Saving Maverick

by Debra Elise

  “But don’t you want to see the rest of the condo? The bathroom? The bedroom?” Her voice had turned shrill. Warning bells went off in his head.

  Too late. She made a move toward him, not the door.

  Diversion attempt one. “Does the place have at least one of each?” Maverick asked.

  “Oh yes, but . . .”

  “Then that’s all I need to know.”

  But, Syndi was not getting it.

  She walked to within inches of him and stopped. She reached out a pink manicured nail and trailed it down his arm as she purred, “Maybe you’d like company testing out the new mattress?”

  Nothing. No spark of desire. He had a willing woman in front of him and nada. But there was no need to prove his manhood and he couldn’t care less if she was disappointed.

  She moved toward his belt buckle, smiled and fluttered her fake lashes. Enough was enough. She didn’t get any further.

  Diversion number two. He stepped back, encircled her hand, and moved it to her side. He arched an eyebrow and dropped her hand. “Not interested.”

  “But I thought I could show you how glad I am you’re moving into the building.”

  “What about Luke?” he asked.

  She shook her head. She said nothing, and stood there with no emotion on her face.

  “Right. That’s what I thought.” Disgusted, he turned around.

  Syndi placed a hand on his back, ran it up over his shoulder, and tried to force him back toward her.

  Maverick sidestepped her reach and gave her a hard glare. “I think you need to stick to one player at a time. Luke and I are pretty close and . . .”

  “No worries, Luke and I are just bed buddies. He knows the score. But I thought, well, I felt a connection with you the first time we met and I was hoping we could, yah know—have a good time.”

  Shit. He thought it was a one-time thing, that she wanted a trophy fuck, but apparently she held the delusion it could be something more. Why did this have to happen now?

  There would be no diverting her. He needed to be brutally honest. “I’m not sure what gave you that idea, Syndi, but we haven’t talked all that much and Luke was always by your side. We’ve never had a private conversation. If I gave you the impression I was interested, well . . . I’m not.”

  Her hands, still at her sides, tightened into fists. Damn, she was working up a snit.

  He looked around the room for her briefcase. “It’s time you left, Syndi. The movers are due anytime.” He never manhandled women, but Syndi might just need it to get her the hell out of his condo.

  A hard knock sounded at the front door. Thank God. The moving company just earned a bonus.

  She still wasn’t moving. Her lower lip had begun quivering. “Tears aren’t going to get you into my bed, Syndi. Get your things.” He made it to the door in two long strides and prayed for salvation on the other side. Unfortunately, it was Luke.

  The grin his friend sported faded. It was replaced by a hard, piercing stare, his lips thinning out, and fingers curling into tight fists as he stood up straighter. “Looks like I’m interrupting. Just what the hell is going on here?”

  “What do you mean? It turns out Syndi works for the leasing agency and she was showing me . . .”

  “Yeah, it seems she was showing it to you all right.”

  “What the hell, Luke she’s . . .” Maverick’s words died when he looked back in Syndi’s direction. The woman in question was now tucking her blouse back in her waistband and straightening her hair. What the fuck? Damn if he was going to be set up by a ball girl who only wanted fame for bedding a professional athlete.

  “Syndi, I don’t know what your game is, but you can forget it. Tell Luke that nothing happened and get out. Now.”

  He looked over his shoulder to Luke, Syndi forgotten. All he cared about was making sure his best friend knew she was setting him up. Instead he found that Luke was beating feet down the stairs.

  Mav caught up with him next to his car just as Luke flung open the doors of the jet black Camaro.

  Mav grabbed his arm and immediately ducked as Luke jabbed a right toward his face. “Dammit, Luke, hold on. This situation is so fucked up. I’m not poaching.”

  He didn’t see the next move coming. Luke grabbed him around the waist and tried to tackle him to the ground, but Mav braced his legs and pushed back. During the struggle they ended up right next to a flower bed. Luke lost his footing and they both went down, sprawled on brittle, thorny bushes.

