Chapter 4 #2
Damn, he’d forgotten about that. “I eat for fuel.”
“That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.” She tore open the bag and pulled out a cookie dotted with colorful sprinkles. But while he would’ve shoved a handful into his mouth, she ate it in four tiny bites.
“What was that?” He curled his fingers and brought them to his mouth, mimicking a squirrel.
“What was what?”
“You’re a nibbler.”
“Uh, I’m an enjoyer. I’m a savorer. And before you ask, yes, I save the best part of dinner for last.”
“How long does it take you to eat an M&M?”
“Just two bites. What about you? Oh, right, I forgot. You deny yourself all pleasure.”
“Well, not all.” He regretted the innuendo instantly. He wasn’t in a locker room, and he wasn’t in middle school. It was just…he didn’t like how she viewed him. Most people thought well of him. They admired what he’d achieved.
Yes, he took his career seriously. Nothing wrong with that. But a lot of people didn’t understand the discipline it took to make it to the top of your field.
And stay there.
“Right. Of course.” She shook her head playfully. “I forgot about the ice baths. And the bone broth. Mm.” She got this dreamy expression and made a sexy moan. “So good.”
“Look, I’m not a boring guy.”
“Oh yeah? Other than football, what do you do for fun?”
“Spend time with my family. We ski, travel. I hang out with my nephew.” He thought about the seven-year-old who’d had a rough start in life.
Like his uncles, he’d grown up in the bike club.
Decker’s family was determined to give him the stability and care they’d never had back then. “He’s a good kid.”
“Well, look at that. You do have a soft side. Interesting.”
“There’s nothing soft about me.” His tone turned gruff.
“You didn’t see your expression when you talked about Cody. I’m thinking there’re little baby football players in your future.”
“Oh, hell, no.” He waved both hands. “No kids for me.”
“Pretty strong reaction for someone who clearly loves his nephew. But fine. What else do you do for fun besides play with your brothers and hook up with models and movie stars?”
He groaned. “Let me guess. You looked me up when you were in the store?”
“Well, yeah. I’m trapped in a car with you.”
“I lead a clean life. I’d rather you check my references than social media.”
“Would Aurora Mason be one of those references?”
Ah, hell. That woman was milking her bullshit story for everything it was worth. “What’s she saying now?”
“It was a Splashagram post about how you broke her heart and how invested she was in the relationship.” She reached for another cookie. “I mostly skimmed it. But then, the reporter asked you for a response, and you said, “‘Who?’”
“All right, that wasn’t nice of me, but she’s made up the story, and she won’t let it go.”
“So you didn’t date her?”
“We hooked up. It was one night.”
“And then you ghosted her?” she asked.
“No. That’s not how it works. I stop talking when there’s nothing left to say.”
“Nothing left to say, huh?” She looked contemplative for a moment, like she was measuring his words against her own experience. “Okay, but did she think she was in a relationship with you?”
“What? Now I’m on the witness stand?”
“I’m not that kind of attorney, but when you don’t have anything more to say to someone, it’s customary to say, Thanks for our time together, but it’s over now. I’m breaking up with you.”
He caught the edge of irritation in her voice, and while he felt no need to apologize for a situation he didn’t create, he wouldn’t mind if at least one person in the world knew the truth.
“We were never together. We hooked up at the Super Bowl party, and that was it. I was very clear about my intentions—as I am with every woman—and she decided to reach out to my manager, my agent, my teammates, anyone who’d listen.
She wouldn’t let it go. She got my number and kept texting me.
I was very clear with her, but eventually, there was no new way to say I wasn’t interested, so I stopped responding. ”
“Well, she obviously thought the hookup was more important than you did.”
“After making her sign an NDA, I think my intentions were crystal clear.”
She pushed back in her seat, arms straightening. “A what now?”
Normally, he wasn’t the least bit embarrassed about this topic—it just made sense and kept things clean—but for some reason, telling this woman made him feel like a prick. “I have the women I hook up with sign an NDA.”
“You just whip one out of your back pocket?”
“It’s on my phone.”
“Your phone?” Now, she leaned forward, her chin practically resting on the steering wheel.
“So, you’re grinding all up on some woman, she’s groping you, you’re squeezing her ass.
She starts leading you down the hallway toward the bathroom, and before you slam her against the wall, you pull out your phone and say, ‘Hold up a sec. I need you to sign this?’” Her eyes went wide.
“Do you at least give them a chance to consult with an attorney?”
