The barest of nods.
Cora couldn’t read him beyond the tension in his eyes. The blurt-fest continued. “They really seem to get it, you know? The concept of moving on to the next play after a mistake.”
“They’ll have to prove it to me on the hardwood.”
“They will. I’ll make sure they play…” She stopped herself from saying, “Their hearts out.”
The barest of frowns. “It’s my team. I’m responsible for how they play.”
“Of course, you are. Of course. Only you.” Cora shut her mouth. She sounded like a high-schooler who’d bumped into Trent after having slipped a love letter in his locker. “What I mean is, you have a reputation as a good coach.”
For all his tough reputation on the court, there was no buzz concerning his personal life. None. No reason for his impending divorce, except irreconcilable differences. No hint of the yin to the Reverend’s yang – the intense, sometimes angry, cussing, alcohol-imbibing man. Why did he hide behind the Reverend?
“Recently, I gained a reputation as a coach who runs his players into the ground.” His voice lowered. “You want something from me, say it, plain and simple.”
What she wanted from him was sex. Not plain or simple. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You removed Evan from the equation tonight for a reason.” More proof that Trent was smart. “You want to convert me to a believer in your Foundation’s rules, go for it.”
A part of Cora wished it was that easy. “This was game night, hosted by the team captain’s sister-in-law. Nothing more.”
He scoffed.
“I don’t know what you have against the Dooley Foundation or me. There’s no hidden agenda when it comes to this team.” It was official. Cora had liar-lips.
He knew it, too. His gaze drifted to her mouth.
Oh, my.
There was enough heat in him to warm her on the coldest winter nights. Again and again.
Her body softened. She didn’t want to lie with her mouth. She wanted to lie with him.
She needed a distraction. For him. So he’d stop looking at her as if she’d was naked and she’d stop thinking of him as if he was stripping her.
She steadied herself against the kitchen counter. “I hear Sammy Carson is looking for a team now that he’s served his drug suspension.” And found religion.
Trent scoffed and straightened. Mission accomplished. “And I thought you knew the sport.”
She wasn’t going to admit she’d studied it to impress Jack, who’d been less open to a conversation about the team than Trent. “I know when Sammy ran with Kentucky his player value on the court was amazing. Everyone scored more. He didn’t translate that skill to the big court – ”
“This is where I say goodnight.”
“Playing things close to your chest. I like that.”
His gaze strayed to her chest and her off-the-shoulder blouse. He backed toward her front door, as if afraid she might jump his bones. Or maybe he was hopeful she’d jump his bones and wanted to see her coming.
“You were a good sport tonight.” Cora leaned against the arch where Trent had been seconds before. “Teamwork is the most difficult and magical aspect of basketball.”
“They call me coach because I know things like that.” Trent took another step toward the door. From the edge of the living room, Brutus watched him, prepared to let him go.
Smart dog.
“Of course.” Cora nodded like a bobble-head, her mouth running equally erratically. “You never know how players are going to mesh until you give them a shot and – ”
Trent’s hands shot out, grabbed onto her hips and pulled her to him.
And then he was kissing her.
Damn, he knew how to kiss. It was a seductive kiss, tasting of sweet tequila and the trembly, tantalizing burn of desire.
Her hands were trapped against his chest. His roamed along the small of her back, nestling her tight against his hips and that now-familiar erection. She opened her eyes and found him looking directly into hers. Not at her body parts. Not shuttered as if imagining he was with someone else. He looked at her.
Her breath left her lungs in a rush, as if this was where time stopped and memories began.
And then his lips worked their way down to the hollow of her throat.
She gasped for air. Her fingers curled into his hard pecs. “This is such a bad idea.”
“Sugar, don’t you ever shut up?”
At their feet, Brutus growled.
“Oh.” Ren’s voice. “My Evening Star.”
She and Trent leapt apart so fast Brutus danced back and growled again.
“I hate to be rude, but I must be going out this door.” Ren edged along the wall, seven feet of uncomfortable man.
