by Debra Kayn
She did appear happy. If there was a problem with her dad, she hid it well. He gazed into her face. He used to be able to read every emotion she threw at him, but today she wasn’t allowing him to see what she was thinking.
“Come up to the net.” He popped a ball high, letting her run to the middle of the court.
The rosy splash on her cheeks belied her aloofness. He moved closer, hitting softer to make up for running her hard with the forehands. He narrowed his eyes. Was she smirking?
“Why are you here, Shauna?” He continued their rally.
She stretched, returned the lob. “I told you. I wanted to play.”
“Tennis or with me?”
“Tennis.”
He missed the ball she hit wide, and hurried to pick up a loose one next to the net. “Are you staying with your dad?”
“Yes.” She twirled the racket in her hand, swaying from one foot to the other. “For now.”
Unable to go on with the interrogation, he turned his back. “Take a basket of balls, and go line up and serve.”
He strolled to the back of the court, and pressed his back against the curtain. Winded and sweating, he had nothing to blame it on — except the fact that she made him nervous. He needed space and time to figure out if she’d come back to pay him for what he’d done six years ago. She was never supposed to know.
Shauna jogged over in front of him, set the wire basket down, and turned her back to him. From here, he could check her out without her watching him. He zeroed in on her skirt. Damn, she’d filled out nicely. It was true. Some women were late bloomers. He’d had no idea she’d grow into her lanky body, but she did. Nicely.
She leaned over, paddled the ball three times against the clay, paused, tossed the ball up in the air, stretched — his gaze followed the length of her back — and swung. His heart pounded against his chest.
For five minutes, he tortured himself watching her serve. When there were only a few balls left, he couldn’t stand it anymore. He had to touch her, to believe that she was here, that she’d come back, and that she wasn’t killing him yet.
“Hang on.” He walked up behind her, close enough to reach out and sink his hands into her hair. “Line your feet up into position.”
She scooted her feet apart, put her left toe behind the line, and waited. He circled his arm around her, and planted his palm in the middle of her flat stomach. The muscles in her body tensed, and he grinned behind her back. The scared little bird act brought him back to years past, when she’d try to seduce him, but the minute he’d show her any attention, she’d flutter out of his reach.
Except this time, she didn’t move away. Her body slowly melted against him. He wrapped his fingers around her right hand, and slowly raised it above her head, stretching her up until she was standing on the tips of her toes. In this position, she fit into the curve of his body, and he wasn’t immune. He swallowed.
“Right there.” He held her in place. “When you’re extending, reaching, you were bending forward. You need to keep your shoulders back, your lower back arched.”
“O-okay.” She shuddered.
Not letting her go, he whispered, “Tell me again why you’re here.”
“I got a j-job. At city hall here in Cottage Grove.” Her arm shook, and he lowered his hand, not letting go of her.
“Should I be worried?”
She shook her head.
He stepped back before his reaction showed. “Continue.”
Not watching, he picked up a few of the balls. A job? That meant she was back for good, or until she screwed up and got herself fired. Going by her record, that shouldn’t be too long. A week, maybe, a month at most.
He jogged to the other side of the court. “Last ball. Let’s play one set to finish.”
The racket seemed heavy in his hand, and he leaned over into position, ready to return her serve. He chuckled to himself. This was Shauna he was worrying over unnecessarily. No matter what she tried, he’d be ready. She never got the best of him. He was always on his toes and prepared for whatever she threw at him.
Shauna took her time, tossed up the ball — keeping her back arched and knees bent the way he’d shown her — and served. The ball sailed past him. At that second, he knew he was a goner. Score: Love, Fifteen.
Chapter Three
“Thanks, Ella.” Shauna set the phone in the cradle, and opened the bottom drawer of her desk to hide the half sandwich she hadn’t had time to finish. It figured Grayson would show up early for their meeting, trying to gain the upper hand. Thank goodness her secretary had agreed to warn her of his arrival, and hadn’t questioned the reason why.
