Chapter 17 Brooke
brOOKE
Everyone was on edge, torn between cheering for our boys while also not putting pressure on them.
I’d taken a close look at Jace during lunch today. I hadn’t spoken to him more than a few words because we were surrounded by coworkers, but once I was behind my desk, I shot him a text. I knew he was watching tapes this afternoon.
Brooke: You looked very tense during lunch.
Jace: Pressure is high. Are you offering to help me relax? :-)
Brooke: Of course. What can I do?
Jace: I have a few ideas.
Brooke: Why didn’t I see this coming? :-))
Jace: Tonight, I’m going to the education center to play ball with some of the students, but I want to spend time with you too. Come with me? I know you don’t want people at the club to know about us, but I want to see more of you outside the club.
I hesitated, but the truth was, I needed more of Jace too. As long as we were being careful around here, I couldn’t see the risk. Besides, I wanted to see the center with my own eyes.
Brooke: I’d love to.
I grinned when he texted me the address. We drove there separately in the evening. Jace was behind me right until we reached an almost empty boulevard, and then he drove past me. I sped up, driving past him, grinning at him in the rearview mirror.
Jace had a competitive bone, but so did I, which was why we chased one another right until we pulled up in front of the center.
We climbed out of our cars at the same time, and Jace strode right to me.
“You like speed. I learn something new about you every day.”
“I can drive like a Tasmanian devil,” I confirmed, wiggling my eyebrows. Jace leaned in, feathering his lips on my cheek before moving to my mouth. Oh, fuck, how he kissed me. My knees buckled. He brought his hands to my waist. His fingers pressed into me greedily.
On a groan, he pulled back. “Let’s go inside before I change my mind and whisk you away. I said I’d be here, and I don’t like to disappoint.”
I nodded, still recovering from the kiss.
“Paige, Will, and Hailey are waiting for us.”
“Did you tell them I’m coming too?”
“They know we’re friends. Hailey might suspect we’re more.”
“You can’t look at me like this,” I whispered.
“Like what?”
“Like you want to make my clothes disappear.”
He caressed my cheek with his thumb, before moving it lightly over my lips. “I’ll do my best, but I can’t make any promises.”
When we entered, a pretty brunette hurried to us and kissed Jace’s cheek. She extended her hand to me.
“Brooke, nice to finally meet you in person. I’m Hailey. Jace, you should hurry. Everyone’s waiting for you.”
Jace immediately headed to the backyard for the game. Hailey gave me a tour.
“So, are you teaching as well?” I asked.
“I will start a course that teaches people to be personal shoppers, or style advisors at department stores.”
“But you don’t work in fashion, right? I remember you said something about PR on the phone.”
“I am in PR, but I worked at Macy’s as a style advisor during college.”
I could see that. Hailey wore high heels and a dress with lace at the collar and on her sleeves. It might look pretentious on anyone else, but she rocked it.
“I’ve also worked as a business consultant, and I’ve thought about creating classes surrounding that, but all jobs as analysts or PR require a college degree, while this stylist stuff doesn’t, though the fashion world is a little hard to break into.”
“I might be able to help with that. I used to work for a fashion magazine. I have contacts.”
“That would be great. Paige was actually talking about taking this to a new level and trying to find work placements for the students.”
I spoke to her about my contacts in the fashion world as she gave me the tour.
Once she’d shown me all the classrooms, we went downstairs.
The classes were over, since it was so late, so most students were in the backyard, either playing soccer or watching.
She introduced me to Will and Paige, who were on the sidelines, cheering.
Seeing Will, I realized those potent genes were a family trait. He and Jace looked nothing alike, but they both had this magnetic pull surrounding them.
I filled Will in as well about my network in the fashion industry while we were watching the game.
I was focusing on Jace, who was having a blast. I could tell that even though the game was easy for him, he was tired.
He’d had a long day and still showed up here, giving his best. He was so affectionate with everyone.
In New York, Jace had said we were friends having fun, which honestly had been exactly what I’d hoped he would say, because I was still reeling from the news about Noah and Cami, too raw to consider anything else.
But this gorgeous and utterly charming man wasn’t going to make it easy for me to think about this as just some fun between friends, was he? I sighed. All signs pointed to no.
“Whatever they told you, it’s not true,” was the first thing Jace said when he joined us, pointing between Will and Hailey.
“Jace, I’m offended,” Paige said. “You think I can’t keep these two in check?”
“We just talked shop,” I informed him. “But what exactly did Jace think you’d be saying about him?”
Will rubbed his hands. “How much time do you have?”
