To Win Her Smile

by Mackenzie Crowne

  V stilled her restless fingers. “The production will profile each of the sixteen ring bearers, and include the rest of the members from this season’s team, but the focus will be on the five original members of the starting offensive line Caroline put together the year she purchased the Marauders. She’s looking to show her ‘Fab Five,’ as she calls them, not just from a professional perspective, but a personal one as well.”

  She tapped the pen against the desk’s blotter. “Some candid shots of the men on the field are necessary but, mostly, we’re interested in a more personal exposé. An intimate look into their private lives type of thing. Interspersed throughout your photographs will be interviews with each of the guys and videos of memorable plays.” She dropped her chin and held Piper’s gaze. “You’re the expert. Based on what I’ve told you, will a week of full access to each of the five men be sufficient to get what we’re looking for, or will you need more time?”

  Piper’s lips quirked in a helpless smile. “I would answer that, but I haven’t said yes. Yet.”

  V chuckled. “Caught that, did you?”

  “I have a master’s degree in business. My favorite professor’s number one rule of negotiation was, ‘Draw the client in by calling on their expertise on a minor detail and you’re halfway to making the deal.’”

  V grinned. “Your professor was right. It usually works.”

  “Yes, it does.” Piper had used the tactic more than once while dealing with contractors hired to work at the manor. But her home wasn’t her concern at the moment. The Marauders’ job offer was, specifically, the identity of the men she’d be expected to photograph. “Who are the five?”

  As if sensing victory, satisfaction gleamed in V’s eyes. “Gabe Tillman, Jamal Knight, Mario Davis, Kevin Tucker, and,” she opened her hands as if in apology, “Wyatt Hunter.”

  Piper ignored the uncomfortable tingle of adrenaline pulsing in her nerve endings. The others she could manage without an issue, but a week of full access to Wyatt Hunter? Bad idea, that.

  “Before you say no, there a couple of things I’d like to explain. I know you have a car waiting downstairs to take you to the airport, but will you give me a few more minutes?”

  Piper swallowed. Prudence insisted she shake V’s hand and run as fast and as far from Wyatt Hunter’s domain as she could get, but there was the matter of fifty-thousand dollars. Beyond closing the gap to finally shedding the specter of her cousin’s shadow from her daily life, how lovely would it be to spend five guilt-free weeks focusing on her photography again instead of stressing over which Peter to rob in order to pay one of several Pauls?

  A flush of anticipation she hadn’t experienced in nearly three years shimmered through her veins. It stung, of course, to acknowledge a good portion of her excitement came from the thought of remaining in the States for a time—where a certain sexy athlete resided—but she didn’t like to lie to herself. The cold truth was, she was attracted to Wyatt. What warm-blooded woman wouldn’t be?

  Nothing she could do about the helpless pull, but being aware of a problem was the first line of defense. If she dared to take the offered job, she’d simply have to keep up her guard and refuse to give in to that particular temptation.

  She dragged in a deep breath to calm her racing pulse and, schooling her features into professional curiosity, she nodded.

  V set aside the pen and folded her hands. “Let me preface what I have to say by admitting I consider Wyatt a close friend, and that he, specifically, is the reason I called you here this afternoon.” She studied Piper’s face. “From that blush flaming your cheeks a few minutes ago, you already know he’s a charming devil.”

  The blush made a reappearance, warming Piper’s cheeks, and V’s easy laughter echoed through the room. “Trust me, you’re not the first woman to respond to his irresistible appeal. He’s a charmer, all right, a playboy of the first order, but he’s also a gentleman in the best sense of the word. If you’re not interested, all you need to do is tell him. Just understand, it’s not in him to give up. Don’t be surprised if he keeps asking, but don’t stress it, either. He’s not the kind of man to push a woman.”

  Yeah, but what if the woman was interested, despite not wanting to be? Piper smiled wanly. “That’s good to know.”

