“How hard was it to focus for an hour?”
“Very.” He thought of that day. Basketball hadn’t been the only thing on his brain. “You had on that pink sweater with a tight white T-shirt under it.” She’d buttoned the sweater to right beneath her breasts. The swell of her chest above it was like a beacon to his eyes. “I had to look at videos on my phone or stare and wonder how you’d squeezed into that shirt.”
Her mouth snapped shut and her eyes were wide. He chuckled. “Yes, I was checking you out back then. I thought you would have figured that out by now.”
“I hadn’t. I thought it was just that night.”
He shook his head. “I wanted you long before that night.”
She tucked her hair behind her ears and stared into her drink. “You never said anything.”
“I’m not into cheating. Too much drama.” Something he’d learned the hard way.
Her eyes flew to his. “Neither am I. I only...did what I did because I’d heard you and Christy broke up.”
“We had.” They should have stayed broken up.
“But then I heard you two were back together.”
“We got back after the draft. She said she was pregnant.” He couldn’t stop the anger from creeping into his voice.
Her eyes widened. “You have a kid?”
He shook his head. “Thought I did. Turns out he wasn’t mine.”
“Oh.”
“That’s why I hit Rob tonight. He brought it up.”
She scowled. “In the middle of the game. That’s a dick move.”
Jacobe grinned. He’d always loved her candor. Her spark. “Some would say the same about me hitting him.”
Her brows pulled together and she drew her lower lip between her teeth. “I’d thought that when you hit him and walked away so coldly. I guess I understand now. I’m sorry to hear about what Christy did.”
“I don’t want to talk about that.” He shouldn’t have told her. Only a few people knew about that situation. A part of him didn’t want Danielle to think he’d slept with her that night and gotten back with Christy on a whim.
He needed to change the subject before the old familiar bitterness of that situation took a hold of him. He’d come here for a distraction. He let his gaze slowly roam over every inch of Danielle’s sexy curves. “Instead of talking about the past, how about we get out of here?”
The sympathy in her eyes evaporated. “Excuse me?”
“I thought we could catch up. It’s been years.”
“Yeah, and we can catch up right here, right now.”
“You don’t have to be shy with me, Danielle. You popped up at my game, in the seat right behind me. Kind of reminds me of that night. I’m good with us hooking up again.”
Danielle leaned back. “I was there because one of our donors gave us his courtside seats. I didn’t think you’d even remember or recognize me.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because I never heard from you again after that night in college.”
“That was my mistake. Believe me.”
A vision of Christy in his hotel room after the draft, crying and saying they belonged together and that she was pregnant, popped into his mind. She’d dropped a positive pregnancy test on the bed when he’d accused her of showing up just because he’d been drafted. Would Danielle understand the sense of responsibility that had come over him when he’d seen that plus sign and Christy’s tears? That nothing else had mattered other than being a better father than the one he’d had.
“You know you’re just the same as you always were.” Danielle broke into his thoughts.
He met her gaze, was surprised to see anger in her eyes. “Excuse me?”
“I came here because you invited me. I thought that maybe, despite that night together, you would be cool and decent. That we could... I don’t know, talk like the adults we are. I didn’t come here so you could try and sleaze your way into my bed.” She hopped down from the stool. “You have a good night.”
He watched her storm off. She said a few quick words to Debra, who glared at Jacobe before she dropped her pool stick and followed Danielle to the door. Kevin, Isaiah, and Will gave him confused looks. Jacobe cursed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Damn. Now he’d have to go down to that River Watcher place and apologize for being a jerk.
* * *
Jacobe’s shoulders were tense as he entered the main conference room for the Gators with his agent, Eric Jones. Eric had caught a red eye flight from Los Angeles to be here for this early morning meeting. Eric would probably be the only one who had Jacobe’s back today.
Meetings with the management staff were never fun. He had a pretty good idea of the lecture he was about to receive. Tone down the aggression. We can’t afford to lose you right before the play-offs. Try and keep your name out of the headlines. He’d heard the same lines constantly over the past few years. Never mind that he had toned down his behavior recently. The situation with Christy was a blow he hadn’t known how to handle. He’d taken out his aggression on and off the court. For the most part, he considered himself over that blow. It was only when assholes like Rob used the situation against him on the court that his efforts to stay out of trouble were forgotten.
Three people sat around the conference table. Coach Simpson in the usual polo shirt and khakis he wore on off days. His teal-gray eyes met Jacobe’s with determination. Rebecca Force, the team’s public relations supervisor, sat primly next to the coach. Brian McClain, one of the team’s owners, was the last person at the table. Jacobe’s shoulders tightened even more. Brian reminded Jacobe of his high school principal with his graying brown hair, stiff suits and perpetual frown. Like his high school principal, Brian never saw anything good in Jacobe off the basketball court and made no qualms about his opinion that Jacobe joining the team would be a distraction. Only their joint goal of a play-off win for the Gators kept them civil toward each other.
“Are we waiting on anyone else?” Eric asked, after they greeted everyone and sat in the chairs to Coach Simpson’s left.
