by V. K. Sykes
Her mind froze. Again. “You did?” A lame response, but she was so stunned she didn’t know what else to say.
He nodded. “I told Carson I couldn’t work for him anymore. Not after what he ordered me to do to you.”
Surprise sucked the air out of her lungs, forcing her to draw in a deep breath. “That certainly was a stupendous change of heart. You told me—quite forcefully as I recall—that you couldn’t possibly quit. That’s why you wouldn’t fight back even though you knew what Carson was doing was wrong.”
Nick shot her a grimace. “Right as usual, Professor. I’d convinced myself that I couldn’t afford to quit. Or, worse yet, get fired. I was worried about Mom, and how expensive her care was going to become over the next few years. I hated every damn day I spent working for Carson, but I didn’t see that I had much choice. If it hadn’t been for my mother’s situation, I’d have packed it in a whole lot sooner.”
“I realized that, of course, after I calmed down,” Sadie said. “But what I don’t understand is why you didn’t level with me, Nick. Would it have been so difficult to tell me the truth?”
“That’s a hell of a good question, and you deserve an answer.” He rubbed his jaw, looking a little bit like a bad boy sent to detention. “To tell you the truth, I was embarrassed. I hated myself when I ordered you to leave the hotel. Knuckling under like that did cost me my pride, just like you predicted. You were dead right about that, and I knew it, too. But I didn’t have the guts to face up to it then, so I sure couldn’t explain it to you.”
She got up and moved to sit across the row from him. Now only a couple of feet away, she inhaled his masculine scent and wanted nothing more at that moment than to nuzzle her face into his chest. “But you had a reason for doing what you did. Even if I didn’t agree with it, you believed you had to do it for your mom’s sake. I would have understood if you explained it that way.”
He shook his head. “There’s never a good enough reason for treating a person the way I treated you. I just took the easy way out, and it sucked.”
She shook her head harder. “I don’t buy it. You’re not a man who takes the easy way out. Not with your history.”
“Maybe it was the history that made me want to take the easy way out. Sometimes you just get tired of battling.”
Sitting so close to him, she could see the shadows under his eyes and the fatigue that scored lines around his mouth. Her heart still ached, but this time with sympathy for him. Nick had a difficult life, much more difficult than hers.
“That I do understand, Nick Saxon. Believe me. But what made you change your mind and quit, then?”
The hard line of his mouth morphed into a wry grin. “An eccentric and unbelievably hot math professor, that’s what. When you threw down that challenge for me to fight Carson and the casino alongside you, it took a while for it to sink in. But when it did, it seemed to snap me out of my paralysis. Here you were, turning your life around, ready to stand up for yourself. And there I was, doing Carson’s dirty work and hating myself for it. I couldn’t live with that.”
She started to laugh. “Come on. You’re seriously telling me I was some kind of role model for you? The bimbo you dragged into the gulag because she couldn’t walk ten feet without falling flat on her face?”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “What can I say? Underneath the wild woman act, I discovered a person of character and genuine heart. A woman willing to take risks and make changes, and to stand up for what she believed was right.”
Sadie raised her eyebrows in exaggerated disbelief. “My God, how long did you practice that stirring speech, Sheriff?”
“The whole way up here on the plane.” He gave her another of the smiles that made her melt from the inside out. “And it didn’t hurt that the woman is as hot as a welder’s torch, either.”
Sadie punched him lightly on the arm. “You sweet talker, you. I’ve never been compared to a construction tool before. How creative.”
“Sorry. I couldn’t think of anything hotter on short notice.”
He fixed her with an open, honest gaze that cut her to the quick. “Sadie, I can’t tell you how sorry I am for what I did to you. A heartfelt apology doesn’t seem like enough, but it’s all I have. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me.”
Nick eased out of the chair and stood. “I know you’ve got to go. Maybe we can talk later. You still have my cell phone number?”
Sadie nodded as she instinctively rose in response. “Wait, Nick. Don’t go.”
