Back came the nerves. “Look, if you’d rather not—”
“I didn’t say that. I just like to know the game plan before kickoff.”
She had the feeling he was reading her like a playbook, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. She’d need him willing if she was going to pull this off. “Then I’ll see you at six.”
“I’ll be there.”
* * * *
Sam spotted V the moment he stepped off the elevator. At a table by the windows overlooking Times Square, she gazed out at the blinding lights and flashing neon, and not one of the “holy shit” signs could come close to her for the pure wow factor. She was stunning.
At thirty-five, the years had matured the piquant features of her youth into those of a classic beauty. Not for the first time, he wondered what the hell was wrong with the men who’d crossed her path, and had moved on empty-handed.
Single and alone.
Jake’s words that day at the farm echoed in Sam’s head. His friend was right about one thing. In the world she moved in, full of confident competitors, she should have been snatched up long ago. So, why hadn’t she been? If Sam hadn’t known her, had met her on a sideline somewhere, or on the street—hell, at the DMV—he would have moved heaven and earth to win her. And he wouldn’t have given up until he had.
He'd won her once, with disastrous results, but providence had given him a second chance, just as Kay had said. They hadn’t had an opportunity to talk about what had happened between them in the kitchen yesterday, and he’d expected her to hit him with a list of reasons why it shouldn’t have happened and never could again. Clearly, he’d misread the situation. A satisfied smile tugged at his lips. Tonight they’d be taking the first real step toward erasing what had gone wrong in the past, and the fact she’d made the first move was a point in his favor.
The maître d greeted Sam with a welcoming smile and asked if he had a reservation. He waved him off, indicating where V sat waiting, and made his way to the table.
She’d swept up her hair in a sophisticated twist. He eyed the slim column of her neck above the bluish-purple collar of her fitted blazer, and ran his tongue over his teeth. She’d had a spot on the left side, just below her ear, that used to make her toes curl when he kissed her there. He wondered what she’d do if he greeted her by scraping his teeth along the sensitive tendon until he’d rediscovered her weakness.
Probably knock me in the head with the crystal pepper grinder at the center of the table. The concussion would be worth seeing her eyes cross the way they did when he’d had her beneath him, wanton and willing.
And if he didn’t put that kind of thought out of his head, he’d spend an uncomfortable hour with his dick poking the underside of the table.
He couldn’t resist touching her, however, and ran his fingertips over her special spot. She flinched and turned her head. Surprise gave way to recognition, and in her unblinking eyes was the reaction he’d been looking for.
Oh God. You remembered.
Satisfaction surged, and he slid into the chair opposite hers. “Have you been waiting long?”
A slight blush colored her cheeks, and she toyed with the stem of her empty wine glass. “About ten minutes.” She cleared her throat, and her smile appeared forced. “I think the cab driver might have done a few laps at the Indy 500 in a past life.”
He smiled and ran his gaze over her face, then lower, past the hammering pulse point at the base of her throat to the deep plunge of the suit’s lapels. Classically cut and fitted, tonight’s armor would put her at home in any board meeting—until the participants got a close look at the white lace camisole beneath.
He didn’t bother trying to hide his interest in the soft swell of her breasts, clearly visible through the sheer lace. She’d dressed with a purpose tonight, and from the look of things, that purpose was seduction. Far be it for him to deny her the expected, and utterly appropriate, response. He let his gaze linger as he dropped his napkin onto his lap.
Though she’d fought it, the way she’d responded to his every touch these past few days made it clear she was helpless against the physical pull that had always been between them. For whatever reason, she’d decided the fight wasn’t worth the effort, and tonight, she intended to do something about it. While he heartily agreed with that sentiment, there was a much more important prize on the line than temporarily quenching the fire she stoked in his gut and balls.
Desire was a powerful force and, for the purpose he had in mind, wielding it properly would be his key to ultimate victory.
