Payoff Pitch (Philadelphia Patriots)

by V. K. Sykes

  Her brow furrowed as she took a good look at the damage. After sucking in a deep breath, she nodded again. “Well, I don’t know what the Bennetts have in that regard, so I guess that makes sense.” You’re not some kind of serial killer, are you?” she said with a charming, lopsided smile.

  Noah smiled but didn’t laugh, even though he found it kind of funny to think about a serial killer whose MO included chasing after runaway dogs. “No, but you can take the guard dog with you for protection if it’d make you more comfortable.”

  Her eyes widened—in amusement, he thought. “Hah! Maybe he could lick you into submission?”

  No, but I think maybe you could, babe. He got a quick mental flash of her long, red hair freed from its scrunchy and flowing over his naked body.

  Get a grip, man.

  It was about time they got formally acquainted. “My name’s Noah Cade,” he said. “I’m a pitcher with the Patriots.”

  He figured that should help alleviate any concerns on her part that he might be weird. Maybe she’d even heard of him. He got a fair bit of press in the city, like all the pitchers on the squad. But then again, given the bad press a lot of pro athletes got these days, his profession might not cut any ice with her.

  Her eyes widened again for a brief moment, then she pinned on a polite smile. “Ah, I’m Teddy Quinn. The Bennetts’ dog walker, though I guess that’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?

  “Nice to meet you, Teddy.” When he offered his hand, she gave it a quick shake. “Dog Nanny Pros, right? I saw the logo on your car, too. I like the name.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You’re pretty observant, aren’t you?”

  “When I want to be,” he said meaningfully.

  That had her dropping her gaze to her sneakered feet. “It’s an, uh, okay name, I guess. It wasn’t our first choice, but it’s all about the web site, right? You have to have a name that somebody else hasn’t already snapped up for their domain.”

  “Absolutely,” Noah agreed, nodding wisely.

  But in truth, he knew as much about web site management as he did about calligraphy. Close to zero. In fact, he felt increasingly out of touch even in the clubhouse these days, as more and more young players—and a few of the veterans, too—were constantly hauling out their smartphones and tablets to tweet some crap to their legions of followers. Noah had no interest in social media—the less the fans knew about his private life or what he thought about anything, the better. He liked to interact with fans in person and always signed autographs, but he valued his privacy, too. The media gave him enough grief as it was, running photos of him and his dates every time they went near a nightclub, a beach or just about anywhere else. He knew that sort of garbage went with the territory for pro athletes, but he’d never gotten used to it and probably never would.

  He shook his head. “Let’s not stand around jawing while you’re bleeding.”

  She seemed pleased by his concern. “You go ahead. I’ll get Buster squared away and make sure he can’t get loose again. Then I’ll knock on your door.”

  “Nah, just walk right in. I’ll leave door unlocked.” Noah had been working hard not to rake his eyes over her sweet body, but he let them stray down to her chest for what must have been a fraction of a second too long because she blushed and looked away.

  He thought she was totally adorable.

  * * *

  If Buster knew he’d been a very bad dog, he certainly didn’t show any sign of it. As soon as Teddy got him back in the house, he pranced over to his food dish and sat on his haunches as if to say, Now that I’ve had my exercise, Teddy, it’s time to eat! Then again, Buster pretty much always thought it was time to eat.

  Teddy wasn’t about to reward him with an unscheduled ration of kibble, but the first thing she did after quickly dabbing away some of the gunk on her arm with a couple of damp paper towels was to put some water in his bowl and toss him a few dog cookies, all of which he caught with practiced ease. Instead of calling one of the Bennetts, she decided to leave a brief note instead, omitting the gruesome details of the chase and capture. Still, she again strongly recommended that they escape-proof their poop yard once and for all or risk losing their pet.

  After scribbling out the note, she closed the inner door of the mudroom in order to block Buster’s access to the yard. Since the Bennetts wouldn’t be home for at least another five hours—and she wouldn’t dare suggest they leave work early, God forbid—she’d head back here later in the afternoon to walk the dog so his bladder didn’t burst. It would be an unscheduled and unpaid visit, but she didn’t want the family coming home to a puddle on the floor or carpet. They would totally earn that bad behavior, but it would only come back on poor Buster.

