by Jamie Wesley
Christian looked livid, his body poised like he was ready to spring out of his chair and rip into the guys next to them. She shook her head slightly, hoping the men at the next table didn’t see her. She appreciated his concern, but she was a big girl and could fight her battles herself. Besides, she was a representative of the team. Getting into arguments with fans in public was not the way to go. Not that she had any desire to get into arguments with fans anyway. Fans were the lifeblood of the team and the reason everyone associated with it, including her, had a job. They were the reason her father had bought the Stampede a few years ago. They were entitled to their opinion. All she could do was put her head down and work hard. She’d win them over eventually.
Christian didn’t look inclined to heed her warning. Reaching across the table, she gripped his hand and sent him a pleading look. Though his eyes still glittered with anger, he settled back in his chair.
She released a silent breath of relief. “Thank you,” she said softly. “Let’s order.”
He nodded and picked up his menu. “The lunch special is enchiladas, rice, and beans. I’m having that. What about you?”
Elise picked up the menu and actually perused its contents this time. “The chicken fajitas.”
After the waiter took their orders, Elise took a sip of water and eyed Christian over the top of her glass. “My father proved he’s a better researcher than I am. But I have an excellent memory. He said you were an award-winning documentarian. What award, or should I say awards, did you win? What was the documentary about?”
Christian studied her. “Excellent memory, hmm? I’ll have to remember that. When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the news. I still am, if I’m perfectly honest. I made a documentary about cutbacks in newsrooms and how that negatively affects new coverage, the communities the news outlets cover, and the morale of reporters. It’s hard to be looking out for justice when you’re told to get a story out as quickly as possible or told to work on a story because it will get ratings.”
“And the awards?”
“I won ‘Newcomer of the Year’ at a few film festivals.”
Elise tilted her head to the side. “A few? How many is a few? Are you being modest?”
“Will I get brownie points if I say yes?”
She laughed, the tension that had taken residence in her shoulders thanks to the loudmouthed Stampede fans melting away. The delicious aroma of sizzling fajitas filled the air. Their waiter had returned with their food. “Lucky for you, you’re saved by the food.”
They tucked into their meals.
He looked up a few minutes later. “I just remembered I forgot to tell you I have a conflict Monday. I won’t be able to film you until the late afternoon.”
A dart of disappointment pinged through her body. Ridiculous. She should welcome a few extra hours of solitude. “What’s up?”
“We’re having a career day, and I’m hosting a panel for my students. Local professionals are going to talk about their careers and answer questions.”
“Sounds cool. Do you need another panelist?”
“Are you offering?”
“Yeah. I happen to think my job is pretty cool.”
A big smile bloomed across his face. “Then consider yourself a member of the panel.”
On the way back to the office, Christian glanced her way from the driver’s seat. “You’re not the only one with a good memory. Are you okay?”
She didn’t need to ask for clarification. “I’m all right.” She couldn’t and wouldn’t let rude people get her down. She knew what she brought to the team.
“You sure?”
Man, he didn’t let her get away with anything. Worse, she couldn’t decide if she liked or was annoyed by his intuitiveness. “Yep.”
He stopped the car at a red light and turned to her.
She offered up a smile in return. “I’m sure you’re upset you didn’t catch that craziness on film.”
He sighed, shaking his head. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Pretend like everything is perfect when it’s not.”
Stung, she sank back into her seat. “I’m not.” He did that thing where he remained silent, but studied every inch of her face. She met his eyes squarely. “I’m not.” She looked out the windshield. “The light’s green.”
“Have it your way.” He pressed the gas pedal a little harder than was strictly necessary but didn’t say anything else on the way back to the office.
She marched inside the building, ready to put the encounter at the restaurant behind her and get back to what was important—doing everything in her power to make sure the Stampede repeated as champions. And certainly not thinking about why Christian’s disappointment wounded her. Or why his opinion mattered to her.
…
“That wraps up the first day of taping,” Christian said. He pressed a button on the camera and lowered it to his side.
“Thank God.” Elise had never been so happy to see a red light disappear. While Christian packed his equipment, she turned off her mic pack and unclipped the device from the waistband of her skirt. She tossed it on her desk with a happy sigh. She stood and walked around her desk to stretch her legs. After lunch, she’d tried to get back to her routine and forget the camera was there filming her. Occasionally, she’d succeeded. It never lasted long. Not with the man behind the camera watching her every move. Making her remember. Making her frustrated. Tense. “Got enough footage for the special? You don’t have to come back tomorrow, right?”
He sent her a side-eyed glance. “Come on. It wasn’t that bad, was it?”
She sniffed. “So says you. You didn’t have a camera in your face all day, recording your every move and inadvertent sound. There’s a reason I never felt compelled to audition for The Real World when I was in college.” She rubbed the back of her neck.
“Because you weren’t a wild child?”
She smiled in remembrance. “Oh, I definitely had my wild moments. They just weren’t captured on film.”
“I’d like to hear more.”
