He flexed and unflexed his fingers, grasping for calm. He was frustrated. But getting angry at her withdrawal wasn’t going to get him anywhere. He forced himself to remember she’d given him insight into her past, and maybe he could work with that, given time.
“You’re right. I should get going.” Maybe he would meet his teammate for a drink. He was definitely too wired to sleep.
She walked him to the door. He met her gaze, and in her eyes he saw vulnerability. He lost his anger in an instant.
“Listen, I’m supposed to meet my mother at my sister’s apartment tomorrow. Some sort of wedding-planning talk that is bound to turn into World War III. Join me and you’ll get a firsthand view of the situation we’re dealing with. Maybe you can offer some ideas about how to keep me out of it.” And this way he could keep Amy with him while he figured out how to best handle her fear.
“I’ll come tomorrow and see what advice I can offer.”
“Good. See you at nine?” he asked as he opened the door.
She nodded. “And, John?”
He turned, placing an arm on the door frame. “Yes?”
“Thanks for dinner. I had a really nice time.”
He smiled. “Me, too.” On impulse, he leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. He lingered for a moment, inhaling her scent to remember in his dreams later that night. “See you in the morning.” At which point he hoped to have figured out how to breach her defenses again.
Because now that he’d had a taste of her, there was no way in hell he was going to let her walk away.
AMY’S HAND SHOOK AS SHE locked the door behind Roper and headed for her bedroom, the events of the night fresh and vivid in her mind. How in the world had she let things go so far?
She knew the answer to that.
Roper. He was the reason she’d gotten so carried away. One minute they’d been talking and getting to know each other better and the next he’d looked at her with those golden-green eyes and she’d melted into him like a snowflake in July. Pathetic, that’s what she was. She couldn’t even keep the resolution she’d made to herself the day before.
She pulled an old T-shirt from her drawer and awkwardly unzipped her dress, remembering how sensual it had felt when Roper had undressed her, his strong fingers skimming her back. She shivered at the memory, her nipples puckering into hard knots.
She let out a frustrated sigh. She’d told herself going into the date that she needed a friend, but she’d lied to herself. She’d agreed to go to dinner because she didn’t want to turn him down. She liked him too much and wanted him too badly.
They hadn’t discussed business and she hadn’t wanted to ruin their time together by bringing up the lodge. Instead she’d put herself and her needs before the job.
Her mistake had been in thinking she could resist his charm. That she could deny her desire for him just because it was the smart thing to do. It was time for her to put her priorities back in order.
He was a client. Her relationship with him was professional. And her first order of business tomorrow would be to convince him to head upstate for some R and R—Rehab and Running away from his family.
In other words, she needed to be hands-on when it came to her job, not when it came to John Roper.
ROPER PICKED AMY UP THE next morning with a game plan. It wasn’t solid and it had more than a few holes, but it was a start. Every plan had a goal and his was to sway Amy into thinking there was nothing wrong with them picking up where they left off. She didn’t like the fact that he attracted the media and he didn’t blame her. But there was nothing wrong with a discreet affair between two people who were extremely interested in each other.
The first step in convincing her was to keep them together. He picked her up with lattes from Star-bucks for both of them, a grin on his face and an attitude that let her know he wasn’t holding a grudge over her turning cold on him the night before.
Once they were settled in the car, she turned to him. “Before we get going, I need to talk to you about a few things.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What is it?” She sounded serious but not panicked, which he took to mean she was about to hit him with a professional, not personal, matter.
“I should have brought these things up sooner but I was distracted.” Her cheeks flushed and her gaze darted from his, leaving no doubt just what that distraction had been. She drew a deep breath. “Anyway, the first thing I want to talk about is the media. I read Buckley’s blog.”
He leaned his head back against the seat. “That’s a surefire way to ruin my morning. What about it?”
“Well, we were spotted at lunch. You didn’t mention it to me but I’m sure you know.”
Yeah, he knew. He gripped the top of the steering wheel with both hands. “I didn’t think you needed another reason to avoid me.”
“That’s personal. Professionally, I’m the person you’re supposed to go to on things like this. So if our friendship or relationship or whatever you want to call it is going to hinder our professional relationship, then we have a problem. I can turn you over to another publicist—”
“No.”
Losing daily access to her was the last thing he wanted. “You’re right. I should have told you right away about the blog. But you have to realize that I’m his target right now. Buckley’s going to keep hitting on me until he finds someone else.”
She pursed her pink-glossed lips and nodded slowly. “Which begs the question. Why are you his target? There are other things going on at the moment. Basketball brawls. Hockey suspensions. Why you? Why now?”
He swallowed hard and decided to whitewash the truth. “I, um, dated his ex-girlfriend. She’s now his wife.”
She narrowed her gaze. “So it’s jealousy.”
“Insanity is more like it,” he muttered.
“Well, whatever the reason, that’s twice in one week you were spotted out and about without any promotion ahead of time.” She leaned forward, giving him a view into her soft blouse and the cleavage he’d tasted last night. “Is that kind of coverage normal?” she asked.