  V nodded. “Bottom line, those of us lucky enough to know the real Wyatt know he’s one of the most open and amiable men you’ll ever meet.” Her blue eyes softened as she smiled. “And, once you have, it’s simply impossible to dislike him.”

  Piper wished she could disagree. She couldn’t, however. Even knowing the Marauders’ handsome quarterback was dangerous to her equilibrium, she’d been thoroughly charmed.

  V rested her hands on her desk when Piper remained silent. “He’s a genuinely good man, an extremely talented quarterback, and a natural leader. The players respect him and the front office can’t argue with his consistent success on the field.” A sardonic smile quirked her wide mouth. “That’s not to say he’s perfect. The good ol’ boy persona he shows to the world can be downright annoying, and he has a rebel streak running through him that gets him into trouble far too often.” She shook her head and laughed. “I swear, sometimes he acts more like a perpetual teenager than the grown man and successful athlete he is.”

  Piper couldn’t disagree with that assessment, either. Hadn’t she thought the same thing two hours ago? She frowned and grumbled beneath her breath. “He’s Peter Pan with a grownup libido.”

  V’s startled laughter was rich and full. “Oh, God, how perfect. He’d love that description.” Her lips twisted in a crafty grin. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to steal it.”

  Piper waved a hand. “Steal away.”

  “It’s a deal.” V’s humor slowly faded. “He’s also the only son of Richard Hunter.”

  Surprised by Wyatt’s apparent relation to the prominent American politician many assumed would someday reside in the White House, Piper sat up straighter. “I hadn’t made the connection.”

  V nodded soberly. “If it were up to Wyatt, no one would. From what I understand, his father and he don’t get along, and never have.” She studied Piper with keen eyes. “Unfortunately, his family’s fame adds another layer of scrutiny to everything he does. With your background, you’d understand how trying that can make things at times.”

  “My background?” Piper tensed.

  V smiled softly. “I chaired the art show, Baroness. I also Googled you when CC first mentioned including your work in the fundraiser.”

  “Ah.” Embarrassment swamped Piper. She didn’t have to imagine the headlines the Marauders’ PR specialist had read.

  V’s lips flattened in distaste. “From what I can tell, Cody Beckett threw you under the bus to protect his own overblown ego. It’s too bad we hadn’t met back then. The press are little more than rabid vultures, but they can be useful tools if you know how to work them. By the time I’d finished with your ex-fiancé, no woman would have gone within an inch of him and he’d have had a hard time winning an endorsement selling used cars.”

  Piper choked on a laugh, but sobered quickly. “Who else besides you, CC, and Caroline know of my title?”

  “No one that I know of. Caroline made it clear from the beginning that information wasn’t to be shared.”

  Piper relaxed subtly. “I’d like to keep it that way, if you don’t mind.” She attempted a casual smile and failed. “As you said, with my background, I do understand. Which is why I don’t use my title when traveling, but for rare instances. Being plain old Piper Darrow suits me and keeps things less…complicated, shall we say?”

  V nodded even as her eyes softened with unexpected compassion. “Makes perfect sense. From what CC’s told me, those headlines were nothing but lies.”

  Proof of CC’s support caused a tightening of Piper’s throat. “Unfortunately, not everything was a lie. I am, indeed, in debt up to my
knickers, or rather, the estate is, just as the papers claimed.” She shrugged. The financial deadline looming over her head wasn’t a topic she was willing to discuss. “The situation has improved slightly, thanks to the severe tightening of our belts and lots of hard work, but maintaining five hundred acres of prime real estate isn’t cheap. Unless I’m willing to sell off my ancestral home, which I’m not, I’m technically broke and expect to remain so for the foreseeable future, if not the remainder of my life.”

  “Sacrificing your personal life to return home and run the family business doesn’t sound like the actions of a gold-digger, Baroness.”

  True, but neither did one simply walk away from London’s premiere football star unscathed. Cody’s rabid fans at The Daily Bugle had no reason to question his claim that he’d dumped Piper upon discovering she was only with him for his money. After all, what woman would willingly give up a jet-setter life, including Cody Beckett, for the solitude of a country manor?

