Chapter Twelve
D ex spent a long week in California doing his least favorite part of the broadcasting job. It was the reason he tried not to take advertising gigs like Brady and the Manning brothers did. Not to mention, this was the worst time for him to be away from the city and Samantha. He worried that Jeremy would show up when she was alone and defenseless, but he needed to trust her to be smart and not get caught alone with her ex.
His plans for the evening were set, thanks to having the right connections and people willing to do favors. But first he had a meeting with his agent and headed to the Meridian NYC to meet up with Austin Prescott. Though Austin lived in Miami, he was in town to see clients and he’d requested an early lunch meeting.
He gave his car to the valet at the hotel where he’d met up with Samantha over two weeks ago. It was hard to believe how much his life and outlook had changed in that short span of time. When he’d pulled into the circular drive the first time, his focus had been his career. Now he caught himself thinking about Samantha as part of whatever his plans were for the future.
Once he was in the restaurant, he caught sight of Austin sitting with his personal assistant and wife, Quinn. She’d been Austin’s right hand for over a year before one of his ex’s left a baby girl on his doorstep and he’d called Quinn for help. Next thing anyone knew, Austin and Quinn were a solid couple and neither had looked back.
He strode over to the table and stopped by Quinn. “I’m glad you’re here too,” he said, leaning over to kiss her cheek before turning to his agent. “Austin.” They shook hands and Dex joined them at the table.
“How’s Jenny?” he asked.
“Five going on twenty,” Austin said with a shake of his head.
Quinn chuckled. “But she’s a daddy’s girl,” she said with a smile. And of course, she pulled out her phone and showed him a picture of the little cutie in high ponytails on either side of her head.
“She’s adorable,” he said with a chuckle.
“And a handful. But Austin’s mom agreed to watch her while we came to New York on business.”
Austin reached over and took his wife’s hand and placed a kiss on top. “Not just business,” he said in a gruff voice.
“Okay, we might go way back but I don’t need to hear that.” Dex gestured for the server and ordered an Arnold Palmer.
“Refills?” he asked the couple.
After they answered, Austin straightened in his seat. “So… business,” he said, his lips pulled in a tight line. “Ian mentioned you helped out his sister.”
Great. The Dare family gossip tree was going strong. Austin was a Dare by blood. Paul Dare, Samantha’s uncle, was the Prescott kids’ sperm donor dad. The only reason Dex knew the details was because he and Austin had become friends over the years Austin had represented him.
Dex glared at his agent, not thrilled with his personal life being up for discussion. “I was there for her,” he said, deliberately being vague.
“By taking her to the Bahamas?” Austin asked, his voice low and his tone grim.
Dex curled his hands into fists on his lap. “Austin, you’re my agent and a friend, but I have to ask, why the hell is this your business?”
Quinn sat in silence, uncomfortable if the squirming in her seat was any indication.
“Optics.” Bracing his arms on the table, Austin leaned forward, moving in closer for a quiet but firm conversation. “How do you think it looks if the network gets wind of the fact that you took a woman to a private home in the Bahamas on the same day she walked out on her wedding?”
Dex swallowed his anger. “After discovering the groom was not only cheating on her but planning to divorce her and take half her money? I think the sympathy vote comes down on Samantha’s side.”
“Look, she’s my cousin and I feel sorry for her but the fact is, you signed with a family network. They aren’t going to want you to be the subject of a scandal and they certainly won’t want any distraction from football so close to when their new multimillion-dollar anchor is set to go on the air.”
“This is all bullshit,” Dex muttered. “What are you asking me to do, Austin? Stay away from her? Because that’s not going to happen.” Frustration boiled in his gut at the thought. “And I expect my agent to have my back.” His voice rose as the ramifications of this conversation became clear.
“I do have your back but part of my job is telling you the truth. You have a morality clause in your contract and a lot on the line.” Austin’s decibel level matched Dex’s.
“Austin, we don’t need to give the press a story here, either.” Quinn put a hand on her husband’s arm. The gesture got his attention and his entire body relaxed.
She might have diffused her husband’s anger but Dex was still furious. “My personal life is just that. Samantha is no longer engaged and she never married, so she’s free to see whoever she wants. Tell the network that if they come to you with any complaints.”
Austin let out a slow breath and nodded. “I understand your perspective. I was just looking out for your best interest. I do think it would be best if you and Samantha kept things quiet until more time has passed. Going public so soon could have blowback. As your agent, that’s all I’m saying. As your friend and her cousin, I just want you both to be happy.”
