Bad Business

by Nicole Edwards

  I pull her into my arms. “Trust me, I’m not worried about my reputation.”

  “It does look bad though,” she says, her voice soft. “I mean, it’s utter bullshit, but it still doesn’t look good.”

  Maybe not, but I really don’t give a shit about it. Devereaux and the small percentage of fans he’s garnered over the years can kiss my fucking ass. I damn sure don’t need his approval.

  Unable to resist, I lower my mouth to Savannah’s.

  I don’t want to think about Devereaux or the shit he’s stirring up. I don’t want to think about my agent’s call, or the fact that he’s now urging me to accept what the Wranglers are offering before we get to the playoffs. I don’t even want to think about the game on Sunday or Christmas dinner on Monday.

  Right now, the only thing I want is to lose myself in this woman, to escape everything else.

  Sliding my hands down her back, I inch lower, then cup her jean-clad ass and lift her feet off the floor. Her trim thighs wrap around my hips, and I maneuver us to my bedroom. My lips meld to hers, my tongue searching, seeking, desperate for her kiss.

  And like usual, Savannah turns molten in my arms, moaning as her arms wreath my neck, her breasts crushing to my chest.

  This is the only place I long to be.

  With Savannah.

  I don’t care who knows, or what they’re saying. None of it matters, just as long as she’s here.

  Savannah

  I should’ve told Stone the truth.

  I was so close to doing so, but then I chickened out.

  The mere thought of losing him, not having him in my life, is not something I can even contemplate. It makes my chest ache.

  And yes, I figure it’s crappy of me to allow him to change the subject with a kiss. But it’s all I want right now. I want this man’s arms around me, his body to consume me and take me away from this mess I’ve created.

  I don’t know how to fix it yet, but I intend to come up with a plan. One that won’t result in Stone hating me. It’s not like this was intentional. It might not seem that way to him once I try to explain it, but I never set out to fall in love with him.

  Yet, that’s exactly what happened.

  I am in love with Jason Stone.

  “Savannah…”

  The way he says my name as he follows me down to the mattress has my breath lodging in my chest. The way he’s kissing me, his wicked tongue delving past my lips, dueling with mine, has my body coiling tighter and tighter. One of these days, I think I’m going to spontaneously combust just from his kiss alone.

  “I like you just like this,” he whispers, his lips gliding against mine, his hand slipping beneath my sweater.

  “Like what?”

  He pulls back enough that I can see his face.

  “In my bed.” He presses another kiss to my lips, this time he’s gentle. “That’s where I want you, Savannah.”

  My heart does a pirouette in my chest and my lungs cease to function properly.

  “Not just tonight,” he continues.

  Oh, God.

  No.

  He can’t do this. He can’t say all the things I long for him to say. Not when I have to tell him the truth, when I have to admit that this started out all wrong. I don’t want to hurt him, but I can’t let this lie linger between us.

  “Every night.” His voice is rough as he leans down, his lips brushing mine.

  I don’t say anything. I can’t. My throat is clogged with tears that threaten to fall at any moment.

  When he leans in again, I bury my face in his neck and inhale him.

  “Savannah. What’s wrong?”

  I tremble as a tear escapes, but I don’t let go. I can’t. If I do, I fear I’ll never have him in my arms again. I’ll never know this incredible feeling because the truth is going to burn something between us. He’ll never trust me again, no matter what I say.

  “Talk to me,” Stone insists, pulling back so that I have no choice but to let him go.

  When he moves off me, I force myself to sit up, my legs dangling off the side of his mattress.

  “I’m sorry,” I say.

  “For what? You have nothing to be—”

  Before he can continue, I cut him off, swinging my gaze around to his face. “It’s true. What Devereaux said.” I quickly look away. “Well, partially true. My father…” No, I can’t blame this on my father. I’m my own person, I make my own decisions. “I took on the task of trying to convince you to sign with the Wranglers for another two years.”

  There. It’s out in the open. Probably not the most sensitive way to relay the message, but I’m at a loss. I don’t know how else to do this.

  Stone gets to his feet, his eyes on my face as he moves closer to the door.

  “Is that right?”

  His eyes narrow on my face, but I can’t hold the contact. I look down at my hands. “Yes. It’s the reason my father set this up, pretending that I was going to offer my assistance.”

  The chuckle that echoes in the room is not what I expect. I cut my eyes to his face.

  He’s laughing.

  “Why are you laughing?”

  He should be pissed, maybe even yelling at me.

  “Well, then I’d have to say that you did a really shitty job.”

  My eyes widen. “What?”

  “How many times have we talked about my future, Savannah?”

  I don’t know. I can’t think right now, so I shrug.

  “Until yesterday, exactly zero. So, if you set out to convince me to extend my contract, I’d say you did a shitty job.”

