Hot Item

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CINDY RAN from Athletes Only. She took an elevator to the street, then did something she never did, hailing a cab instead of taking the cheaper subway. She paid for the fare all the way to the Bronx, straight to Miguel’s office, not stopping to check in with the outer receptionist and practically flying past his personal secretary.

All the while, her heart pounded like a sledgehammer in her chest as she silently repeated the mantra, Please don’t let Sophie be right. Please don’t let him be using me.

She entered his inner sanctum without knocking. Sleeping with the man gave her some privileges, she thought. And if she’d been misreading him, if he did have an agenda, well, better she find out now by gauging his reaction to her barging in on whatever he was doing inside.

She entered and came to a stop, breathing heavily. She could only imagine the wild look in her eyes, but she refused to second-guess the impulse that had brought her here. She’d dated the man, despite Sophie’s warnings, and she’d fallen in love with him, despite her own. If he’d betrayed her-

“Cynthia!” Miguel rose from behind his desk, bracing his hands on the edge of the dark wood. “What’s wrong?”

She never took her eyes from his face, watching every nuance she could capture. So far, all she viewed was surprise and concern that she’d shown up unexpectedly. Still, the man was a master at masking his emotions.

He knew how to wine and dine her. His ability to treat a woman well and make her feel like the rarest diamond was unmatched in Cindy’s experience. But as much as he did and said all the right things when they were together, and as often as he called when they were apart, he’d been hurt badly by his first love. A woman who’d remained in his home country after promising she’d join him in the United States. Instead she’d stayed and married his best friend, who owned a small fleet of boats on the island, betraying Miguel in a way that had broken his heart and caused him to put up walls.

He claimed she was the first woman he’d let in ever since. He said that the other women in his life had been ways to pass time, but she was his único y verdadero amor, which meant his “one true love.” She prayed he was telling the truth.

“Cindy?” That he used her nickname told her he was worried.

Well, she was worried, too, but now that she stood in front of him, fear overwhelmed her and the words didn’t come as easily as she thought they would.

“Nicholas, let’s call it a day. I have an emergency,” he said to a man Cindy hadn’t even realized was there.

“Not a problem,” the other man said. He rose, gathered his suit jacket, nodded at Cindy and left the room.

Miguel wrapped his hand around her waist and led her to the leather sofa. “Sit and tell me what brings you by.”

She couldn’t relax enough to sit. “How badly do you want to sign John Cashman?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I do not understand.”

“It’s a simple question,” she said, stepping out of his warm, comforting grasp. She couldn’t think when he touched her like that. “How badly do you want to sign John Cashman?” she asked again.

“As much as I want to sign any young athlete with years of potential ahead of them. What are you really asking me?”

She tried to swallow, but the inside of her mouth was too dry. “We all know Cashman’s father is pulling strings, manipulating his son. He wants the best deal and he’s unsure of who can get it for him.”

Miguel inclined his head. “Your point?”

“You’re doing your best to convince him that you can do a better job for him than Spencer Atkins or Yank Morgan.”

He nodded, not denying the obvious truth. “And they are doing their best to convince him they can negotiate a better deal than I can. That is the nature of the business. You knew we were business rivals before we started seeing one another. I do not understand why you have a problem now.” His voice held a frustrated edge.

She understood but she didn’t yet have the answers she sought or the settled feeling she needed. “Did you sabotage the computers at Athletes Only? Did one of your e-mails to me contain the virus that disabled the system?”

He stared at her in shock, not replying immediately.

At his silence, she continued to ask the questions pounding at her brain. “Did you hire someone to break in? Put a hidden camera lens in Sophie Jordan’s bathroom?” Tears filled her eyes as she questioned him and she wiped away the moisture that prevented her from seeing him clearly.

This time he stepped away. “I am insulted you would even ask if I did such terrible things.”

“I can’t help it. There’ve been a lot of unsettling incidents. Scary things are going on over there. I need to know you aren’t behind them.”

He ran a hand through his neatly combed hair. “I love you, Cynthia. I’ve trusted you not only with what has hurt me in the past, but with my heart now. I have never given that to another woman. Not since Lisette. If you cannot trust as I have, there is nothing I can say that will convince you.” He turned and started back for his desk, not facing her again until he was behind the large piece of furniture. Far away from her, physically and emotionally.