She inspected the front of her white blouse. She’d give anything to appear cultured and beautiful, the way Grayson’s girlfriends always appeared on television, but she couldn’t do that today. Her professional attire would have to be good enough.
With one last brush down the front of her for any hidden crumbs, she scooted her chair closer to the desk and pretended to study the computer. What she wouldn’t allow Grayson to see was how she practically vibrated inside knowing he would strut through the door at any second. Every day since she’d left Cottage Grove, she’d asked herself why she remained hung up on him. The answer was simple: she loved him. He’d touched her life in a way that no other person had done.
No matter how hard she’d tried to explain her unreciprocated love for him in the past, he’d brushed her off as silly. But time away never lessened her feelings, and only made her more determined to capture his heart. If he wasn’t going to find her impossible to live without, she had to do something to change his mind.
That’s when she’d decided to quit her job running the Women’s Outreach program in Graham County and come back home.
Ella’s high-pitched giggle floated past the closed door, and Shauna rolled her eyes. Even her fifty-three-year-old secretary wasn’t immune to Grayson’s charm. She pursed her lips and stared at the keyboard in front of her. How many times had she flirted, tried to cajole a smile, a joke, a personal reaction from Grayson, and failed? How could she compete with the other million women vying for the former Wimbledon tennis champion?
A knock startled her out of the painful memory. “Come in.”
Grayson breezed into the room, nodded, and proceeded to sit on the edge of her desk instead of taking a chair the way most people would. “Okay, you’ve won this round, Shauna. I’m here. What’s so important that we had to meet at your office, and you couldn’t have talked to me after your lesson?”
She didn’t need to see his onyx colored eyes to feel the fluttery sensation in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t as if she’d planned to fall helplessly in love with him. It would be much simpler if another man showed up in her life and made her heart race and her legs go weak. Maybe then she’d be able to go on with her life and be content.
“Thanks for coming by the office. I’ve asked you here because this is official city business.” She handed him a folder, and quickly pulled back her hand. “When I took over Stan Dogger’s position, he mentioned your charitable contributions toward the town in the past, and I’m hoping you’ll be willing to continue that relationship working with me.”
His brows lowered. “I don’t see why not.”
“Good. I was hoping you’d say that.” She leaned back in her chair, unwilling to let his high perch on her desk unsettle her. “I want to do something big. Not only to show the city that I’m up to my new job, but also because I believe it can happen. It needs to happen.”
He grunted. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“Don’t be. Together, I think we could pull off an event that’d put Cottage Grove on the map and bring some much needed revenue to a town hit hard with the closing of two manufacturing plants in the last few years.” She arched her left eyebrow in challenge. “You never know, the community might be so grateful for what you can do, they’ll set a bronze statue of you in the park on Main Street.”
His lips twitched. �
��You haven’t been to the park since you returned home, have you?”
“You’re kidding?”
“Nope. All six glorious bronze feet of me standing in the open for everyone to look at whenever they want. The sculptor did a magnificent job matching my smile and if the rumor is true, women stand and admire my thighs before they go on their morning walk.”
She rubbed her forehead. “Okay. I’m sure we can come up with something else, a day off for all city employees in your name — ”
“Got it.”
“How about I see if I can get you a parking spot right up front at Mr. Winston’s grocery store?” She shook her head in wonder.
“Done.” His smile grew. “Betty even rushes out when she sees me pull in and hand delivers one of the newer carts with well-oiled wheels.”
“And you let her?” She snorted. “That’s terrible.”
He sobered. “You know how the town treats me.”
“Still … ” She pursed her lips. “You’ve already received the town key, right?”
He shrugged. “That lost its appeal after the third time.”
“Fine. I’ll have another street named after you. I noticed Main Street is now sporting a Grayson Schyler Street sign.” She waited and when he seemed to think about it, she gave an unladylike snort. “The point is, what I have planned will not only benefit you, but everyone in the community … but I can’t do it without your help.”