He heard the question, but he was back in the hallway, cupping a woman’s ass, lifting her, and pushing her against the wall. The feel of hands around his neck, the plump softness of her breasts gave him wood.
Alarm rang through his body.
Because it wasn’t just some random woman he was fantasizing about.
It was Willa.
Yeah, we’re not doing that. He shook it off. “What’s happening with Aurora is exactly why I have the NDA.”
“Clearly, it clearly didn’t work with her.”
“It only works if you’re willing to pursue litigation.”
“And you’re not?”
“My attorney sent her a letter, but the drama’s making her big money, so she’s going to play it out as long as she can before backing off right before we take action.” The ice pack slid off, and he bent down to readjust it. “But for the record, I use the NDA so I never mislead anyone.”
“That’s…nice of you?” She scrunched her nose. “I guess?”
“It might sound cold, but I’m not interested in a relationship right now.” Frankly, he didn’t know if he’d ever be. “And I need to make it clear that a hookup won’t lead to something more.”
“You can’t know that for sure. Love isn’t something you control. It just…hits you.”
“I’m twenty-seven. I think I know myself, and I’m not built like that.”
“You’ve never been in love? Not once?”
“You want to get me on the witness stand? Swear an oath?” On the one hand, she was nibbling a cookie covered in white frosting, and on the other, she was a sharp businesswoman.
He got a kick out of her. Maybe this ride wasn’t so bad after all.
“Again, I’m not a trial lawyer. I’m in mergers and acquisitions, so I primarily do transactional work, but thank you. No, this is just friends chatting. Now, sir, answer the question. Have you ever been in love?”
He laughed at her lawyerly tone. “Yes, actually, I was once.” He’d never told a single soul about his passionate love for Kelly Weston.
Good God, he’d loved that girl.
“Let me guess. She cheated on you?”
“No, she didn’t cheat.” We were eleven. “Where did that come from?”
“In my experience, men who can’t commit had their hearts broken once and badly. Men are extremely sensitive and get butt-hurt easily.”
“Interesting theory, but not true in my case.”
“How long did you date?” she asked.
“Does sitting next to her in the cafeteria count as a date?”
She cracked a grin, reaching for another frosted cookie. “It depends. Did you slip her a note beforehand? ‘Will you sit next to me at lunch today?’ Did you call her the night before and invite her on this lunch date?”
“I did not. I brought my tray to her table and sat down.” The memory caught him off guard. He didn’t have money for lunch back then, and he couldn’t join her table with no food, so he’d grabbed a tray, snagged a few empty wrappers from the garbage, and sat down across from her.
The sickening feeling as he’d approached was half anxiety about rejection and half about being called out for the trash on his tray.
“So, what happened? Did she scoot over and welcome you?”
“She did not.” And yes, his little boy heart had taken a beating.
“Oof. Please don’t tell me she was mean to you?”
“Not at all. I wouldn’t have loved a mean girl.”
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense. What happened?” She shoved the cookies back into the plastic bag and reached for her water bottle.
“She didn’t notice me.”
“Oh, come on. I might look like a badass attorney who lives in a fancy apartment and travels first class, but underneath it all, I’m just a girl. And I’m going to need a happy ending to this story.”
The funny part was, she wasn’t even flirting. No skimpy clothes, no effort—yet she turned him on more than any woman he’d ever met. “Sorry. Don’t have one for you.” She was funny and cute. And definitely badass. Lethal combination.
“Come on. Three years later, when you had a growth spurt, she asked you out, right? You dated all through high school. When you got recruited, she changed schools so you could go to college together, but you said, ‘No. As much as this is going to hurt us both, I have to concentrate on ball. I have to become the best quarterback in the entire world. But I’ll come back for you. I will find you.’” She shot him a look. “Is that how it went?”
“Not even close.” But when she turned toward him, he noticed one tiny sprinkle caught in her lipstick.
“You’ve got…” Like an asshole, he touched his tongue to his own lip to show her.
Pissed off at himself, he reached over and brushed it off with the tip of his finger.
The contact lasted less than a second, but electricity shot through his chest.
Her mouth parted slightly, and for a second, he forgot how to breathe.
“Oh.” She touched her mouth. “Thanks.”
He’d been too aggressive, and it had startled her. Well, hell. He had to pull himself together. Glancing at his phone, he saw they had three and a half hours to go. At this rate, they’d get there at five-fifteen. Might be enough time to grab a shower and wash off the travel stink.