In It to Win It

by Morgan Kearns

  Could she be more pathetic?

  In a huff, she gathered her things and headed for the bathroom. A hot shower to wash away the frustration of the day was exactly what she needed. Too bad she couldn’t scrub out the inside of her head and plaster a band-aid over the wound on her heart.

  She groaned. She was not going to do this. She was here to do a job, not moon over whether or not Grayson remembered who the hell she was. She didn’t care!

  She stepped out of the shower and began to dry her hair with a towel. Standing buck naked in front of the mirror, Jane brushed out her hair and began to moisturize; first her legs, then her stomach and arms and…

  A knock on her door made her jump. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her middle and went for the door, only to decide that it didn’t cover enough, even if it was only going to be Nate. Especially if it was only going to be Nate.

  Nate was happily married and wasn’t afraid to admit how much he loved his wife, Roxie. The last thing Jane wanted was for word to get around that there was something going on between her and Nate. None of them needed the heartache that kind of rumor could bring—even if the gossip was completely unfounded, unsubstantiated, and untrue.

  Another knock.

  “Hold on,” she yelled. “I’m coming.”

  Thankfully a big, white, fluffy hotel bathrobe hung from a hook on the back of the bathroom door and Jane shrugged into it, tying the belt as she opened the door and turned back into her room.

  “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been thinking about the story and wanted to run some things—”

  “Jane?”

  She froze at the sound of her name. She knew that voice with a certainty that made her tingle from head to toe. Taking a breath to brace herself she turned.

  “Grayson? What are you doing here?”

  “May I come in?” he asked, dipping his Rockets hat covered head slightly.

  She nodded, unable to find her voice.

  He sauntered inside, closing the door behind him. She gulped not sure she liked the idea of being stuck in a hotel room with Grayson. His hands went up in submission. “I won’t hurt you.”

  “I know,” she answered softly. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her—at least not physically.

  She twisted the tie of her robe around her finger and waited for him to say something. His mouth didn’t open. He just stood across the room and stared at her. She was going to show him the door when he rushed at her, wrapping his arms around her and swinging her around the room. The air raced from her lungs on a gasp. His arms held her to the hard planes of his body and she wasn’t able to breathe. She heard the sound of his boot clunking into the door and the thud as it closed. Her heart was jumping around in her chest, but not because she was afraid.

  “Jane, it is so good to see you.”

  She stumbled when he placed her on her feet. He kept hold of her hands and stepped back to arm’s length, visually taking her in from head to toe.

  “Man, you look amazing!”

  “What are you doing here?” she asked the same question she’d voice when he stood in her doorway. Her mind swam. Why the hell was Grayson standing in her room? And why the hell had he wrapped her in a hug that turned her into a pile of goo? Not that she was going to complain any time soon.

  His baseball cap was pulled down so low that his eyes barely showed from under the brim. His jeans should have been illegal, they were so tight, every muscle was visible as it flexed with his movements. And the black Under Armour t-shirt fit him like a glove.

  She swallowed. She would not drool.

  Pathetic.

  He tugged her to him and the towel pooled around her feet. He grinned, his dark eyes sparkling, and with large, muscular hands, he eased her against him, holding her close against his rock hard body. He smelled good; clean and male and … mouth-watering. She wiggled to get away from him—so she could think—and he released her.

  “Sorry. It’s just so good to see you.” He shook his head, his face a mixture of elation and awe if Jane was reading it right. “I know I said that before, but it really is. I’ve seen you on TV, of course. You’re really a great sportscaster. You actually know what you’re talking about. So, do you like baseball?”

  The guy was rambling, the questions spewing from his mouth like water from a faucet turned on full blast. Jane just stared at him. What else could she do? She’d dreamt of this guy once and he’d made her life miserable … once.

  Needing distance between them, she walked around the bed and stood on the opposite side. Grayson kicked at the towel, popping it into the air. He plucked it up midflight and tossed it onto the bed. The corners of his mouth lifted and tiny lines appeared around his eyes. As if he needed any more help being sexy.