“Stop for a moment.” He leaned toward her and braced his hands on his knees. “You haven’t changed a bit, have you? Sure, you look different, but inside you’re still the same troublemaker you were back then.”
No. She wasn’t, dammit. She’d come back to show everyone that the Shauna Marino they’d known years ago had grown up. She wasn’t going to screw up again. Grayson would see how she had learned to control her feelings and wouldn’t compromise his position in the community.
This time, she couldn’t fail.
“Grayson.” She softened her voice. “Please, listen. This is important to me, and the town.”
“Why?” he asked. “Why do you care?”
“Because I’ve done a lot of things I’m ashamed of, and I want to show everyone that I’m an important part of this town.” She picked up the pen on her desk and clicked the end several times. “My dad did the best he could, raising me on my own, but I didn’t make it easy for him after my mom left us, you know? I hurt you and everyone else I involved in my unacceptable behavior. I want to make it up to everyone.”
He nodded and stood up. “What’s this huge proposal you have in mind?”
She pointed at the folder in his hand. “Look at the first page and tell me about the people I have listed.”
Grayson scanned the sheet, shrugged, and moved over to sit in the chair. “Bruce Coldwell’s a buddy of mine. In fact, last week he returned from a Pro Bass fishing expedition in North Dakota. Gary Satchel is on hiatus until the NFL season starts. Crista Johnson — ” he glanced at her, smiled, and chuckled under his breath “ — I had dinner with her in Palm Springs last weekend. She’s training to win the Iron Man again this year, and is in fine shape.”
Shauna crossed her legs and clasped her hands together on her lap. The urge to crack her knuckles in success, get up on the desk, and dance in victory came too early. He hadn’t agreed to anything, so instead she mentally clapped herself on research well done. It hadn’t been easy discovering Grayson’s friends. He was a private person, despite his flamboyant way of parading his string of girlfriends around in front of the camera.
“Juan Santiago is out of commission. He’s recovering from surgery to repair his shoulder. I believe it was a blown rotary cup. It’s iffy if he’ll be ready in time for the winter Olympics. The head coach for the men’s downhill ski team seems to think he’ll be able to hit the slopes in time, but Juan is worried. He’s young though, so he can afford to wait another four years. The last name is Dominic Chekovsky. He’s at the top of his hockey career playing for the San Jose Sharks, and rarely takes time away from the ice rink. I haven’t seen him for six months. The last time I talked to him, he told me he was hiding out in his home country of Russia to get away from the press here in the states.” He closed the folder and leaned forward. “Now why don’t you tell me what this is all about, and why you’ve collected a list of my closest friends?”
“I’d like to put together a charity event. I’d make simple requests on the athletes’ part. It wouldn’t take much of their time, but would be huge for Cottage Grove. Crista could lead a one-hour training course for kids, get them motivated about exercise, and help them realize that real people can achieve dreams. Maybe she could run a short 2k race with others if she was willing. Dominic could stand in and let people challenge him shot for shot with the hockey stick. The winner would receive one thousand dollars, which would come out of the two-dollar admittance fee.” She inhaled and swallowed.
“That’s all?” he huffed.
“Seriously, Grayson, it won’t be hard on them. I’m only asking for three days of their time. If we could convince them to stay and eat with the community, sign autographs, even better. In return, I’ll advertise the event countrywide. I project the tourism alone for the hotels, restaurants, and novelty stores in Cottage Grove will earn more than they do in a year with all the people who would come to see the celebrities.”
He shook his head. “You’re missing one important part of your plan that could bomb the whole idea.”
“What’s that?” She raised her brow.
“What’s in it for the celebrities? They’re taking the time and expense of coming here to help.” He narrowed his eyes. “Plus, what are you willing to do for me if I help you?”
