“Yes, it was, because it takes two. And just to be clear, I am sorry this happened, but I’m not sorry about him.” Her voice was harder, and she underscored the words with a kiss to her son’s cheek.
Antonio let out a heavy breath. “I’m not sorry about him, either, but that doesn’t make this any less of a mess. Call me if you need anything else.” He’d dropped off enough cash to get her through the next couple of weeks.
He reached for the door, but at the last minute, he turned around to watch her walking back into the main part of the suite.
“Val.”
Her tear-filled eyes turned back to him, and she waited, but he had no words of comfort to fix this mess. As good as he was at his job, he couldn’t think of any way to create a positive spin on the situation, and certainly more than words were needed here.
“Never mind.” He opened the door and walked out.
The elevator was occupied by a couple with two kids whining about how they wanted hamburgers for dinner. He leaned his shoulder against the panel and tuned them out.
Hiding Val and Emilio away in a hotel room made him feel like a hypocrite after his conversation with Cassidy, but she had no idea how much women threw themselves at famous men on a regular basis. No, she had an idea, but didn’t understand the full extent of it. Even he, who was not even famous—having long since fallen out of the tabloids because his parents’ lives no longer provided fodder for sensational headlines and celebrity news shows—was propositioned on a regular basis.
Just a few weeks ago, he’d been out of town at an event, and a woman had sneaked into his hotel room and offered to blow him—among other things—if he’d get her into the event so she’d be in close proximity to one of his famous clients. He’d had to call security to get her out of there because she refused to leave even after he said no.
One night, he found out after the fact that another woman had had sex with members of an entourage with the promise that she’d get to spend the night with one of his NBA clients. She’d left crying after the player told her he couldn’t trust her and was no longer interested after she’d slept with all his friends. Another time, two best friends made out with each other at a private party while a group of athletes cheered them on, dousing them with bottles of expensive champagne. Sickened, Antonio left the party early, went home, and curled up on the sofa in the living room with Cassidy, watching movies and eating popcorn.
As a celebrity kid, he’d shunned the spotlight. Having traveled all over the world, and even with access to parties, women, free-flowing liquor, and drugs, he’d never partaken in any of it. He credited his parents, because they’d never participated in that life, and they kept all four children grounded, causing them to be turned off by the excess.
Eventually he realized where his passions lay. Having spent the majority of his life around athletes because of his father’s profession, he decided to work with them because he understood how the media could misconstrue even the most innocent of actions.
His father’s face used to be plastered across magazines, and he’d be rumored to be having an affair with one woman or another. If his father even raised his voice, the next day there would be a headline about his “hot Latin temper.” If he felt tired and wasn’t as friendly when asked for an autograph, reporters pegged him a jerk.
Because of that notoriety, Antonio learned to walk a thin, straight line to avoid embarrassing his parents. He adopted a calm exterior at all times, was slow to anger, and never shared his personal relationships with the media. What he’d learned over the years from experience, he used to help craft a positive public image for his clients.
His attraction to Cassidy had started because she wasn’t part of that world, although he hadn’t taken to her right away. She’d been too young, only nineteen years old to his twenty-three. But she came from a normal, average family. After having been coddled for years as the youngest of four, she’d spread her wings and enjoyed a bit of independence as a college sophomore, moving into an apartment with his sister, Lorena.
She’d been like a breath of fresh air, not caring they were famous or how much money they had. None of it mattered, and in the few short years that followed, she’d become important to him, indispensable to his happiness in such a way he had no choice but to marry her.
But lately, her overactive imagination made him dread telling her anything. Even today, he’d felt guilty when she showed up unannounced to his office. He hadn’t even been doing anything wrong.
He exited the elevator behind the family. He’d have to keep Val and Emilio a secret a little longer. When the time was right, Cassidy and his family would know the truth, and hopefully, they would all be able to forgive him.
Chapter Six
Cassidy and Lorena entered Sweet Treats Bakery after a day of power shopping. As always, the place was crowded and the lines long. They’d found some beautiful items Cassidy felt could be used in the house and had ended up spending more money and time in the stores than originally planned.
“Is this place ever empty?” Lorena grumbled good-naturedly. “Xander must be making a lot of money.”
“He is. Roarke said he has plans to open another bakery.” She’d met Xander, the owner, through her oldest brother, Roarke. When Xander saw them, he came over.
After giving them each a warm hug, he asked, “Did you place your order ahead of time?”
“No, we didn’t,” Cassidy replied. “We didn’t think about it.”
“Don’t worry. I got you.”
They gave him their order, and within minutes, boxes of his delicious desserts waited for them at the takeout counter.
“It’s good to know the people in management,” Lorena said, grinning. Right then, her phone rang. “It’s my mother. Let me see what she wants.” She put the phone to her ear and started a conversation in Spanish.
