First Down (First and Ten #1)

by Lea Hart

  “No, Ana! You said yes last night, and you can’t take it back. Not every date we have is going to end up in the ER. I promise the next one is going to be great.”

  “All right. I guess we can give it a try. You did get me Key lime pie after all.” She watched him stand and hold his hands out. She allowed him to lift her up and into his arms. Laying her cheek against his T-shirt, she took a deep breath in. She swore her heart was starting to beat in rhythm to his. Maybe the whole boyfriend thing would work out after all. She felt him kiss her head and tighten his hold, and she decided that it was definitely worth trying. The picture in her head was slowly changing, and it was Jack’s face that she was seeing.

  ********

  Ana looked at her phone and was surprised to see that it was Jack calling. After all the mystery this morning, why would he have time to check in? “Hi, honey. Are you ready to tell me about the surprise?”

  “Ana, the surprise is about to die a sad ugly death. I need you to come over and help me save this thing.”

  Tipping back in her chair, she let out a satisfied smile. Finally, he was going to tell her. She didn’t even have to wait half a day for him to spill the beans. “How interesting that you were so reluctant this morning. It’s only two, and I didn’t have to wait long at all.”

  “Are you done gloating? Because if you are, then I need you to get your sweet little girlfriend-butt down here and help me out.”

  “My sweet girlfriend-butt? My….my Jack how quickly things change.”

  “Ana, stop. I need your help. I’m desperate.”

  She sat up suddenly and started to pay attention to what he was saying. “Are you hurt? Is someone threatening you? I’ll call Joel, and he’ll have a team ready in less than an hour. Tell me where you are.”

  “I’m not hurt, and you don’t have to call Joel. I’m at a photo shoot, and it’s not going well.” He pulled the phone away from his ear just in time. The woman sure had a loud shriek. He put the phone back to his ear slowly. The shrieking had stopped, and it was replaced by hysterical laughing. He started counting back from one hundred and hoped that he didn’t hit fifty before she was done.

  “I’m sorry, Jack. I though you really needed me.”

  “I do. I texted you the address, and I want you to come down here as soon as you can. No one is very happy with me right now, and you’re the only person who can fix this.”

  “Start from the beginning and tell me what’s going on.”

  “Get in your car and start driving, and I’ll explain everything. I’m doing this for you, and I need your help.”

  “Why didn’t you just say that then? I’m happy to help you out.” She got up from her desk and looked down at her clothes. “It’s not going to matter how I’m dressed, right?”

  “No. Trust me.”

  “All right. I’m on my way to save the day.” She laughed at her own joke and noticed that he didn’t join her. Maybe this was more serious than she thought. “Honey, I’m just kidding. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Thank you. I’ll see you soon.”

  Ana strode up to a large building in downtown Miami in an area that was filled with industrial buildings. What could her big bad boyfriend need from her down here? She texted him that she was here and watched a door open and him walk out. Giving him a visual check, she decided that he was unharmed. She pretty much thought that would be the case, considering his size and strength, but it was good to see it was true.

  He was dressed in his usual T-shirt and athletic shorts. His hair looked different, though; it appeared to be styled or something. He also had some makeup on his skin. This better not be something disgusting. “Hi, Jack, are you going to fill me in on what’s going on?”

  He engulfed her in his arms and squeezed her. “I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my life.”

  He smelled the same, acted the same, and spoke the same. He must be suffering some existential crisis. “Spill.”

  “Let’s go inside, and I’ll explain everything.” They walked through the door.

  People buzzed around the photography studio as they changed lights and a background.

  Jack led her down the hall to a room that was set up as a dressing room. There was a table that had several different types of underwear set out. Pulling her over to the couch, he made her sit next to him. “Do you remember when we talked about all of the endorsements that I do?”

  “Sure.”

  “Well, you said that you would take the money if I posed for the underwear ad.”

  “I never said that, Jack. And if I did, it didn’t come out right.” She twisted her hands together and had a bad feeling about what he was about to tell her. “I hope you’re not doing this for me.”

  “Surprise.”

  “Oh my word, Jack. What’s going on?”

  “I got this idea that I would take the endorsement and then give you the money for your research. I thought it would be a good surprise, and then you would know for sure that I mean what I say. The problem seems to be that I’m not great at posing in my skivvies.”

  “You have stripped down to your underwear so that you could give me a million dollars for research?”

  “Yeah, I thought it was a really solid idea. Until I started posing and sucked at it.”

  “A good surprise is when you show up with flowers or cupcakes or maybe a DVD set. Giving someone a million dollars is crazy.”

  “I’m not actually giving you a million dollars. Your cousin Birdie set up a foundation, and she’s going to invest the money, so that you’ll always have money for whatever research you’re interested in pursuing. She said this was the best way to do it, and you wouldn’t be hit with a huge tax bill that would eat up over half of it.” He watched Ana’s eyes get damp as tears gathered in the corner of her eyes.

  She crawled into his lap and held his face in her hands.

  This was more like it. “Sweetie, I just want you to have what you need.”