She trembled, but inside she heard Sophie’s voice, questioning Miguel’s motives and actions. And she felt swamped by guilt over the possibility that she’d willingly accepted his love without question. She hadn’t thought about her employers, only about herself.

“You’ve swiped talent from other agents before,” she whispered.

He stiffened. “I have never resorted to illegal behavior. Your boss and your coworkers can have their suspicions, but either you believe in me or you do not. I refuse to dignify these accusations with more answers.” He straightened papers on his desk, waiting while she thought things through.

If she believed in him and he’d betrayed her, she in turn would have betrayed her employers and friends in favor of a man. If she didn’t have faith in him, she could lose him forever. All she had to go on was experience-she and her father had trusted someone with the keys to their restaurant and in the end it had cost her father his life.

Cindy wanted to trust Miguel, but how could she really know he was telling the truth?

“Cynthia?” he asked, his dark eyes meeting hers.

She was shaking as she replied. “I…I need time to think,” she said at last.

“That is too bad, because if the situation were reversed, I would believe in you. In us.” A muscle pulled at the side of his mouth, a sign he was holding back emotion.

“Miguel, please understand-”

“I understand you don’t know me as well as I thought you did. If you think I am capable of doing these things, hurting your friends…” He shook his head. “If you’ll excuse me, I have business to take care of. Legitimate business.” His voice had turned frosty, lacking the sensual warmth he normally reserved for her.

Confusion and pain overwhelmed her as she stepped back. Turning, she reached for the doorknob and let herself out. Not just out of his office, but likely out of his life.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER landing in Mississippi, Sophie checked her voice mail and discovered that she must have crossed paths with her sister, Micki, midair. Her sibling had landed in New York, home from her long honeymoon. With all the chaos at the office, Sophie had forgotten about her sibling’s return. She would call Micki later. She had other things to deal with now.

As much as Sophie appreciated Riley’s attempt to take her away from her problems, his daughter’s sullen greeting, which had been followed by a persistent scowl, told Sophie she was hardly in for an easy time this weekend. She also knew she was merely postponing dealing with whomever was tormenting her. But if it meant her uncle and Spencer could focus on the draft, she’d just have to get through this trip.

While she was here, she planned to make notes and work through who could possibly want to scare or even hurt her. As afraid as she was, Sophie was also angry that someone would try to rule her life by fear. She refused to be cowed by her so-called stalker. Like everything else, she’d deal with this by analyzing all possibilities.

Riley’s stepfather had sent a limousine to pick them up at the airport, and Sophie stared out the window, watching the passing scenery. And despite their moody teenage chaperone, Sophie couldn’t control her awareness to being so close to Riley. Every time she inhaled, his cologne teased her senses. She imagined she could feel the heat emanating from his body. But most unsettling was the indulgent, even tender way he looked at and spoke to his daughter. Sophie’s heart melted watching him play the role of father.

All of which cemented her fears of allowing herself to get too close to Riley. She’d have preferred to stay in a hotel, but Riley wouldn’t hear of it. He’d insisted that his parents had enough room for a small army and she wouldn’t be imposing.

Sophie glanced at Lizzie, who hadn’t taken her iPod headphones out of her ears since Sophie had met up with father and daughter at the airport. Sophie could hear the music blasting from across the car but doubted the teenager would appreciate a lecture on hearing loss, so she remained silent.

From the side, Lizzie looked like her father, possessing the same profile except with smaller, feminine features. She had long brown hair she’d flat-ironed straight and wore a hot-pink Juicy Couture sweat outfit, which sat low on her hips and hugged her still-developing curves.

Riley tiptoed around her mood, deferring to her rude behavior without comment. To his credit though, he didn’t try to excuse her attitude, for which Sophie was grateful. And from his unusual silence, she decided he wasn’t all that thrilled with the awkwardness hanging over them.

She hoped he’d think about doing something to deal with his daughter’s behavior. But hope was all she could do since she knew better than to criticize his parenting or step in the middle of his relationship with Lizzie. She silently promised and hoped she could keep her vow.