  On the way out, Teddy made another quick examination of her elbow, utilizing the big mirror in the Bennetts’ foyer. It still hurt like crazy but was hardly a big deal. She should probably just swing by her townhouse and take care of it there. After all, the guy—Noah—had seemed insistent that she let him help her, but he was just being nice and it really didn’t make sense to impose on him any more than she already had. Heck, he was a sports celebrity, wasn’t he? He must have better things to do than chase after runaway dogs and help a disheveled dog walker fix up her boo-boo.

  Then again, it would be rude to refuse his offer, wouldn’t it? And—truth moment, here—she really did want to see him again. And see inside that palace of his, too. The Bennetts’ home wasn’t exactly skid row, but Noah Cade’s place reminded her of a sprawling English manor, even though it was jammed into a lot too small for the grandeur of the house.

  Hell, girl, just get on with it. She took off the scrunchy and swept her hair back into a neater ponytail, then sighed as she took a last look in the mirror. Don’t sweat it—he won’t be interested, anyway.

  A guy like him probably never dated anyone but supermodels or other celebrities.

  About a minute later, she was inside his foyer, having knocked firmly on the sturdy, iron-hinged door before pushing it open. “Anybody home?” she called out.

  Noah strode into the hallway from somewhere deep in the house. He was carrying a tall glass of what looked like lemonade and handed it to her as she stood under an enormous crystal chandelier.

  “My housekeeper squeezed the lemons this morning,” he said. “Have a drink, then we’ll head downstairs to the training room.”

  My housekeeper. Teddy hoped that meant he didn’t have a wife to squeeze his lemons, or anything else for that matter. She’d already noticed that he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.

  Teddy took the glass while trying her best not to stare at him like a star-struck girl. Now that she finally got a really close look at the guy, he was even hotter than she’d previously concluded. Like sizzling to the touch hot. Short black hair, midnight dark eyes, a square jaw and a couple of days’ worth of heavy stubble gave him a rugged, mouth-watering look. As she took a sip, she snuck a quick glance at his broad shoulders and trim waist, taking in the snug jeans that rode low on his hips. Well-worn with tattered hems, the jeans outlined long, muscular legs leading down to bare feet.

  Big hands, big feet, big…

  She stopped that particular train of thought cold. Just when she thought she’d managed to finally regain her composure after the adventure with Buster, she felt herself breaking into another sweat.

  Unfortunately, Noah seemed to read her mind, because he didn’t hesitate to give her an appreciative look as well, raking his eyes down her body and then back up again. The look was flattering on the one hand but anxiety-inducing on the other. Teddy shuffled her feet and gulped down a mouthful of the sweet concoction, grateful for something cold.

  “Come on, Teddy, let’s head downstairs so we can finally see to that scrape,” he said, breaking the obvious physical tension. She nodded with relief.

  But the easy way he said her name made her feel like she’d known him for years instead of a few minutes. Maybe she was being naïve, but she instinctively trusted him
and had no hesitation following him down the hallway and into the basement. “Is your housekeeper full-time?” she asked as he pushed open a door at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Full-time and live-in,” Noah said. “Cristina’s out doing the food shopping right now. She should be back soon.”

  Did he say that to reassure her that they wouldn’t be alone for long? Teddy didn’t know exactly whether to feel relief or disappointment at that news. The guy had an uncanny ability to jumble up her emotions, and she wasn’t sure she liked the effect all that much.

  She glanced around his training room, a subterranean gym that probably equaled the square footage of the townhouse she and Emma rented in Manayunk. Close to a dozen fitness machines lined the walls, including a monster of a Nautilus station that must be ten feet wide. No wonder the guy looked like he was carved out of solid rock.

  Teddy cocked an eyebrow. “Work out much?”

  His deep laugh rumbled through the man-cave. “Yeah, I know. But I’ve been taking it a lot more seriously since I hurt my arm last year.” He gently grasped her left arm and led her toward a door at the far end of the room. “Besides, when you’re getting older, you have to work out even harder to keep your edge.”

