretty damn good one."
"Fine," I exhale in agreement.
"Great, so what can I order for you?" he asks as pulls out his phone.
"Um, a taco salad?"
"Got it. Let me check with the other ladies and I'll be right back," he says, then I watch his too charming ass head out to woo my coworkers. Not that they needed wooing. Giggles and flirty comments intrude into my office.
While he's gone I quickly grab my compact mirror from my purse hiding underneath my desk and check my hair, makeup and teeth, then snap it shut again. Damn my vanity! I swear it's going to be the death of me.
The beautiful flowers abandoned on my desk call to me, and I have to lean over and smell their wonderful scent. Then it hits me, the flowers are Stargazer lilies, my favorite, combined with Mexican food, which is my go-to comfort food. Someone in this office spilled the refried beans, aiding and abetting Zack in his attempt to charm my pants off. Once again, he has someone else doing his work for him. Now that I know the truth, his sweet gestures aren't as impressive as I'd originally thought.
"All right, the food will be here in a few minutes," Zack says when he strolls back in, looking like he rules the world. Which he basically does. His royal lands consist of a football field. The thousands of fans are his loyal, worshiping servants.
After he sits down across from my desk I look at him, waiting for him to share this idea of his. Finally he takes the hint.
Grabbing a pen from the organizer on my desk and twirling it in his massive fingers he starts talking. "So, I've talked to some of the guys, and there's enough of us to fill a calendar."
"A calendar?" I ask.
"Yeah, you know, half-naked men from January through December," he says with a cocky smile.
Oh Lord. A half-naked Zack Bradford? I can barely form words with him sitting fully clothed in front of me.
"If you can find a photographer, then we can get the Baring Chests for Breast Cancer calendar, or whatever you want to call it, done in a few weeks. The final product would be ready for Christmas. All proceeds come to you here to do whatever you need to do with the money. I'm betting it would be an extremely low cost, high profit item."
"Wow." That's the only word I can get out of my mouth for a minute. "You guys would be willing do that?"
He smiles the mega-watt smile that had been known to make weaker women faint. Thank goodness I'm sitting down. "Of course. It's for a great cause."
"Wow." I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but my mind is frazzled while I think over his idea. Hot, shirtless NFL players. What woman wouldn't buy such a thing? And he's right, the cost of production would be extremely low. "That's actually a really great idea."
Zack looks quickly away from me and squirms a little in his seat. "I should probably clarify that the idea wasn'
t mine, but I did run with it and have eleven other guys on the team ready to offer their…services."
"That was really nice of you. I appreciate your help. And thanks for lunch, oh and the flowers."
"You're welcome. Although, I did have help with those ideas, too." At least he admitted it honestly.
"Did you buy the flowers or did someone else?" I ask, wondering how much he'd personally done.
"I called four different florists before I found Stargazer lilies. Then I drove across town, walked in on my own two feet, and picked them up before coming here."
"I’m impressed," I say, unable to help my smile.
"Finally," he says with a sigh, and visibly relaxes in his chair. "I wasn't sure if I could ever do anything right by you, woman."
I cringe at his words that make me sound like a complete bitch. But I guess that's the only way I've treated him. I've been rude to Zack Bradford when all he's trying to do is ask me out. Or more likely get in my pants.
I can't help but feel a little giddy that he's showed an interest in me, even if he does have less than honorable intentions, and doesn't remember me from college. It's nice to feel wanted by a gorgeous man like him. But regardless, I'm not going to become a notch on his mile long belt.
"Honestly, Zack, I really appreciate that you've gone to all this trouble for me, but I don't date, and I definitely don't sleep with men. Neither of those things are going to change just because you're…well, you," I tell him, gesturing at his obvious hotness.
"Well, that's too bad," he says with a sigh. "But if you want the calendar that could help raise a ton of money for a cause that's important to you, then you're going to have to take one for the team."
"W-what? What do you mean?" I ask.
He leans forward, his strong, muscular forearms resting on the edge of my desk. "I mean, the other players and I will do the calendar, but only if you agree to go out with me."
"You can't be serious."
"Oh, I am very serious."
"Why?" I ask.
"Why am I serious?"
"No, why me?" I ask, helpless to stop the heat from spreading over my cheeks.
"You want the list?" he asks.
"There's a list?"
"Yep," he nods, his intense chocolate eyes never leaving mine. "You're beautiful, smart, sweet, sassy, and sexy as hell. Is that enough?"
I want to crawl under my desk after hearing his flattering words. "But you don’t know me, and even if all that were true, you...you date women who are a helluva lot more…well, everything than me."
"I have dated a lot of beautiful women." He nods in agreement. "And those women, with the exception of one, were all shallow, selfish, spoiled, clingy, and my personal favorite, gold-diggers."
"Oh." He said all but one. Does that mean he cared about her? I remember seeing something in the tabloids a few months ago about his breakup with a girlfriend.
"Even though we just met yesterday, I'm willing to bet that you're none of the above. You're also the only woman that's ever turned me down."
"So you just like a challenge?" I ask, deflating as I think of the old saying that you always want what you can't have.
"It's nice to have a challenge," he says with a shrug of his wide shoulders, his eyes holding mine. "But, Natalie, when I decide I want to play, I go all in and play to win. And I can promise you this - I want to win you over for more than just one night."
I'm pretty sure I melted a little in my seat. "But I'm just plain. Average..."
"Natalie, you're not as smart as I thought you were if you think you're plain or average. Come on. Just agree to go on ten measly dates with me before the photoshoot for the calendar."