“That’s a dangerous outfit you’re wearing, Red.” He raised his gaze to hers. “It could give a man ideas.”
Her blush flared to a bright pink, and the uncertainty in her eyes said she wasn’t completely comfortable with whatever plan she’d set in motion. He shifted in his seat. Her hesitancy worked in his favor, but was little conciliation against the self-induced burn he’d be forced to endure until he achieved his goals. Still, there were other pleasures to be enjoyed in the process. Like the way her eyes flashed when she was frustrated.
Before she could reply, the sommelier arrived at the table. He looked to Sam for their selection. Deferring to V, Sam smiled as the name of the French vintage rolled off her tongue with ease. The girl he remembered wouldn’t know a cabernet sauvignon from a cranberry cocktail. Come to think of it, he couldn’t recall ever seeing her touch a drop of alcohol, wine or otherwise. Granted, she’d been underage at the time, as had he, but that hadn’t stopped him from swilling a few brews on occasion. She’d always declined.
The sommelier returned to fill their glasses before they’d finished giving their orders to the waiter. Once they were alone again, she fiddled with the napkin in her lap, then frowned and straightened the fork next to her plate. When she cleared her throat, he figured it was game on, but as much as he was looking forward to her opening kickoff, he had some tweaking to do first.
“Sam, I was thinking…that is—”
“Practice went pretty well, I think.” He picked up his glass. “The guys were antsy, knowing it was Bob’s last day, but we managed to accomplish a few things.”
She accepted the pause to her agenda with a sad smile. “They respect and like him.”
“As they should. He’s one of the best. I’ve got some huge cleats to fill.”
She fidgeted with the stem of her wine glass, but had yet to take a sip. “From what I know of your abilities, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
He fought a grin at the irresistible opening. Leaning forward, he dropped his voice to a husky tone. “What abilities would those be?”
The blush returned, but she was on a mission. She curved her lips in a coy smile. “Your coaching abilities, of course.”
He smiled and straightened. Swirling the wine in his glass, he tripped her up with a quick delay of game. “How did Caroline take the news about our reconciliation? I assume she’s heard, since you were so anxious we put my plan into motion immediately.”
“I….” Sacked at the line, she frowned, then stumbled over her words. “Wait. You haven’t spoken to her?”
“I’d planned to stop by her office before I left, but after your phone call, I was….” He paused for impact and dropped his tone an octave or two. “…distracted.”
If her relieved smile was any indication, his little innuendo told her she had him back on the right track. “Yes, well, I did speak to her, and everything’s fine. In fact, she was pleased.”
Sam propped his elbows on the table. “Pleased is good.”
She tipped her glass toward him in a flirty salute, then brought the rim to her lips. “Pleased is very good, and I was thinking—”
“But we’re supposed to be sleeping together.”
She coughed as if she’d choked, and he bit back his smile. “You okay?”
Flapping her free hand in front of her face, she set down her glass. “Went down the wrong way.”
She h
adn’t taken a sip.
Sam nodded and lowered his voice as if he didn’t want to be overheard. “But since we aren’t really lovers, we’re at a disadvantage that might blow the whole thing.”
She blinked, and he nearly grinned at the frustrated frown wrinkling her forehead. According to Jake, she’d had only a handful of dates and no relationships since Sam. He supposed one or more of those dates could have ended in bed, but the odds were none of them had. Which meant she had exactly two months of sexual experience. With him. She was a babe in the wilderness when it came to seduction. Hell, he could practically hear the tumblers clacking in her head as she tangled with how to go from “we aren’t really lovers” to “maybe we should be.”
She shook her head. “I’m afraid I’m not following you.”
Of course you aren’t, baby. Stick with me. I’ll get us where you’re trying to go. Eventually.
He sat back. “Real lovers know things about their partners. It’s been a long time since we were together. Other than you work for the Marauders, I don’t know anything about your life.” He sipped slowly from his glass. “Like, what do you like to do on your days off? Do you have any pets? Like to travel? That sort of thing.”
