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  “Dinner?” Shay stared at him. Wow! Okay maybe things were back on track here. “Did you just ask me out? On a date?”

  “Would that be so bad?” His voice rolled over her like warm molasses. “Dinner? You and me? Just two people having a meal and good conversation and getting to know each other better?”

  Oh, yes. She could get on board with that. She definitely wanted to know Joe as intimately as possible. No wading in shallow waters for her, she was going to take the plunge into the deep end of the pool.

  Images tumbled in her mind like a kaleidoscope of the two of them at an intimate dinner for two. Him touching her. Giving her that melt-your-panties smile. The thought made her smile. He cocked his head.

  “You think my taking you out is funny?” He wrapped his hand around her free one, his thumb doing that stroking thing again. “You afraid to have dinner with me? Is that it?” His voice was low and sensuous and vibrated through her.

  “No. Of course not.” She smiled. “Why would I be?”

  “Then let’s do it. Tonight.”

  Tonight? Really? Her hormones did a happy dance. Then she remembered her deadline. She was already late with this project. Well, damn.

  “Tomorrow night. I’m finishing a design that’s due tonight.”

  He looked at her with that penetrating gaze she was fast becoming familiar with, one where he seemed to see right into the center of her. “All right. Tomorrow night. And Shay?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I want to take you someplace nice. Really nice.

  “Fine,” she said at last. “Someplace nice. Now I need to get back to work.”

  His wicked mouth curved in a smile. “Tomorrow night at seven. Okay?”

  She blew out a breath. “O-okay.”

  Only now that she’d made what she thought of as the big decision, how would she last until then?

  Joe finally released her hand and she escaped to the den, closed the door, and set her mug down on a coaster before she dumped it all over everything. Then she leaned back in her chair and touched her wrist where Joe’s thumb had caressed it so softly. She could still feel the sensuous brush of his thumb across her pulse point. Feel the heat of him surrounding her, the essence of his male scent invading her nostrils. And the memories of the other night? What happened had been incredible. Indescribable. The stuff of erotic dreams. Which certainly kept replaying in her mind in living color.

  Would they have a repeat tomorrow night? Would he take her to bed? Take off all her clothes and make slow delicious love to her body? She wanted to do the same to him, indulge in every erotic act she’d ever known about, read about, dreamed about. She harbored no illusions about where this was going. She fully expected it to end when he left town, but she wanted as much as she could get before he took off. Memories that would keep her warm on a lot of cold nights.

  Maybe, if she got enough of him, she could quit obsessing about him and get on with finding the right man for her. She might always be in love with Joe but surely she could find another man she could love.

  She pressed her fingertips to her temples, trying to chase away the headache determined to wiggle its way up. She had to stop driving herself nuts. She had work to do and work came first. She’d just have to tuck tomorrow night in the back of her mind for the moment before she drove herself completely nuts.

  But like a bumblebee buzzing just at the edge of her vision, she couldn’t help wondering who he’d been talking to on the phone that made him take it outside for privacy.

  * * * *

  Joe took a swallow of his coffee and leaned back in the patio chair, his cell phone to his ear.

  “So the fundraiser is still on track?” Scott asked.

  Joe nodded, even though the man couldn’t see him. “Coming along nicely. A lot of my old high school teammates have signed on, either with cash or items for the silent auction. Rafe Ortiz has been out of town on a job, but I’m meeting up with him for lunch today.”

  “We had drinks with him once, right? He’d just retired after only eight years with the San Antonio Mustangs?”

  “Uh-huh. Said he wanted out while his brain still functioned.”

  “He was sure a great running back. So good defensive tackles were always all over him. Retiring was probably a smart move for him. What did you say he’s doing now?”

  “He’s got a great position. Heads a team of security specialists.”

  “Didn’t you tell me one time he wanted to be a cop?”

  “Yeah.” Joe shifted in his chair. “He got lucky. This is probably even better. He’s with Lone Star Security, the agency that provides protection at the Mustangs stadium. I’m sure he makes more money than if he was a cop.”