  “Older?” she scoffed. He was in his absolute, glorious prime. “You’re a long way from old.”

  He just smiled as he opened the door to a room that was probably better supplied than some third world clinics. Teddy saw several white cabinets, a long counter with a sink, a refrigerator, an ice machine, a cot, and some kind of tub-like contraption that she couldn’t fully identify.

  Noah opened one of the cabinets. “You’re right, in a way. I’m only thirty-three. But in baseball terms, that’s sixty or more Maybe even eighty, if we’re just talking about pitchers.”

  Well, that sucked, but she knew enough about sports to be aware of the harsh realities facing aging bodies, regardless of talent. Taking in Noah’s first-class physique, she was willing to bet he had a lot of talent.

  He pulled out a bottle of disinfectant, a roll of gauze bandage, tape, scissors, and a tube of something—antibiotic cream, she guessed. Then he nodded toward the sink. “Wash and disinfect your elbow really well, and then I’ll bandage it for you.” He handed her the bottle of disinfectant.

  “Thanks.” Teddy washed her hands first then gently rubbed a little liquid soap on her elbow—trying not to wince—and cleaned off the rest of the dirt and blood. A couple of almost microscopic pebbles had lodged in the wound and she gingerly picked those out with a fingernail as Noah put a white towel on the counter beside her. Once the wound was clean, she dabbed lots of the smelly disinfectant on it.

  The long scrape looked less dramatic now. After she dried the area with the towel, a few pinpricks of blood seeped up and Noah was right there with a big gauze pad to stanch them. “Hold that in place while I wrap the tape around the gauze,” he said.

  “Yeah, a couple of Band-Aids isn’t going to do it, is it?” she said with a mock grimace.

  “Not a chance.”

  Teddy held her arm out straight as he carefully taped the pad in place. He knew what he was doing, which didn’t surprise her since he’d no doubt seen trainers do that kind of thing hundreds of times. When he finished and took a step back, she had to swallow a sudden lump in her throat. Being close to him, inhaling his clean scent as he took care of her, set off a strange sense of longing that made her feel almost…lonely. Glancing at the cot, she could almost wish he’d…

  What, you idiot? Make love to you?

  Teddy wasn’t about to carry gratitude that far. She wasn’t that kind of girl, and even if she was so inclined, there was nothing to indicate he was that kind of guy.

  “Nice job,” she said after admiring his handiwork. “I really appreciate your help, Noah. This was very kind of you.”

  He started to put the supplies back in the cabinet. “I’m just glad that you’re all right, and that Buster’s safe.”

  Teddy gave him a rueful smile. “I’m praying that the Bennetts finally fix that fence. I think Buster’s taking a few years off my life. I worry about him, because there’s no telling what could happen if he gets out again.”

  He gave her a thoughtful look. “Want me to talk to Winston? Lay a little guilt on him? I think I’ve earned the right after what went on today.”

  She perked up. “Would you? He obviously doesn’t listen to me. Sometimes I think they’re leaving the yard like that so Buster will run away. That way they wouldn’t have to tell the twins they gave him up to a shelter or Husky Rescue.”

  As soon as the words left her mouth, Teddy regretted the outburst. She’d said exactly what she felt in her heart, but she shouldn’t have been so blunt with her employer’s next door neighbor, a man she barely knew. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly, “that was out of line. You’re Mr. Bennett’s neighbor, and maybe his friend.”

  “Friend?” he scoffed. “No way. The guy’s a jerk. Trust me, this won’t come back on you, Teddy. But I’m not going to pull any punches with him. I don’t want to have to come out someday and find Buster flattened on the road.”

  God bless you, Noah Cade.

  She blew out a relieved breath. “Buster and I will both appreciate anything you can do. Really.” Actually, Buster would hate losing his escape route, but at least he’d be safe.

  Noah glanced at his watch. “I was on my way to lunch before Buster decided otherwise. Could I persuade you to join me? I’d say you could use a break after this little adventure.”

