The Deal with Love (One on One)

by Jamie Wesley

  Drew said yes to it all. After he emptied his heaping plate, he sank back against his chair with a satisfied moan. “Thank you. I can’t eat like this very often. Not good for my fitness, but I couldn’t stop. I haven’t had a meal like that since my mom’s annual Christmas dinner. This rivals anything she’s ever made.”

  Elise beamed. She couldn’t help herself. At least she managed to stifle the squeal that tried to leap past her lips. “Thanks,” she said, her voice only slightly higher than normal. “Betty will be happy to hear that.” She paused. “You know we’ve talked about what it would mean for you to play here, but there’s one thing we haven’t discussed.”

  Drew met her gaze head-on. “The fact that the Stampede didn’t draft me nine years ago, although you’d made it pretty clear you would.”

  She liked him. No need to pussyfoot around the truth, even with his agent, Brady, Mack, and Dale sitting around the table listening in as well. “Yes.”

  “Look, to be perfectly honest, I was mad as hell when y’all didn’t draft me, but looking back, it was a good thing. I had to learn how to deal with disappointment for the first time in my life. I’ve always been a planner, and I had to readjust on the fly. It was great playing in California near my family and friends.”

  “And now? Do you see yourself making the switch?” Elise braced herself to hear the negatives. Whatever he said, she’d have to be quick on her feet and think of a rejoinder.

  Drew lifted a shoulder. “I’m not sure.”

  “His current team has let him know they’d welcome him back with open arms,” his agent, seated on Drew’s far side, interjected with a smirk. “It’s hard to turn your back on that.”

  “I know how hard it can be to leave the only team you know. In my case, I didn’t have a choice, but I feel like Dallas is home now,” Brady said from across the table. “You’ll love being here, especially when you get to spend more than one night here instead of getting on a plane and flying to the next city after the game.”

  Elise wanted to hug Brady. Better that than strangle Drew’s agent. Brady had really come through for them today, and it was exactly what they needed. The perspective of a player. She could wax poetic about how great Dallas was, but players wanted to feel comfortable and really get the lay of the land, and the only ones who could understand their perspective were other players.

  “Dude, you know I’d welcome you with open arms,” Christian added, leaning forward to talk around Elise. “We can relive our college years.”

  Drew laughed. “Those were the days. What have you been up to lately? We haven’t talked in too long. Last time we spoke, you’d quit your job to teach.”

  “I’m still teaching.”

  “Are you done-done with films? I saw the one you got all those fancy awards for.”

  “No, I’m working on something new.” He said it almost reluctantly. Elise eyed him. Was this the project her father had promised to help him with?

  Drew didn’t catch his hesitancy. “What’s it about?”

  Christian glanced her way before answering. “What it means to be a father.”

  Silence had never been so loud. Everyone around the table who knew his history with Mack grew tense. Every shift of body, every clink of fork against plate was magnified ten times to her ears. She swung her gaze across the table. Mack looked like someone had hit him with a sledgehammer.

  Drew took a sip of his sweet tea, unaware of the tension seeping into the room. “How are you framing it?”

  Christian shifted in his chair. “Exploring the differences in the meanings of ‘father’ and ‘dad.’ Talking to kids and adults whose dads have affected them in negative and positive ways. Interviewing fathers about what they’ve done right and wrong, then talking to their children to see if their recollections match up. My ultimate goal is to see if I can answer the question of what it means to be a father.”

  Again, no one else spoke. Drew looked around, finally becoming aware that something wasn’t right. “Sounds cool, man.”

  “It does,” Mack said quietly.

  Christian’s mouth tightened. Elise sought his hand under the table. He gripped her hand hard. Damn, this was all her fault. She should have pushed the issue harder when Christian claimed he was okay.

  The door to the kitchen swung open. Elise had never been so happy to see Betty in her life.

  The chef held up a cake plate. “Anyone up for carrot cake?”

  Cake could always be counted on to lighten the mood. Everyone around the table seemed to agree, digging into the dessert with much enthusiasm. Satisfied murmurs filled the air.

  “So, Drew, what do we have to do to get you to sign?” Dale asked. “We’ll do whatever it takes. We’d love to have your signature on a contract before you leave tonight.”

  Elise glared at her father. He loved being the center of attention. He was a fabulous businessman, something she could never deny. But he had a hard time taking a backseat to anyone when it came to making big, splashy moves. Which didn’t usually bother her that much, but they’d agreed she would take the lead on this. She couldn’t do her job successfully if he constantly interfered. He’d been doing so good during dinner. She should have known it wouldn’t last, no matter what he promised.

  Christian patted her leg under the table. She glanced at him and took note of the sympathy in his eyes. It was nice to know she had his support. Her father wasn’t doing her or the team any favors. She’d done her research. Drew wasn’t the type to make rash decisions. Every decision, including his flashy wardrobe, was well thought out.

  Drew’s lips tilted upward in a sad imitation of a smile. “I’ll let you know.”

  Betty walked back in. “Can I get anyone anything else?”

