Break Point (9 page)

She rolled her eyes as they headed toward the locker room.
“What did my dad want anyway?”

“To see you play,” he said. “He seemed really into it.”

“Yeah, right. He’s only interested in a sporting event if it means a real estate investment. Watching for mere enjoyment is something he saves for the strip clubs.”

“Speaking of recreation.” He reached into his shorts pocket and produced a golden envelope. “What the hell is a Pelican Landing?”

“Only the hottest spa in South Florida and a golden envelope means a weekend package in their five thousand dollar a night penthouse.” She pulled out the contents and scanned the itinerary. “This must be a perk Geoffrey arranged for Nila and I for playing in the Citrus match he set up.”

“Citrus match?” Jake repeated. “What are you talking about?

“Once again, a great practice, My Darling!” Geoffrey came up behind Jake and planted a peck on Summer’s cheek. “Better and better everyday.”

“And just think, in three weeks at the Citrus tournament I’ll be awesome!” She couldn’t hold it in. If she did, she’d explode. News about the Citrus Tournament was too big and there was no way she was going to give him a chance to change his mind.

“Huh, I guess good new travels fast.” Geoffrey said. “I was planning on keeping it quiet for a while.”

“Too late. Nila told me all about it. I’m so excited and I’m more than ready. I should probably start double practice sessions Monday, don’t you think? After a good weekend of rest at the Pelican I’ll be ready for the overtime. This is so wonderful Geoffrey” She threw her arms around his shoulders, knocking his straw hat clear to the ground.

“Wait a minute,” Jake said. “What’s a Citrus tournament and why is this the first time I’m hearing about it?

“It’s a tournament like anything else,” she explained. “Except all the money goes to player’s charities. What do you guys think? Should I play for children with cancer or what about Autism?”

Jake didn’t look happy, which was inexplicable, because this was good news. The best. She expected a hug, at the very least a “Congratulations.” But all she got was a scowl, and a grunt while he scratched his chin.

Geoffrey replaced his hat over his grotesquely purple eye and rested his hand on Summer’s shoulder. “Well, I’ll leave that to you to decide, but now the good news is out I have some work to do. Planning your comeback is a full time job, you know.” Geoffrey’s eyes were fixed on Jake. “You know I’m always looking out for you.”

“I know,” she smiled. “You’re the best.”

“I’ll call you this evening and see how your arm is holding up. I’m sure Jake he
re will take good care of you.”

“I sure will.” Jake
placed a hand on her shoulder.

Geoffrey waved and blew her a kiss before disappearing back to the courts. Jake stood beside her with a crooked smile pulling at his lips. “What?” she asked him
.

“Nothing. I just probably should have told you the golden envelope you’re holding was from your father for you and Geoffrey to use this weekend.. I would have told you if you weren’t going so crazy
about this whole citrus thing.”

“Too late now,” she gazed back in Geoffrey’s direction but in truth she didn’t look very hard. A weekend alone with Geoffrey at a place like the Pelican was not something she was up for. She cringed at the image of his pasty face on the pillow next to hers leaving drool stains on the fine linens. “Hey Jake, want to go to Pelican Landing?”

He made a face. “It sounds like a retirement home.”

“Best food around. My dad is paying and if you want a good time, I can’t think of anything better than to waste his money.” She waved the envelope in front of his face. “Come on. Just dinner. Saves you the trouble of dialing a phone.”

Jake eyes twinkled. “Well if you put it that way.” He snatched the envelope from her hand. “You’re on, baby. I was thinking I could use a night on the town.”

Chapter Nine

The Pelican Landing Resort was one of Summer’s most favorite places in all of
South Florida. The architecture resembled an old Southern plantation except it had every modern nuance money could buy. Summer stayed there plenty of times taking advantage of their private beach and world class spa, but she certainly never checked into the penthouse with Jake Harrison.

“You do know the man at the front desk totally recognized us, right?” She cringed as she led Jake to the dining room. “God, imagine what he is thinking.”

“I can’t.” Jake declared. “We made a deal, remember? No thoughts that aren’t rated PG. Which, by the way is pretty difficult with you in that dress.” Their eyes locked and he winked. “Blue is my favorite color FYI.”

“You clean up pretty well yourself.” She leaned on the hostess stand, giving him an appreciative once over. “Nothing like a man in a tux.”

“Yeah, well that’s part of my service package. Bodyguard and jaw-dropping eye candy.” He stuck his chest out and ran his hands down the lapels. “Don’t worry, I don’t expect a bonus.”

They followed the hostess to the private dining room on the back balcony. The muggy day had turned into a balmy night with a gentle breeze delivering the sweet scent of roses from the gardens below. Summer took a deep breath as she sat down, instantly reminded why the Pelican was her favorite place in
South Florida to relax. It was peaceful. Serene. A nice switch from the hectic whirlwind existence she was used to.

“Isn’t it beautiful up here?” she mused, smoothing her napkin across her lap. “You can see for miles.”

“One hell of a view.” Jake winked sitting down across from her. “The one you’re talking about isn’t bad either.”