The waiter arrived with their meals. V waited until he’d gone again, then picked up her fork. “I like to read when I have the chance. No pets, and I travel all the time with the team. The last thing I want to do is board a plane for a vacation, so I stay home and do some of that reading I don’t have time for.”
Cutting into his steak, Sam paused and cocked his head. “What about men? I didn’t think to ask, but is there someone special who might have a problem with—” he bumped his chin toward her, “you and me and all of this?”
V paused with her first bite of pasta near her lips, then set her fork down without tasting it. “No, there isn’t, and about that. I have a question for you.”
“Ask me anything, but first, I have a question for you.” He slipped a slice of beef into his mouth. In the short time they’d had together, V had been incredibly responsive in bed and a little dirty talk had often been enough to send her over the edge. Time to turn up the heat with one last tweak, before he let her have her say. “If it’s out of line, just say so.”
Her lips tightened in a flat line, a sure sign of her frustration, and he threw out a question designed to throw her permanently off balance. “I remember a sweet little pulse point on your neck that used to make you melt whenever I kissed you there.” V gasped. The lace camisole stretched tight across her breasts, and her pupils dilated until almost no blue remained. He leaned in for the kill. “If I sucked you there now, would that still make you wet?”
She blinked, opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “I—” She swallowed, then straightened her shoulders. “Maybe we should go find out. I got a room.”
More than satisfied with her response, he slid a second bite into his mouth, and played dumb. “A room?”
“For us. Upstairs.” She lowered her fork to the table, and he followed the movement of her hand as her fingers briefly disappeared into her cleavage. They reappeared clutching a card key. “Sixteen-twenty. I’ve already checked in.”
Sam sat back and studied her face. High color stood out on her cheeks, and her pupils had yet to contract. “Are you inviting me to your bed, V?”
“No!” She slammed her eyes shut, and her chest heaved as if she’d taken a bracing breath. “Okay, yes.” She opened her eyes and shook her head. “But only if you’d like to. No pressure. Really. After what happened between us yesterday, I just thought….”
V groaned, and his lips quirked in a slow smile. “Well, now. That’s a very tempting offer.”
She glanced around at the nearby tables. When she met his gaze again, embarrassment had leaked into her eyes. “An offer you have to know was difficult for me to make. So, are you coming?” He arched a brow and grinned, and she grimaced. “You know I didn’t mean it that way.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I did.” He glanced at her full plate. “You haven’t taken a bite yet.”
She glanced down at the food, then up again to accuse, “You and your bedroom voice have got me too rattled to eat.” Her shoulders slumped on a sigh. “I didn’t mean to blurt that out the way I did, but…I’m sorry. I’m not very good at this sort of thing.”
“On the contrary. You’re doing just fine, Red.” Sam shoved back his chair and stood. He pulled out his wallet and dropped a handful of bills on the table. “Lead the way.”
Chapter 17
V stared at Sam where he stood by the bed and every insecurity she’d ever had slammed into her like a wrecking ball. She twisted her hands at her waist. “Now that we’re here, I’m not sure I know what to do.”
He shrugged out of his suit coat and tossed it over the chair. “Yes, you do. We’ve danced this dance before, remember?”
“Yeah, but my dance shoes are really dusty.”
He smiled and held out his hand. She forced her feet to move until she stood in front of him and could cling to his fingers with hers. He guided her down to the edge of the bed, then squatted before her. “It’s like riding a bike. It’ll come back to you.”
“If you say so.” V looked up at the ceiling, then over her shoulder at the king-sized bed. Swallowing, she turned back to look into his eyes. “Where do we start?”
His smile softened. “We start with you telling me what you see happening here. I don’t want any misunderstandings.”
Shadows of the past darkened his eyes, and she understood. She nodded. “I don’t either.”