  “Whatcha wearin’ under that bathrobe?” he asked suggestively.

  “None of your business,” she snapped, feeling unwanted heat under said robe. Her fingers unconsciously went to the tie, yanking it so tight she wondered if it was possible to be cut in half by the stupid thing. She glared at him. “What are you doing here?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? I wanted to see you.”

  “You saw me in the locker room earlier.”

  “Um, yeah, I was … ah … surprised.” At least he looked contrite.

  “You introduced yourself.”

  “I … um …” Muscles rippled as he lifted a shoulder in a shrug. When he grinned at her the chagrin on his face made her want to giggle. It was the same look she’d seen when they were kids. His eyes roamed casually over her face. “You’re beautiful, you know that?”

  “Yeah, so I’ve been told.” She could almost taste the sarcasm, her only line of defense. She had been told that she was beautiful, but never by Grayson and she was not going to explore the effect that hearing it from him had on her.

  “Hey, there’s no reason to be that way.” He took a step toward her and she willed herself to hold her ground. She would not be intimidated by him. “The truth is … I didn’t want things to be awkward while you were trying to do your job—and I was doing mine.”

  He ran a finger down her cheek and she fought a shudder. She was not going to let Grayson know how much he was getting to her. Hell, she wasn’t ready to admit it to herself. His thumb ran lightly over her bottom lip.

  “So … is this a one-time deal or are you gonna follow me ‘til the end?”

  She blinked and gulped back her sigh. She snapped, “I am following the Rockets—not you.”

  That wasn’t exactly the truth. Grayson was the hometown kid, who’d hit it big. Dale dreamed of stories like this, and unfortunately, it was Jane’s job to chase this particular dream for him. Her hands tightened into fists and she jammed them into the pockets of the robe.

  “But yes, I am to follow the team until you lose,” she conceded softly.

  “So you’re with me until the end.” He was so sexy when he was cocky.

  “I guess so. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an early morning.”

  His head dropped slightly as did the look on his face and he smoothed a hand over his chest. “I’d like to see you again.”

  “I’ll be around.” She strode past him and opened the door. “Good night, Grayson.”

  He took her not-so-subtle hint without protest and walked out into the hall. “Good night, Janie. I’ll dream of you.”

  She didn’t respond, mostly because the air had frozen in her lungs, and just closed the door. It took several moments of exaggerated breathing before the light-headed feeling left and her thoughts cleared.

  This was impossible.

  She couldn’t do this. Being so close to Grayson brought back every insecurity she’d ever felt. And she’d never been so aroused.

  Frustrated in more ways than one, she shrug-ged out of the robe and climbed into bed.

  And, damn her, dreamed of Grayson.

  2

  THREE DAYS LATER JANE SAT IN A LITTLE BAR at the airport, waiting for her flight. A few minutes ago, Nate had gone to th
e men’s room, leaving her alone. Both a good and a bad thing. With her laptop open she was typing out the script for her next report. Or at least she should have been.

  Her mind however had other ideas: Grayson’s smile; white teeth beneath the dark goatee. Grayson’s butt enclosed in tight navy cotton. Grayson’s eyes; chocolate brown with golden flecks near the iris.

  Grayson’s rejection.

  She didn’t know why the last thing surprised her. But it did and it stung! Hard as she tried, she couldn’t get the memory of the latest cruel reminder out of her head.

  Yesterday after the game the team came in celebrating another win, Grayson smiled at her as he raced past, surrounded by teammates. Every other reporter in the room spoke with him, except her—like he’d been avoiding her. And that pissed her off. Hurt her feelings too, but it was easier to just be angry so that was the emotion she concentrated on.