“I’ll walk out with you.” Trent opened the door.
Ren darted past him.
Cora watched them go. Desire thrummed through her veins, registering a complaint, nearly silencing reason, which reminded her of sales quotas and sibling expectations. “See you tomorrow, Reverend.”
“Not if I see you first.”
L.A. Happenings by Lyle Lincoln
…Hot ladies are hotter when they’ve been to Wicked Tantric. Cora Rule and Vivian Gordon shared a session. Rafael Wozniak spent his day off there. And naked yoga continues to be wait-listed through next year.
…Speaking of hot, I recently met the founder of Hot Security Associates. Daisy Hoyt is going to have no problems blending into the Hollywood scene as someone’s bodyguard. She promises all her guards are at least an eleven on the hotness scale.
Chapter 14
Vivian was nervous. Since Jack had found out she didn’t have a lover, he’d stopped talking to her. He’d stopped accepting her calls or answering her texts. He’d stopped meeting her for jealous, break-up sex. And now she’d been summoned to dinner.
Was it because of her visit to Wicked Tantric? Or was he going to hand her a new set of divorce papers?
She dressed carefully and not for the wild sex they’d had for a few weeks last month – silver flats, black skinny jeans, a thin pink sweater. Her long, blond hair hung loose about her shoulders. She should have felt comfortable, but her skin prickled as if any touch would shock her.
The Rules had convinced her that she had to be the business partner Jack needed if she wanted to win him back. She had to be positive about the team. Supportive. A team player.
Difficult, considering the purchase of the franchise had taken Jack’s love for her and replaced it with love for the Flash. How did a woman compete with a team?
She’d had hope again during those few fabulous weeks when Jack thought she was sleeping with Blue. He’d reached for her hungrily, the way he used to. She’d missed him so desperately, that she’d lied to get him back, even for that short period of time.
Vivian walked into the Lush Gardens restaurant. Black, floor-length tablecloths and candlelight created a gloomy mood that didn’t bode well for reconciliation.
Jack sat in a corner booth, a big circular table that could have fit six.
So much for an intimate dinner. “Who’s joining us?” She should be happy he was including her, not disappointed. Viv slid toward the back of the booth, leaving room for others and leaving a body of space between her and Jack.
“What were you doing at the office today, Viv?” His voice sounded weary. The circles under his eyes confirmed he was exhausted and not sleeping.
Heartbroken over her? Sadly, she’d bet not. “A long time ago, you asked me to be a more integral partner. I’ve decided to live up to my obligations.”
He studied her with those black eyes that unnerved most women and many men. “What are you really doing?”
She wasn’t sure what he was referring to – her appearances at the Flash facility or Wicked Tantric. It didn’t matter. “I’ve grown tired of cheap sex with you.”
He flinched.
“I want something more satisfying. Power. Respect.” Love. “And de
spite what you think, you need someone at your side. Jesus, Jack. You look like death kicked you to the curb.”
The waiter brought Jack a whiskey on the rocks and Vivian a glass of Pinot Noir.
She hadn’t ordered. He’d assumed she’d want wine. He assumed too much. Her heart’s best defense – anger – surged in her veins, banishing despair. But the Rules had been adamant. Be nice. Be considerate. Imagine she had a British butler sitting next to her, overhearing every word. Downton Abbey had never been so inspirational.
“If you want to make millions, you have to sacrifice.” Jack’s voice sounded as dry as Death Valley.
She nodded. “And if you want to live to see forty, you need help. I can help you more than just with a signature on legal documents.” Dangerous territory. He’d offered her divorce papers several times. “I need something in my life. Last month you thought I needed a man. I think differently. I’ve decided to put that business degree I earned to use.”
He didn’t say anything for several minutes. He spun his whiskey glass. She sipped her wine. The waitstaff scurried about on near silent feet.