“No time at all,” Jace offered, glaring at his brother.
“Ha! That’s what you think. I have plenty of time,” I volleyed back. Hailey instantly laced an arm around mine. Jace looked as if he wanted to break up this party before it even started, but then he was roped into soccer talk by some of the students.
“He’s got one big weakness, and that’s our nephew Milo. Which is probably why Milo always goes to Jace for advice for nefarious plans.”
“Hey, he comes to me too,” Will said indignantly.
“Nope, there is a difference,” Hailey went on. “You indulge Milo’s ideas, but Jace actively comes up with his own ideas. I like busting our baby brother’s ass, but fair is fair.”
Jace
I was glad I’d brought Brooke here tonight, even though it meant my siblings would grill me about her. Hailey already knew, of course, but to give credit where credit was due, she hadn’t said one word to anyone.
When Brooke moved to talk to some students, Will caught up with me, immediately asking, “So… what’s the story with Brooke?”
“She’s helping me with some of the sponsor contracts, and I told her about the center. I thought she’d like seeing this place.”
Will gave me a shit-eating grin. “You expect me to buy this? With the way you look at her?”
“What are you implying?”
“That you’re in this deep. Oh, I bet Val and Lori will catch up on this in no time. Expect an ambush at the next Friday dinner.”
I chuckled. I expected it much sooner.
“Just putting it out there, but life changes when you meet your match. For the better.”
I bit back a smile. Will never talked just to put things out there.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Before, whenever my family said things like these, I brushed them off easily, because I honestly hadn’t understood where they were coming from. Now I was starting to.
Paige asked for Will’s help at the bonfire just as I saw Brooke jog into the building. I ventured inside before Hailey or anyone else got a chance to catch up to me. I wanted a few minutes alone with her. I found Brooke in the kitchen.
“I’m so thirsty,” she said in between large gulps.
“What do you think of this place?”
“It’s great. By the way, Paige said they are looking to set up a work placement network, and I offered to put them in contact with some people.
And I had an idea. We could probably approach some of the companies you signed deals with and ask if they’re interested in this.
I mean, donations are great, but work placement is the next step, so everyone has a chance to actually start somewhere. ”
I was too stunned to say anything. I liked that Brooke seemed to understand the things that were important to me without needing me to say them out loud.
“What do you think?”
“That you’re incredible.” I walked over to her, cupping her cheek.
She shuddered a little, licking her lower lip. When I pressed my thumb on the spot she’d wet before, she inhaled sharply.
“Absolutely incredible.”
She blushed, looking down. “It just makes sense.”
“I like that you’re so passionate about this.”
“Anyone would be.”
“You’re wrong.” At her inquisitive frown, I added, “Some of my dates seemed to think that donations were a waste of my money.”
Her gaze hardened. “They thought this place was a waste of time?”
“Sort of. Even before, I’ve always donated to various charities.”
“Can I ask you something? Did you ever have a serious relationship?”
“Not exactly. For the longest time, I went with the flow, you know.”
She gave me an easy grin. “Hot soccer player surrounded by women? Can’t see why you wouldn’t. I can only imagine how much work you gave PR.”
I grimaced. “That’s an understatement.”
“Now I’m curious.”
“I don’t remember every incident, but there was a memorable one where someone wrote to the club saying she was pregnant, that it was my kid and she’d go to the press if they didn’t give her my contact info.”
“Jesus!”
“Yeah. Took us a while, and Hailey’s help to prove it was a lie. I didn’t even know her.”
“Is that what made you want to change your partying ways?”
“No. It was before that. About a year ago, I decided to turn over a new leaf.”
Brooke pouted. “From your tone of voice, it sounds like it didn’t quite work out.”
“I started going out with this teacher. She seemed genuine… turned out she wasn’t. She’d just been hoping for a break into the music industry, and that she’d get it through me. I introduced her to a contact of mine. They hit if off real well. In the studio, and in bed.”
“Jace, I’m sorry,” she said softly.
“But now I have you, so none of that matters.”
She smiled shyly, kissing my jawline. “Shall we head back outside? I promised Paige I’d let her pick my brain a bit more.”
“Sure. We can go wherever you want afterward.”
She tilted her head, smiling. “Well, somewhere we can be alone so I can help you get rid of all that stiffness I saw today, as I promised, Mr. MVP.”
Fuck, could she be any sweeter? Brooke made to move, but I kept her in place, bringing my lips over hers, kissing her deeply, until she arched her hips forward, pressing herself against me. I tore my mouth away.
“Let’s get back out there, hot stuff, and hurry up with Paige. Countdown starts now.”