Rebecca shook her head. “No, just waiting on you two.”
“Sorry for keeping you all waiting,” Jacobe said.
Rebecca gave him what he guessed was supposed to be a friendly smile. The tightness around her eyes contradicted the action. “You’re actually right on time. We met for a few minutes before you got here to discuss a few things.”
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. “Let me guess—you met early to talk about me.”
Eric held up a hand. “Wait a second, Jacobe. Before you get upset, let’s hear what she has to say. Though I would have liked to have been included in any discussions regarding my client.”
Jacobe would have liked that too. He looked at Rebecca. “What do you have to say?” He didn’t bother to hide his frustration.
He didn’t like being discussed beforehand like he was a threat that needed to be neutralized. Never had. Not when he was sent to the principal’s office in school, or when his mom used to get on the phone with her girlfriends and discuss the latest note sent home from school and all the reasons Jacobe couldn’t be well behaved like other kids.
Rebecca broke into his thoughts. “The league commissioner called this morning.”
Jacobe scoffed. “Already? I guess he couldn’t wait to tell me I’ve messed up. So what is it? A fine? One-game suspension?”
Eric glared at Jacobe. “Let me do the talking.”
Brian jerked forward in his chair. “Try a five-game suspension.”
The words stunned Jacobe into temporary silence. “Five games?” He’d expected to miss a game, maybe two, not five. They were a few weeks away from the play-offs. If the team lost at this time they could miss their chance at being a number-one seed. Worse, they may not make it at all.
“Yes. Five,” Brian said. “Your ant
ics are hurting the team. When the rest of the owners overrode me and brought you here, I knew it would be a problem. You don’t care about this team. You don’t care about anyone but yourself.”
“I care about the team.” The words were automatic. Programmed. Though the guys on the team had grown closer to him than any other teammates he’d had since college, he cared mostly about making his way to the play-offs and, ultimately, Phoenix.
“Of course he cares about the team,” Eric said. “He’s done everything to dedicate himself to the team.”
“If he cared about the team he wouldn’t have knocked Rob out.”
“Rob deserved a lot more than being knocked out.”
Coach sighed and leaned his forearms on the table. “What did he say that set you off?”
“Something he shouldn’t have.”
Brian scoffed and tossed his hand toward Jacobe. “See, utter lack of caring about the consequences of your actions.”
Eric held up his hands. “Look, he gets why he shouldn’t have hit him during the game.”
“After would be better?” Brian asked.
After the game Jacobe wouldn’t have hit him just once, but that was beside the point. “I shouldn’t have let my temper get the better of me. I want to take the team to the play-offs just as much as you want to get us there.”
Brian didn’t reply. He just sat back in his seat and crossed his arms. He might hate Jacobe, but they both wanted wins.
Rebecca glanced between Jacobe and Brian. When Brian didn’t say any more, she focused on Jacobe. “Your popularity with the team’s fans is high, but last night there was a lot of chatter on the internet about how you’re not good for the team.”
“You’re winning,” Eric said with a grin. “They’ll get over it.”
She lifted a hand. “That may be true, but Jacobe will be gone for five games. If the team starts to lose, then it’ll be easy to blame your hot temper and lack of focus for the losses.”
“If you’re telling me to play nice, I hear you. No more fighting on the court.”
Rebecca shook her head. “We need more than that.”
“What?”
“We need a plan. Today.”
Eric looked around the table. “You can’t be serious?”
Coach Simpson nodded. “We are. We want Jacobe to remain a Gator, that’s no secret. We also want everyone to see that he’s an asset to the team.” Coach tilted his head slightly in Brian’s direction. The hairs on the back of Jacobe’s neck twitched some more. He eventually wanted to go to Phoenix, but if that didn’t pan out he didn’t need the Gators refusing to sign him next year.
“We’ve finally hit our rhythm as a team,” Coach continued. “If we keep playing like we’re playing we’ve got a shot at the play-offs and, I believe, the title. We’ve built something great here. Let’s keep it going.”
“I hear you, Coach, but I can’t play if I know every time I foul someone I’m going to be called into the conference room and told to behave.”
Brian snorted. “That was a lot more than a foul.”
Rebecca cut in before Jacobe could respond. “That’s why we met before you were here. We all want you to remain a Gator next year.”
Jacobe narrowed his eyes and studied them. Coach and Rebecca eyed him intensely, and Brian looked like he was tired of the entire fiasco. Wariness had his stomach churning.
Eric shifted in his seat. “You keep saying that. Are there plans to drop him?”
Rebecca and Coach both shook their heads and said simultaneously, “You know we want him.”
Brian sat forward and nailed Jacobe with a hard stare. “You’re a free agent next year. We won’t keep a liability.”
“Are you threatening my client?” Eric’s voice turned hard.
Rebecca tried again for the friendly smile. “Of course not. Which is why I’m working on a plan to make you more likable.”
Jacobe’s shoulders tightened. “Excuse me?”