  Mav rolled to his side and pushed up on his right elbow. Shit, his pitching arm. He carefully extracted his long legs from the plant he’d crushed and took in a deep breath.

  “Luke, you need to get a grip. It’s not like you to jump to conclusions, bro. I’m not interested in Syndi. She set this whole thing up. Damn, do you even see lipstick on my face?” He rushed, pleading his case. “C’mon, remember I told you about the hot auburn-haired chick who was at the party. I’m all about her and not . . . Syndi.”

  Luke ignored him. He stood up without making eye contact, and brushed the dirt off his jacket. He wiped his hands down his face and stood there with his hands on his hips. And finally pierced Maverick with a death stare.

  “Luke, you’re my best friend, the only one I have left. I would not screw that up over a woman. Think about what you’ve told me about her, your suspicions? Man, she’s playing us both.”

  Maverick watched as Luke brought his breathing back under control, but he seemed in no hurry to respond. Maverick waited him out.

  Shaking his head, Luke pinned Maverick with his game face. It was the same look he gave him when the team was up by one, and one out was needed to send the visiting team packing. It was the face he made when he wanted Mav to send him the cut ball and get the damn game wrapped up in a bow. Yeah, he was pissed, but he was still there and that had to mean something.

  “Yeah, she’s not so subtle, is she? So, I’m gonna give you a walk this time, because yeah, she was only a bed warmer and I can use this to send her on her way. But so you know, you don’t get any more chances, because I don’t share. When it comes to women, one strike and you’re done.” He held out his hand and helped Maverick up.

  Mav took the peace offering. He knew something about using up his strike quota. He was already down o and one, and he hadn’t even started the new season.

  “C’mon back up. I’ll show you around and you can help me with the furniture when it arrives. We’ll both send Syndi on her way and then I’ll tell you all about my personal public relations consultant who just happens to be the woman I have the hots for.”

  “Jesus, Mav. You never do anything halfway, do you?”

  “Luke, I have a feeling she’s going to be worth every hoop I’m going to jump through.”

  Chapter 10

  Kelsey worked her way through all of the interview requests Maverick had received. More than twelve hours had passed since she’d seen him face-to-face, and she was still baffled by her intense reaction to him.

  He’d made her forget where they were. She marveled at her lack of inhibition as he’d pressed her up against the brick wall and proceeded to rock her world. She’d even forgotten her personal vow to not get involved with clients and most of all, professional ballplayers.

  Anyone could have been watching them. So stupid. But there was no denying the spontaneous combustion she experienced when he touched her, and she wasn’t so sure she wanted to put out the flames. There had only been two other men in her life. They’d both been a bit reserved and gentle in the bedroom. Boring.

  In Maverick’s arms, the sensual onslaught overwhelmed her as he kissed and caressed her to near orgasm. This was nothing like the predictable encounters she’d experienced in the past. Hell, she couldn’t even recall more than a handful of times that she ever experienced the “Big O,” and even then it was maybe a point three on the Richter scale.

  No, this was something else entirely. He was something else. And damn her traitorous body, she wan
ted more. But where was her resolve?

  Kelsey jumped and grabbed her smartphone to call Lara and ask her to lunch when Lara’s ringtone blared its bluesy rhythm. Heart thumping, she placed her hand on her chest and answered. “Don’t do that. You know it freaks me out.”

  “What’s wrong? I could feel you thinking all the way across town.” She and Noel often teased Lara about her freaky psychic ability to know when one of them needed her. Lara lamented that she couldn’t use if for good. Meaning finding Mr. Right instead of Mr. What-was-I-thinking?

  Kelsey put her forehead in her hand and sighed. “I broke my cardinal rule.”

  “Wearing white before Memorial Day?” Lara chuckled.

  “Well, okay, my other cardinal rule. The one where I swore I’d never get involved with a client again,” Kelsey whined.

  “Um, Kels, hate to break it to you, but that’s not how life works. You can’t pick and choose who you love or who melts your panties.”