“Believe me, I don’t want to, but you have your office hours.”
She waved that away. “Forget about my office hours. I might have been exaggerating a bit for effect, anyway.”
He snorted. “Okay, Professor. What is it?”
She reached out and pressed a hand to his chest. The hard muscles and the heat of his body felt so welcome under her hand. Shyly, she raised her gaze to meet his. “Actually, it is enough, Nick. Your apology, I mean. The best apology you could have given me was to stand up for yourself against Carson, and you did it.”
The hard lines of his face relaxed into a smile. She was starting to smile back when a bolt of worry shot through her. “You and your mother are going to be all right, aren’t you? Please tell me you’ll be able to get another good job.”
Tenderly, he stroked a lock of hair back from her face. “We’re going to be fine, babe. A small casino just hired me as their chief of security. The pay’s a little less than what I pulled down before, but it’s good enough. Carson actually helped me, believe it or not. He appreciated the fact that I bit the bullet and blacklisted you.”
He began to draw her into his arms. As good as it felt, she couldn’t help but fume.
“I’ll bet the bastard did,” she said. “He uses me as a pawn so he can fire you, then he gets you to nail my ass and says he’s proud of you for doing it. Have I got that right?”
“Yep. Sucks, doesn’t it?”
Actually, Nick didn’t sound very upset at all. He seemed more intent on wrapping his arms around her waist than complaining about his ex-boss. Sadie leaned back in his embrace and shot him a mock-glare. “I can never play blackjack in a casino again, dammit.”
He had the grace to look embarrassed. “Sorry about that, sweetheart. Really.”
She relented. “But it’s wonderful that it’s going to work out for you and your mom. That’s the most important thing.”
When he closed the gap between them, she didn’t resist. How could she? The sheriff had done what he honestly believed he had to do, and had been man enough to apologize when he realized he’d been wrong.
The second his lips touched hers, Sadie melted like wax in his arms. Nick parted her lips and began a thorough and very heated exploration with his tongue. Her body flared, responding to his touch eagerly and with a sense of rightness that felt like coming home. She’d tried to convince herself she’d be perfectly fine without the sheriff. Now it was her turn to admit she’d been dead wrong, if only to herself.
Nick trailed a string of damp, shiver-inducing kisses down her arching neck, all the while stroking his hand down the length of her spine. When he cupped her bottom, Sadie let a moan slip out. But sanity, or at least a shred of it, intervened and she pulled back. Yes, she was now officially Sadie the wild woman, but she was Professor Bligh, too, and she was hardly setting a good example for her students.
Nick obviously understood, easing her away to arm’s length. She found herself slightly alarmed by the serious expression on his face. “What is it, Nick?”
“Well, I hope you don’t mind, but I think I’m falling in love with you, Professor Bligh.”
Sadie’s heart lurched in her chest. “Honestly?” she breathed.
A smile lurked in his eyes. “Cross my heart.”
Once again her life had turned upside down—or, actually, right side up. She grinned. “That’s excellent news, Sheriff.”
He laughed and kissed her again. This time, for the first time in her
life, a kiss held the promise of a future—her future.
They managed to break things off before they got too out of hand. As Sadie went back to the lectern to collect her things, Nick seemed to study her.
“Sadie, you really love casino blackjack, don’t you?”
The question startled her. Surely he couldn’t think she was really still worried about that? “I wouldn’t die if I didn’t play again but, yes, I did enjoy it. It’s the only thing I’ve really ever been great at. Besides mathematics, but that goes without saying, I suppose. Oh, and I’m quite decent at quantum mechanics, too.”
Nick chuckled. “Whew, it’s a relief knowing we’ve got quantum mechanics covered. And, by the way, I can’t even begin to tell you how sexy that is. But I’m serious, Sadie. It’s unjust and rotten that you’ve been blacklisted, but you know the blacklist only applies in the United States, don’t you?”
She didn’t actually, and told him that.