He cleared his throat and tried to focus. “No, it’s not.”
“So how does the press just happen to know where you are?” she asked, persistent in her curiosity.
“Don’t know. Don’t care.” Actually, he did care. A lot.
He just couldn’t change it.
“Well, you need to start to pay attention. Who knows your schedule and routine? Who do you speak to and mention your comings and goings?”
“As in you think someone close to me is reporting to Buckley?” he asked in disbelief.
“Not just Buckley. Gawkerstalker.com knows where you are, too, way too often to ignore them. Someone is phoning in information.”
He frowned. She was new to this business and to his life. She didn’t know his inner circle as well as he did. Nobody would deliberately sabotage him. “Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Someone might have recognized me and decided to leak the information. It happens all the time.”
She drew a deep breath. “Fine. Just pay attention in the future. That’s all I ask.”
He conceded with a jerk of his head, then glanced at the dashboard clock. “We need to get going.” He turned and reached for the handle, but her hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“There’s something else I need to run by you,” she said.
He turned back her way. From her serious expression, he wasn’t going to like this subject, either. “What is it?” he asked, resigned.
“What’s your biggest priority at the moment?”
He let out a laugh. “Come on, you know the answer to that. My career. The upcoming season.”
“Then why not act like it? Why aren’t you at the gym this morning instead of playing mediator between your mother and your sister?”
He sat up straighter in his seat, his shoulders stiffening. “Not that I need to answer to you, but I’m going to the gym later today.” He resented being put on the defensive just
because he cared for his family. “Right now they need me. They’re my responsibility and I won’t turn my back on them.”
She ran a hand through her hair, her frustration obvious. “They’re adults, despite how they act. They should be able to look after themselves.” She paused, then reached out and placed her hand on his arm. “You have a good heart, John, but if you don’t start putting yourself first and get your shoulder healed and strong, they won’t have you to turn to financially, now will they? Not with a lot of your future money tied to playing time and performance?” she asked softly.
If it was anyone else asking the question, he’d turn on them in a heartbeat. But he knew Amy had his best interest in mind by pushing him to face things he’d deliberately been ignoring.
“How do you know this?” He spoke through clenched teeth.
“Yank thought I should be filled in. So I’d know how important this assignment was,” she admitted.
He hated that Amy was privy to his secrets. “So it was just business.”
“Exactly.” She inclined her head. “And in that vein, so is my suggestion. Are you aware of the fact that Annabelle’s husband owns a lodge in Upstate New York? A town called Greenlawn?”
He folded his arms across his chest. “What about it?”
“The Hot Zone has a suite available and I think it would be a good idea if you went into seclusion there until spring training.”
Nothing could have surprised him more. He was speechless.
“They have a full-scale gym and trainers and there’s a physical therapist in town who caters to the athletes who stay there. You’d have no distractions, no family complications. You could focus totally on rehab and getting yourself in shape for the season,” she said, her hands waving rapidly as she described her vision.
He shook his head. “Won’t work.”
“Why not?”
“Because my family will have no problem calling me upstate with their problems. Hell, they’d drive up in a heartbeat.”
Her brown eyes glittered with anticipation. “Not if they don’t know where you are. All you need to do is tell them that you’re on a business trip of sorts. We’ll sneak you out of town and I’ll put out any fires here.”
Her enthusiasm for the idea would have been infectious if not for the fact that there was no way in hell it would ever work. “I appreciate the thought. But I have a responsibility to my family. I’ve been the one they turned to from the day my stepfather took off. They need me. I can get strong and juggle them at the same time. It’ll be fine,” he assured her.
She shook her head and shot him an I-don’t-believe-you look. “Just promise me we’ll revisit the subject when things get too intense?”
He shrugged. A promise to revisit wasn’t the same as a promise to leave town, but it would keep Amy satisfied. “If things get out of hand, I’ll rethink things. Feel better?”
“I would if I believed you,” she said, laughing. “But that’s okay. I’m not finished trying.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
AMY FOLLOWED ROPER DOWN the hallway to his sister’s apartment. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to the musty smell in these places,” she said. The odor assaulted her every time she stepped off an elevator in Manhattan. Considering she’d practically grown up outdoors, she wondered if she ever would.
“I hear you. When I’m on the road, the thing I appreciate most is the fresh air and the wide-open spaces.”
She blinked, surprised he noticed it, too. “Really? I’d think you were a city man, Mr. Metro,” she said, laughing.
He turned toward her. “I see you’ve been reading my old press.”
She shrugged. “It’s my job to keep up on where you’ve been so I can help you with where you’re going.” In truth, she’d enjoyed digging through the old interviews and articles on Roper, learning more about his public persona and how different his personal, private one was.
“You could ask me,” he said, stepping closer. “Where you’re concerned, I’m an open book.”
She inhaled and his scent immediately replaced everything else around her. Her heart rate accelerated as she finally let herself take notice of him. His pressed khakis, the sprinkling of hair peeking out of the unbuttoned space on his shirt. The desire to back him against the wall and feel his hard body against her was almost overwhelming.