A cute, freckle-face brunette with a tag reading “Kaitlin” came over to the table with a
Waterford crystal pitcher. She smiled warmly at Summer before filling the glasses with water. “Miss Riley, Chef Andre was thrilled when he heard you were back with us tonight. He says your wish is his…” She stopped mid- sentence when she spotted Jake. The water pitcher suddenly forgotten, it slipped from her hand and emptied itself all over the table.

“Won’t you tell André thank you?”
Jake said quickly, saving a huge mess with a flip of his napkin.

“Oh, my God. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s no problem.”

“I’m so embarrassed.”

“Don’t be, sweetheart.” Jake flashed an irresistible smile. “All is forgotten if you bring us a few extra napkins and a wine list? Oh, and maybe you could close the main patio doors. I saw a few photographers scoping out Miss. Riley. I just want to make sure she enjoys her dinner.”

Summer watched her disappear into the kitchen. “You know, we’d get better service if you weren’t such a flirt.”

He leaned back in his chair and smirked. “I can’t help it if women like what they see. And you shouldn’t complain. This could be good for your reputation.”

“Really? Tell me, how is being seen
with Streak Harrison good PR?”

“Common sense, sweetheart. I’m a good looking guy, and you’re not breaking any mirrors. A well-timed peck on the cheek would make you headline news.”

“I want to be in the news is for winning. Not for the company I keep.”

“That’s what they all say.”

She exhaled loudly. “Okay, I know you think I’m rigid and boring, but in public I can’t afford to be anything else. People know I’m engaged. If they hear I am checking into some place with a strange man, it will get around.”

“People know I’m your body guard.” Jake corrected. “Besides when did you start to care about what other people think?” He shot her a look before bringing the waitress back over with a seductive wink. “Hi, I was thinking about Dom Perignon ’76 maybe? Can you check and see if you have that?”

“You bet, Mr. Harrison.” The girl replied. “By the way, thirty-seven is my favorite number.” She giggled, then scurried back into the kitchen.

In minutes she produced a magnum and a bartender who ceremoniously removed the cork. Summer watched as he poured a little in Jake’s glass.
He took a sip then raised it up in a toast. “Perfect. Just like I remembered.”

“It’s that good, huh?”

“It should be for four hundred dollars a bottle. But Big Al is paying so who’s counting.” He picked up her full glass and handed it to her. “Come on. I thought we were celebrating.”

Inside the flute, little dancing bubbles floated to the surface. One sip wouldn’t hurt. Her decision made, she brought the crystal to her lips.

“Well?”

She thought about it a moment. “It’s all right.”

“Just all right?”

“What do you want me to say? It’s just a drink. Now how about to eat.”

“You like lobster?” Jake suggested. “I bet you’d be sexy as hell in one of those little bibs and it makes the champagne taste better.”

His eyes twinkled, the deep blue mingling with the candle’s yellow flame. There was no resisting the implied dare, and she could tell by his expression he didn’t expect her to. With a dramatic wave of her hand, she snagged her wineglass, drinking half the contents in a gulp. “You happy now?” she asked stifling a belch. “Now, order us both the lobster. I’m starving”

The meal passed in a pleasant blur with easy conversation and fits of laugher. An hour later Summer removed the bib from around her neck and leaned back in her chair. “You look like you had a good dinner.” Jake chuckled, sticking the empty champagne bottle in the ice bucket beside him.. “I’m glad you could take your mind off stuff and relax.”

“Me too.” She stared down at her plastic bib beside her plate. Out of nowhere, she thought of Geoffrey and their impending marriage. She couldn’t see acting goofy and wearing bibs with him. “Jake, how much fun do you think being married to Geoffrey is going to be?”

Jake smiled at her across the table. “I don’t know, Summer. You tell me.”

Did I ask that out loud?
Something was scattering her thoughts. She sipped her water and gnawed on an ice cube before unleashing the most lucid sentence she could conjure. “I don’t love Geoffrey,” she blurted. “I’m marrying him because it is the only way I know to get my career back and keep him from setting his sights on someone else.”

Lifting her head she reached out for her glass. Finding it empty, she reached for the bottle. “I think you’ve had enough.” Jake said, taking it out of her reach. “There is a fine line between feeling really good and feeling really bad. I’d rather you just take my word for it.”

The truth had come out but she didn’t care. It actually felt pretty good. In her whole life she had never discussed her feelings about anything to anyone. Mostly because there was no one around to listen. But Jake was there, and she had nothing to lose, at least nothing she could see after a half a bottle of wine “You think I’m crazy don’t you? Marrying someone I don’t love for the sake of my career?”

“I don’t think you’re crazy. I think you’re driven. We athletes are a rare breed. When you work so hard to hone a talent, losing it sounds pretty scary.”

He had to be the most profound man in the world. Or at least in the restaurant. She looked over at him with newfound awe. “Jake, after your accident, were you afraid?”

“Sure,” he said simply. “I was a lot of things. Angry, confused
...” He paused as he swirled the water around in his glass. “Still am sometimes.”