Shauna stood up and walked around to the front of her desk. “I’m hoping you could ask them, as a friend, and convince them that this would be a miracle for Cottage Grove … along with participating in the event yourself. The media attention alone will boost their career and give them extra coverage. It’ll be great PR.”
He sighed. “When do you want to hold the event?”
“Three months from now. The last week of September.” She clasped her hands together in front of her. “The weather will be perfect, and the timing won’t interfere with the kids’ camp you run in August.”
Grayson nodded. “Let me see what I can do. I’m not promising anything. That’s a lot of different people who run on individualized schedules, and three months isn’t a lot of time to rearrange their lives.”
“I know, but you can do it. Everybody lov … looks up to you, respects you.”
“You still haven’t answered my question.” He cocked his brow. “What are you going to do for me if I help you?”
She swallowed. “I suppose you won’t believe me if I tell you I promise not to have a thing to do with you after we’re through with the event … ”
He shook his head. “You’ve forgotten that I know you. You never do anything without an ulterior motive. I’ll need more than that.”
“I-I don’t have anything — ”
“Oh, but I think you do.” He stared at her mouth. “Sex.”
“What?” She laughed to hide her gasp and the way goose bumps broke out over her body.
“I want to have sex with you.” He licked his lips. “Don’t tell me you’re shy. You walked into my office naked when you were eighteen years old and offered yourself to me. You’re no longer a little girl — ” he glanced down at her breasts, “ — and I want to take you up on your offer now.”
Oh God. He had to bring up the one incident she’d like to forget. She smoothed her shirt over her stomach, feeling naked under his gaze. She wouldn’t make the mistake of trying to seduce him again.
“That won’t be happening. Remember, I’m back to help the city. Plus, I’ve given up on my pursuit of the great Grayson Schyler.” She studied the framed picture on the wall behind Grayson. “Help me do this for Cottage Grove. The town needs help, Grayson. I’ve spent hours scouring through the
city’s accounts. Cottage Grove will be lucky to have enough money left over to pave the potholes within the city limits at the end of the fiscal year.”
“I know.” Grayson sighed and ran his hand across the back of his neck. “I’ll see what I can do, okay?”
Shauna looked up and smiled. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’m not promising that I can get them all to agree to come and help, but I’ll try.” He lifted his arm and checked his watch. “I’ve got to go. I’m supposed to meet Stephanie for lunch, and I’m already late. I wouldn’t want to disappoint her.”
“Stephanie of the triple Ds and bleached hair — ” She clamped her mouth shut.
She caught him staring at her, and she wrinkled her nose. Maybe she’d whispered the question, or only imagined she spoke aloud … dammit.
“Um … uh, that’s great. Let me know as soon as you can. In the meantime, I’ll work on organizing the events and I’ll send you an itinerary to pass to the others. That way they’ll have an idea of what will be required of them.” She swallowed. The gulp seemed to echo in the silence.
“Fine.” His mouth curved and he stood up from the chair, cocking his head. “I didn’t know you had such a lovely impression of Stephanie.”
“I don’t. She means nothing to me. I couldn’t care less about who you’re dating.” She lifted her chin and stood up straighter. “Although, Stephanie must have grandchildren by now … ”
Stephanie’s reputation was well known even back when Shauna was in high school. She’d often babysit Stephanie’s two young children while Stephanie went out on her dates.
“Impossible. Her kids are still in school. Besides, men enjoy the company of a mature, sexually satisfying woman who knows how to — ”
“Enough.” Shauna stuck out her lower lip and blew the hair out of her face. God, it’s hot in here.
“Okay.” He chuckled. “I’ve agreed to help you. In the meantime, think about my request. I’ll be in touch.”
The room turned into a garbage compacter, pressing in on all sides as Grayson loomed over her. She wanted to jump up and tell him yes. Yes, she’d have sex with him, here in the office, on the floor, or every day at one o’clock if he asked.