Without warning, the door behind them opened and Sabrina stepped into the hall. “John, thank God you’re here. You have to do something about Mom,” she whispered.
Amy breathed out, releasing the tension but not the desire pulsing inside her.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, obviously composing himself before turning to face his sister. “Can anyone stop a tornado?” he asked. “How did you know I was here? I didn’t even get a chance to knock,” he said, shooting Amy a look of regret.
Why? Had he been about to act on the chemistry that drew them to each other, even when minutes before they’d been at odds on how to handle his career and family? If so, what would she have done?
Before Amy could formulate an answer that satisfied herself, Sabrina grabbed her brother’s hand and yanked him into the apartment.
With the quick instincts of a ballplayer, he encircled his arm around Amy’s wrist, so she ended up dragged along with him.
Once inside, Sabrina glanced over Roper’s shoulder at Amy. “Hi, again.” She obviously remembered Amy from the New Year’s party.
“Hi.” Amy lifted her hand in a partial wave. “I hope you don’t mind that I’m here.”
“The more backup the better,” the other woman said, sounding pained.
Having met Cassandra, Amy understood.
Apparently so did Roper, because he walked over to his sister and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Breathe in and out,” he instructed.
Sabrina shut her eyes and complied.
“Better?” he asked a few seconds later.
She nodded.
“Good. Now, let’s deal with her together. Come,” he said, in a reassuring tone.
Sabrina visibly relaxed.
Amy marveled at the calming effect Roper had on his sister, but then, when she let him, he had his own unique effect on her, as well.
They walked a few steps into the next room, where Cassandra sat beside Kevin, a pen and pad in hand. “So let’s go over your guest list,” Cassandra said.
“Hi, Mom, Kevin. How’s it going?” Roper asked, making his presence known.
“It’s going,” the other man said. With his dark hair and dark eyes, Kevin was good-looking in a studious way. His rimless, fashionable glasses added to his attractiveness.
Of course, in Amy’s eyes, he didn’t compare with her jock Roper, but she could definitely see his appeal. Her jock? She caught herself and blinked.
“Kevin, I’d like you to meet Amy Stone. Amy, my soon-to-be brother-in-law, Kevin Reynolds,” Roper said, interrupting her thoughts.
Kevin stood and shook Amy’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you. And now that you’re here to handle your mother,” he said to Roper, “I’m going to take the dog for a walk.” He paused to kiss Sabrina’s cheek before heading for the door.
Cassandra merely laughed. “You know I’ll be here to finish up later,” she said to Kevin.
“Wait,” Sabrina said, running after him but not before giving their mother a frustrated glare. “We don’t have a dog!”
Amy turned her unexpected laugh into a cough. “Hello, Miss Lee, it’s nice to see you again.”
Cassandra looked up, appearing more rested than she had earlier. “Please call me Cassandra. It’s lovely to see you again,” the other woman said, but her voice sounded uncertain. She was obviously confused by Amy’s presence. She settled her glance on her son. “John, we were discussing wedding plans.”
“It looked as if you were torturing Kevin,” Roper said.
He was too far away for Amy to nudge him in the ribs, so she settled for a warning look instead.
His mother ignored his
comment. “Did you know they haven’t chosen a reception hall yet? They can’t pick a place unless we know the number of guests on the list and what the venue can hold. I already have one hundred of my own—”
Roper nearly choked. Even Amy’s head started to pound. She couldn’t believe how the actress bulldozed her way into everyone else’s life. No wonder Roper was concerned about finances.
“Didn’t you hear us say we wanted a small wedding?” Sabrina asked as she rejoined them in the living room.
“Is Kevin okay?” Roper asked.
Sabrina nodded. “He’s fine. He just needed some fresh air. Mother, did you hear me? We want a small, intimate affair.”
Cassandra waved her hand back and forth in the air. “No, that’s what you think now. But when you look back, you’ll realize you wanted a big wedding, so that’s what we’re going to make sure you have.”
Sabrina looked at Roper with big, pleading eyes.
For the first time, Amy realized exactly why he felt so strongly about not abandoning them to go to Vaughn’s lodge. Each member of his family needed him for their own reasons. But they would take and take until there was nothing left—and that included cash. And it wasn’t as if anybody was actually in the wrong. They were just needy. Roper had fallen into the caretaker role and now they all expected it of him, at his own expense.
Roper stepped between his mother and sister. “Mom, look, it’s their wedding. I think they can make their own decisions.”
Cassandra tipped her head in her elegant way. “And you know this because you’ve been married before?” she asked him with sweet sarcasm. “I know best.”
“Because your big wedding and subsequent divorce make you an expert?” Roper asked.
“Argh!” Sabrina stormed out, heading to what Amy assumed was her bedroom.
Cassandra placed her pad and pen on the table, rose and strode to the window, all without meeting Roper’s gaze.
Amy couldn’t imagine the stress these kinds of confrontations put on him. Watching the commotion today, Amy was even more certain now. All the reasons he didn’t want to go to the lodge were the exact same reasons he needed to go so badly. So he could take care of himself for once and let his family learn to stand on their own.
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