  “Lara, I’m serious. I can’t go there again. That’s why it became my cardinal rule. Jeez, Lara, I need you to be my voice of reason.” Kelsey was about ready to hang up on her, but she really needed her right now. Girlfriends were the best when you were in the middle of a nervous breakdown.

  “Kels, you know I am, hon. Do you need me to come over? I’ll see if Noel’s free and we can be there in fifteen with a couple of bottles of wine,” Lara said.

  “No, please talk me down, okay? Remind me why I made the rule in the first place. And more importantly, tell me horrible things about Rand ‘Maverick’ Jansen so I won’t get in my car and drive to his house and jump his bones.”

  “Girl, you have it bad. Tell me everything. Every. Little. Detail. Don’t leave anything out. What’s he look like naked? I bet he’s huge. He’s gotta be with that attitude. Tell me. I can’t stand the suspense.”

  “We kissed.”

  “Uh, huh, and then what?”

  “We kissed again.”

  “Okay, Kels, you’re telling me you have your panties in a twist because Maverick Jansen kissed you?”

  “It was really good.”

  “And?”

  “Hot.” Kelsey giggled. “As a matter of fact we did more than kiss. I uh, kind a did a little bump and grind and it happened on a public street and it was . . .”

  “Kelsey Marie Sullivan, you little hussy. You did not?”

  “It was wonderful, Lara. If someone hadn’t honked their horn, I, well, I don’t know what would have happened. But I might have been cited for public indecency or . . .”

  “Listen, you need to go with it. You’re not a bad person because you have the hots for a client. And as far as I can remember none of the guys you’ve gone to bed with ever made you do a public pole dance,” Lara said.

  Kelsey took a moment before she answered. She wanted to believe what Lara said was true. She seemed to pick men who wanted something from her. Whether it was money or to look pretty on their arm or cover up their mistakes. The last man she let under her defenses had been a client and a cheater. Two years later, the sting of his betrayal still hurt.

  Damn, she wished she’d had a normal childhood with both parents showing her what real love was. Instead, she got two broken souls who had no clue what their mistakes would do to a little girl in need of love and positive role models.

  But wallowing in self-pity was not going to help her figure out what she needed to do with Maverick. She asked Lara to meet her for lunch later that day; hopefully Noel could join them. At least there was one good thing about being back in her hometown.

  She also needed to decide if she was going to let her mother know that she was here. The last time she spoke to Victoria Sullivan, she’d been on a bender, begging for money. But, she’d deal with that later. Right now she had to develop two strategies for dealing with the Bad Boy of Baseball, professional and personal.

  What they would be, she didn’t have a clue. Yet. But, damn if she wasn’t beginning to feel an urge to take a walk on the wild side.

  Kelsey spent the rest of the morning setting up radio interviews and a press conference for Wednesday morning. Two days. She had two days to convince America that Maverick Jansen was more than a hot headed, overpaid pitcher.

  She contacted her old frenemy from college, Dr. Caris Sloane, a local and well thought of psychologist, and arranged a coffee date to discuss Maverick’s situation.

  What she needed to do now was see him again and try to get him on board with the game plan, without another flirting session taking place. She dialed his number, took three deep breaths, and tried to banish thoughts of the hot kisses they shared yesterday.

  He picked up on the first ring. “Hey, how’d you sleep last night?” Humor and sensual promises intermingled in his voice. “Any interesting dreams?” he asked.

  Kelsey chose to ignore him. “What’s your schedule like today? We need to go over the interviews I’ve scheduled and discuss the press conference.”

  “Press conference? Don’t you think that’s a little much?”

  “No. Not considering the contents of the video plus your DL status. We need to nip the uncertainty in the bud. The Outlaws’ ticket sales will rise or fall, depending on your response. By the way, how’s the rehab on your arm going?”

  “Whoa, slow down. How about this, I moved into my new condo this morning. Why don’t you come over and we can sit on my deck, open a bottle of wine, enjoy the view, and go over your plan? What was it called again? Operation Steal Kisses?”

  “Huh, didn’t realize you moonlighted as a comedian. But, I was thinking more like the conference room at the stadium.”