  Okay, this isn’t playing out the way I envisioned it in my head.

  “However, while we’re ponying up truths, I’ve got one for you.”

  I raise an eyebrow, urging him to continue.

  “When you and your father presented me with the odd offer to help with the press, I didn’t take it because I thought you could help my image.”

  I frown.

  He smiles.

  Then he moves closer to me, his hand curling under my chin and forcing me to look up into his face.

  “I did it because I wanted to be closer to you.”

  “You did?”

  Stone chuckles again. “Yes. So my reasons were no more altruistic than yours were.”

  “But—”

  “What I said about wanting you in my bed…”

  I swallow hard.

  “That’s what I want, Savannah.”

  He leans over me, forcing me to fall back on my elbows. He holds my stare, his mouth inches from mine.

  “That’s what I want right now, and I’ll want the same thing tomorrow, and the next day. This thing between us…” He presses his forehead to mine. “It has nothing to do with the Wranglers or football or anything else for that matter. So the only explanation you need to give me is whether or not you want the same thing.”

  “I do,” I say quickly, cupping the back of his head and closing my eyes.

  I’m inundated by his scent, the power I feel in his muscles, the strength of his conviction. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

  “Then that’s all that matters.”

  Stone’s mouth moves to mine and I open for him, my lips fusing to his, our tongues once again sliding together.

  “But if you still feel guilty,” he whispers as he works my sweater upward. “Then you can always put on that cheerleader outfit.”

  God, I love this man. How can he make me smile when two seconds ago I thought my entire world was going to implode?

  “Oh, is that all?” I ask coyly.

  “Well, what comes after that is something else entirely, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
”

  “Will we now?”

  “Oh, yes. And that’s a promise.”

  And just like always, I give in to the overwhelming sensations that only this man can fill me with.

  Chapter 27

  Now for the question I ask all the athletes that I interview. “Do you have any regrets?”

  “I’m sure you could ask me that on any other day and my answer might be different. However, today, I can honestly say no. When you wake up every morning with the intention of giving a hundred and ten percent of yourself and you go to sleep at night knowing that you did, it’s hard to have regrets. I go after what I want, and I may not always get it, but I damn sure don’t give up trying.”

  I’ll admit, that’s one of the best answers I’ve received to that question. And I’ll tell you, it’s damn hard not to admire a man like Jason Stone.

  —Excerpt from Sports Unlimited’s Bad Boys of Sports edition

  Stone

  Fourth and goal isn’t a great place to be, but there are worse places, I’ll admit.

  I have confidence in my team just as they have confidence in me. Being down by six, we need this touchdown and the extra point in order to win this thing. I’m trying not to think about anything except this drive, this possession.

  It’s not easy.

  But like every other time I’ve been right in this same position, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.

  Losing is not an option.

  * * *

  —

  “Stone, with today’s win, you’ve clinched first place for the Wranglers. Which means next week’s game is gravy. How does that make you feel?”

  “Well, for one, next week’s game is as critical as today’s game. No reason to ever think otherwise. And for me, that means the season’s not over yet.”

  “Stone!”

  The second I hear the voice, a bolt of rage slams into my spine, coursing outward, consuming me. I slowly scan the group until I find Devereaux.

  “How does it feel to be pursued by the Wranglers for another season? Are you reconsidering your decision to ret—”

  I point directly at him and move two steps closer. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll eat that question and back your ass right out of this room.”

  “No need to get defensive.” Devereaux smirks as he throws his hands up in mock surrender. “It’s not like you haven’t got the cream of the crop with Ms. Andrews at your side. Was that in your plan? To hold out for more money and to—”

  I get right up in Devereaux’s face. Somehow—although I’m not sure how—I manage to keep from grabbing him by the shirt and tossing him across the room.

  “You will not talk about Savannah. Not a word.”

  Devereaux’s eyes are wide, but I have to say, the guy has brass balls. I’ve easily got a foot on him, yet he doesn’t back down.

  “So I assume it’s serious between you and…Savannah.”

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to intervene.”

  My head snaps over to see Savannah standing there, her arms crossed over her chest.

  I meet her gaze and take a step back, just to assure her that I’m not going to do something stupid that could get me suspended from the last game of the season.

  “Mr. Devereaux.” The way she addresses him has more than a hint of condescension and Devereaux realizes it.

  He’s smart enough to back away from me. “Just the person I wanted to talk to. I thought maybe you could give us a statement about your relationship with Jason Stone.”

  “No comment,” she says. “And there will be no comment. If you don’t mind, I need you to come with me.”

  She steps back and motions with her hand toward the door.

  It’s then that I realize we’ve garnered the attention of everyone in the locker room. My teammates are all watching. A few seem to be out of the loop, others are moving to stand behind me. I might be new to this team this year, but I’ve forged friendships with these guys and I know they have my back, the same way I have theirs.