“Good.” Knees spread, he propped his forearms on his thighs. “Then what are we talking about? Are we here to simply get our rocks off for old time’s sake, or were you thinking we could turn this plan of mine into an actual reconciliation?”
Her heart thumped erratically in her chest. “You said you wanted us to try to be friends again.”
“A ‘friends with benefits’ kind of thing, then?”
V was tempted to take that suggestion and run with it. She liked as well as loved him, and he didn’t seem like he carried a grudge, despite everything. Having him in her life again, even under limited circumstances, was more than she’d ever hoped for, and would fill a void she’d lived with for fifteen years. Yet, her greedy heart wanted more. He’d said the truth of their past was up to her to share or not, and with that one sentence, he’d made anything possible again.
She wanted to put the past and its painful secrets behind her. She wanted what she could have had with him if she hadn’t panicked and thrown his love away. The patience in his eyes gave her the courage to ask for it all.
“No. That’s not what I want. I want what we used to have. I want you, not just a sometimes lover who happens to be my friend.”
Sam opened his mouth, but she pressed her fingers to his lips to silence him. “Before you answer, I need to say this.” The deep breath she took wasn’t nearly enough to calm the quaking of her heart. “When I walked away from you, I left behind the best thing that ever happened to me because I was a coward, and always had been.”
Gone was the carefree friend contemplating their future. Confusion wrinkled his brow and he picked up her right hand. “What does that mean? I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t.” She threaded her fingers through his, needing the contact. “You said it was up to me whether or not I told you the truth about what made me leave, but I can’t do that. The best I can do is apologize and hope you can forgive me.” She dropped her gaze to their interlocked fingers. “I’m sorry, Sam. Sorrier than I can ever express. What I did to you, walking away at the very moment you needed my support the most, was unforgiveable. If I could go back there, go back in time, I’d do things differently, but that’s not possible.”
He was silent for so long, she didn’t think he was going to respond. When he did, the low timbre of his voice wrapped around her heart like squeezing fingers. “You could
trust me.”
She looked up and met his gaze. The hopeful intensity in his eyes brought tears to hers. “I do trust you.”
His smile held a hint of sadness. “No, you don’t. Not really.” His chest expanded on a heavy breath. “Not now, but you will.” He studied her face, then nodded. “We’ll consider this a reconciliation.” Rising to his feet, he pulled her up with him. “For now, but time and circumstance change people. I’m no longer that cocky kid you knew, racing toward the future I’d decided was my due. You’ll learn I’ve become a patient man, Victoria Price.”
Apparently, he’d decided enough had been said on the subject, and she was more than happy to avoid further conversation. He cupped her face in his palms and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Her eyelids slid closed, and she stood pliant as he flicked open the button on her blazer, then slipped the material from her shoulders. His hissed breath drew her attention and she opened her eyes.
Heat blazed in his blue eyes as he stared at her puckered nipples, straining against the stretchy lace clinging to her skin. He turned her to the side so he could examine the back. “How does this come off?”
“There are snaps.” Her answer came in a breathy sigh.
He ran his palm down her spine, searching. “Where?”
“At the crotch.”
His gaze jerked back to hers. “It’s a good thing I didn’t know that downstairs. The elevator tape would have been all over YouTube, if we didn’t get arrested before we reached the sixteenth floor.”
A helpless laugh escaped her. He’d always been able to do that. Make her laugh even as he heated her insides to the boiling point, simply by looking at her with his long-lashed eyes.
Taking a page from his book, V stepped back, out of his reach. “I lost one piece; now it’s your turn.”
He squinted, but the dimples bracketing his mouth broadcast his humor. “I took off my jacket when we first came in.”
“Doesn’t count.” She flicked a finger at his chest. “Lose the shirt.”
“You’re bolder than I remember.” She stiffened at the reference to the past, but he waggled his brows and slipped the top button of his dress shirt. “I like it.”
To Win Her Back Page 15