Risking It All

by Christi Barth

  “You drive a hard bargain.”

  It was laughable. The virginity she’d tried so hard not to think or talk about for years…would now be a public discussion topic across the entire country. It was exactly the leverage Chloe needed. “Oh, I’m not done yet. I have one more condition.”

  “What is it?”

  “Tomorrow’s the last time you talk about my virginity. After that, there’s only action. No more waiting.” Not quite brave enough to spell it out, Chloe desperately hoped he remembered the euphemisms they’d used the night they first discussed it. “You want the mattress? You have to promise to pull off the tag.”

  Chapter 15

  Griff wondered if they were making a terrible mistake. He wouldn’t say that to the ACSs, of course. The team captain never did anything to tank morale. It didn’t matter that their official playing days had ended ten years ago. Those days and weeks together right after the accident had turned them into a team for life, and the others still looked to him as their unspoken leader.

  Everyone had his niche. Knox was always in charge of choosing wine. Josh could pick out the hottest women in a dark, crowded club while the rest of them were still getting their hands stamped. When they went on trips together, Riley was an organizational genius. And Logan? He always brought the whacked-out fun.

  But for the big things, it fell on Griffin to take charge. Like right now. They had to get through this half-hour podcast. Even if they ran out of things to say. Hadn’t ever happened before, but no reason Fate wouldn’t decide to shit on them today.

  What the hell?

  He paused, one foot on a step and one in midair. Where’d that downer of a thought come from? Nerves? He could fly a helicopter loaded with his crew and a boatload of victims through a hurricane without batting an eye. Was the thought of having millions of people hanging on his every word that scary?

  Son of a bitch. Yes, it was. Griff resumed walking up the floating steps. Cool how the satellite radio station mixed old, exposed brick walls with futuristic clear stairs and chrome everywhere. The ACSs went to ball games and the beach. Had Xbox tournaments that took up entire weekends when none of them changed out of sweats or cleaned up the broken chips across the rug in the game room. They drank too much beer when the Redskins won. It wasn’t just that they were like everyone else their age in D.C. The ACSs were no different than guys their age all across America. So why would anyone listen?

  Griff hit the third floor to find Josh, Knox, and Riley in a huddle. As he approached, he heard Josh say, “Maybe we should’ve gone with callers.”

  God, yes. At least if somebody called in, it’d give them something fresh to talk about. But instead of agreeing, he gave a back slap to Josh. “No. We decided that was too risky, remember? Who knows what nut jobs might decide to give us a hard time? Better to let people send in questions over social media, like we agreed. You waffle any more, we’re gonna have to serve you up with syrup and a side of bacon.”

  What did Griff really think? How great it was that he wasn’t the only one second-guessing this whole crazy stunt. Of course, now that he knew Josh was nervous, Griff had to assume the other two were as well. Which meant rolling out the now standard Griffin Montgomery pep talk. Damn it to hell. Once, just once, he wanted someone to give him the fucking pep talk.

  “We’re going too fast.” Riley thrummed his fingers on his thigh as though it was his favorite guitar. “We should’ve spent time rehearsing. Making lists of topics.”

  Classic Riley. He probably made a list before hitting the bathroom every morning. Even though most of the time Riley’s lists verged on OCD, Griff agreed with him this time. And once again, he had to force himself to state the opposite.

  “Bob said we wouldn’t come off as natural if we rehearsed. This’ll be no different than sitting around the living room shooting the shit.” Griff ran a finger beneath his tight collar. When they sat around their living room, they weren’t noosed up in ties for a photo session.

  Knox smoothed the knife-sharp crease of his lapel. An aqua?—God only knows the fancy name that color had—lapel, covered with a big white windowpane pattern. Griff made a mental note not to stand next to him for the photo shoot. “What if they think we’re boring?” Knox semi-whispered.

  No wonder these guys were his best friends. It was like they were sharing a single brain right now. Too bad their mega-brain was firing on all the wrong neurons. Griff was shutting this down. For himself, too. He scowled at Knox. “You wearing lace-trimmed panties today, Davies? Because that’s the girliest thing I’ve heard you say since that time you almost bought a seashell necklace in Hawaii.”