  “I’m good,” Drew said. “Everything was fantastic, especially the cake. Don’t tell my mom, but she couldn’t have done any better.”

  Betty smiled. “Thank Elise. It’s her recipe.”

  “Yes, carrot cake was always Elise’s favorite,” Dale said. “I’ll never forget the time her mother and I caught her in the kitchen in the middle of the night, face full of cake. We’d heard a strange noise and went to investigate. Turns out she’d dragged a chair over to the counter. It was the cutest thing ever. She had cake everywhere.”

  Elise’s grip on her fork tightened to a painful level. She was going to kill him. How could she be seen by her contemporaries as competent and professional when her own father who didn’t see her that way and undermined her?

  …

  Later that night, after Drew and his agent left to return to California, she cornered her father in his office. “What was that at dinner?”

  Her father adjusted the framed photo of her mother he kept on his desk. “What are you talking about? I thought it went well.”

  “I’m sure you did. But I’ve told you more than once that you need to treat me like an adult, and that can’t happen if you’re telling stories about the time I became a cake bandit.”

  At least her father had the decency to look embarrassed. “I got caught up in the moment. I love telling funny stories, and that came out of my mouth before I could stop it.”

  Elise took a deep breath. “Okay, but what happened to me taking the lead in these negotiations? Why did you tell him we would do whatever it took to sign him?”

  Stubbornness settled on her father’s face. “Because we will. You know it. I know it.”

  She pointed at her chest. “But I’m the GM. I’m the one who has to deal with Drew and his agent. I don’t want them making unreasonable demands, but that’s hard to combat when you say we’ll give them whatever they want.”

  Her father settled back in his chair. “Well, it’s done now. Did he or his agent give any indication in which direction they were leaning?”

  Elise refused to feel defensive. “No, they were noncommittal. Drew didn’t make any promises, but I think he liked what he heard tonight.”

  Her father lifted his eyebrows. “You think?” He wasn’t o
ne for thinking something would happen. He’d wanted to have a chain of successful restaurants, and he’d done it. He’d wanted to own a championship-winning pro sports team, and he’d made that happen. Failure wasn’t an option in his world. “Make it happen, Elise. I want him on this team.”

  Message received. Succeed or else. She’d fought for this job. Now it was time to put up or shut up.

  …

  Christian went in search of Elise. She’d wandered off, saying she needed to speak with her father, but he wanted to check on her. Scratching an itch. That’s all that was between them. If only he could make himself believe that. He’d noticed the look on her face several times throughout dinner when her father was being his usual exuberant self. The night hadn’t been easy on her.

  He stopped outside a door when he heard voices coming from inside. Elise and her father. He settled against the opposite wall to wait for her.

  Mack showed up a few seconds later. Christian stifled a sigh. He’d done everything he could to ignore him at dinner, concentrating on catching up with his college friend and Elise, the woman who starred in his dreams every night. He should have known Mack wouldn’t leave it at that.

  “Hi, Christian,” Mack said. “How’s it going?”

  “It’s going fine.” He could be civil.

  “I enjoyed hearing about your documentary.”

  Christian nodded and willed Elise to come out of the office.

  “Sounds like it will be fascinating,” Mack said. “Important.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I’ve watched your other work. I was impressed. You handle your subjects with such care. I felt like I’d known them my entire life by the time the documentary ended.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I want you to interview me for your new project.”

  Christian’s head whipped to the side to face Mack. The other man met his gaze with no hesitation. “You want to be part of my documentary?”

  Mack’s face was resolute. “I do.”

  The shock coursing through his body chased away his reluctance to talk to Mack. “Why?”

  Mack straightened to his full height. “Because I know what it means to be a father. What it means to let your children down. What it means to make them proud of you. What it takes to raise them. How it feels not to be there for them and what you tell yourself in order to get through life without letting the guilt overwhelm you.”

  Christian was stunned into silence. Not only had Mack not condemned the project, he wanted to be a part of it. He had to know Christian wouldn’t spare his feelings. His sister had dealt with the situation in her own way. The documentary was his. A begrudging respect wormed its way through the numbness that usually consumed him when he thought about Mack.

  Mack waited a few seconds, then sighed. “It was worth a try. Just think about it.”

  He’s the only father I have. Something Elise had said that had stuck with him even though he’d tried to force it out of his mind.

  “Okay. Fine. You can do it.” The words slipped out before he could take them back.

  The excitement that leaped on to Mack’s face made him want to rescind the invitation. What the hell was he doing? He didn’t want to spend any more time with Mack than he had to. But he bit his tongue. What was done was done, and he didn’t go back on his word.

  Mack searched his face looking for hell knew what. Christian unflinchingly met his gaze. Mack nodded. “I’ll have my assistant get in touch with you to set up a time for the interview.” Then he left.

  Christian turned his attention to the door. Now maybe he could breathe. Now, more than ever, he needed to get out of here. He needed Elise.

  …

  Elise shut her father’s office door behind her, resisting the urge to slam it.

  “You okay?”

  She started. “Oh, Christian. Sorry, I didn’t see you there. What are you still doing here?”