"Ten! You want me to go on ten dates with you?" My jaw drops and I shake my head. "That's too many, and if we're really going to do this, we need to get the photos done ASAP so that the calendars will be ready by the end of the year."
"All right, eight."
"Four," I counter, then slap a hand over my mouth. Am I actually agreeing to go out with Zack Bradford? Yes, yes I am. It's for a good cause. Although, I still don't really understand his persistence.
"Deal," he says with a wide smile, offering me his large palm to shake on it. I take it, and when his hand swallows up my small one, awareness and desire pulses down my arm, tightening my belly as I imagine his warm hands in other places on my body. Stop it you stupid hormones!
"This counts as one of the dates," I say when my brain decides to work again. Zack's hand goes still and the surprised look on his face tells me he hadn't expected that.
"No, it doesn't," he says, as he pulls his palm from mine.
"Yes, it does. We're having a meal together and you brought me flowers. That's a date if I've ever seen one."
"Okay, this is a date if and only if it includes a kiss."
My jaw drops again and my face becomes scorching hot. "You…we…that wasn't…"
"Damn, woman, you're seriously going to give me a complex! How bad could one little kiss on each date be?" the smug bastard asks as he leans back in his chair, taking up all the space in the room.
I've been thinking about that "one little kiss" from him for years. Four. Freaking. Years. Not that he remembers that one. It had been an amazing kiss, too. Surely I can handle one more. Or four more, one for each date.
"Fine. But that's it! No more conditions."
He looks way too pleased with himself as that familiar wide smile spreads across his face. "No more conditions. Four dates, at least one kiss per date, and you get a calendar."
"Don't you have practice you should be at, instead of wasting time here? You guys are on a losing streak, right?" I ask even though my mind is stuck on "at least one kiss." Does that mean there might be more than one kiss per date?
"I'm free until practice starts at two," he says. "And I have a feeling our season is about to turn around."
"So you think you guys are ready to take on the Giants this Sunday?" I ask.
"Hell yes we're ready," he says confidently. "I could even get you tickets if you want to come see me play."
"Really?" I ask unable to help my huge grin of delight.
"Of course."
"Any strings attached?"
With a deep chuckle he runs a hand through his perfect All-American blonde hair, showing off the thick muscles in his bicep. I have to stifle the groan that tries to escape from my lips. "Hmm. Well, there weren't any strings, but now that you brought it up, I may have to think of one."
"What will it take?" I grumble. I'd consider giving up my first born for decent seats to a home game. Those damn things are several hundred bucks a pop even in the nosebleed section.
"I'll get you four tickets, lower level, row A, if you'll agree to wear my jersey."
"That’s all I have to do?" I ask skeptically. "Wear your jersey?"
For front row freaking seats!
"Yep. One of my jerseys from your closet, which I get to sign at the game, and you better not even think of including it in the auction."
"How'd you…I don't…"
He raises an eyebrow and smirks.
I sigh in resignation and cover my embarrassed face with both hands. "Which hussy told you so I can have words with her about not spilling all of my secrets to big, arrogant men?" I ask and he gives a deep raspy laughs.
"Sorry, but I can't reveal my sources. She says you're a Carolina alumni, too?"
I nod, although I didn’t actually graduate since I left during my sophomore year and never went back.
"Did you watch any of my college games in the stadium?"
I nod again, then swallow the lump in my throat, uncovering my face. "I attended almost all of the home games my first two years." The away ones, too, but I didn't think I needed to share that much.
"Too bad we didn't meet on campus," he says softly, and he sounds almost genuine.
"Food's here!" Tracy yells to us from the front.
"Hungry?" he asks as he stands up. Somehow he makes that one seemi
ngly innocent word sound naughty.
"Starved," I respond as I get up and walk around my desk. Suddenly he's there in front of me, causing me to run smack dab into his big, hard, unmoving body.
Before I can apologize, one of Zack's big hands gently cradles the side of my face. His calloused thumb glides under my chin to tilt my head up. When he brushes my lips with his own full ones I freeze in shock.
That doesn't deter him.
Grasping my hip, he pulls me flush against his body, smelling all wonderful and edible. When my lips open on a gasp of surprise, the man takes that as an invitation to slide his tongue into my mouth, not that I'd ever protest.
My own body finally thaws and begins responding to his touch. Tentatively, my tongue dips into his mouth, mimicking his exploration. He tastes sweet and delicious like sugar, and is probably just as addictive. Every time our tongues tease, his fingers tighten on my hip, causing arousal to throb deep and demanding in my core, growing and warming until it's a steady ache.
My arms don't really want to work, so I just reach for the closest part of him I can get to - his trim waist. God, his body is rock hard and warm, so damn incredible underneath my greedy palms that long to touch his skin. I grab fistfuls of the sides of his shirt, begging him not to stop. Butterflies take flight in my stomach. Or maybe it's actually bumblebees, creating a heavy, vibrating sensation through my lower body.
When Zack finally pulls away we're both breathing heavy, unable to do anything but stare at each other while several seconds pass, his confused brown eyes searching mine.
"I thought you'd want to…go ahead and get that out of the way." His voice sounds deeper and even sexier, if that's possible
After I nod he takes a step back, pulling his hands away from my face and hip. What is most concerning is the fact that he isn't giving me a cocky smile or cracking jokes. Zack Bradford actually looks serious for the first time in two days.
His arm motions for me to lead the way out of my office. I really hope my legs can withstand my weight after that ridiculously amazing kiss. When I feel the pressure of Zack's hand on the small of my back, his heat burning my skin through my dress shirt, I figure that if I start to fall he'll catch me before I hit the ground.