“Well, it’s true,” Nick said. “And believe me, there are a whole lot of casinos around the world. We can start with Canada and Mexico, and maybe someday work our way over to Europe, or even Macau. If you want to.”
Sadie’s knees almost buckled, but she managed to grab onto him. “Good Lord, Nick, it sounds like you’re proposing a world gambling tour. Or something.” It was the something that was making the blood race hotly through her veins.
He closed his arms tightly around her. “I figure you’re so good at blackjack, you could win enough to at least pay for our trip before they toss our asses out the door.”
She slapped him on the chest. Unfortunately, she’d forgotten it was made of solid rock, and the slap hurt her a lot more than it did him.
He took her sore hand, turning it palm up to kiss it. “Relax. I’m just yanking your chain.”
“You can make all the snide remarks you like about counting cards. Just be advised to wear an athletic cup the next time you try it.”
He responded to her barb with a kiss so tender it made her eyes sting with tears. “Sadie, I wasn’t kidding when I said I was falling in love you. I want to be with you. The details won’t be easy—living in different cities and all—but I know we can make it work. If we want it bad enough.”
Sadie knew without having to think that yes, she did want it bad enough. “Of course we can make it work. One of the good things about academic life is that there are lots of universities, and I’ve got a rather decent résumé. I’m not saying it could happen right away, but it’s certainly possible.”
Nick’s eyes rounded in surprise. “You mean you would consider moving to Vegas?”
“Consider it? Hell, yes, if that’s where you’re going to be. Change is good, right? I think we’ve both learned that.”
He hugged her close, tucking her head under his chin. “You’re an amazing woman, Sadie Bligh. Hauling your sweet ass off that Pai Gow table just might end up being the best thing I ever did.”
She snuggled against him, her heart and soul filled with a joy she could barely contain. The Eagleton prize couldn’t compare. “You say that now, but wait until you meet my father. I think he might be free for dinner tonight, by the way.”
His head went up. “Meet your father tonight? You’re kidding me, right?”
Sadie pulled his head back down, bringing their mouths a whisper apart. “Shut up and kiss me, Sheriff. That’s an order.”
“Whatever you say, Professor.” And he did.
Thank you for reading our book; we hope you enjoyed it. Please help other readers find Hot Number by posting a review on Barnes & Noble, goodreads, or Amazon. For more information on our books and upcoming releases, please visit our website at http://www.vksykes.com or “like” us on facebook at VKSykesBooks.
And for a taste of our other VK Sykes books, please check out the following excerpts from Fastball and Hardball.
Happy reading!
Excerpt from Fastball, by VK Sykes
After what seemed like an interminable and altogether tense cab ride, Maddie arrived at the restaurant shortly after eight. She spotted Jake immediately, already seated and looking astoundingly handsome in a navy sports jacket that framed his broad shoulders, a crisp white shirt, and a gold silk tie. The tie alone would likely have cost her at least a week’s salary and, for a moment, she couldn’t hold back a flash of anxiety. Jake Miller was so far out of her league it wasn’t even funny, and she had to fight the urge to back slowly out of the room before he even saw her. Impossible, of course, since the maitre’d was conducting her to the table with as much ceremony as a drum major led the band before a college bowl game.
Suck it up and act like a pro, girl.
She plastered a smile on her face as Jake stood to greet her, his sexy mouth parting in a slow grin, his gaze flicking appreciatively over her body. For a few seconds, she actually felt faint with pleasure and nerves, and she had to clamp down hard on the dizzy sensations rocking her body. Despite the effort, she could still feel the blush spreading over her cheeks, and the butterflies in her stomach went into full flap as Jake gallantly brushed the maitre’d aside and pulled out a chair to seat her.
As a sportswriter, Maddie was used to being around hot guys. She’d had her share of locker room encounters, and had seen enough naked chests and towel-wrapped asses to make such sights routine. But no player had affected her quite like Jake Miller, and she’d only seen him fully dressed. All he’d done so far was smile and pull out her chair for her, but she could already feel her hormones sparking in reaction.