  “It wasn’t shells. It was kukui nuts. Historically worn by the reigning chiefs of Hawaii. What’s girly about looking like a chief?”

  “Uh, wearing a necklace,” Josh deadpanned. “At all. Ever. End of discussion.”

  “What about that Saint Christopher medal you wear when you fly?”

  “Really? You’re gonna hate on a freaking saint? Try taking it up with the Big Guy upstairs, and see how far you get.”

  Bickering. Teasing. Totally normal. Must mean they’d all gotten their nerves under control. Except for his own. Not that he’d tell them. “How about we do a podcast on man-bags and necklaces? Argue it out in front of the mics?”

  “Great. We’re set for next week. Might as well take our victory lap now,” Josh mocked.

  Okay. Order restored. Time for the next uncomfortable topic of the day. Griffin flexed his fists at his side. Tried to look cool. Like even bringing this up wasn’t a huge, hairy deal. “I’m, uh, more worried about this week. Specifically, dinner tonight. I need you guys not to give Chloe the third degree.”

  Three heads swiveled at him so fast that Griff automatically took a step back out of the tight circle.

  Knox led the barrage of questions. “We’ve never met this woman, and you want us to not ask her any questions? Won’t that be obvious?”

  “Rude?” added Riley.

  As usual, Josh was the one to mince words the least. “Make it look like you threatened us into behaving like dipwads?”

  All valid points. “Of course you can ask her stuff.” Griff spread his hands wide, palms up in a silent plea. “Just don’t hassle her about the virginity thing. More to the point, don’t ask her when she plans to lose it.”

  They exchanged a triangulation of looks. “No problem.” Knox shrugged. “I’d rather ask you anyway. So tell us—what the hell are you doing?”

  “Yeah.” Riley tapped the face of his Breitling. “When are you going to tap that?”

  Griffin raised a hand to stop them. Barely kept himself from knotting it into a fist. “Hey! Don’t talk like that.”

  “I don’t get it. Are you aborting VirginFest?”

  Griff wanted to explain. Lay down some ground rules. Sex with his girlfriend for the first time shouldn’t be joked about. Yeah, it’d be a major life event for Chloe…crap. That kept coming back around. A major life event. He knew he could deliver. Make her see stars, yada, yada, yada. But would an earth-shattering orgasm be enough for her, after waiting all this time? Was she expecting more? Hell if he knew. His friends wouldn’t know either. What Griff really needed was to find a woman to weigh in.

  “No, but—”

  Josh elbowed him. “Whatcha waiting for—Christmas?”

  Knox jumped right in. “Nah, then he’d have to top it with a better present next year.”

  “Better than Griff?” Josh slapped his hands together. “Easy. I’d wrap myself in a bow and hide under her tree.”

  “It isn’t about sex with Chloe,” he finally burst out.

  After rolling his eyes, Josh looked down the empty corridor both ways, as if trying to find someone to back him up. “G-man, everything is about sex with a girl. It’s why we suffer through shopping trips with them. Why we watch movies that end with weddings. Why we shave on freaking weekends. Unless your dick fell off, it’s about sex with Chloe.”

  Riley’s
frown almost looked concerned. “Did you start the ball rolling and find out she’s no good in that arena? Stiff lips? Drools when she kisses?”

  “Shut up. Just…stop.” Griffin knew having this conversation would suck. His best friends were, after all, guys. A month ago, he would’ve been in there with them, slinging wisecracks at his own expense. “Here’s the thing—I’ve fallen for her. Long-term-potential fallen. Head-over-heels fallen.”

  Another triangulation of looks. For fuck’s sake. Sure, they were all bachelors. The stream of girls going in and out of their house the past few years probably was in the high triple digits among the five of them. But they all planned on getting married someday. Having kids. Doing the whole nine yards of being a grown-up. Didn’t talk about it or anything. Guys didn’t do that. Still, they shouldn’t act all shocked. Somebody had to be the first to fall.

  Riley scrubbed a hand through his dark hair. “Hang on—so you’re saying it’s serious with her?”

  Isn’t that exactly what he’d just said? Did he have to whip out a ring and a photo of a house with a picket fence to make his damn point? He tugged at his freaking tight collar again. “Yeah.”