The car drove up to large black wrought-iron gates. The driver checked in and the massive doors slid open wide so they could drive through.

“Okay, ladies, we’re here,” Riley said as the car came to a stop.

Without waiting for the driver to hold the door, Sophie exited, stepping out into the Mississippi humidity, glad she’d opted for curls rather than any kind of sleek hairstyle that wouldn’t hold up in this weather.

Lizzie slid out from behind her and ran up the huge front lawn where a slender woman in navy slacks and a silk blouse waited on the front steps, then pulled her into a warm hug.

“Ready to meet the parents?” Riley winked at Sophie.

The gesture did little to ease the growing nerves in the pit of her stomach. “I really don’t belong here.”

He frowned. “You do, too. You’re my guest and they’re expecting you. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Except the little fact that your daughter hates me,” she muttered as they started walking up the driveway.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, comforting her. “She doesn’t hate you. She hates sharing me.”

Sophie let out a laugh. “Pardon me for thinking there’s little difference.”

“Riley!” The woman walked down the steps and drew her son into her arms. “It’s been too long. I’ve missed you,” she said, sounding just like Sophie always imagined a mother should sound.

An unexpected swell of emotion rose in Sophie’s throat, emotion she should have been way beyond feeling. She was used to seeing little children and their mothers all over Manhattan and she’d passed the point where the sight would arouse feelings of loss and longing. She’d never watched two adults embrace and been hit with all she was still missing out on in her life. Until now.

Which said something about her connection to Riley, Sophie thought and shivered despite the sticky heat.

“You must be Sophia.” The elegant woman held out her hand and welcomed Sophie with a warm smile.

“My friends call me Sophie.”

“I’m Anne.”

Sophie inclined her head. “Thank you for having me for the weekend.”

“It’s not like you gave anyone a choice.” Lizzie stood behind her grandmother, leaning against the wooden front door, glaring at Sophie.

Sophie stiffened. She waited for someone, Riley’s mother or Riley himself, to react.

“Lizzie, go inside and let Marabel give you some milk and cookies.” Once the girl had turned and stomped inside, the older woman turned back to Sophie. “Maybe she’s tired from the trip.”

“Maybe she just has a smart mouth and I’ve had enough.” Riley walked around Sophie and up the steps to the front door. “It’s high time I had a talk with her.”

Sophie exhaled in relief.

“Riley, wait. Just give her some time to calm down. You can talk to her later,” Anne pleaded with her son.

Sophie had little doubt he’d give in, leaving her odd woman out around this family. A place she ought to remain, if she was smart.

Riley gritted his teeth at his mother’s unreasonable request. Until today, he hadn’t seen how badly behaved his daughter could actually be. Or maybe he hadn’t wanted to see. Until Lizzie had turned her anger on Sophie, Riley had been content to let her mouth off, telling himself he deserved her frustration because he no longer lived with her mother. And of course, because he was afraid of having no relationship with her, as he didn’t with Spencer Atkins.

He finally understood Sophie’s frustration with him in Florida and Lisa’s constant angst over his handling of their child. However, his mother saw Lizzie infrequently, and keeping the peace for a little while longer was a small price to pay for her happiness. Especially now, with the Spencer situation hanging over her.

He nodded, indulging his mother, but only for now. “I’ll show Sophie to her room. While she’s getting settled in, you and I can talk.”

Although he’d made peace with not finding out information about Spencer from the man himself, Riley had a lot of questions for his mother. Questions he’d waited to ask in person, so he could see her face and judge her reactions for himself.

“Anne, why don’t you show our guest to her room?” Senator Harlan Nash joined them on the front porch. “Riley and I can retire to the study and catch up.”

The senator posed his words as a suggestion, but Riley knew that tone and it indicated pure expectation. The man, in his navy power suit, white shirt and conservative red tie, was the epitome of a Washington power broker. Without a doubt, Senator Nash was on his way up in politics. Heaven help anyone who stood in his way, Riley thought.

“Still issuing commands, I see.” Riley laughed as he shook the man’s hand, then pulled him into a brief hug. “Some things never change.”

“Any reason they should?” the senator asked easily.

Riley grinned. “Not a one.” He glanced over, wondering how Sophie was handling all this family at once.