  “You sweet, crazy man.” She put her mouth against his and proceeded to show him exactly how she felt. There was a knock on the door, and a big laugh announced whoever was coming in. Ana pulled away and decided not to turn around. She was going to leave this to Jack and let him handle it.

  “So this is the woman who’s going to save our photo shoot?” barked the director.

  “Yes, Charles. This is my girlfriend, Ana, and she came down to help me out. We’ll be out in fifteen minutes, and we can knock this one out before five.”

  “Famous last words,” huffed Charles. “I expect to see you both out there and be ready to shoot.”

  Ana watched the door close with a resounding thud. “So how am I going to save this thing?”

  “I suck at trying to look sexy, and I need your help. Apparently, I appear to be stiff and uncomfortable.”

  “You’re pretty much sex on a stick, so I’m not sure how that’s possible. Tell me how I can help.”

  “I think just having you here is going to get me in the mood.”

  Ana patted his chest, got up, and looked for her purse. She placed it on her lap and started to dig around. Her purse was similar to the black hole – things went in, and sometimes they were never seen again. Finally, she emptied the whole thing out on the couch. The little plastic bag with the answer to their problems made itself visible. She pulled it out and held it up in triumph. “I’ve got it.”

  “What is that, and how is it going to save us?”

  “When I was giving my dissertation for my doctorate, Birdie got these for me from Rory. They’re buds that fit in your ear, and I can communicate with you through this nearly invisible mic. She spoke to me while I was presenting, and it totally calmed me down. If Jordan needs my help on a date, then he wears it, and I feed him lines to use on the woman that he’s interested in.”

  “I had no idea how devious you were.”

  “I like to think of it as resourceful. Deceit is such an ugly word. You wear an ear bud, and I will say sexy things
to you. Voila. Instant success.”

  He took the tiny bud out of her hand and smiled up at her. “Having you in my head. I like it.”

  “Let’s get it set, and then go out there and blow their minds. I’ve seen you naked, and I know that there are a lot of women who would enjoy seeing you.” She sat back, thought about what she just said, and had a bad feeling in her stomach. The reality of millions of women seeing her boyfriend in his skivvy’s kind-of made her sick.

  Jack watched her face and started to worry that perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea. She said that she wouldn’t be upset, but that’s exactly what she looked like right now. It all seemed like such a good idea, and now he wasn’t so sure. “Are you going to be mad now?”

  Shaking her head, she worked on accepting what was happening. “I don’t own you, and I have no right to have an opinion.”

  “Oh yes, you do. You have every right, and to some degree, you do own me. The same way that I own you. So tell me now if this is going to be a problem.”

  “No. This money will do a lot of good if the research can help people. So what if women ogle you. Hell, I can’t really blame them. But, this is the last one, Jack. No more underwear ads.”

  He leaned down and kissed her with all the feelings in his heart. If she said no more underwear ads, then that meant that she was keeping him. And she wanted him all to herself. “Okay, sweetie. This will be the last one that I do.”

  “Thank you. Now let’s try this out and see if this will work.”

  He placed the bud in his ear and watched Ana put the mic around hers.

  She pushed a button, waited a second, and then spoke quietly into her mic.

  It was perfect. Her soft voice filled his head and also his heart. “Now say something sexy.” He heard her laughter and felt the effect run up his spine. This was definitely going to work.

  “I don’t know what to say that’s sexy. Maybe I can just remind you what we did this morning or something that I want to try later.”

  “Works for me.” He glanced down at his shorts and wondered if it was too much. “Go easy, honey. I don’t want to be indecent.”

  Ana followed his gaze and covered her mouth, as her eyes grew large. “Maybe I’ll just talk about something else. No need to advertise the goods.”

  He looped his arm around her shoulder as they walked toward the studio. He already felt more relaxed and happy. As long as he had her by his side everything was going to be okay. They walked up to the group of people, and Jack introduced Ana to everyone. “I’m ready when you are.”

  Charles shook Ana’s hand and thanked her for coming.

  “So can I see what shots you’ve taken? I want to understand what you want and why the pictures are not working.” She smiled up at the director and noticed his smirk. “Is that an unusual question?”

  “No, I was just wondering where you came from. Have you done this in the past?”

  “No. I’ve never been to a photo shoot.”

  Jack observed the exchange and enjoyed watching the guy flounder around. He was a little pompous and self-important, and Jack wanted him to understand exactly who he was dealing with. “Charles, did I mention that Ana has a doctorate in neuropsychology and has a prestigious fellowship at the University of Miami? She has a study that she wants to do on the effects of certain drugs on patients with early cases of dementia. I’m doing this shoot, so that I can put my fee into our foundation. She’s going to use the money for research.” He noticed the director’s attitude slipped a little. He wanted people to understand how special Ana was and the work that she wanted to do was important. No one better ever underestimate her in his presence.

  “Dr. Ana, a pleasure. My father suffered from dementia, and it was agonizing for everyone in the family. I’m happy to be a part of something that can change that.”

  Ana put her hand on his arm, squeezed, and gave him a dazzling smile. “It’s only a hunch I have, but I have a good feeling about it.”