  When Savannah moves back another step, I notice that she has brought security with her. Not only her brothers, but also two legit security guards.

  I can’t help but smile at that.

  “Please continue,” Savannah says to the others who are waiting to question me.

  “Stone, what were you thinking when you were down to fourth and goal? Knowing that the play was critical to win the game?”

  I turn my attention back to the reporters stacked in a line in front of me.

  “I wasn’t thinking anything, to be honest. I knew what needed to be done, and I trusted my team to give everything they had. And they did.”

  I glance over to see Savannah moving toward the door. She glances back at me and shoots a smile that’s so damn sweet, I feel a little lighter because of it.

  “All right, how about we give this guy some breathing room?” The sharp tone of Coach Hannagan’s voice snaps through the room “You’ll have more time with him in the future.”

  A few grumbles sound from the group, but they don’t outwardly argue.

  While I head to the showers, I push all thoughts of Devereaux out of my head. It’s not hard to do when the only thing I can think about is getting my hands on Savannah.

  In the very near future.

  * * *

  —

  By the time I’m in my Escalade, I’ve got my phone out and I’m dialing my mother.

  “You kicked some serious butt out there, honey!”

  I smile at her greeting. “Thanks.”

  “And I heard the interview. You…I’m so proud of you, Jason.”

  “Interview?”

  “Yes. With that jackhole.” She chuckles. “You maintained your cool, and they were talkin’ about how well you handled yourself.”

  There’s a lump in my throat that threatens to choke me up a little. My mother has always offered her praise, for which I’m grateful. As an adult, I didn’t think I needed it as much as I did when I was a kid. I was wrong. So very wrong.

  “So next week you’ve got the Cardinals. It’s the last game of the season.”

  “We do,” I confirm.

  “And you’re going to kick their butts, too.”

  I love my mother’s optimism.

  “That’s the plan.”

  “So tell me about Savannah.”

  I bark a laugh. “I’m not sure that’s something I can talk to you about over the phone.”

  “Is it serious with her?”

  I’m not going to lie to my momma. “It is. And I promise, I’ll introduce you just as soon as I can.”

  “Will she be here for dinner?”

  I laugh. “Probably not. I’m not sure I want to take the chance of introducing her to the family on a holiday. Plus, she probably has other plans.”

  I don’t know that for sure, but I do intend to talk to her just as soon as I see her.

  “Okay, okay. I can take a hint.” She laughs softly. “Just as long as you tell her she’s welcome in my home anytime.”

  “So are we still on for dinner tomorrow?”

  “Of course,” she says, a smile in her voice. “And Jeremy’s made all the arrangements to ensure I don’t have to…work too hard.”

  I laugh.

  “Y’all do know I’m onto you?” she asks. “I know my boys are scared of my cookin’.”

  “We’re not…Okay, yes, we’re scared.”

  Another chuckle echoes through the phone. “Fine, I’ll see you tomorrow. And be sure to extend an invitation to Savannah. I’m eager to meet her.”

  “I will, Mom. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Putting the phone down, I start
the engine, then glance out the window. There are still quite a few cars in the lot, and I have to wonder if one of them is Savannah’s. I didn’t get a chance to talk to her after she slipped out of the room.

  My phone buzzes and I snatch it up. After hitting the talk button, I put the phone to my ear.

  “Hey,” I greet.

  “Where are you?”

  I smile to myself. Just hearing her voice does that to me. “In my car. Where are you?”

  “Heading to your place,” she says, a seductive hint to her voice. “Meet you there?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Good. I’ll grab some food for us on the way. See you in a few.”

  I should be tired, ready to hit the bed and sleep for the next eight to ten hours. And I am exhausted, but the thought of seeing Savannah renews my energy.

  Now, I can only hope I can avoid a ticket on the way home.

  Savannah

  By the time I get to Stone’s he’s already home. Grabbing the food from the passenger seat, I turn to open the door. A startled scream escapes when I see a face outside my window.

  It’s a familiar face, a cute one even, but it startles me enough to make me drop my purse as my heart tries to leap out of my throat.

  Stone is chuckling when he opens the door. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “Well, you did,” I inform him, taking a deep breath. “I thought you were a reporter.”

  “A reporter?” He frowns.

  I shake my head before passing over the food. No sense going into that at the moment. I don’t want to add any pressure right now, and the fact that I was questioned about my relationship with Jason Stone—not only by my father, but also by a slew of reporters after I interrupted Luke Devereaux’s attempt to bring Stone down a few notches—isn’t something I want to get into right now.

  “Something wrong?” Stone asks when I’m out of my car.

  “No,” I lie easily. “Nothin’s wrong.”