In her expression, he saw interest and understanding. He was glad. She was seeing the Nash family as they really were, and clearly she approved.

If only she felt the same about his daughter-and vice versa, he thought, frustrated. He’d just have to find the right time to bring the two women in his life together somehow.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to this lovely lady?” the senator asked.

Now there was a pleasurable task. “Senator Harlan Nash, meet Sophie Jordan.” Riley turned to Sophie. “Sophie, this is my father.”

The two shook hands and the next thing Riley knew, the senator had directed his mother and Sophie upstairs, while he closed Riley in the study with him. Unfortunately, Harlan received a phone call that took up an entire hour.

By the time Riley had finished reading the paper and decided his father being off the phone “in a minute” wasn’t happening, his mother had left the house with Sophie for a tour of the city. No sooner had Harlan exited his office than Lizzie had pleaded to be taken for ice cream, and Harlan had immediately agreed.

Riley begged off. Left alone, he hit the home gym in the basement. So much for conversation with his mother or Lizzie. So much for reconciliation between Sophie and Lizzie. If Riley didn’t know better, he’d think the senator had orchestrated the entire thing, isolating Riley and precluding a conversation of any kind.

SOPHIE CLIMBED on top of the bed in the comfortable guest room. One of about four guest rooms, if she’d counted correctly. The stately mansion befitted the senator and his family, gorgeous yet homey at the same time. She yawned and stretched, snuggling into the huge bed. Her exhaustion came more from travel than anything else she’d done today.

Along with Riley’s mother, she’d taken a tour of the town, and then Anne had shown her the capitol, half an hour away. Sophie had enjoyed her time with Riley’s mother. The other woman had chatted about everything and anything, including stories about Riley as an incorrigible youth. The bond between mother and son was obviously strong, yet Anne hadn’t made Sophie feel like an intruder at all. In fact, his mother had commented on the fact that Riley had never brought a woman from New York back home with him before.

Still feeling warm and fuzzy from that comment, as well as from the Lizzie-less dinner, as the teen had gone for pizza with local friends, Sophie knew she wouldn’t unwind fully unless she mapped out the possibilities of who was stalking her back home. She pulled a pen and pad from her travel bag and began to take notes. Steve Harris and Miguel Cambias topped her list. They both had motive. Miguel had already proved himself adept at gaining what he wanted, be it Cindy or an athlete he wanted to represent, while Steve Harris had shown his ability to dig into her life.

But only Cambias had opportunity because of his access to Sophie and Athletes Only via Cindy. Sophie had no doubt her friend was an unwitting accomplice if it was Miguel who was looking to divert her uncle’s and Spencer’s attention from the draft. Yet she wasn’t convinced the man would go that far and she didn’t want to think he’d use Cindy as a means to an end. She sighed, no further along in her thoughts than she had been after talking with the police following the break-in at the office.

Somehow the knock on the door a few minutes later didn’t surprise her and it provided a welcome distraction. “Come in.” She laid the book on her lap and waited for Riley to let himself inside.

He walked in, dressed in faded jeans and a light blue T-shirt. Still sexy with the shadow of a day’s growth of beard. Still so appealing and desirable.

“Hey, gorgeous.”

She blushed and grinned. “Hey, yourself.”

He lowered himself onto the mattress, his thigh touching hers. “Working?” He picked up the notebook, took in the scrawled names and frowned. “I’d rather you were working than dwelling on this.”

She shrugged. “I have to figure out who’s doing this.”

He shook his head. “That’s a job for the cops. I brought you down here to get away from it all and that’s what we’re going to do.”

She raised an eyebrow, definitely interested. “What did you have in mind?”

“Would you believe my father still has a vintage Corvette convertible? I thought we’d drive around, I’d show you the sights at night and we could end up at the local parking spot.”

She couldn’t help the smile pulling at her lips. “Aren’t you afraid of getting caught?” she asked, teasing him.

“Lizzie’s been asleep for hours and I can’t think of anyone else who’d care. What do you say?” He leaned forward, his lips inches from hers. “When was the last time you experienced some good old-fashioned necking?”

She couldn’t resist him on a good day, let alone on one when her defenses were down and she was on his turf. She was still in self-protection mode, but she wasn’t about to turn down what was probably her last opportunity to be with him.