  Jack watched the two of them and couldn’t have been more proud. For someone who thought of herself as shy and awkward, she sure did have the gift of grace.

  Charles led Ana over to the computer, and they put their heads together and discussed the photos that had been taken.

  He walked over, joined them, and felt Ana’s arm go around his waist as he stood next to her. She was connecting and also claiming him, and that felt amazing.

  “Charles, I clearly know nothing about this and just tell me to stop if you think that I’m totally off base. I think the sexiest thing about a man is his smile, and Jack happens to have a deadly one. Trust me, I had no interest in him, but then he kept smiling at me, and I had no choice but to fall for him. I think that’s true of a lot of women.” She pointed to the computer and the photos from earlier in the afternoon. “He looks a little slimy. You took these pictures from a male perspective, and that means that the expressions are like female porn stars. Women do not find that attractive, and I can’t imagine that men do, either. I’m guessing that men would buy the underwear, because they revere Jack, his capability on the field and his reputation as a good man. They can relate to his accomplishments, and they want to be like him. If a woman buys them, then she’s hoping her significant other will look a little like him when he puts them on. Or she’ll think he’s handsome and sexy and like his picture on the package.” She turned and put her hand on Jack’s face. “This face only needs a smile, or maybe one of those looks he gives the opposing team. That’s all.”

  Charles studied her.

  She started to feel slightly uncomfortable. She probably should’ve kept her mouth shut. What did she know about advertising? She sank into Jack and wondered what she got them into.

  Charles smiled at the pair of them and nodded his agreement. “I think you may have something there, Ana. Let’s give it a try, and see if it works. It can’t be any worse than the shots we took earlier. How are you going to direct him?”

  “Don’t worry; we have that covered.”

  “Places, people. Let’s see if we can get something that we can use.” He motioned to Jack to get ready. “Let’s do the first shot in the patio against the white wall and see what we come up with.”

  Everyone moved outside.

  Jack shed his shorts and was dressed in a pair of boxer briefs. He stood against a white wall and waited for direction.

  Ana sucked her breath in. The man was magnificent. She, of course, already knew that, but seeing him almost naked with a lot of people standing around hammered the point home. She noticed that he seemed uncomfortable as he waited for things to start. Might as well start making him comfortable. “Hi, handsome. Are you having fun yet?” She watched a smile fall across his face as he searched her.

  He laughed and mouthed ‘no’.

  “Vanilla or chocolate?” She watched his confused expression and laughed. “Would you choose vanilla or chocolate ice cream?”

  He mouthed ‘chocolate’.

  She smiled. “Cats or dogs?”

  He gave her a bored look and mouthed ‘dogs’.

  She gave him a thumbs-up and laughed quietly. “I guess I’ll keep you for a while, because you’re turning out to be kind-of perfect.” The look that crossed his face was a mixture of desire, love, and happiness. The sound of the camera going off startled her. Apparently, they had started, and she wasn’t aware of it. She kept talking away to Jack as pictures were taken. She was no expert, but she would bet that there were more than a few money shots in there. Nobody was more appealing than Jack Ellis. Sure, he was built like a Greek god, but his appeal lay in who he was. It was his insides that made him irresistible. All the pictures that were being taken demonstrated that perfectly.

  They walked out of the building holding hands, and Jack kissed her head. “Thanks for the save, sweetie. I think we’re going to make an amazing team. I couldn’t have done it with you.”

  Leaning over, she kissed his arm and smiled. “I like being the voice in your head. I felt pretty power
ful, and I have to admit that I enjoyed it. Maybe I have a latent desire to rule the world.”

  Laughing, he stopped and pulled her into his arms. “Why don’t you start with me and see how that goes? If it works out, then you can move on to world domination.”

  She leaned up and captured his mouth.

  She gave him a kiss like she meant it. Lifting her up, he walked quickly to her car. “Time to go home.”

  She opened the door and got in. “Whoever gets home first better be naked when the other one gets there.” She closed her door, started her car, and watched him jog to his truck. Either way, she won.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Saturday

  Ana opened the door and was greeted by two of her best friends. “Welcome, ladies. Thank you for coming to my first football party.”

  Ronnie and Ella walked in and gave her a once-over.

  She glanced down at her outfit and then back at them. “Too much? I didn’t put the hat on, so I thought it was okay.”

  “You could have painted your face, and then the look would be complete.” Ronnie laughed. “I’ve never seen you wear the gear of any one you’re dating.” She watched Ana twirl around and was greeted with Jack’s name emblazoned across the back. “I guess it’s official.”

  “Come in, and let me get you guys something to drink.” She led her friends into the kitchen and poured them margaritas. Holding up her glass, she proposed a toast. “To being a football girlfriend. May I survive it?” They all clinked glasses and stared at one another. “How in heck did this happen? My boyfriend is a professional football player, and he posed for ads yesterday in his underwear, so that he could give me a foundation with a million dollars. I’m not sure what part of that is the most disturbing: The fact that people are willing to pay him to take off his clothes or that he gave me a million dollars.”

  Ronnie sipped her drink and thought about it. “I need chips and guacamole if I’m going to give your question the proper consideration that it deserves.”