Dex nodded, his anger leaving as quickly as it had come. “Samantha’s been through a lot lately. She doesn’t deserve the shit Jeremy put her through and I won’t make her feel like I’m hiding her. That said, we haven’t defined our relationship, so it’s premature to jump to any conclusions.”
“Understood.”
“I’d also appreciate it if you didn’t mention this conversation or your opinion on the matter to Samantha.” Dex didn’t need her backing away in some misguided attempt to protect him. She had enough reasons to be wary of relationships without adding Austin’s paranoia to the mix.
Austin narrowed his gaze. “Really? I think you’d trust my professionalism by now.”
Quinn let out a deep sigh. “Everyone’s made their point. I suggest we move on to food now,” she said in a tone that didn’t allow for argument.
Austin placed his hand over hers and Dex respected her enough to listen, too. The rest of the meeting consisted of catching up on a friendlier level and talk about the media coaching he’d done with a professional Austin had put him in contact with while in California. Between Dex’s knowledge of the sport and already being comfortable in front of the camera for all the post-game press conferences, he was ready for the job.
“What about your house on Star Island? Are you planning to sell?” Austin asked.
Dex rubbed the back of his neck. “Unsure. I do have clothing and some things there I want to go back for, but part of me wants to hang on to the property.”
“A vacation home?” Quinn asked.
“Maybe.” He could see bringing Samantha there to share what the place meant to him.
When he’d signed his first million-dollar contract, the idea of owning a huge house had been appealing, but he found his penthouse more comfortable and homey than an overly large mansion. Still, the home represented something apart from the money he’d inherited and he was proud of it.
They discussed various football teams’ potential for the year and soon, the brunch was almost over. When Austin asked what his plans were for the weekend, Dex hedged, not revealing the date he had in store for Samantha.
It was nobody’s business but theirs.
***
Samantha slipped into her favorite sundress, a yellow-and-white floral that hit above the knee. She was just hooking her strappy sandals when a ding on her phone alerted her that she had company coming up, and her stomach fluttered with anticipation. Though she’d heard from Dex while he was away, she’d spent the week in a heightened state of anxiety at work.
Where Jeremy was concerned, what her lawyers considered moving fast and what she’d hoped for were two separate things. She kept expecting him to walk into her office, angry and out of control. At least tonight’s date with Dex had given her something pleasurable to look forward to. More so since just hearing his deep voice on the phone made her girly parts extremely happy, which had led to her giving her vibrator a workout.
She glanced in the bedroom mirror, took a quick look at the light coating of makeup she’d put on, and wondered if Dex preferred to kiss glossed or matte lips. She shrugged and reapplied her lipstick, pressed her lips together, and was ready to go.
She grabbed her purse and walked to the entry just as a knock sounded and she opened the door to let Dex in. He stood before her in a pair of dark jeans and a light blue collared button-up shirt that set off his sexy eyes. He’d rolled the sleeves, revealing those muscles she loved to ogle.
Her gaze slid to his to find him devouring her the same way she’d been doing to him. He let out a low whistle. “I think we have to upgrade you from beautiful to gorgeous.” Stepping forward, he clasped his hands around her waist and leaned in for a light kiss on her cheek.
She breathed in his scent. Her body tingled, and she wished he’d kiss her on the lips.
Instead, he stepped back. “Come on. We’re on a schedule.”
“Where are we going?” she asked, as he slipped his hand in hers.
“It’s a surprise, remember?” He waited as she locked up, set the alarm, and they took off.
He’d driven his Mercedes and they ended up in Midtown where he parked in a lot and gave the Benz to a valet, sliding money into the man’s hand to take care of the vehicle.
He clasped their fingers together and led her down the sidewalk, the warm summer air wafting around them. “I hope you like pizza.”
“Love it.” Her stomach rumbled in agreement.
He led her to a typical New York City pizza place that was ultra-casual. They ordered a large pizza at the counter, then sat down to wait until Dex could walk back and pick up their food.
They talked about his photo shoot in San Francisco and how much he despised being in front of the camera like a model but was looking forward to live broadcasts of the games and discussing the plays as they happened.
A man behind the counter called out their order and Dex stood, walking over to collect their pizza and two sodas. Once he settled into his seat across from her, he handed her a slice and she took a bite, chewing and savoring the piece.
“You cannot get pizza like this in Florida,” she said. “It’s one of the perks of living in the city.”
“This is my favorite pizza spot and I’m happy to share it with you.”
She took another bite and moaned. “I hope they deliver uptown.”
“Do not make that sound in public where I can’t react to it the way I want to.”
A glance at him showed his cheeks were flushed and his gaze darkened.
