First Down (Texas Titans #3) (8 page)

Alana giggled, feeling a little self-conscious. “I guess I didn’t know. You must have brought it out in me.” She knew she should feel guilty for kissing her new boss, but she couldn’t seem to regret the most incredible kiss she’d ever experienced.

“Hmmm…” He glided his mouth over her neck. “I wonder what other surprises you have in store for me.”

There was no way she could wear a string bikini and jump in a hot tub with him when one little kiss got her all hot and bothered. “Grayson, about the hot tub…”

He pulled back to look at her. Tossing the sweater aside, he threaded his fingers through her hair. “You’re not sorry we did that, are you? ‘Cause I sure as hell don’t have any regrets.”

“No regrets.” She smiled to put his mind at ease. She might feel differently when she had to face him at the office, but for the moment, she was too happy to care about the repercussions. “I just don’t think we should test our resolve. We agreed it would be a bad idea to get involved. You have your reasons, I have mine, but the bottom line is we’ll be working together, and your partners expect you to honor your commitment. I don’t want to be the reason you break your promise to them.”

He sighed heavily. “You had to remind me of that, didn’t you?” Stepping back, he threaded his hand through hers. “Fine, I’ll take you home.”

“Home for now,” she corrected. “The first order of business tomorrow is apartment hunting.”

He drew little circles on her palm with his thumb. “How? You don’t have a car.”

“Kari has to work tomorrow. Maybe I can borrow hers.”

“Or you can let me tag along,” Grayson suggested, grabbing his car keys off the kitchen counter. “I’ve lived here all my life. No one knows the area better than I do. Besides, you don’t want some pushy agent trying to sell you on something only to find it was the wrong call, do you?”

He had a point. She’d asked Kari to go with her for that reason. Alana wanted to find something before she started her job on Monday. “It’s sweet of you to offer, but I’m sure you have better things to do.”

He kissed her hand as they walked to his car. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than spend more time with you.”

“We’re venturing into dangerous territory,” she said softly. “The more time we spend together, the harder it’s going to be to deny what’s happening between us.”

“Maybe the boys will give me a pass,” he said, disarming her with a boyish grin. “If I level with them.”

“Level with them?”

He opened her car door and helped her in before releasing her hand. Instead of closing the door, he crouched down so they were eye to eye. “Yeah. If I told them I’m going out of my mind thinking about you night and day.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “You can’t tell them that.”

“Why not? It’s the truth.”

“They can’t know,” she pleaded. “I mean, not that there’s anything to tell. I don’t want them to think I’m trying to get in good with you just to secure my position with the company. I want them to get to know me for me. It’s important for me to earn their respect, and that’s never going to happen if your partners are questioning my motives. Please don’t say anything to them about us spending time together outside of work.”

He looked at her as though he was mulling over his options. He clearly wasn’t happy about keeping his partners in the dark. “If that’s the way you want it, that’s the way it’ll be—for now.”

“For now?” Panic tightened her chest. “Does that mean you intend to tell them?”

“It won’t be long before they see that you’re a valuable member of the team, Alana. You’ll earn their respect as easily as you’ve earned mine.”

She reached for his hand. “Thank you for saying that. It means a lot to me that you respect me.”

“I do,” he said, looking at their joined hands. “And I haven’t said that to a woman in a long, long time.”

Alana wondered what else he hadn’t said to a woman in a long time. Was Grayson the type of man to fall fast and hard, or did he protect his heart? Unfortunately, she would never know. As tempting as he was, tonight would have to be their first and last kiss.

***

Grayson woke up the next morning excited about the day ahead. In spite of the fact that Alana had slipped out of his car without a goodnight kiss, he still drove home smiling. And he woke up smiling because he would get to spend the entire day with her. He couldn’t wait.

He’d called to tell her he was coming, so she was already on the front porch when he arrived. She literally took his breath away. Faded denim shorts, a hot pink tank top, and denim flip-flops would look too casual on any other woman, but it was perfect on her. Toned, tanned legs, well-rounded shoulders, perky… He forced himself out of the car to open her door, hoping the blinding sun would be his saving grace. Her effect on him was obvious, and the last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” he said, opening her car door quickly. Hiding behind it seemed like his best option. He’d much rather lean in to find out if she was wearing the same scent as last night. The one that lingered on the sweater he’d tossed on the pillow beside him. “Sleep well?”