“You aren’t seen out and about doing things in the community. If you take up a project or a cause, people will see that you’re giving back instead of just...”
“Being a distraction and hindrance,” Jacobe finished for her.
He gritted his teeth. Like many other athletes, Jacobe gave to various charitable organizations. Mostly to programs that mentored young boys and gave them direction and support. He gave his money but not his time. He was still getting his own life figured out—how could he possibly make a good mentor?
Eric gave him a reassuring look before turning to Rebecca. “What are you thinking?”
“We’ve come up with a list of organizations that you can be seen with.”
Jacobe shook his head. This was his image problem. He’d find a way to fix it. “I’ve already got an idea.”
Rebecca frowned. “You do?”
“How about protecting the river,” Jacobe said. “It’s a big part of our city. I’ve got a friend who works to protect the St. Johns River and the beach. You can’t deny that seeing me out there saving sea turtles or some stuff like that would make people like me.”
Eric nodded and tapped his finger on the table. “That could work. Being green is in right now.”
He almost laughed. He’d known Danielle back when saving the planet wasn’t just a fad and she was the earth’s number-one champion. “I know it’ll work.”
“Can you set up something with them by the end of the week?”
“I’m sure I can.” He already planned to see Danielle later that day to apologize. He still wanted to sleep with her, but he wouldn’t assume she would readily fall into his bed. That night in college was a once-in-a-lifetime action. He had a feeling that the woman she was today wasn’t going to come to him on a spontaneous whim. He’d have to earn a place in her bed.
Chapter 3
“I’m sorry, Danielle, but I don’t think the River Watchers should push council to oppose Clear Water’s expansion.”
Danielle fought to keep calm as she stared at the board president. Liberty Meyer was only on the board as an attempt to prove the River Watchers were open to voices from all sides. After Danielle had gone for Clear Water and a few other industries like a pit bull on crack, some in the business community had accused the River Watchers of being too biased. Liberty was a vocal member of the manufacturers’ alliance and the River Watchers’ attempt to bring the business community in on the discussions. Much to Danielle’s chagrin, Liberty ran and won a seat on county council after being assigned to the board. Making her a double pain on Danielle’s backside.
“Our organization serves as champions to our natural resources,” Danielle said in a surprisingly calm voice. “If they’re allowed to expand and dump into Springfield Creek it’ll be devastating to the local ecosystem. Not to mention the neighborhood downstream that uses the creek for fishing and recreation.”
“Clear Water expanding will bring jobs,” Liberty countered. “If we don’t bring jobs, that can be detrimental to the population. I care about the flowers and the fish and birds as much as everyone sitting around this table.”
Danielle barely stopped herself from snorting.
“But I care more about the men, women and children that rely on me as a member of the county council to keep our economy strong and vital.”
“I care about the people here, too. This isn’t just about the birds and the flowers, Liberty. Clear Water can’t meet their permit limits. There’s an entire population who’ll be swimming in sewage if they dump into the creek.”
Liberty rolled her eyes and waved a hand. “Oh, Danielle, please. That’s why we have engineers who can design and build a system that can properly treat the waste. People won’t be in sewage. This is why I’ve always said you’re too biased when it comes to these types of decisions.”
Debra’s hand gripped Danielle’s leg beneath the table
. The movement effectively stopped Danielle from pouncing onto Liberty. That wasn’t the first time the woman had thrown out the comment. Danielle and Debra both believed Liberty was trying to make a case with the board to remove Danielle as director.
Mr. Springfield, who’d watched the exchange silently with the rest of the board members, rapped his knuckles on the table. “Ladies, ladies, you both make very good points. Since I’m directly affected by the expansion, I have to defer from voting, but I think this is important enough for the board to take both sides into consideration. If Clear Water can truly improve by expanding, it’s better than having a poorly run system out there. If they cannot, then none of us here want them discharging into Springfield Creek. Let’s take a little more time, talk to the people in Environmental Protection and see if Clear Water will come to a board meeting to discuss their plans.”
There was a round of agreement at the table. Danielle and Liberty gave tight smiles and stiff nods. Mr. Springfield had made a valid point, though Danielle doubted Clear Water would be willing to come to the table and speak to them.
Danielle nodded. “I’ll make the necessary contacts. I’ll also speak with the Environmental Protection again and send my findings to the board.”
Liberty sat forward and crossed her arms on the table. “Don’t spend too much time on that. Remember the gala is the most important thing right now.”
Danielle took a slow deep breath before responding. “The plans for the gala are coming along very well. We’ve got several sponsors.” Five. “And ticket sales are promising.” Two sold today bringing them to a total of twenty.
“Really? I thought it would be slow considering the lack of promotion.”
Debra grabbed Danielle’s leg again. The limited promotion was due to the budget cuts on the advertisement. Budget cuts Liberty recommended. “We’ve been lucky to have been picked up a media sponsor.” The local free newspaper counted.
Liberty’s smile was fake and tight. “That’s good. I don’t know how we’ll keep things going as is if we don’t bring in more funding.”
One More Night Page 16