  And that night she’d gone to the hotel gym, intent on punishing the treadmill. With her iPod buds deep in her ears, she ran. And ran. Her ponytail swished against her shoulder blades with every pounding step. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the hard beat of the newest Linkin Park song. She wasn’t sure how, but she heard the soft swish and whir of the treadmill next to her powering on, followed by the steady thud of running feet.

  It annoyed her that someone would choose the machine next to hers when the whole frickin’ gym was empty. She cracked an eyelid and groaned when Xavier smiled at her.

  “Hi,” he said, his eyebrows jogging upward quickly.

  “Hi.” She looked him in the eye as she moved her thumb over the touchpad of her iPod, increasing the volume of her music.

  He reached over and plucked the earpiece from her ear. “Hey! It’s rude to ignore people.”

  “I don’t ignore people, Xavier. Just you.”

  He put his huge hand over where his heart rested in his chest and acted wounded. “I just want to talk.”

  “So. Talk.” She sounded breathless and hated the tone. It made her come across as enamored when in reality she’d run three-quarters of a mile.

  Xavier smiled at her and found a pace for his own workout. “Did you know I’m only four away from the all-time top spot?”

  “I didn’t realize you were that close.” She was surprised how easily, casually it was to talk to the jerk. Her animosity melted away as his face softened and took on the expression of a little boy.

  “I’m totally stoked,” he told her. His feet meeting the treadmill in a steady rhythm.

  “I’d be stoked, too.” To be in the same category as Babe Ruth was pretty awesome, but she would keep being impressed to herself.

  His hazel eyes went lusty. “Wanna celebrate with me?”

  And the jerk was back.

  “I don’t think so.”

  His laugh was deep and mocking. Xavier stopped his treadmill and glanced over her shoulder. She turned to see Grayson strutting toward them. She stopped her treadmill and considered running all the way back to her room. Sweat-soaked in grungy work-out clothes was not how she wanted to meet up with Grayson again.

  Xavier raised a hand and shouted, “Hey Pierce, this little minx doesn’t want a piece of me. Can you believe that?”

  Grayson’s dark eyes flicked from Xavier to her and back, humor sparkling in their depths. He appraised her from head to toe and smiled at Xavier.

  “Those are the breaks, man.” Grayson strode over to the free weights and made his selection. Sitting down he rested his elbow on his knee and began bicep curls.

  Jane wasn’t sure how to respond to his lack of … well, his lack of anything. She wanted to scream at him or slap him or … she wasn’t sure. Jane liked knowing where things stood, no surprises.

  She knew she had her hands full with Xavier. The guy had a reputation for being an ass to male sportscasters, and whenever he dealt with her he reached all new lows. She could handle him, though. It was Grayson she had a hard time dealing with because she never knew what she was going to get. He was one big question mark.

  Coming back to the present, she stared at the blinking cursor in her nearly empty Word document. Her bag moved from the seat next to her and she reached out to rescue it from the clutches of the thief. Instead a warm hand covered hers. She looked up into eyes that were way too familiar.

  “Grayson,” she breathed. He looked better than she’d ever seen him, dressed in black Armani with a starched white shirt underneath. The first couple of buttons were opened, exposing the tanned flesh of his throat. She gulped.

  GRAYSON STOOD, WAITING FOR JANE TO FIND her voice again. Her eyes looked him over from head to toe and he couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not. But man, it felt good to have that much of her touching him. He swallowed hard then returned the favor by taking an inventory of her as well. She was as gorgeous as ever; dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt, totally casual. Her brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail.

  “Can I sit here?” He waved a hand toward the stool next to hers.

  “It’s a free country.” She closed her laptop and shoved it into its case, taking no care for the bag or the computer. “I have to get going anyway; my flight is about to board.”

  As she stood, he reached out and snatched up her hand. Her hands were chilly and oh, so tiny. His engulfed hers and yet they fit perfectly together. Just like always.

  “Will you have dinner with me?” The words were flung out into the open before his brain could catch up with his mouth.

