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“Come on, beer and I think this might be my last night of freedom,” I joked. That wasn’t going to happen.
Isaac looked at me suspiciously. “You’re serious?”
“No. I’m always going to be a free man. Maybe if I’m lucky, I can take two home tonight.” I flashed a smile.
Isaac shook his head as we walked toward the parking garage.
11
Vanessa
I
wasn’t a pacer. I never paced. But this morning it was all I could do. The edges of my high heels dug into the cheap carpet behind the desk. If I kept up this speed I would wear a track on one side of the office.
Candy poked her head inside the door. "Can I get you some more coffee?" She asked.
“No.” I shook my head "I think I've had plenty of coffee for one morning. Another cup and I might have to sprint around here.”
“All right. If you need something let me know. And by the way, Isaac Price is here to see you."
My heart fluttered and my stomach flipped. "He is?" Was he here because he was the one? Had Steve appointed him as my fiancé?
Candy nodded. "Yes, he said you to had set up a meeting for this morning. That you wanted to go over some player issues together."
I felt disappointed. I remembered we had scheduled another meeting. "Oh. Ok send him in.”
At least the meeting gave me a reason to stop pacing like a caged tiger. And then there was last night. I had imagined him touching me, licking me, staring at my naked body. I felt the heat course between my legs. I had to get a grip.
I looked up when he entered the room. He looked different than yesterday. More gorgeous if that was possible. I could smell his cologne. And his hair still looked wet as if he had just stepped from the shower.
“Good morning.” I smiled.
“Good morning, Vanessa. Are you ready for our meeting? I brought player notes. It’s all in one place instead of all the guys bombarding you throughout the day.”
I nodded my head. I wasn't ready for anything. I knew there was a sudden sadness inside me, knowing he was here only to talk business. It was silly. I was supposed to be a businesswoman now. I was the owner of a multibillion-dollar franchise. I was powerful and in command. But all I felt was scared and vulnerable. I didn't know what I was doing. Being near Isaac even for a brief second made me feel safe and protected. As if I could siphon off some of his strength and confidence. He was the kind of man who knew what he wanted. And this was his world. He loved football. He lived it and breathed it. It practically seeped from his pores.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“I just didn't get much sleep last night,” I explained. I wasn’t about to go into the details of my fantasy with Dylan.
“Would it have anything to do with Steve Drucker’s campaign?”
I felt the horror of my embarrassment. My eyes flashed to his. “You know about that?”
He nodded. “Don't worry. I signed an NDA. All the guys did.”
“All?”
“Yeah. There were a group of us who were candidates. I guess that's what you would call us. The unmarried unattached guys.”
I reached for the corner of my desk to steady myself, but I missed. Instead I ended up tumbling forward and landing in Isaac’s arms. I looked up into his eyes as his hands wrapped around my waist. I felt tiny and small. I didn't want to move. I wanted to say there while he held me as the warmth of his hands spread through the fabric of my silky thin shirt.
“Gotcha.”
“I-I can't believe that happened. I’m mortified. How many? How many of the players were there?” I hadn’t thought about how I would feel if other people knew the plan. It was worse than I could have imagined. What had Steve gotten me into? My reputation as a professional woman was ruined with these guys.
Isaac didn't let me go. In fact, his grip grew tighter. His fingers circled around my waist, winding until they locked at the small of my back.