“I’m sure you would.” Turning to pick up a piece of paper off the desk, she rubbed the back of her neck again. And stiffened when his hands landed on her shoulders. But she didn’t pull away. She couldn’t force herself to do that. Not when what he was doing—touching her, applying just the right amount of pressure—felt so good.
“You can tell me what’s going on,” he murmured, his lips too close to her ear for comfort. “I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener.”
As enticing as the offer was, as enticing as he made it seem, she couldn’t take him up on it. Letting people in wasn’t something she did. Not when they could be taken away so easily. She forced a lighthearted note into her voice. “Oh, is that what your students say?”
“Some of them, yes.”
She waited for him to say more. He didn’t, damn it. He did continue his ministrations, loosening muscles that had been tense for way too long. At first, because she’d been worried about whether she’d get the promotion. Then because she worried she wouldn’t be able to do the job justice. It took all the willpower she hadn’t known she possessed not to moan and lean into his touch. To let him know he was getting to her. “Mr. Patient, that’s who you are. You’re going to stand here until I spill my guts, aren’t you?”
“Something like that. I saw you at lunch. The hurt on your face before you remembered others could see you. The way you held that menu like your life depended on it.”
He pressed a thumb against a stubborn knot in her right shoulder. God, that felt good. She barely managed to suppress an embarrassing whimper.
“So are you going to accept my offer?” he asked.
“Nope,” she said.
“You don’t have to sound so chipper about it,” he said, his tone laced with humor.
She turned to face him and missed his touch immediately. What would he say if she demanded he return his hands to her body—umm, shoulders? “Well you know me. I c
an’t keep the excitement out of my voice.”
His deep voice lowered an octave. “I remember.”
Elise shivered. She’d walked right into that one, but whenever he was near, she lost her ability to think clearly. She found it hard to keep him at arm’s length like she did with everyone else, especially when he expressed concern about her. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could continue to do so. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to. No other man had ever made her feel the way he did and so effortlessly. She liked it. She liked him. An admission that terrified her.
“What are you thinking?” he murmured.
“I remember, too,” she confessed before she could remember not to be so open.
The first touch of his lips on hers caused her to sigh. A light touch that conjured up memories of how it felt that night to kiss him. Good. So good. She leaned in, pressing her lips against his, anxious for more. She wanted to forget her worries. She wanted to get lost in him. She wanted that oblivion he offered. She wanted him.
He didn’t acquiesce.
No, he didn’t pull away. It was worse. He went slow. He played homage to her bottom lip, licking, then gently nipping at it, causing her breath to speed up like she was running a marathon. How could he do this to her, make her feel so much? He wasn’t even doing much, yet the liquid heat was building between her legs.
His heat consumed her. She had to touch him, so she did, pressing her hands against his back. She lamented the shirt that kept her from his hot skin. But at least she could feel the hard muscles in his back moving underneath her seeking hands.
Christian crowded in closer, stepping between her legs, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Finally, finally he stopped concentrating on her bottom lip. He teased her mouth with his tongue, coaxing her to respond. She knew what he wanted and because she wanted it, too, more than she wanted to admit, she opened her mouth. The touch of his tongue to hers was almost more than she could stand. But still he didn’t rush. He was content to explore and let the pleasure slowly build.
She wasn’t.
She bit his lower lip and swiped it with her tongue. When he sucked in a surprised breath, she slipped her tongue inside, craving the fire he’d built inside her. She pressed against the hard planes of his chest. The fast thumping of his heartbeat sent a jolt of arousal through her. He wanted her. His slow approach was killing him as much as it was killing her.
Elise nearly moaned again when his hand landed on her leg and slipped under her skirt. She silently cursed the item of clothing. Pencil skirts were her favorite, but their tightness offered an impediment to him touching her where she wanted to be touched the most.
Thank God, Christian wasn’t deterred. He pushed the skirt up, scraping his nails gently across her bare thigh, then continued upward. She shuddered at the first touch of his fingers against the damp cloth of her panties. She was so close. He pushed aside her underwear and plunged a finger inside her.
“Christian.” She gasped and clutched him tighter. He knew what he was doing. He was a master of it. Scraping along her nerve endings, awakening desires she’d tried to ignore since the night on the roof.
“Touch me,” he whispered against her mouth. “Touch me.”
More than eager to do his bidding, she slipped her hands in between them and cupped him. He was hard, ready for more. She squeezed. His groan sent a shiver down her spine. He wanted her as much as she wanted him.
The hiss of his zipper coming down joined their panted breaths as the only sounds in the room. She reached inside his pants to delve inside his boxer briefs and cupped the hard length of him. He was hot. Silk over steel. She wanted him inside her.
He added another finger in between her legs, his rhythm matching hers as she squeezed him. Loving the way he was making her feel, wanting more, she squeezed her legs around his fingers. His fingers built up speed.
She dropped her head to his chest, sucking in air. “Like that,” she whispered.
She squeezed him harder when he bumped up against a particularly sensitive spot inside her.
“Yeah,” he said in a guttural tone. “Just like that.”
Ring, ring!
Her office phone. She stiffened, the spell he’d cast over her broken. The phone rang three more times before falling silent.