“Oops.” She grinned but also squirmed because she felt the same desire oozing through her veins.
He shook his head and after he ate some, he said, “Back to your point, they have another restaurant close to where you live that I’m sure will deliver.”
“Excellent.” She was already planning in her mind.
“So, you’re good with being here? Really?” He gestured around the place that had filled up with couples, families, and kids. “As opposed to someplace fancy, I mean.”
She leaned forward. “Dex, I realize you don’t know me well yet, so let me enlighten you. I don’t need expensive meals or restaurants. I just like spending time with you. What kind of women have you been dating, anyway?”
Interesting question, he thought. “Well, I can’t say I’ve been dating much but during my career, women were all about what I could buy for them, where I could take them, and who they could meet when they were with me. I found it hard to make a real connection and given that I was so football focused, I never really tried.”
She hated thinking about him floundering as women tried to use him for his money and fame. “That’s sad. I can promise you my mom raised us right. We all appreciate things being real.” Everything her mom hadn’t had with her father.
He narrowed his gaze. “You seem sad. Does valuing people and not things have anything to do with your father’s betrayal?” he asked.
She nodded, aware that he was ultra-sensitive to her moods and thoughts. Something else that was new to her in a relationship. Not that they were in one. Or were they?
“My father was good at buying us off,” she admitted. “He’d come home from business trips ,” she said, using finger quotes, “with gifts for the kids and expensive jewelry for Mom. When we were younger it was exciting. As we grew up, we understood we’d rather have our father at school events than presents and a quick visit. And when we found out he wasn’t working but was raising another family, every illusion we had shattered.”
He reached over, putting his big, warm hand over hers. “I’m sorry. That’s horrible. But you keep saying when we found out, we understood… but how did you feel?”
She swallowed hard. “There were so many of us, we’ve always been a we . The Dare kids.” She nibbled on her bottom lip. “I guess it’s just easier to lump us together than to deal with my personal feelings about my father.”
As if sensing there was more, Dex waited patiently. The noise around them faded until it was just the two of them and she could think.
“My feelings never mattered,” she said honestly. “I was worried about my siblings. I saw them being strong, so I emulated them. I thought if I fell apart then they’d have to worry about me too. Especially Ian. He took on everyone’s pain.”
Dex’s hand squeezed tighter. “You matter, Samantha. Your feelings, your pain, it’s yours and it’s okay to own it.”
He hesitated and she processed his words, a lump growing larger in her throat the longer he was silent.
“Is that why you haven’t really broken down about Jeremy?” he asked. “Because you’re so used to stuffing your feelings down deep?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t broken down because I didn’t love him, but you’re right. I also haven’t allowed myself to feel real hurt over losing the life I wanted—not the man but the future I’d hoped for. The career, a husband, kids. I wanted what my mom never got. I wanted my kids to have what my dad never gave me. And I fucked up and chose the wrong man.” She wrapped her goosebump covered arms around herself.
Dex was out of his seat and sliding into her side of the booth in an instant. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.
“Just because you chose wrong once doesn’t mean you’ll never see your dreams come true.” He kissed her temple. “Once you get through the rubble, you’ll see a whole new future ahead of you. As long as you remember that what you want matters.”
She leaned into him and sighed. “You’re a good guy, Dex. Solid. Thanks for this talk.”
“I didn’t mean for things to get so heavy but—”
“It’s okay. I needed to face those emotions. So tell me,” she said, eager to change the subject. “What’s next on our agenda tonight? You said we’re on a schedule.”
“We are. I also said it’s a surprise.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re frustrating.”
He let out a laugh. “And you’re impatient. Are you finished eating?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yep.”
“Then let’s head to the main destination.”
She was relieved to put the emotional drama away for the night and gathered their paper plates to toss in the garbage.
He slid out of the booth, then stood and held out a hand for her to do the same. After dumping the trash, they exited the pizza parlor and took a long walk, weaving through the crowds and ending up at a building she recognized.
“The Rooftop Cinema?” she asked, her excitement growing. “I read about this place but I haven’t had the chance to check it out. Do we have good seats?”
His grin held a hint of mischief. “The best. Let’s go see.”
A few minutes later, he’d checked in with someone and she discovered Dex had rented out the entire third floor rooftop for them alone. All the chairs she’d seen in pictures online had been packed away and just two remained facing the large screen.
The man who’d escorted them up whispered something to Dex before he walked away, disappearing through the door leading inside.
“What did he say?”
“That the popcorn’s over in the corner along with water bottles, soda, and blankets. Oh, and nobody will bother us or come in until the movie ends.”