  Scott laughed. “Like he needs the bucks after what he made in the NFL. Well, tell him hello for me. And text or e-mail me about the agenda for the Coaches Conference you’ve got set up. I wish to hell you’d let me give it a lot more publicity.”

  “We’ve been over this enough times. Give it a rest already.”

  He could almost see his agent heave a sigh. “I hear you. And yeah, you’ve been a good little boy with your social life since you got the job with Fox Sports. I guess I’ll have to settle for that.”

  “Good. Let’s leave it there. By the way, you still planning to fly in for the fundraiser?”

  “I am. This has turned into a major event. You might be trying to keep your participation low-key. But, I’m sure you can understand if I want to do a little glad-handing and promote you quietly to the movers and shakers.”

  Joe laughed. “As if I could stop you. All right. I’ll see you a week from Saturday.”

  He disconnected the call and scrolled through for Rafe’s number.

  “Hey, buddy,” Rafe greeted him. “You’re not calling to cancel lunch, are you?”

  “Not at all. Just checking to make sure we’re still on.”

  “One o’clock at Andover’s. It will be good to see you again, Joe.”

  “Thanks. Same goes.”

  He hung up, thinking about that long ago team and the heady excitement of the trophy years. They’d all thought they were such hotshots, every one of them. Big stars, with the girls—especially the cheerleaders—falling all over them. College hadn’t been much different, even though they’d all ended up in different places. Ditto for those who went into the NFL.

  Sometimes it bothered him they hadn’t all stayed in contact with each other. For those in the pros it was a little easier when their teams played against each other. Some of the players either chose not to enter the NFL draft at all or else weren’t selected and so they moved on with their lives. He wondered if he and Hank would still be as connected if they hadn’t been friends since they were twelve years old and on the same pony-league team. He was just grateful their friendship continued to grow stronger over the years.

  The fundraisers gave him the opportunity to reconnect with some of them and he made a mental note to see where everyone was these days. Even if they no longer were connected with sports, they’d still been friends. This weekend he’d make it a point to sit down with his laptop and do some research.

  * * * *

  Shay leaned back in her desk chair, stretched out her arms, and flexed her fingers. She’d been at this for three hours straight and her muscles were protesting. But the design was coming along nicely. A few more hours at it and she should have it about ready for a first pass by her boss. He was accommodating her with her telecommuting. In return, she always pushed herself to meet or exceed her deadlines.

  Looking at the clock on her computer, she realized it was past noon. If the time hadn’t reminded her to break for lunch, her stomach suddenly did by growling at her. Good thing Joe wasn’t around to hear it.

  Joe! Was he even still in the house? Had he gone somewhere without her even realizing it? When she focused on a project, everything else disappeared from her consciousness. She rose from her desk chair, opened the door partway, and listened, trying to pick up any soun
ds of activity. Only silence greeted her. Almost on tiptoe, she made her way down the little hall into the kitchen. No Joe there. And no signs of him she could see either in the living room or out on the deck.

  Okay, then. He’d obviously taken himself off somewhere. So what? Why should she feel slighted he hadn’t checked in with her?

  Damn it, Shay, you’re doing it again.

  No reason in the world why he shouldn’t come and go as he pleased. He was here on some kind of business, whatever it was—and he certainly hadn’t chosen to share it with her—so maybe he was off tending to that.

  Or maybe he really was making a hot date on the phone earlier and just didn’t want to tell her.

  Stop!

  She wanted to give herself a smack. Letting her mind wander in that direction could mean nothing good. She’d do her best to believe Joe, until she discovered he was lying. If he was.

  And his new nickname for her. Slick. Smooth and slippery, he’d said. She kind of liked it. Meant she could slither from his grasp any time she got scared and needed to run. Wait. Scared? Of what?

  Of your feelings for him, stupid.