“I need to change first.”

He glanced down, his attention settling on the cleavage revealed by her favorite lemon-colored satin camisole, then traveling down the length of her matching drawstring pants. He trailed a finger over one bare shoulder, his roughened skin caressing her flesh. She shivered, feeling her nipples pucker into tight peaks and knowing for certain he noticed them, as well.

“We could stay here,” he said, tempting her even more.

She swallowed hard. “And definitely risk getting caught.” Suddenly taking that convertible ride sounded even more appealing.

She scooted around him and poked through the drawers for a bra and shirt, then grabbed jeans from the closet. “Be out in a sec,” she promised, closing herself in the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, they drove through the gates and into the muggy night air. A cool breeze didn’t lessen the high humidity but Sophie didn’t mind.

She was in a vintage convertible, Riley by her side and her problems back home in New York. How could she complain about that?

He drove down a dark stretch of road, made a sharp right and suddenly a school came into view.

“Is this your high school?” Sophie asked, glancing at his profile.

He nodded. “Brandon High,” he said, laughing. “And that field over there?” He gestured with a wave of his hand to the football field, complete with electronic scoreboard. “Riley Nash Field.”

She squinted, unable to read the writing on the sign. “You lie.”

He laughed. “Yeah. But they should name that place after me. I scored enough goals to earn it,” he said with a grin.

“Your lack of modesty is unbelievable.” But it was one of the things she admired about him.

His faith in himself was probably one of the traits that made him such a solid, dependable team player. He hadn’t let Spencer’s rejection hold him back. If anything, his birth father’s absence drove Riley to push himself harder.

She remembered how easily he called the senator Dad. The word rolled naturally off his tongue. Riley clearly had a solid support system here at home, one filled with love and affection. Her heart squeezed tight for Spencer, yet she couldn’t stop the feeling of gratitude she felt toward Harlan for raising Riley without prejudice over the lack of common blood between them.

He drove past the school and soon they entered the small center of town. “I thought we’d grab some DQ before we went parking.”

“DQ,” she repeated. “Dairy Queen?”

He nodded. “You pampered city girls don’t know the first thing about good ice cream.” He pulled alongside a drive-through window. “What would you like?”

Sophie leaned back against the car seat. “Since you claim to be the ice-cream connoisseur, why don’t you go ahead and order for both of us?”

“Two vanilla cones dipped in chocolate,” he said. Then he turned back to her. “I’m going to go with the classic, so you can get a real feel.”

He paid and took the cones, handing them to her while he drove the quick few minutes back to the school. He pulled into the dark parking lot and shut off the engine.

She handed him his cone. “So what’s with the hard topping?”

“Is there another way to have hot fudge or caramel on a cone?” he asked, a teasing note to his voice.

Sophie laughed. “Guess not.” She bit into the cone, knowing the pieces could fall all over her and were likely to stain. “Delicious,” she said through a mouthful.

They ate in comfortable silence. Sophie didn’t want to break the mood by asking too many questions, so she remained quiet, enjoying Riley’s company.

“How are your mother and the senator handling the news about Spencer?” she asked when she couldn’t hold back anymore.

He shrugged, licking the last of the ice cream off his bottom lip. She tried not to stare, but he looked so darn sexy sitting in the convertible, eating his treat and staring as if he wanted to devour her the same way he’d consumed his ice cream.

“I wouldn’t know,” he said at last. “I haven’t had five minutes alone with either one of them since I arrived. Either Harlan’s sending my mother off to take care of Lizzie or she’s out giving you a tour of the town. And he’s not making time for idle chitchat either. All he talks about is politics when we’re alone. I think they’re both trying to avoid the subject.”

“Does that bother you?” She rolled her used napkin into a ball and tucked it into the car’s ashtray.

“It makes me think they knew about Spencer all along and don’t want to have to answer my questions. Why else avoid conversation?” As he spoke, he stretched one arm over her seat.

Unable to stop herself, she reached out so her fingertips touched his. “Makes sense. I’m sorry you have to go through all of this.”

He let out a groan. “It’s an odd thing. Sometimes everything about Spencer and the situation feels like it’s happening to someone else and I shouldn’t be affected at all.”