Cassidy walked behind her, her mind drifting to the night before, when Antonio had come home. By his aloof attitude, she could tell he’d still been upset with her, but that didn’t stop him from reaching for her when he joined her in bed. Thinking about their passionate lovemaking, she didn’t pay attention to her surroundings and almost ran into a tall, broad-shouldered man outside the door.
“Cassidy?”
She looked up into the face of an ex-boyfriend, Isaiah Sharif.
“Brick?” she said, using the old nickname he had when he played college football. The nickname came from the fact that players said when they collided with him, it was like hitting a brick wall.
“What are you doing here?” they asked in unison and then laughed.
“I figured you’d be off somewhere wreaking havoc on the world,” Isaiah said. His dark brown eyes filled with warmth.
“Not hardly. I stayed put in Georgia. This is home. How about you?”
“I came to see family and conduct a little business.”
“Are you still playing professional football?”
“Yeah, sure am. I play for a little team up north. You may have heard of them. The New England Patriots.”
“Get out of here! I had no idea.”
“Why would you? You never cared a thing about sports. You were always too busy doing your nails or messing with those computers.”
Cassidy laughed. “I can’t believe you remember.”
“I remember a lot of things about you,” Isaiah said, his voice lowering to a warmer tone. “And all of it’s good.” His openly appreciative gaze roamed from her hair, which she’d flat-ironed straight today, to her fitted sleeveless top and slimming jeans.
Cassidy cleared her throat. “Well, it was nice to see you again. Take care of yourself.” She made to walk around him, but he stepped in front of her.
“Hold on a minute. Don’t rush off. I was hoping we could catch up. Maybe you could give me some tips on how you manage to stay in such good shape and eat anything you want without gaining an ounce.” His pointed gaze took in the box in her hand.
“It’s not all mine.”
<
br /> “Who else are you sharing it with?”
“My husband.” Cassidy held up her hand and wiggled her fingers to bring attention to her rings.
“So I missed my chance, huh?” His voice sounded flat and disappointed. “You’re married.”
“Yes, I am. He has a sweet tooth. If it’s any kind of chocolate—which this box is filled with—even better. He’ll eat it right up.”
He licked his lips. “Oh yeah? Your husband and I have something in common. We both love to eat chocolate.”
“Brick . . .”
He laughed and threw his head back. “You can’t blame me for trying, Cassidy. I never forgot about you.”
“You weren’t the best boyfriend.”
During their short relationship in college, she’d suspected him of seeing other women while they were supposed to be in an exclusive relationship. He had profusely denied it and always had an explanation for all of her accusations and any activity that seemed suspicious.
After hacking into his computer, she read his e-mails and confronted him with the evidence of risqué communications and pictures of half-naked coeds. He’d been shocked and confused about how she’d been able to get hold of the information. She’d never revealed how she’d done it because she could have gotten into big trouble. Because of the damaging evidence, their relationship ended, and they’d maintained a tentative friendship until he was drafted into the NFL.
“Yeah, I know.” He grimaced with embarrassment. “But we had some good times.”
“That’s in the past. I’m married now.”
“Happily?”
“Of course!” She said it quickly, but interest still alighted in his eyes.
“I’m not one to break up a happy home.”
“You can’t,” Cassidy said firmly.
“Tell you what.” Isaiah reached into his pocket and pulled out two cards. He wrote a number on the back of one of them. “Take these. I’ll be back in town next week, and some friends and I will be at that new club, Toxic. These passes will get you into VIP. If you have any problems, that’s my number on the back. Bring your husband. I want to meet the man who managed to nail you down so soon.”
Cassidy took the passes. She’d talked to Antonio about a night out, but this wasn’t quite what she had in mind.
“I hope you come.”
“If I come, I’ll bring my husband.”
“Good.” He stepped closer and looked down into her eyes. Then he shook his head. “Mm. Can’t wait to meet the lucky bastard.”
With a sly grin, he sidestepped her to go into the bakery.
Cassidy put away the passes and walked toward Lorena, now off the phone and standing at the car.
“Was that Isaiah Sharif?”
“Yeah.” Cassidy opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat.
“How do you know him?”
“We dated for a hot minute, before you and I became roommates.”
“You never told me.”
“There was nothing to tell. Our relationship didn’t last long.”
She used to think she loved Brick, until she discovered what real love was with Antonio. Once she and Antonio started dating, she’d fallen hard. Their lovemaking had been—and still was—like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Almost like an out-of-body experience.
The only word to describe the intensity of what she felt for Antonio was need. She needed him in a way she’d never needed another man, and it scared her at times.
Brick had been fun, but he loved the attention he received from women as a result of his athletic ability. Now he played for a professional team, she could imagine how many women threw themselves at him.
Because Antonio was part of that world, she knew how aggressive the groupies could be. He’d told her stories about how women hid under beds in hotel rooms, and even in car trunks, to get close to athletes.