  “You love her?” Knox wore a look of astonishment like he’d just been slapped by a two-by-four. Of course, Knox went through three women for every one the other guys did. Last to lose his virginity, he’d been working triple time to make up ever since.

  Love. Huh. Griffin hadn’t really slapped that label on it yet. He just knew that Chloe lit him up. Made him feel like a damn firefly. Made him feel things he’d never felt before. He wanted to be with her all the time. Wanted to show her the world, share it with her. Make her happy. Even though he’d been thinking long-term, love hadn’t been on his radar. But it was now. It fit. It encapsulated all those random things he adored about being with her in one handy word. Who would’ve thought Knox would be the one to make him see the light?

  Griffin tried backing up again. He slammed into the chrome handrail. At least it kept him from plummeting down three floors into the open lobby. “Pretty sure I should tell Chloe first, before I cop to it to you clowns.”

  “Okay, then. That’s a whole different ball of wax.” Riley took a deep breath, let it out. “We’ll behave.”

  Knox’s eyebrows shot up. “We will?”

  “Yeah. Griffin’s trying to make a slam dunk from half-court here. We can’t mess this up for him.”

  Josh jammed his hands in his pockets. “Fine. But you have to come clean on one thing, G-man—is she a drooler?”

  “No, assface. She’s amazing.” Despite his nerves about the podcast, and the fact they were in a hallway where any staff member might walk by, and the ACSs were two feet away from him, Griffin still got half-hard just thinking about kissing Chloe. “Beautiful. Hot. Melts at my touch. When we finally hit the sheets, it’ll be epic.”

  “Good enough for me.” Knox clapped him on his back. “Weird as it is, I wish you luck with your virgin.”

  Griffin couldn’t help but laugh. “Stop calling her that.”

  “My bad. Just getting it all out of my system before she shows up.”

  Knox suddenly spread his arms wide on the railing and bent way over. “Forget the virgin. Check that out.”

  Everyone lined up and followed his gaze to a woman rounding the open staircase between the first and second floors. Griff, too. Nothing wrong with enjoying a kick-ass view. And this one was. Tall. Wavy blond hair way past her shoulders. Built. She moved with the sinuous grace of a desert sidewinder, all hip action and swinging arms. Easy to admire all the moving parts in a dress that barely skimmed past her ass and clung to everything else like a coat of sky-blue paint.

  “I think that’s Kate Upton.” Knox spoke in the reverential tone of a struggling artist viewing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

  “Wishful thinking can’t conjure up a supermodel, Davies. What would she be doing in a satellite radio studio in the middle of D.C.?”

  Riley gave him the how-dumb-are-you? look that he usually reserved for idiots who stripped the gears of a sports car when the light turned green. “Same as us. Recording.”

  “That’s not Kate Upton.” Josh shook his head. But his dismissal of the possible celebrity sighting didn’t keep him from staring at the gorgeous woman as she rounded the last landing.

  Riley bumped his shoulder. “No wonder you’ve never dated a supermodel. You don’t even recognize them.”

  “Okay, so what’s your excuse? I’ve never seen so much as a department store model coming out of your bedroom, Hardwick.”

  Griff took one more deciding look. “Kate Upton’s hair is more brown.”

  Knox whipped out his phone and started pulling up images. “Not on the cover of this year’s swimsuit issue.”

  Josh shook his head again. “She’s clearly a dead ringer for Brooklyn Decker.”

  “Does she even count as a supermodel now that she’s married and unavailable?” asked Riley.

  “The fact that she’s never going to rock your mattress was true even before she got married.”

  The blonde bent a knee. Thrust out a hip. Posed like a supermodel facing photogs on a red carpet. “Gentlemen, I’ve got a feeling that you’re all waiting for me.”

  “Three of us definitely are. Griff’s recently off the market.” Riley stuck out his hand. “I’m Riley Ness.”

  Waving it off, she said, “Oh, I know who you are. All of you.” She pointed at each of them in turn, starting with Ry. “NTSB investigator, on a fast track to the top. Lieutenant Griffin Montgomery, the hero pilot. Knox Davies, the multimillionaire Casanova of the Capitol. And Josh Hardwick, owner/operator of the best food truck in the District.”