“And you’re happy with your life now?”

Summer expected a quick snide answer, but instead he shifted in his seat. “As happy as I could be, I guess.”

“Have you ever done something that sounded good at the time but end up regretting it later?

Again he was slow to reply. “I think that happens to a lot of people. You count on something and it doesn’t pan out...”

“You know, they say even the best job in the world doesn’t love you back but on the tennis court is the only place I ever felt safe. When I’m playing, I call the shots and I’m the one people fear. ”

Jake’s gaze latched on to hers. “You’re talking about your father, aren’t you?”

“I’ve always wanted a family,” she mused. “I know I want my kids to have a gentle, non-threatening father. That’s why marrying Geoffrey really isn’t so bad. Plus, I’ll always have a hand in the game. That’s as close to ‘happ
y’ as I ever pictured getting.”

She wasn’t sure if she was campaigning for support or mounting a plea for help. Either way she wanted a response. But for once, Jake was speechless. He just stared at her with his wide blue eyes, rolling the neck of the glass between his fingers.

***

Jake snaked his arm around her as he led her through the door of their suite. They had skipped dessert, instead taking a walk around the gardens in an attempt to sober her up.
The diligent agent in him saw the perfect opportunity to pump her for information. The smitten man wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms.

“Why don’t you get ready for bed.” Jake told her, chucking the room key on the foyer table. She answered with a hiccup and a flip of her hand as she disappeared behind t
he double doors of the bedroom.

He went for the wet bar and poured himself some scotch. One shot wouldn’t hurt, besides it might take the edge off his agitation. Tonight’s dinner offered a wealth of information he was looking for. The part about marrying Geoffrey didn’t surprise him. In fact, it made perfect sense. In her eyes, Geoffrey offered the peace of mind she never had. Jake didn’t have the heart to tell her he was a liar.

It was also still very possible Summer was an accomplice to her own attack. She definitely knew more than she was letting on. But he truly believed if she was holding back, it was because she was afraid of her father’s retaliation. That also meant she still feared Jake too.

He tossed the scotch back with a flip of his wrist, letting the liquid burn in his gut. Through the picture-window, he could see her standing out on the bedroom terrace.
Her long blond hair billowing in the breeze, her skin ghostly pale in the moonlight. It was a privilege just to look at her.

His glass still in hand, he made his way out to the balcony. The ocean breeze delivered a potent whiff of her vanilla perfume. “Sweetheart, you’ve had a lot to drin
k. Why don’t you head on inside...”

She turned to him and squared her shoulders. The darkness in her eyes told him he should brace himself. “Why did my father really send you?”

There it was. The question he was waiting for, and he had rehearsed the answer a million times. “To protect you.”

“To watch me. You’re here to keep tabs on me, aren’t you? Well tell Daddy not to worry. I won’t let him down.”

He shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

“You work for my father!” she spat. “That alone makes me want to hate you. But I don’t. You tell me to trust you, and I want to.”

“You can trust me, Summer.”

“Yeah, because I don’t have a choice, right?” She dragged her hand over her tear-streaked cheek. “I feel like every important decision in my life has been made for me. When do I get to run my own life, Jake? When can I do something for myself?”

The ache in his gut told him he was no longer the detached agent he wanted to be. He could feel her within him, shoving his insides around. Her presence so incredibly forceful, it drove the breath straight from him. “Summer, I know what it’s like to give up your whole life for one thing. It doesn’t make you less of a person.” He brushed his knuckles against her cheek.

“Don’
t touch me unless you mean it.”

He drew back, like her words had knocked him off balance. “You think I don’t mean it?”

“Daddy wants me to trust you, right? What better way than to get me in bed!”

The accusation floored him. How dare she think the worst in him? Even if he’d considered the strategy in the beginning, it wasn’t true now.

“Tell me I’m wrong, Jake!”

A seething, hot anger surged within him, melting his steely resolve. He stalked toward her, his fingers clenching to fists at his sides. “I know your father has some sort of strange hold over you. But you have to let it go. Take it from me, you can’t let what he’s done dictate the rest of your life. You’re too damn good to be one of his stooges!”

He had said too much and he knew it. Anger always had a way of loosening his tongue, which was why he had become so good at controlling it. But there was something about her that totally disarmed him. Still holding his empty tumbler, he moved to wing it at the side of the building, but he stopped short before storming back inside.

“Jake, wait,” she called from behind him. “Why are you so angry?”

He was on the edge. The dangerous concoction of rage and desire churned within him like a violent storm. He wanted her, but he also wanted her to understand. He spun around, pulling her to him with greater force than he intended. “You know Summer, if I wanted to sleep with you because Daddy said so, don’t you think I would have had you by now?”

“I don’t know.”

“I think you do.”

Holding her by the wrist, he shoved her against the wall. She gasped but didn’t resist, her lips parting when his breath hit her in the face. “Maybe it’s the perfect time to give your father what he deserves. You’d be surprised how sleeping with
the enemy can settle a score.”