  “I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can.” Always a glutton. Inside, he was cringing as he threw his ego on the floor for her to crush beneath her flip-flop. Outside … he rested a foot on the bottom rung of the bar stool and prayed that he looked the calm, cool, collected he didn’t feel.

  “No, I really can’t. It’s against the rules.”

  He smiled and felt a nervous twitch to his lips. He bit down on his bottom lip to keep it under control. “What rules?” he asked.

  Her eyes narrowed and her lips tightened into a frown. “The no-fraternizing-with-the-athletes rule,” she said the words in a duh! tone.

  He laughed. “That’s not a real rule.”

  She straightened her spine and hiked her bag onto her shoulder. “It’s a personal rule. I have a reputation to uphold.”

  “Fair enough.” He could respect her having scruples, but it didn’t change the fact that it had been too long since he’d talked with her. The few moments in her room didn’t count. “We could consider it a working dinner. We could talk—on the record.

  WELL … HELL! DALE HAD ASKED HER TO GET something exclusive, this could be her chance. But she couldn’t trust herself with him. She would not let Grayson break her heart—again.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t. I really should get to my gate. Goodbye, Grayson.”

  He let her leave this time, for which she was grateful. Her mind still spinning, Jane looked at her feet, at a couple making out in a corner that was not nearly secluded enough, at … She collided with a brick wall.

  Okay, so it was only Nate coming back from the bathroom. She stumbled and he grabbed her by the shoulders, steadying her.

  “Whoa! Where’s the fire?” he asked with a chuckle.

  “We need to get to the gate.”

  Thankfully Nate didn’t argue. He silently followed her and then sat next to her at the gate where they would wait to board the plane. She looked at her watch and groaned. They still had at least twenty minutes before pre-boarding would start.

  She liked Nate. He’d graduated from hard news to sports about the time she’d started. It was the unspoken rule around the newsroom that they were partners and good friends. They made a good team. He was the big brother she’d never wanted. He was protective of her and in a world of egos it was nice to have someone at her back.

  Nate tugged a Sports Illustrated from his carry-on bag and flipped through the pages, settling on an article about … Grayson Pierce.

  Damn!

  Jane opened her laptop bag
and pulled the computer free. It caught on the corner and she tugged at the laptop. A curse slipped past her lips and Nate cocked a brow at her. He looked a little too amused for her liking and she glared her annoyance at him. His smirk grew into a grin. She shook her head and opened up her laptop, turning it on.

  After a few seconds, the screen lit up and she began to re-read what she’d written before Grayson had so rudely interrupted … and it took all of seventeen seconds to catch up.

  Who was she kidding?

  Her mind was in a jumble, making her worthless!

  Closing her eyes and concentrating on the copy, she let her fingers type out whatever her mind told them and prayed she didn’t come up with sentences like: Grayson is so hot. Grayson is so sexy. I want to have Grayson’s babies.

  “Ugh!” she groaned, slamming the computer shut.

  “’Sup?” Nate looked mostly concerned, and totally confused.

  “I can’t concentrate, and it’s driving me nuts!” She stood and paced up and down the little aisle between the rows of seats. “I’m gonna get a soda. You want one?”

  He held up his can of Coke, looking at her like she had in fact lost her mind. “Nope, I’m good.”

  She nodded. “Okay, I’ll be back in a second.”

  Nate muttered, “Get some Prozac, too” under his breath.

  Jane had to admit his recommendation was probably a good idea. She needed something to calm her nerves. Maybe a little caffeine would do the trick.

  The airport was busy, but not insanely so. There was only one near mishap when Jane was almost run over by some lady pushing a screaming toddler in a stroller.

  Accident averted but still off her game, Jane strolled into a little coffee shop and bought a large cup. She walked over to the beverage stand and put the cup up to fill it with Diet Coke. A little further down and off to the side were the lids and cups and a dish a fresh, sliced lemons. She plucked one up, using the little silver tongs, and dropped it into the fizzing brown liquid.

  “I thought you had a flight to board.”