  Like the unimaginative lemmings they are, the rest of London’s tabloids gleefully repeated the Bugle’s Gold-Digging Baroness label, and the moniker had stuck. Temporarily, anyway. Apparently, pictures of a self-serving, man-trapping baroness doing nothing more scandalous than helping an old man muck out the barn didn’t sell papers. The press had eventually moved on to juicier stories.

  “Exactly how much did Wyatt offer to pay you for his calendar idea?”

  Caught off guard by the quick change of subject, Piper blinked. “Um. He didn’t, actually. The quote he gave me was for his good luck charm sideline appearances, which he promised to double to one hundred thousand if the Marauders made it to the Super Bowl.”

  V studied Piper in silence for several seconds. “That much money can do a lot of good things if a person spends it wisely.”

  Piper cleared her throat. “Without a doubt.”

  V nodded. “If I can convince you to work with me on the Fab Five project, would you object to accepting Wyatt’s offer to produce the calendar he mentioned?”

  “I...” Oh, holy hell.

  “The more I think about it, the more I believe a fundraiser calendar would dovetail nicely with the various promotions the team has planned.” A slight frown marred V’s brow. “Of course, something like that would have to be approved by Caroline, but I can’t see her objecting. Especially if Wyatt agrees to pick up the costs. It’s only right he does, since the idea was his.”

  “Well, I...”

  “As for your commission.” A sly smile slowly curled the corners of V’s mouth. “I think one hundred thousand sounds about right, don’t you?”

  Piper coughed. “I couldn’t possibly...”

  “Of course, you could.” V waved an airy hand. “He opened this particular door, and it’s not like he doesn’t have the money. He was willing to shell it out to get what he wants. It’ll do him good to have his tactics turned on their head for a change.”

  Piper drummed her fingertips on the clasp of her purse. “Not to mention you’d get what you want. That is the reason you’re dangling the possibility of an extra chunk of cash in front of my nose, isn’t it?”

  V’s grin was unrepentant. “Money is the root of all evil but, in this case, sweetening the pot a little is done with the purest of intentions. You need the cash. I need your skills. And Wyatt is willing to pay quite well to achieve his goals. If it makes you feel better, you could always indulge his superstitions by attending the games as he requested. Tying up your weekends for nearly five months is worth a bit of cash, wouldn’t you say?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “The way I see it, that’s a win-win-win situation.”

  If only it were that simple. “A lovely sentiment until the press discovers I’ve hooked up with another professional athlete, and this time with the express purpose of monetary gain.”

  “Money you will earn in exchange for your photographs, Piper. There is no shame in doing an honest day’s work, even for a member of the peerage.”

  Piper did snort this time, and was thankful Tilly wasn’t around to witness her mortal sin. “Clearly, you’ve never had a brush with the European press.”

  V laughed softly. “No, I haven’t, and thank God for that. The Americans are bad enough.”

  Piper sighed. “Why me? Why are you so insistent on me saying yes?”

  V eased back in her chair. “May I speak candidly?”

  “You mean you haven’t been so far?”

  V’s laughter was light and genuine. “I do like you, Baroness, and that is one of the reasons I’d like to work with you. Another is your eye. I wasn’t blowing smoke up your skirt when I said I liked your photographs. Simply put, they’re stunning. But the most compelling reason you are perfect for our project is precisely because you do understand that added layer of scrutiny.”

  She straightened in her chair. “This project is designed to highlight the team and the Fab Five but, for me, it’s all about Wyatt.” She shook her head. “Unlike the rest of us, even you, apparently, he doesn’t have the option to be plain old Wyatt Hunter. Ever. Between his family name and his high visibility position with the team, he’s always in the spotlight.”

