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“How did it go?”
Isaac looked off to the side. Candy was listening to us eagerly. “Let’s go in here for a second.” I followed him into an empty conference room.
The Warriors logo was faded on the wall. I wondered what it was like to attend meetings here thirty years ago when the place wasn’t falling apart. I didn't think anybody was left from those days. McCade had done a pretty good job of running everyone off.
Sure, playing for the Warriors was a way to get in the door for the AFA. That's what the trainers told me. The sports docs. It was something they could put on their resumes. A job with a professional team, working with incredible athletes. But they had no intention of staying.
“What’s up? How was the meeting? What did she say when you told her?” I knew I sounded like a guy on prom night. Sex was only hours away and the tux and corsage were just a pretty package on the way to the inevitable.
Isaac leaned against the wall. “Look, I kissed her.”
“What the fuck, man?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I won’t touch her once the engagement begins. I figured it was my last chance,” he admitted. “I didn’t do it to piss you off.”
The instinct to be mad vanished. I didn’t have a real claim on Vanessa. It was all fake. All for publicity. And I wasn’t the faithful type. Commitment didn’t mean anything to me. I wasn’t pissed at Isaac. It just surprised me coming from him.
I laughed. “I can’t blame you, she’s fucking gorgeous.”
“Yeah. Those eyes.” He looked down at his boots. “And you have her for the entire season. I didn’t think a kiss would matter. But I wanted to be upfront about it. It was the right thing to do.”
“And you always do the right thing,” I joked. Isaac was so honorable it wasn’t funny. His time with the Navy Seals was imprinted on his soul. There was no way to separate it from his character.
I tried to remember a time when he and I had ever been with the same girl. Or if we had ever fought over one. Not that that was the case now. We knew there was a brotherly code between us that wouldn’t be broken. Especially not by a woman. I trusted him.
“But she's okay with the whole thing?” I realize how fucking stupid I sounded. Like the nervous prom date.
Isaac slapped me on the shoulder. “I think she's in over her head. She doesn't know anything about the business, or running the team. It’s clear that Steve pushed her into this. I kind of feel bad for her.”
“Then I promise to take really good care of her.” I smiled. I knew there were a lot of ways I could take care of Vanessa McCade. One of them was in my bed.
“I’m sure you will. Hey, I'm going to head down to the locker room. I've got drills in 30 minutes. You do too,” he warned. Isaac always had to be early.
“I’ll see you down there. I want to talk to Vanessa before practice starts.”
I left Isaac in the elevator, while I went in search of Vanessa. She was behind her desk again, her head buried in her hands.
“Is this a bad time?”
I startled her. She knocked a stack of folders onto the floor.
“Shit,” she mumbled.
“Sorry.”
I walked toward her, stooping to help her with the folders. My hand brushed over the warm silkiness of her wrist. Damn, there was something about this woman that drove me wild. It shouldn't be like this. This was all part of the game. Part of the season. Part of my job to keep the team going. But I couldn't help it, I was fucking drawn to her.
“Thank you.” She smiled. “Isaac told me there was an auction last night.”
“Yeah, I'm pretty good at bidding.”
“This is awkward. I don't even know what to say.”
“Don't be nervous, darlin’. I’ve got this under control. Let me handle Steve and everything else.” I saw the tenseness ease from her shoulders as the words left my mouth.
“Really?”
I didn't know what I was saying. I had committed to more than a fake relationship.