“Oh God, what am I doing?” She pushed him away and pulled her skirt down with hands that wouldn’t stop shaking. “I’m in my office. Anyone could’ve walked in.”
Christian adjusted his clothes. “It’s after eight. No one was going to walk in. It’s okay.” He reached out, but she sidestepped him. She couldn’t think when he touched her.
She glared at him. “No, it’s not okay. If someone had caught us, it would be my ass on the line. Gossip travels hard and fast. People who think I only got the job because of my father would use this as proof that I’m not here to work hard. If I hope to be taken seriously, I can’t be doing things like this in the office.”
He held out his hands and nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
She rubbed a hand across her face, weariness pressing down on her. “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. I’m an adult with a working brain.”
“You’re an adult who’s being too hard on herself. Why don’t we grab dinner?”
She stared at him incredulously. “Continue the fun, you mean?”
His stare, bold and unyielding, cut deep into her. “No, I meant dinner, but yeah, if that’s what you want.”
Oh, how she wanted. She’d pushed him away, but he was still there, still close. It wouldn’t take much effort on her part to bring him closer. To continue what a stupid phone call had interrupted.
“I’m man enough to admit I haven’t stopped thinking about that night.” His tone dared her to acknowledge she felt the same. To take what she wanted.
Elise took a step forward before she caught herself. What was she doing? She didn’t lose her head over a guy. Ever. She lifted her chin. “Dinner won’t be happening. Or anything else. I have a lot of work left to do.”
Christian frowned. “It’s late. When do you plan on calling it a night?”
“When my work is done. It’s not done, so I’m not calling it a night.”
His lips tightened. “If that’s the way you want it, then I’ll go.”
That heat, that warmth that filled the office had dissipated in a second. He gathered his equipment without sparing her a glance.
She rubbed her arms, trying to protect them from the sudden chill in the air. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
He glanced up, his face expressionless. “Sure.”
He left then. In his absence, the office’s silence weighed down on her. She hadn’t felt so alone in a very long time. She didn’t know why. She was used to working long hours after everyone else in the office cleared out. It had never bothered her before. She wore it as a badge of honor, as a matter of fact.
Still, she found herself wanting to go after him. Wanting to finish what they’d started and not just because he made her hotter than any man she’d ever known. The companionship they’d shared that day was different for her. She didn’t usually confide in people, but somehow he’d pried more info out of her in a few hours than people she’d known for years had. And she couldn’t say it was just because of the special he was filming. It was like he actually cared about her. The truly scary part was she was starting to care about him, too. Which was the real reason she’d pushed him away.
No, having sex in her office wasn’t the smartest thing to do—or almost sex, as it were—but their emotional connection scared her more than the physical connection. Physical she could deal with every day, all day. She enjoyed the physical. The emotional, not so much. She didn’t know how to handle it. Not after losing her mother at such a young age. Knowing that no matter how much you loved someone, she could still be taken away in a blink of an eye. She didn’t need or want that kind of turmoil in her life ever again.
Elise nodded to herself. She’d made the right cal
l not going after Christian. Thinking about him was getting her exactly nowhere. She still had work to do. She knew how to handle work. She needed to watch film on some potential free agent signees and go over the salary-cap space report the basketball operations assistant had compiled so she could develop some contingency plans in case Plan A didn’t come to fruition. Plan A being sign Drew Newsome, of course. Speaking of Drew, she also needed to come up with a plan of attack to sign him. His agent still wasn’t returning her calls, but she refused to give up.
So, no, she couldn’t leave the office yet. This was what she’d been working toward her whole life. With a resolute stride, she returned to her desk and tapped her keyboard a few times to get rid of the screensaver. It took her a few seconds to realize she hadn’t made another move. No, she’d been staring off into space thinking of what could’ve been. Thinking of Christian.
Unacceptable. She had work to do, important work to do, and she couldn’t let a man who’d be gone in a few days stand in her way. Her heart might still be pounding, the lust might still be pulsing through her veins, but she wouldn’t be ruled by her hormones. Or thoughts that veered toward how much she’d enjoyed his company even when they weren’t making out like teenagers. Not tonight. She had work to do, and it was time to do it. End of story.
…
Outside Elise’s office, Christian hesitated. He stared at the shut door, fighting the urge to go back in. But that wasn’t the right thing to do, though his body clambered to do just that. Agreeing to film her special wasn’t the smartest decision he’d ever made. He’d arrogantly thought he could show up every day and not be affected by her presence. How wrong he was.
He understood pride. He had enough of it for three people, and Elise was more than his match in that area. He admired her for it. Even if he was angry at himself for being put into a position to be rejected by her again, he understood that driving need to succeed. He didn’t begrudge Elise her success, but he couldn’t ignore the promises he’d made himself. He needed someone on the same wavelength as he was. Someone who wasn’t a workaholic, who wouldn’t put work above everything and everyone in her life. He’d lived that life, and it had nearly cost him everything. He couldn’t go back. He couldn’t be with someone who lived that life. Someone who would choose work over him. Just like Mack had done.