  “Waiting for you.”

  She smoothed her hair and adjusted her belt, hoping to suppress the pleasure filling her. “Oh. Thank you, but that wasn’t necessary.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  Had he heard the argument—make that discussion—with her father? He studied her in that calm way he had about him, like he could see straight into her soul to the unrest swirling inside.

  “Are you ready to go?” he asked. “I can take you home.”

  She nodded. She’d planned to borrow her father’s car since Drew and his agent had taken the limo back to the airport. They made their way to his car, not speaking much on the way to her house. When they arrived, he escorted her to the door. He gazed into her eyes. “That was quite a night, huh?”

  She let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, you could say that. I admire Drew’s determination to take his time and make the best decision for himself, but he’s driving me crazy. I have to figure out a way to get him to sign.”

  He inched in closer. “You were very focused today. I find it very sexy.”

  Her eyebrows lifted. “I thought you found my workaholic tendencies to be a turnoff.”

  “I can understand ambition, but I don’t think it should take over your life.” He shrugged, the motion drawing her attention to his broad shoulders. “I guess I’m a walking contradiction. I’m finding that to be truer and truer when it comes to you. My head says no, but…”

  “But?” she prompted.

  Desire darkened his eyes. “But my body says hell yes. Last night wasn’t enough. I want you, Elise, sometimes more than I want to breathe.”

  She knew how he felt. And she, too, wanted a repeat of last night, more than anything she’d wanted in a long time. Even signing Drew. A very scary thought, but one she couldn’t deny. She reached behind her for the doorknob. “Do you want to come in?”

  His gaze swept her face. “For a drink?”

  “If that’s how you want to play it, sure, but I have something to offer that’s a little more enticing.” She rose on her toes and lifted her mouth to his, touching it softly. The spark of lust that fired up in her stomach every time they kissed still took her by surprise. But it was there, and it was clear it wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. After the tough day she’d been through, she saw no reason to deny herself. He could make her feel. And she wanted to feel. And not think. Right now.

  His gorgeous lips curved. “Then my answer is yes.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Christian waited impatiently while Elise stuck the key in the lock. “I want to get lost in your body.” Being with her had been his greatest source of pleasure in the last month, hell, year. He wanted the oblivion that Elise offered. No additives. Just Elise.

  She looked over her shoulder. He saw it in her eyes. Tonight was going to be like no other. “I want that, too.”

  As soon as he heard the lock turn, he took matters into his own hands, tugging her inside after him. She’d barely closed the door before he went in for a kiss. Her sweet taste intoxicated him. He needed her. Now. He pushed up her skirt and glanced down. She wore black panties. With no hesitation, he ripped them off. She gasped.

  “I resisted last night, but they had to go.” He turned into a caveman when he was around her. He almost didn’t recognize himself, but he didn’t care. Reining in the primal urge to claim her wasn’t an option. He couldn’t waste any time or let anything, including underwear, stop him from satisfying the need that raged inside him.

  Elise’s lips tugged upward. “You owe me some money. I’m starting to think that’s your thing.”

  “I owe you something, all right.” His voice came out dark. Promising.

  Her eyes widened. She stepped back. He was faster. He hauled her to him. Desire to have her propelling him, he lifted her. When she wrapped her long legs around his waist, he backed her up against the door. He sank a finger into her tightness. Groaned as her inner muscles tightened around him.

  You’re my thing,” he said. “Never forget that.” It was true. Her sweet, soft gasp only ramped up his arousal. He found her c
lit with his thumb and circled the nub.

  “Please,” she whispered.

  “What do you want?”

  “I…”

  “Tell me.” He added another finger inside her.

  Her legs tightened around him. “You. Inside me.”

  He made quick work of his pants, pushing them down. Before he could sink into her, she stopped him with a hand on his chest. He stopped. She wasn’t about to call an end to the festivities, was she?

  “Condom,” she whispered.

  He dropped his forehead against hers, air exhaling his body with a whoosh. All his sense went out the window when he touched her. He reached behind him to grab his wallet from his pants hanging at his knees.

  And lost his balance. “Shit.”

  He locked his knees and caught Elise before she landed on her ass. His breath coming a little faster, he returned them to their original position. “You okay?”

  She dropped her head back against the door and laughed.

  “What every man wants to hear at a time like this,” he grumbled.

  She pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’m not laughing at you. I just think it’s funny that when we end up in these situations, we always come close to injuring ourselves.”

  “We do.” He lowered his head and nibbled at her neck. “Then we move on.”

  Her breath hitched. “Yeah...yeah we do. Can you let me down for a second?”

  “No.”

  She smiled. “Just to put the condom on. I want the honors. Please.”

  Giving Elise the chance to touch him? All day, every day. He guided her legs to the floor, taking the opportunity to slide his hands down all that smooth skin, and handed the silver package to her.

  “Thanks.” She sank to her knees.

  “Elise, what—” He lost the ability to speak at the first touch of her mouth on him. She swiped his length from root to tip with her tongue, sending sharp needles of pleasure rocketing through his body.

  Then she took him into her mouth.