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Ashlyn’s mind jumped to the bet she had going at school with an arrogant math teacher who thought he could beat the pants off any woman in fantasy baseball. If she won, he had to take over her detention shifts for the entire school year. If he won, she’d have to take his. But, she didn’t need Rafe’s help to beat John Cafkin. The man was an idiot. He’d chosen Sammy Hernandez as his catcher this week, despite the fact that everyone knew Hernandez would have been sent down to the minors if the other catcher for the Sox hadn’t been injured. With decisions like that, she’d win easily.
When she didn’t answer Rafe, he continued. “Naturally, I’d fly you to all the away games anyway, so you can be there for the, uh, for the kiss.” Ashlyn almost laughed. Confident, alpha, GQ model Rafe Wilson was nervous.
When she thought of his reputation, she began to laugh out loud. The man was known for being able to sleep with any woman he wanted. He could sure as heck kiss any woman he wanted before his games.
As he scowled at her laughter, her mind skidded to a halt when she thought of another aspect of his reputation. Rafe was known for being exceptionally ... adventurous in bed. Ashlyn’s eyes flicked to the bookshelf in her living room, lined with the romance novels she ate up between classes and on the weekends. The ones that fed her fantasies and fueled her desire for a man that made her feel the way the women in her books felt.
Cherished, treasured, lusted after.
Flustered, Ashlyn decided it was time to end this conversation before she made a fool out of herself by proposing the idea that had just run through her head. She wouldnotgo there with Rafe.Uh-uh. No way.
“Come on, Ashlyn, there has to be something you want.”
She flushed again, sure her face was absolutely crimson by this point.
“Let me think about it,” she said and pushed the door shut, resting both of her hands against it, as though she could block out the images of Rafe in bed that were flashing through her mind.Damn him.
“The next game is tomorrow, Ashlyn,” he called through the door.
“Good night, Rafe,” she yelled and backed away, knowing she wouldn’t get any sleep for a long, long time.
Chapter Four
Ashlyn tracked down Elise during lunch time the following day, bringing her packed lunch to Elise’s classroom to trap her. She made it there just as her so-called friend was about to leave the room.
“No way, lady. Back it up,” she said, pushing Elise back into the room and raising her cooler bag up for Elise to see. “I packed lunch for both of us. Chicken salad and fresh strawberries. So, no excuses, you’re not leaving this room until you admit it was you who gave Rafe my address.”
Elise snatched the cooler bag and grinned, walking back to her desk and unpacking the food.
“You’re not even going to try to deny it, are you? You’re enjoying this!” Ashlyn sank into the chair next to Elise’s desk and stared at her friend.
“Nope, not going to deny it at all.” Elise handed her one of the chicken salad sandwiches and a container of strawberries before sitting in her own chair.
“You sent a stranger to my house in the middle of the night!”
Elise scoffed and rolled her eyes. “No, I gave him your phone number. He must have found your address some other way once he had your phone number. Besides, this is Rafe. A man you’ve met dozens of times. A man my husband would trust with his life. He needed to talk to you. And, judging by the way you were climbing him like a tree trunk in my kitchen the day before, I didn’t think it would be a bad idea for you guys to talk. You obviously have some unresolved business. So I gave him your number.”
Ashlyn scowled. “Then how did he get my address? My phone is a cell phone so it’s not like he could have done that reverse lookup thing.”
Elise shrugged. “He’s got money. He probably paid a private investigator or something. Who knows? The important thing is,” she leaned across the desk and smiled, “did he kiss you again?”
“No! But not for lack of trying. He’s convinced it was my kiss that turned his game around. He wants to pay me to kiss him before each game. Do you believe his nerve?”
Elise laughed. “Wait, let me get this straight. He wants to add you to his pregame superstition ritual? Like a sock?”
“More like a prostitute than a sock! He wants to pay me, Elise!Payme!”
“Shoot, you should do it for free. You should let yourself go, just have fun with him.” Elise was grinning at her again and Ashlyn felt her cheeks heat.
“You did, didn’t you? Did you sleep with him?”
“No, I didn’t sleep with him!”
“But, you thought about it. You’re totally thinking about it,” Elise said, leaning back and popping a strawberry in her mouth with a very satisfied smile.
Now it was Ashlyn’s turn to shrug. “I thought about it for about two seconds, but that’s not me. You know that’s not me. I mean, what am I supposed to do, just sleep with the guy for however long he thinks I’m the key to winning his games and then move on?”
“Actually, yes. I think you should. You deserve to have a little fun. And, you can make a deal with him that you’re exclusive while it’s going on. Take advantage of this, Ashlyn.”