With his height and fit body, some saw Antonio with the athletes and thought he was one of them, too. Whether or not he played a sport was really irrelevant; because he was part of that world, they wanted in. At first it had been difficult to accept that part of his life. In fact, he asked her twice to marry him before she accepted the third time. Not because she didn’t love him, but because she doubted any man could remain faithful under such constant pressure.
Then there was her own family history, where her father had cheated on her mother and gotten his mistress pregnant. Her half brother, Derrick, had a good relationship with her and her other brothers, and he’d been welcomed into the family, but it hadn’t always been that way.
She feared ending up like her mother—blissfully ignorant of her husband’s extramarital activities. Antonio had persisted, though. He’d finally convinced her he could be trusted to handle the aggressive women who crossed his path, but she’d be a liar if she denied having doubts. She’d never caught him doing anything wrong, but she trusted her instincts. Those instincts had saved her a lot of heartache with Brick.
Seeing him now made her think again about Antonio, and the same uneasy, familiar feeling that he was hiding something returned. Instead of letting it spoil her good mood, she cranked up the radio in the car, and she and Lorena started singing along to an upbeat tune.
****
In the midst of responding to e-mail, the telephone rang on Antonio’s desk. Lucinda was on the line and told him his appointment had arrived. He hated working on weekends, but it was unavoidable as he tried to accommodate his clients.
“Take him to the small conference room, and I’ll be right in.”
He finished the correspondence and hit send. The office was quiet because it was empty except for him and Lucinda. She’d come in to do some work, which he greatly appreciated.
He entered the conference room and greeted his future client. “Thanks for meeting me at the office. I hope it wasn’t too out of the way.” He extended his hand to Isaiah Sharif, a referral from one of his other clients.
“No, not at all. I’m glad you could fit me in while I’m in town this weekend. I killed time at Sweet Treats Bakery on my way here. My mother sent me there to pick up a few things.”
They shook hands, and Antonio joined him at the table. “I know the place. I guess no matter how old you are or famous you become, they can still send you out on errands.”
Isaiah chuckled. “Keeps me humble.”
Antonio tilted his chair back and crossed an ankle over his knee. “Do you have any questions before we sign the contracts?”
“Nope, not at all. You come highly recommended, and you already answered all my questions.”
“Great.”
Within minutes, they’d both signed duplicates of the contract.
“That’s it?” Isaiah said when they finished.
“That’s it,” Antonio confirmed. He handed Isaiah a complete copy of all the pages. “Once you send in the retainer, we can get started right away.”
“Thanks a lot.” Isaiah rose from the chair, and they shook hands again. “You know, I and some other athletes will be at Toxic next week. It’s our last chance to get our party on before training camp starts. You should come.” He pulled a card from his pocket. “Here’s a pass for the VIP. You can network and maybe get yourself more business.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“Not a problem. I invited this honey I used to know back in college, and I’m hoping she comes out.”
“Oh yeah?” Antonio stood aside at the door so Isaiah could exit before him.
“She’s married and said she’d bring her husband, too, but I’m kinda hoping the sucker stays home.”
“Any man worth his salt is not going to let his wife go partying without him in the VIP of a club with a bunch of athletes.”
“What you trying to say, man?” Isaiah looked more amused than offended.
“That you guys are sharks. You’re already making plans for this woman even though you know she’s married. Unless he’s an idiot, expect her husband to show up.”
“She must really be something.”
“Oh, she is. Cute, dark-skinned, about yay high, nice body, and a pretty smile.”
The faraway look in his eyes prompted Antonio to speak up. “Look, you’re a grown man, and I’m not the moral police. My job is to make sure you keep a positive image in the media, and getting involved with a married woman is not the way to get good PR.” He held up his hand when Isaiah tried to speak. “I know, I know, the married ones can be the worst. Still, understand that if you go down this road, it’s drama waiting to happen.”
“Don’t worry; I won’t make your job any harder than it has to be. If I’m lucky, she may be open to hooking up every now and again.” He stroked his chin. “You know, maybe after I’m done, I’ll send her home with an autographed football for her husband.” He laughed at his own joke. “See you next week?”
“I’m not making any promises, but I’ll try to make it.”
Chapter Seven
Cassidy was ushered into her in-laws’ sprawling mansion by a member of their staff. A large staircase created a semicircle as it wound its way upstairs, and the lights of the chandelier in the grand foyer reflected in the marble floor, which shone like a well-polished mirror. When she entered the living room, Antonio’s parents greeted her with effusive hugs.
Cesar Vega retired from professional baseball years ago, but he still kept his body fit and in shape. His chocolate-colored skin barely showed any signs of age, except for laugh lines in the corners of his eyes. His wife, Lupe Vega, was a former Miss Puerto Rico. She exemplified the grace and charm expected from a woman who’d spent the first part of her life winning beauty pageants. Her pale skin glowed when she smiled a greeting.
For Better or Worse Page 5