Jack sighed. “There are things you don’t understand. When a man – ”
“You can go on being the team’s holy terror. I’ll play good cop to your bad.” She smiled softly. “I know how much you like breathing fire to get your way. Turnover in the front office has been horrendous. You’re on your third admin this year.”
“Viv.” He hadn’t touched his drink. “I can’t work with you. I look in your face and I want…I want…”
Vivian’s heart had gotten good at breaking. She held it together by sheer force of will. “You want to have sex. We can work that into the deal as well.” She could settle for being his sex toy if it meant she’d still have him in her life. Pathetic? Yes. But what her heart wanted. She closed the distance between them, deviating from the Rules’ plan. “I went to Wicked Tantric today.”
“I saw.” His voice was husky. She imagined him hard beneath the tablecloth. Damn the Rules. She wanted to touch him. She wanted him to touch her. She wanted to have him in her bed, exchanging whispered ideas about their future – a future without the NBA.
“We can do this – in the boardroom and in the bedroom.” It was a risky proposition. She slid closer, until her thigh grazed his. “You can touch me. Back here, in this corner. No one can see.”
“Viv – ”
“That’s another thing about working together. We can find time to release some of this crazy pressure of becoming a billion-dollar success story.” She unzipped her jeans, regretting not wearing a skirt. She took his hand, crossing her thigh over his, creating greater access. His palm was sweaty. His skin hot. Viv reveled in the fact that she made him nervous. She guided his fingers beneath a layer of silk. “That’s it. Touch me there.”
The waiter approached, but she waved him away with her other hand.
Jack’s forehead touched her temple. He was sweating there, too. “Viv, we shouldn’t be doing this.” But his fingers were moving, touching her in a way that set her senses on fire. He kissed his way along her cheek, toward her lips.
No kissing, Cora had said.
But Vivian loved the way Jack kissed. Their breath mingled as his mouth waited at the edge of hers for her to turn to him.
No having sex, Cora’s voice echoed in her head.
He moved his fingers urgently as he nibbled at the corner of her mouth. She came undone, turning so his lips captured her sound of release.
An older couple looked their way disapprovingly.
Viv didn’t care. She was hopeless when it came to Jack. She’d have to start again with the Rules of Attraction tomorrow. After they spent the night having sex.
She expected Jack to tug her hand to his zipper, to encourage her to reciprocate.
Except Jack wasn’t moving.
He’s rejecting me?
Her heart nearly stopped beating.
But he didn’t pull away or pull himself together.
Instead, he collapsed into her lap.
~*~
“Any word?” Blue asked when he met Cora at the hospital long after the team had left Cora’s condo.
She shook her head. “They suspect meningitis, but they won’t know for a day or so. Viv said Jack’s been a human pincushion with all the tests they want to run.”
Together, they found Viv. She sat at Jack’s bedside, looking as pale as her husband.
Cora almost didn’t recognize her former lover. Something had deflated the strong, angry, invincible man.
“Thank you for coming.” If Jack seemed small, Viv looked smaller and more fragile, as if any more bad news would break her. “His parents are flying in from Cleveland. They’ll arrive tomorrow.”
Blue brought a chair closer to Viv’s, gesturing for Cora to sit.
“He’ll be okay, though. Right?” Cora felt young and in need of reassurance, when she knew it was Viv who needed someone to lean on.
“The doctor said we won’t know for days.” Viv sniffed, never taking her eyes off her husband. Gone was the burning desire, the burning hatred, the burning love. Viv was a bundle of fearful insecurity.
“I’ll stay with you.” Cora took Vivian’s cold hand in hers. “I’ll stay with you until you know.”
~*~
Hospitals reminded Trent of Rachel.
His ex-wife had stood vigil with every parent of every college player who’d ever been injured playing for Trent. It wasn’t as long a list as the media made it out to be, but it wasn’t short, either. It didn’t matter if they’d only broken their pinky. Rachel would show up, Bible in hand, with words of comfort.