  Probably not Kate Upton, then, if she knew all their stats. “Did you Google us at the landing when you caught us staring?”

  A throaty laugh rippled out of deep pink lips. “Hardly. I’ve been studying up on you boys for days. I’m Lara, your show’s producer.”

  Josh sidled closer. “You mean they’re paying us and we get to stare at you every week? This is the best gig ever.”

  Bob materialized at her elbow. Huh. They’d been so busy staring at Lara, none of them had noticed the station executive. “Well, we wanted to give Naked Men a reason to strip down.”

  Another laugh, coupled with a suggestive lick of her lips. This woman shot off sex faster than those annoying perfume sprayers at department stores. Josh and Riley had a matching set of jaws on the floor. Weirdly enough, Knox hung back. Watched with a smirk, as if he knew a secret.

  Lara flicked a long, red nail against the lapel of Josh’s bright orange blazer. “You excited to get started, hot stuff?”

  “With you, or with the show?”

  “Stop.” Knox plowed forward. Arms outstretched, he pushed them apart like a referee separating prizefighters. “I can’t watch anymore. It’s physically painful.”

  Griff snorted. “Stop what? You flirt more than this with our dry cleaner.”

  “Because I know if I toss Mrs. Chen a few compliments, she’ll take extra care with the pleats in my tux shirts. You can flirt with this one until you lose your voice, and you won’t get anywhere with her.” He turned his focus on Lara. “Stop teasing them.”

  She rounded her lips into a blood-red pout. “Ooh, you’re good. Truly. I’m impressed you picked up on that.”

  “On what? What’s going on?” Josh asked, snapping his head back and forth to look at Lara and Knox.

  “When you’re allergic to bees, you get good at spotting hives.”

  Riley threw up his hands. “I’m lost.”

  “I’m a lesbian,” Lara said with a wink.

  Knox’s smirk turned vaguely triumphant. Josh and Riley looked like they’d just had all their Christmas presents confiscated. And Bob laughed so hard he had to brace his hands on his thighs for support.

  Once he was down to a halting wheeze of guffaws, Bob pointed at the grinning woman. “Lara’s a top producer. You can’t find a better one, I
guarantee it. Naked Men is going to take off like wildfire. You need someone seasoned to show you the ropes and get you off on the right foot. Plus, from what I’ve read of your blog, sex and dating and other, ah, frank topics are going to come up with regularity. You’re all good-looking men. Figured it was safer to pair you with someone immune to all of it.”

  It was sneaky. Underhanded. Probably brilliant. Griffin’s estimation of Bob rose a couple of ticks. He just wasn’t sure Josh and Riley would ever forgive the guy. “Then I guess we’re all here.” Time to face his fears. Swallowing hard, he said, “Let’s get started.”

  Chapter 16

  “Wait!” Heels clattered along the concrete floor as Chloe raced down the hall from the elevator. And Griffin forgot all about Lara and his amusement at Josh and Riley’s setback.

  Chloe looked amazing. Her dress started out white at the top, then gradually morphed into a deep pink by the time it hit her knees. It made him think of a dripping strawberry ice-cream cone that he wanted to wrap his tongue around. Her lips were all glossy with the same dark pink. She looked glamorous. Drop-dead gorgeous. Griff could barely believe that she was running toward him. How’d he get so lucky?

  “I’m sorry. I forgot it would take me longer to walk here in these heels.” She thrust out one foot covered in thin pink straps that laced up her ankle.

  Lara gave a wolf whistle. “Those are some serious shoes.”

  “Thanks. They slow me down and hurt like crazy, but I think they’re worth it. Or at least”—she tossed him a saucy smile over one exposed shoulder—“I hope Griffin thinks so.”

  Worth it? All he wanted to do was lick the high arch they revealed. Peel them off and kiss his way up past her ankle, linger on the back of her knee, and then keep going…“Yeah.” He tried to work some moisture in his dry mouth. “They’re great.”

  Chloe turned her warm smile on the gathered group like a Super Soaker of friendliness. “Hi there. I’m Chloe, and I can’t wait to meet you all. I know you have to get started, but can I steal Griffin for two minutes? I’ve got a present for him.”