She raised her oversized sunglasses to give him a slow and thorough perusal that exacerbated his problem. “I probably slept as well as you did.”

He grinned. At least he wasn’t the only one struggling to keep his word. “Am I supposed to say I’m sorry to hear that?” He closed the door and leaned in through the open window.

“A gentleman would,” she said, fastening her seatbelt.

“Funny, I don’t recall claiming to be one of those.”

She narrowed her eyes as though she was sizing him up. “You’re a tough guy to read. I never know whether you’re joking.”

“Just tryin’ to keep you on your toes, sweetheart.”

She patted his cheek. “That you do.” Her hand lingered on the stubble he hadn’t bothered to shave when he’d finally hauled his butt out of the shower. “This look works for you.”

“Is that so? Do ya think it’s sexy?” He was fishing for compliments, but if there was the slightest chance it turned her on, he may never shave again.

“If you think I intend to feed that enormous ego of yours, you’re crazy.”

Grayson was still laughing as he made his way around the car. He loved that she wasn’t afraid to put him in his place. Most women were so concerned about whether he would ask them out that they were afraid to challenge him, and that got boring. He wanted a woman who gave as good as she got, and Alana had no trouble doing that.

“Oh my God, what is that incredible smell?” she asked, pivoting her head around.

He grinned and pulled a paper bag from behind his seat. “You must be talking about these?” He held them under her nose. It might be fun to watch her beg. “My housekeeper makes the best blueberry muffins you’ve ever tasted. Fresh blueberries, whole grain flour—I think she even throws a little flax seed in there.”

She was sitting on her hands to keep from grabbing for the bag.
She’s too damn cute.
With that, he began to fear for his heart. No woman had ever captured it, but he wondered if he might be going down for the count.

“Would you like one?” he asked, opening the bag. The smell of warm muffins filled the small space, and she let out a little moan. His plan to tease her had backfired. She was the one taunting him with the sounds he wanted to hear her make while she was pinned under him. “Is that a yes?”

She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t need to eat. I had some fruit and yogurt before I left the house.”

“In that case,” he said, taking a huge bite out of a muffin, “I’ll have both of these myself.”

“No way!” She grabbed for the bag.

He laughed as she dug in and glared at him when she saw three more muffins.

“Greedy little thing, aren’t you?” he said.

“You have no idea.” Her bright green eyes shone with mischievousness. She wasn’t embarrassed by the double entendre.

Shaking his head, he couldn’t hold back a smile. In the span of twenty-four hours, she’d made him forget the names of the last six women he’d dated. If she continued intriguing him, he would be ruined for all other women. Grayson was falling. Hard. Fast. And without a hope of a soft landing. She didn’t want a relationship, nor was she interested in going to bed with a man who reminded her of the ex she couldn’t escape. Was he crazy for wanting to spend time with her? Probably, but that didn’t stop him from thinking about how much he wanted her to meet his family tomorrow.

“Don’t you want the address?” she asked, reaching into her purse for a slip of paper.

“Pardon me?”

“The first apartment we’re going to see.” She held up the crinkled paper. “Don’t you want to punch the address into your GPS?”

He put the car back in park. “Yeah, that would probably be a good idea.” Glancing over the three addresses, he put the paper in the cup holder between them. “No problem. They’re all within walking distance of the office. I know exactly where they are.” As he pulled out on to the road, a troubling thought gripped him. “You’re not planning to walk to and from work, are you?”

“Why not?” She shrugged. “It’s good exercise.”

“What if you have to work late?” he asked, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. “You can’t walk home alone in the dark.”

“It’s not exactly a high crime area. But I do appreciate your concern.”

“When you look like you do—” He bit his tongue to keep from finishing that thought. She wouldn’t appreciate it, and he didn’t want to start the day off with tension between them. He would just make sure he told her boss she had to leave work promptly at five o’clock. No overtime, no matter the circumstances.