  Her lips pulled flat in aggravation. “His record speaks for itself, but a certain block of the sports press act like his accomplishments are due to little more than blind luck. Maybe it’s that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, or they don’t like his father’s political philosophy. Personally, I think a lot of the flack he takes is due to plain old jealousy. But, whatever the source, too many members of the press seem to have a hard-on for him, and not in a good way. In the meantime, they treat other quarterbacks in the league, players whose stats don’t come anywhere close to Wyatt’s, like gods.”

  Her blue eyes glittered. “I can’t tell you how much that pisses me off. He shrugs off the unwarranted criticism, claiming he doesn’t give a shit what others think, but that’s bull. He cares, more than he’ll ever admit. And it’s not just the press.” She spoke through gritted teeth. “Early this summer, things got personal when his father was quoted in an article at Eye on Sports. In a supposedly offhand remark, Richard Hunter all but agreed with the interviewer when he questioned whether or not Wyatt had the mental fortitude to lead the team to the Super Bowl again this year.”

  A stab of sympathy pierced Piper’s heart. The press may have gobbled up Cody’s lies like red meat, but at least she’d had Moira, Tilly, and Angus in her corner. “What a wanker.” Horrified at her rare spoken slip into the gutter, Piper gasped. “I beg your pardon. That was completely out of line.”

  V waved her off with a quick grin. “Don’t apologize. As far as I’m concerned, wanker is the perfect description for a man who would say something like that about his son. Especially to a bottom feeder website like Eye on Sports.” V’s grin faded to a scowl. “After the interview was posted online, Wyatt disappeared for three days. When he resurfaced, he’d wrenched the muscles in his right shoulder. The idiot tried his hand at extreme white water rafting, injuring his throwing arm and nearly drowning in the process.”

  Twisting her lips in what looked to Piper like a guilty grimace, V shook her head. “He scared the hell out of me and I said some unforgiveable things to him. Things I didn’t mean.” She sighed and her shoulders sagged marginally. “I can’t take the words back, but I can make it up to him by helping him beat the press and his…wanker father at their own game.”

  Piper bit her lip. “I’m afraid you’ve lost me.”

  “It’s simple. The Marauders making it back to the Super Bowl this February is the biggest sports story in the history of the league. The eyes of the world are on us and will remain so as long as we have a chance of succeeding. Which means we’ll have five months of intensified interest.”

  She cocked her head. “I wasn’t bragging when I suggested I knew how to work the press. As a sports agent, I spent more than a decade making Jake Malone and others look
better than they usually deserved. I did it by spinning the story I wanted printed. As frustrating as Wyatt can be at times, he’s nothing like the caricature the vultures have created of him.”

  Her eyes flashed with a mix of anger and determination. “It’s time I utilized my skills to put an end to their nonsense. You can help me do that with your incredible eye and your understanding of what it’s like to be in the spotlight. Together, we’ll do an end run around the press and present the fans of football with the funny, generous, talented and, yes, imperfect man Wyatt’s teammates and friends know and care for.”

  Intensity gleamed in her eyes. “I’d be willing to pay half your fee up front, and I’m sure a similar arrangement could be made with Wyatt. That should free you up from some of the, shall we say, financial concerns you might have on the other side of the pond.”

  Embarrassed horror unfurled in Piper’s chest. God, CC, how much of my private life did you share with this woman? She spoke through clenched teeth. “CC Tucker has a big mouth.”

  “No, what she has is a sweet disposition and a very pushy friend.” A grimace creased V’s brow. “Don’t blame CC. It’s my job to learn all I can about the people the Marauders choose to work with, and I’m very good at what I do. I’m also the epitome of discretion when the situation warrants. Nothing we’ve discussed today goes beyond the two of us. So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?”

  Chapter 6

  Piper carried a stack of clothes to the bed in her large bedroom, automatically avoiding the squeaky board at its center. From the time the manor was built in the seventeenth century, generations of Delaney children were cared for in this, the third-floor nursery. The suite of matching bedrooms with adjoining bath had been underutilized in modern times. However, the rooms were the perfect solution to house Piper and Moira once the B&B had opened and they’d given up their suites on the second floor to their guests.