  Okay, enough introspection. Meanwhile she was hungry. The refrigerator yielded very little that appealed to her. She hadn’t grocery shopped nor apparently had Joe. She needed to take a break now, anyway, so she could kill two birds with one stone. When she grabbed her purse from her bedroom, she took a quick look at herself in the mirror and made a face. No makeup, hair in a messy ponytail, outfit consisting of an oversize tee and an old pair of yoga pants, comfy clothes she threw on to work at home. Ugh! Well, what the hell. She wasn’t liable to run into anyone she knew, right? Besides, if she hadn’t scared Joe off this morning she could at least consider herself presentable.

  That lasted until, in the produce department, she heard someone call her name.

  “Shay? Shay Beckham? Is that you?”

  The voice was only vaguely familiar. For a moment she was tempted to ignore it and just hurry to the next section. Years of good manners being drilled into her took over, though, and she turned slowly to see who had called her name. And came face-to-face with a woman who had been a girlhood friend. One she’d lost contact with as with so many others. Even though they hadn’t seen each other in more than ten years, memories washed over her like a summer rain. The pretty teenager had grown into a very attractive woman, one who still had the same embracing smile she’d been known for.

  “J-Jilly?” She clutched the handle of her cart and wished the fashion fairy would wave a magic wand over her. “Jilly Knight?

  The woman smiling at her was perfectly put together, curly red hair pulled back in a gold clip, light blue T-shirt and capris without a wrinkle, and of course full makeup.

  Oh, shit. Where was a bag for her head when she needed one?

  “Jilly Mackenzie now.” Her smile widened. “I married Jason Mackenzie. Remember him? He was on the Coyotes team with your brother.”

  Who could forget the awesome starting left guard?

  “Of course I do. Are you guys living in San Antonio now?”

  Jill nodded. “Uh-huh. Jason’s with a big law firm here in San Antonio. He bypassed the NFL for law school. You know we discovered a couple other members of the old team have settled here, too. I’m not sure anyone stayed in Granite Falls.”

  “You have to want the slow-paced, small-time life. I loved growing up there, but I think most of us wanted something beyond that.”

  “I think you’re right.” Jilly frowned at Shay. “I thought I’d heard you were in New York.”

  Shay nodded. “I was. For a long time. Now I telecommute.” Her lips quirked in a deprecating smile. “I work from home. Thus the fashionable outfit.”

  “We need to spend some time catching up.” Jilly looked at her watch. “Do you have a few minutes now? We can get a table in the little coffee shop the grocery has in the front.” Her smile faltered for a moment. “If you want to, that is. Jason says I tend to steamroller people.”

  “No, no,” Shay protested. “It would be great to catch up with you. I was just thinking the other day it was time to see if people still remembered me. I’ve been bad about staying in touch.”

  “Let’s do it, then. Right now.”

  Shay had forgotten how much she enjoyed girl time until she and Jilly were sitting across from each other with foaming lattes, splitting a gooey cinnamon roll. The conversation was stiff at first, at least on her part, but Jilly was as bubbly as she’d always been. By the time they were gathering their trash, Shay felt she had someone she could call if she needed to. Of course, Jilly was married—with three kids!—so it wasn’t as if they’d be two single females hanging together. But it was a start.

  “So where are you living now?” Jilly asked as they pushed their carts back toward produce.

  “Actually I’m staying temporarily with Hank. My brother. You remember him, right?”

  “Sure do.” The other woman chuckled. “He and his tight buddy Joe Reilly broke a lot of hearts before they graduated. And from what Jason has let drop now and then, I understand Joe kept on breaking them.”

  “Hank’s an engineer now,” Shay told her, hoping to steer the conversation away from Joe.

  “No kidding? He always was a smarty. Are he and Joe still as close? Do you ever see him?”

  Shay cleared her throat. “As a matter of fact, he’s in town on some kind of business for a couple of weeks and staying at Hank’s house.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Jilly grinned. “You always had such a crush on him. Good thing you have Hank there to act as a buffer, right?”