“Oh, look!” She smiled when she caught sight of two blond-haired girls at a lemonade stand. “Aren’t they adorable?”

“Sure.”

“You don’t like kids?” she asked, glancing in his direction.

“I love kids. Just ask my niece and nephews. They think I’m the world’s coolest uncle.”

“I’m sure they do,” she said, chuckling. “I’ll be right back.” She hopped out of the car at a stop sign.

“Hey, I can’t just stop here,” he shouted after her. She was already making her way down the street toward the little girls. “Oh, what’s the use?” He eased over to the curb so other cars could pass him. “Damn woman has a mind of her own
.” And you love that about her
. He did. He loved that she was headstrong, determined, and laughed at him as well as with him.

“I knew you couldn’t resist,” Alana said as Grayson walked up behind her. “What could be better on a hot day than a nice cool glass of lemonade, right, girls?”

They nodded in unison, making Grayson smile. He saw the curtains move. Obviously their mother was keeping a close eye on their customers. Not that he could blame her. He would do the same if those little angels were his daughters.
Where the hell had that thought come from?

Alana helped the girls count out change, and Grayson noticed that they shared the same hair color. The sisters both had green eyes and a healthy glow. It would be easy to imagine Alana with little girls who looked just like them…

Alana handed him one of the plastic cups. “Are you ready to go?” She frowned. “Are you okay? You don’t look so well.”

Sucking in a deep breath, he forced a smile as he took the cup. “Must be the heat. Thanks, girls,” he said, winking at them. “Hope y’all have a great day.”

They giggled and waved as he ushered Alana to the car.

“Are you sure you’re okay? I can drive if you need me to.”

He looked at his Aston Martin.
His baby,
as the boys called it. He’d never let another person drive her, not even his best friends. “You want to drive?”

She cast an appreciative glance at the car, taking in the sleek lines as she ran her hand over the polished hood. “It’s your call. If you don’t want me to, I’d certainly understand. Ronan would never let me drive his cars. They were like his babies.”

That comparison made Grayson feel a little queasy. He didn’t want to be anything like the jerk who’d hurt her, though he feared Alana wasn’t the only one who would note the similarities. “Have fun.” He tossed her the keys.

She closed her hand around the key ring sporting the High Rollers logo. “Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t sure.” He looked at his watch. “What time’s our first appointment?”

“Oh no,” she said, glancing at the time on her cell phone. “We have to be there in fifteen minutes.”

“No problem,” he said, waiting until a truck passed before opening the driver’s door for her. “We’ll make it if we hustle.”

Alana wandered around the third and final one-bedroom apartment. She poked her head into the tiny bathroom while Grayson stood at the window in the living room, frowning at the view of the apartment building next door. The apartment wasn’t luxurious or spacious, but it would be all hers, and that meant more than granite or closet space.
It’ll be cozy.
She imagined how it would look when she’d painted, made curtains and a duvet cover…

“Can we have a minute?” Grayson asked the realtor, who was hovering in the kitchen.

“Of course,” Mr. Allen said, smiling. “Take all the time you need. I’ll just be outside returning some calls.”

He was a High Rollers patron, and he’d recognized Grayson from their ads. He’d been licking Grayson’s boots ever since, probably thinking Grayson was the one footing the bill for his
friend’s
apartment.

“You know what he thinks, don’t you?” Alana asked, glaring at the door the realtor had closed behind him. “He thinks I’m your mistress and you’re looking for a little hideaway to stash me in.” She was too familiar with people’s perceptions of the women who kept company with men like Ronan and Grayson.

Grayson laughed, masking it as a cough. “I can promise you that I wouldn’t ‘stash’ you in a place like this if you were.”

“There’s nothing wrong with this place,” she said defensively, crossing her arms. “Okay, it’s a little plain, but paint and fabric will fix that.”

“Nothing will fix this place,” he muttered. “Look, I have a few rental places. The tenants are moving out of one not far from here at the end of the month. Why don’t we go and look at it before you make any decisions? It’s a great little house.”