  “Attraction like ours doesn’t come along very often, right? I think we owe it to ourselves to see where this could go.”

  “Really?” Despite her dry tone, her pulse began to race. This man sent her hormones into overdrive. It was freaky and scary and damn exciting.

  “I’ll make you a deal, we’ll meet somewhere neutral. How about Club Cortana? I know the owner, Reese Kincaid. She’ll be discreet and won’t tip off the media. It’s in the heart of the downtown historic district, nice atmosphere, and we can discuss our plan without anyone interrupting us.”

  “Scared to be alone with me, Kelsey?” Maverick whispered.

  “No, I want to ensure I have your full attention, and that won’t happen in your condo.”

  “All right, you win. This time. But I’m not giving up so easily. If we meet in public today, then you owe me a chance to spend time together, away from the public eye.”

  “Maverick, you seem to think I’m going to fall in line with your seduction plan. I’m not. I can admit I find you attractive and leave it at that. I’m not interested in starting anything personal with you right now. The timing just isn’t right.”

  “You can believe whatever you want, Kelsey. I’ll see you at the restaurant at five.” Maverick ended the call.

  He hung up on her! The man lifted the word “aggravating” to new heights. Well, he had another thing coming. She’d show him. She threw her phone down on the bed and marched over to her closet. Damn. She hadn’t brought many clothes with her.

  Looks like a quick trip to Macy’s was in order. She’d find the lowest cut dress they had and make him squirm. He could look all he wanted, but this time she was not letting him touch.

  Chapter 11

  The crowd at Club Cortana was sparse. Kelsey asked for a seat by the window. Though they’d been having a warm spell, it was still February in north Idaho and was too cold to sit out on the balcony. She pulled down her skirt. Maybe it was a bit shorter than it needed to be. She wanted to heat Maverick’s blood, not the busboy’s.

  When he hadn’t showed up by five ten she pulled out her cell to text him, and heard a throat being cleared. She didn’t look up right away; instead she finished her text. She looked up into the eyes of her nemesis. Her hot, and drop-dead gorgeous nemesis who’d made it perfectly clear what he wanted from her. And it had nothing to do with her job.

&
nbsp; “Have a date after our meeting, do you?” Maverick sat down and took her phone from her hands and placed it on his side of the table, out of her reach. “Or maybe you dressed like that to show me what I can’t have. If so, you’ve underestimated me.” He held her gaze. Challenge shone in his eyes.

  Maybe she miscalculated, a bit. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She put a bored look on her face.

  “Don’t you? For someone who claims not to be interested in a personal relationship with me, your outfit says differently. Do you always wear “come fuck me” shoes to business meetings?”

  This time Kelsey squirmed in her chair and felt a warm flush creep up her neck. All right, so her plan backfired. But she could handle him and put him back in his place. Maybe.

  She looked down at her shoes and let out an exaggerated sigh. “These ol’ things? They’re my favorite pair. I never miss an opportunity to wear them.”

  Maverick shook his head and leaned forward. “You want to play it that way, I’m fine with that.”

  “What way?”

  “The ‘look all you want, but you can’t touch’ act. It’s not going to work. Just promise me you’ll keep them on when you’re underneath me.”

  “Dammit, Maverick. You can’t talk to me like that. This is a professional relationship and we need to concentrate on getting your reputation back to where it needs to be. Can you keep your mind out of the bedroom and work with me here?”

  “Kelsey, you’re dressed like you’re ready for a night out at a dance club, and by the way, there’s one right downstairs. This reverse psychology, or whatever it is, is doing the exact opposite. Hell, you could wear a high-collared blouse and floor-length skirt and I’d still want to be inside you right now. So let’s not pretend that you didn’t dress this way to prove something. It’s not working. Other than raising my blood pressure.”

  Kelsey was equal parts embarrassed and turned on. Mostly turned on. “You’re not making this easy for me, Maverick. If I admit to you right now that the attraction is undeniable, but totally unrealistic, will you stop?”