And she couldn’t even remember the last time a guy had pulled out a chair for her, waiting until she was settled before taking his own seat. She had to get a grip on her all-too-eager libido or she might be offering to have his babies before they finished the first course.
“Thanks, Jake. Sorry if I’m a bit late. I hope you haven’t been waiting long.” She tried for casual, even though she felt anything but.
He shook his head, sending a lock of thick, wheat-colored hair sliding onto his forehead. He quickly raked a hand back to put it in place. “Maddie, would you mind if I say that you look absolutely spectacular tonight?”
She accepted the compliment with a smile and fussed with her purse for a moment before meeting his gaze. Casual wasn’t working, so maybe a little honesty was called for. “I’m not exactly sure how to do this, Jake. I’m obviously not used to conducting an interview under these circumstances. Maybe the best thing would be to eat, and then I’ll get out my recorder and we’ll talk business over coffee. Would that be okay?”
Jake shrugged, and Maddie found herself mesmerized by the slide of his brawny shoulders under the smooth, expensive fabric of his jacket. She blinked and gave her head a mental shake. Man, she truly needed to get a grip.
“Sounds good,” he said. “But why don’t we make a start on it now, after we get you a drink?”
“Even better,” she said, relieved to focus on work. Right now, it felt just a bit too personal for her comfort.
Jake motioned to the waiter. Since it was supposed to be a business meeting, she thought about ordering a coke or mineral water. But she opted instead for a glass of Sauvignon blanc, secretly acknowledging she could use a drink to settle her nerves. Jake ordered a bottle and Maddie retrieved her digital recorder, placing it on the table between them.
“Okay to start?” she said.
He leaned back, elbows resting on the arms of his chair, fingers laced in an easy grip. “Fire when ready,” he replied, looking totally relaxed. Maddie had never met a man who seemed more comfortable in his own skin, and it had the effect of easing her own nervous tension.
You can do this. Just stick to the prepared questions and you’ll be fine.
A deep breath and she launched into her questions. “Jake, I’m sure you must be expecting that I’ll want you to talk about the progress of your recovery from the ankle surgery,” she said rather formally for the benefit of the recorder. “About your expectations for this season and so on. I do want to t
alk about all that, but we can get to those things later, if that’s all right.”
He arched his brows slightly. Good. She had surprised him.
“I say that,” she continued, “because that stuff isn’t really what I’m interested in for a feature piece.”
He unleashed one of those sexy smiles. “Whatever you like, Maddie. I’m in your capable hands.”
It finally dawned on her just how much that devastating smile contributed to his charm. His was an open and honest face with chiseled features, and his easy, masculine grin conveyed both mature intelligence and good humor. Maddie found it disarmingly inviting.
She blinked, losing her bearings for just a second before pulling it back together.
“Um, what I want to write about is what it’s been like to be Jake Miller, ballplayer and man. What was it like for you growing up? What were your hopes and dreams, and have you fulfilled them yet? What your life is like now, both on and off the field—who you’re close to, what inspires you, that sort of thing.”
His sharp gaze narrowed on her, as if assessing her intent. That irked her a bit, since she’d been straight with him from the beginning. If someone at this table had an ulterior motive for the evening, it sure as hell wasn’t her.
“You said you’d tell me what I wanted to know. Well, that’s what I want to write about,” she said, defiantly meeting his gaze. “I want my readers to know something about who Jake Miller really is. I don’t want to simply feed them the usual babble and athlete-speak that players and reporters always trot out. That’s incredibly boring and we all know it.”
When she stopped talking, a short silence fell over the table. Maddie reached over and clicked off the recorder before lifting her eyes back to his face. “Look, Jake, I’m even willing to let you see a draft of the article and talk about it before I submit the final version to the paper. I don’t want you to hold back because you think I’ll sandbag you somehow. That’s not my style, and I think you know it. When this piece is ready to go, my hope is that you’ll be as happy with it as I am.”