  Lunch? He was asking her to lunch? She couldn’t have been more shocked unless he’d asked her to follow him to his bedroom. Teddy looked down at her T-shirt and jeans and shook her head. “That’s really kind of you, but the way I look…” She didn’t think she had to complete the thought since he could see perfectly well that she was hardly dressed to do anything other than take care of dogs.

  His brow furrowed. “I was just going to one of the local diners. Hell, jeans and a T-shirt are perfectly fine for that.” He glanced down at his own clothes, as if to say see. Except his clothes were immaculate and fit him like the proverbial glove. “You can freshen up in one of the bathrooms upstairs. I think you’ll find everything you need.”

  Teddy wasn’t quite sure what to make of that statement. Did he stock supplies for overnight visits from his lady friends? Probably, but should she care? Noah Cade was asking her to lunch, for heaven’s sake.

  “Well, if you’re sure,” she said. She sounded uncertain, hating the idea that he might just be doing it out of politeness.

  “Teddy, I’m very sure.” The flare of interested heat in his dark eyes and the suggestive tone of his voice made her mouth go suddenly dry.

  Oh, Buster, you landed me in a world of trouble.

  But for the moment, at least, trouble looked pretty damn good.

  - 4 -

  Teddy could tell that Gilda’s Diner was her kind of place. The restaurant occupied half the ground floor of an attractive stone building in Ardmore, not much more than a couple of miles from Noah’s neighborhood. The décor was retro cute, with red vinyl booth seats that were a little hard on her back—still stiff and achy after a Mastiff jerked her off her feet three days ago. But the menu contained enough comfort food to keep a hungry dog walker more than happy. She ordered a Reuben sandwich—her favorite—and added sweet potato fries and iced tea. Noah opted for the Guacamole Burger, which sounded kind of twee but came loaded with cheddar cheese, bacon, and heaps of fried onions.

  Today was so not the day for her usual salad with fat-free dressing.

  “Your car is amazing,” she said, trying to make conversation after the server brought them their drinks. The luxuriously soft leather seats and the contented purr of the powerful BMW engine had lulled her into a state of near-bliss. “Talk about a sex machine.”

  Oh, crap. Had she really just said that?

  Fortunately, Noah simply shrugged. “I don’t know about a Beamer sedan falling into that kind of catego
ry. Yeah, it’s on the high-end of the BMW range but nothing like the Porsches and Maseratis some of our guys drive.”

  “I’ll bet,” she said, taking a sip of her tea. Rich, pampered athletes had always turned her off. But despite his evident wealth, Noah Cade didn’t come across as a spoiled brat.

  Noah chuckled. “Hell, Nate Carter just got a brand new Aston Martin DB9 that makes my wheels look like a goat cart. He told me his wife won’t let him drive anything else.”

  Teddy didn’t follow baseball much, but even she knew that Nate Carter was the superstar pitcher of the Patriots. “Well, I’d happily drive your goat cart any old time.” She rested her chin in her hand, as if pondering. “I wonder what our Dog Nanny Pros logo would look like on a Beamer?”

  He shot her another of those bone-melting grins. “I’m not sure, but I guarantee it wouldn’t look anywhere near as good there as it does on your chest.”

  Teddy felt her jaw drop open slightly as a flush crept up her neck. “Well, nothing subtle about that remark,” she managed with a credible attempt at sarcasm.

  “What? You don’t like compliments?” he said with a mock wounded look.

  She kind of did, even though it was pretty blunt coming from a guy she’d just met. “I was a bar waitress for years, so I guess I still associate compliments with come-ons. After a few beers, guys will say pretty much anything.” She shrugged. “In a job like that, you learn to let it all slide.”

  He studied her even more intently, as if she’d somehow surprised him. “I didn’t ask you to lunch to hit on you, Teddy, though I have to admit I’ve always been a sucker for a girl with freckles on her nose.”

  That compliment pleased her a lot more than the previous one, especially since she wasn’t that fond of her freckles. “With this job I’m out on the sun a lot, and even with sunscreen the damn things pop up like crazy. The curse of the redhead, I guess.”