At first, Trent considered it endearing, a sign that his wife had a big heart. And then Trent overheard Rachel turn that comfort into a pitch for her father’s revival meetings, to attend her father’s church, to donate money to his causes. Trent believed in God. But he also believed in freedom of religion, and the right to be in a hospital bed without receiving God’s sales pitch. Partial conversations of Rachel’s he’d overheard started to piece themselves together, like one of his grandmother’s patchwork quilts. Except, instead of admiring the beauty of his wife and her goodness, the image of Rachel frayed.
In all the years he’d been at Holy Southern Cross, he’d considered Rachel his secret weapon. She had a way of allaying parental concerns. But her words of comfort always came back to filling seats at her father’s events. Her message had never been delivered with his team’s best interests at heart.
And so he walked the hospital halls with trepidation after receiving Evan’s text about Jack. Why had he felt compelled to come? He barely knew Jack Gordon. And what he knew didn’t compel him toward friendship. When it came to the game, Jack was like Trent’s father – heartless, ruthless, reckless. And despite having already clawed his way to the top of the dot com world, Jack wanted to claw his way higher in the NBA. Nothing and no one would be good enough for Jack. And yet, when Jack called with an intriguing idea for building a championship franchise, Trent couldn’t refuse.
He was surprised to find Cora sitting with Jack’s wife. Surprised, but immediately relieved. He knew the lean feel of Cora’s body and the taste of her mouth. Didn’t mean he had to bang her, just that he wanted to. Cora would surely spout the Rules of Attraction, and when she did he’d file her in a drawer along with Rachel and put an end to his fascination with her.
Cora still wore those tight jeans and heels. She’d twisted her dark hair until it cascaded over her shoulder. She didn’t look like the high class, arm-candy he’d taken her for at Jack’s party. She looked like somebody’s college sweetheart.
His dick wanted a college do-over.
Neither woman had seen him yet. He stepped into the room, eager to catch Cora murmuring erection-killing tripe into Vivian’s ear.
Cora spoke softly. “Do you remember the game in Houston last season when Jack almost jumped on the court and argued a call with the ref?”
“He gets fi
ned more than Mark Cuban,” Vivian sniffed.
Since he’d last seen Jack’s wife, she’d aged. Her make-up was smudged into lines of worry. Her jaw clenched as if tensing it was the only thing keeping her sane.
“And he’ll continue to get fined.” Cora chuckled. “He fights for what he believes in.”
“I wish he’d fight for me,” Viv whispered.
Trent wished he could back out of the room.
“Excuse me.” A scrawny male nurse brushed past Trent and into the room, giving away his presence.
Trent cleared his throat. “I came to see how Jack’s doing.”
“Come on over and greet him, honey,” the nurse cooed, checking Jack’s vitals. “Just because he’s unconscious doesn’t mean he can’t hear you.”
If anything, Vivian grew paler.
Cora patted Vivian’s hand. “He means in theory.”
“No, I don’t,” the nurse refuted. “I’ve had patients wake up and tell their children they shouldn’t be planning their funerals. And certainly not with carnations instead of roses.” He raised his brows in Trent’s direction. “Well?”
Obediently, Trent moved to Jack’s bedside. His boss looked like he was knocking at death’s door. It was hard to reconcile this man with the one he’d seen four days ago. That man had looked tired, but was driven by an inner fire. The fire had since gone out.
“Hey, Jack,” Trent said self-consciously. “I worked out with the team today. You were right. Those guys may be second and third stringers, but they click together.” His gaze met Cora’s. He could feel her assessing the sincerity of his words. Did she suspect he was already weighing which players would bring the most value in trade? “I’ll make final decisions about players and staff this week.”
“Pink slip them all,” Viv whispered. “Sell the team.”
Jack’s belabored breathing didn’t change.
“Viv, you have to be strong for Jack.” Cora’s clichéd words of comfort sounded too similar to Rachel’s. “That team means everything to him.”
Book Boyfriends Cafe Summer Lovin' Anthology 2015 Page 13