  “Well, um, to tell you the truth, Hank’s in Wyoming.”

  Jilly stopped dead in the aisle. “You’re staying in a house alone with skirt chaser Joe Reilly? Shut the front door! You finally got him to yourself.”

  Heat crept up Shay’s cheeks. “It’s not like that,” she protested. “We hardly see each other.” Except for a brief sexual encounter that still scorched her body when she thought about it.

  “Uh-huh. Is that why your face is so red?”

  Shay wanted to hide behind the end cap of cereal boxes. “Nothing’s going on,” she insisted.

  Yet.

  Jilly gave her a hard look. “Really? You’re alone in that house with the man you always idolized and nothing is happening? Pardon me for saying so, but don’t ever play poker. Your face gives you away, not to mention the look in your eyes.”

  Without realizing she was doing it, Shay lifted her hand to her face and brushed it across her cheeks.

  Jilly chuckled. “I thought so. And you don’t have to tell me any of the juicy details. I get it.” Then her face sobered. “But let me just say one thing, something I hope you’ll keep in mind. Joe can be dangerous to your emotional health, and I knew how you always felt about him. If you need a listening ear, just call me any time.”

  Impulsively Shay reached out and gave Jilly a hug. “Thanks. That means a lot to me.”

  “Just…tread softly with the big man, okay? I know how badly you always wanted this, and I hope it doesn’t blow up in your face.”

  “It won’t.” She hoped.

  “Well, I’m here if you need a friendly shoulder.” She grinned. “Or a lot of ice cream to soothe the pain. And I’m calling you next week for lunch. Maybe I can pull a couple of our old friends along, too.”

  “Sounds great. I look forward to hearing from you.”

  “When Hank gets home, have him call Jason. I’m sure he’d like to get together with him.”

  “I will. Odd, isn’t it, how many of the guys ended up in San Antonio?”

  Jilly laughed. “You know what they say. You can take the boy out of Texas, but you can’t take the Texas out of the boy.”

  “That’s so true.”

  Jilly gave her another little hug, then took off across the parking lot.

  For the first time in ages, Shay felt less disconnected from everyone. Now if she could just figure out how to handle Joe and the
electrical charge that crackled in the air whenever they were in the same room together.

  Chapter 5

  Shay’s phone chimed with a text just as she was slipping her feet into her shoes.

  Hank, the rat.

  “Howzit going?”

  How was it going? She’d tell him how it was going. Despite her decision to do this thing with Joe, she thought she was about to make a huge mistake. What if she ended up in one of her typical disasters? That’s how it was going.

  Of course she couldn’t tell him that.

  “OK. U evr cming home?”

  The seconds ticked by as she waited for his answer.

  “Cple of glitches with prject. Wrkng on them.”

  Yeah, she’d just bet he was working on them. When she didn’t send another message her phone chimed again.

  “U & Joe doing OK?”

  Oh, yes. Just dandy.

  “Gotta run.”

  Let him make of her cryptic message what he would.

  She checked herself in the bathroom mirror yet again. As much time as she’d spent getting ready she could have outfitted and made up ten people. Her hair was pinned up with a clip, stray curls drifting across her cheeks and down her neck. The dress was a simple black sheath she’d had forever with a classic style that definitely made the most of what she thought of as her body’s best assets. Silver hoops dangled from her ears and killer heels completed the outfit. Okay. Yeah. She was as ready as she was ever going to be.

  If only Joe had dropped more of a hint about where they were going.

  “Some place nice.” He’d grinned. “With good food.”

  Yeah, that had been a huge help. Even living in New York, her choice of wardrobe always leaned toward casual. That’s just who she was. Well, shit, she’d finally told herself. Just give yourself the full treatment and knock his socks off. Maybe the rest of his clothes, too. She might not come from the same mold as his usual playmates, but if Joe Reilly didn’t see her for the smart, sexy woman she was then it was his problem. Tonight she’d leave him drooling and walk away with her heart and her pride intact.