“But you are affected. He’s your biological parent and you have questions you want answered. And you have the right to those answers,” she said, defending his feelings.

“Thank you for saying that.” He tipped his head toward her.

Sophie leaned in closer, meeting him halfway across the console of the car, until their lips touched and lingered. Her mouth had been frozen from the ice cream, but as soon as their tongues met, warmth replaced the cold and heat surged through her body. Suddenly the light caress wasn’t enough. She wanted to crawl into his lap and wrap herself around him until she didn’t know where she ended and he began.

The need he inspired was unlike any she’d felt before. She doubted she’d ever feel anything like it again. Reaching out, she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him closer, angling his head so she could taste him even more.

Desire pummeled at Riley. He loved kissing Sophie, making love to her with his mouth, mimicking exactly what he wanted to do to her with his body. From the erotic purrs escaping the back of her throat, Sophie wanted the exact same things.

He wrapped one hand around her waist, but short of physically climbing over the center divider, there was no way he could get as close to Sophie as he needed to be.

Frustration filled him. He leaned back against the car seat and groaned.

She rolled her head to the side. “I thought you said parking was fun.” Her eyes glinted with a teasing light.

He managed a laugh. “Are you telling me that wasn’t fun?”

“It was fun.” Her smile gave his heart rate another boost. “You just never mentioned how much torture parking would be.”

“That’s because I didn’t remember it being quite so bad.” Then again, he’d never had this woman sitting in the passenger seat beside him, ready and willing.

Suddenly he remembered his parents using this car for family picnics. They’d always used an old blanket his father kept in the trunk.

“Wait here.” He climbed out of the car and walked back to the trunk. He held his breath as he looked inside and exhaled a huge sigh of relief.

Sophie slammed the passenger door shut and joined him as he pulled out the old blanket. “What’s going on?” she asked.

He propped a hip against the car. “Just how frustrated are you?” he asked, his tone rougher than he’d intended.

“Well, I don’t know. You’ve already managed to get me to go parasailing, to come to Mississippi, to leave my comfortable bed and go parking. What else did you have in mind?” Her blue eyes twinkled with curiosity and more.

He reached out and stroked her cheek. “I want to make love to you right here, right now.”

She gnawed on her lower lip. “Where?”

“Over there.” On the field that held so many other memories for him. “Well?”

Her eagerness was almost tangible as she shifted from foot to foot. Just like in Florida, the uptight Sophie who needed control as badly as she needed to breathe was nowhere in sight. But something was definitely wrong. Though her flushed cheeks told him she wanted to be with him, too, she still hesitated.

He waited, giving her the moment she obviously needed.

“I just want to make sure we both understand the ground rules,” she said at last.

He bit the inside of his cheek. “Now that sounds like the Sophie I know-” He’d been about to add, and love.

Here, on an open field beneath the stars, Riley admitted to himself that he’d fallen hard for Sophie Jordan. Forget good old-fashioned necking, he was talking about good old-fashioned love.

He shivered despite the heat unfurling inside him. Not because he was actually in love for the first time in his adult life, but because of the possibility that she wouldn’t let herself return the feelings. He didn’t doubt that she loved him. Hell, he’d bet she’d known it back in Florida, but he’d pushed her away because of his own insecurities. He’d yet to win her back and he was afraid, based on her own issues, he never would.

“Riley? Ground rules,” Sophie reminded him.

He nodded. “On the field I’m a rules man myself,” he said, keeping things light. No sense losing her before they even began. “Name your terms.”

She inhaled deeply. “This one night with no expectations afterward.”

Oh, this was rich, Riley thought. She was handing him the stuff of male fantasies. “The words any man would want to hear.” Just not the words he wanted from Sophie, he thought and forced a smile.

Until now, Riley had defined his life by going after what he wanted and making it happen. The only glaring failure was his relationship with his biological father, a situation too complicated for him to accept all the blame. Failure wasn’t in Riley’s vocabulary and that included how things would end up with Sophie.

Between her fear of being abandoned and her need to control, she had walls higher than any Riley had ever constructed. Which meant that for the first time, he was going to have to play by someone else’s rules in order to win the endgame. He just wished the outcome of this one was guaranteed.