After All These Years (One Pass Away #2) (8 page)

A never-ending supply
.

The words stuck with Riley as she drove away from the
stadium. Gaige was looking forty in the eye and he was still a major player.
What made her think Sean was ready to settle for one woman?

What made Riley think that woman would be her?

Sean was interested. Gaige had said as much—and Riley had
learned to figure out when a man wanted her. Would it be enough? If Sean was
only interested in an affair, was Riley ready to turn away? Or would she
embrace the chance to have him—on any terms?

Tonight was the first step in finding the answers to her
questions. This was the debut of the new Riley.

It was time to find out if she was dealing with the same old
Sean.

CORRINE PRESTON ENJOYED hosting the yearly kick-off party for
the Knights.

She didn’t give a damn about football. It was the main
subject of conversation. Defense. Offense. Salary caps. Injuries.

Ugh!
.

Corrine smiled through the inane chatter, tuning out the voices.
Her pleasure didn’t come from the game; it came from the players. Eye candy.
Young men in the prime of their lives. Fit and fabulous.

The guest list was carefully assembled. The team—naturally.
Coaches and trainers. The Knights’ board of directors. Girlfriends and wives
were a necessary evil. The older she got, the younger the other women became.
However, with the help of good genes and a discreet plastic surgeon, Corrine
fought Mother Nature at every turn. For now, she was winning the battle.

Circulating through the crowd, Corrine scoped out the new
meat. Mmm. There was nothing better than a young, malleable lover. From birth,
her life had been ruled by powerful men. First her father, then her husband.
She liked to be in charge in the bedroom. It was one of the few places she had
complete control.

The room was filled with past conquests, potential new ones
and, much to her chagrin, a few failures. Corrine hated rejection. She never
made a move unless she was certain of the outcome.

Her first mistake had been Gaige Benson. She took one look
at his blond hair and green eyes coupled with a body made for giving her
pleasure, and Corrine couldn’t see anything else. She was shocked when he
turned her down. Her first reaction had been to get him traded. Gerald laughed
at the suggestion.

“Benson is a franchise quarterback. The Knights are not
letting him go.”

“But he…” Corrine hesitated. She and her husband had an open
marriage. However, that didn’t mean they discussed their lovers.

“Suck it up, Corrine.” Gerald knew his wife’s penchant for
young football players. He approved of anything that kept her out of his hair.
She could screw the whole team and staff for all he cared. Still, it amused him
to see her bent out of shape over a rare miss. “You hit on the wrong man. As
shocking as it may be, not everyone finds you irresistible.”

Corrine suffered the humiliation. It was a bitter pill to
swallow. However, Gaige Benson was only one man. One mistake. Her
only
mistake. Until Sean McBride.

She blamed Riley. Corrine’s interest in Sean had been minor.
He had too much experience for her taste. However, when she saw the opportunity
to take a taste
and
rub her daughter’s holier than thou nose in it, she
couldn’t resist.

The backfire had been instantaneous and painful. The look of
disgust on Sean’s face after she playfully squeezed his chest was bad enough.
Riley’s reaction was a blow she felt to this day.

Lord, it had felt good to slap that smug little bitch’s
face. She should have done it sooner. Corrine had hoped for tears and
recriminations. Instead, Riley threatened her.
Her.
It had been
unthinkable. Unpalatable. For five years, the need for revenge had simmered in
Corrine’s mind.
One day
, she promised herself.

That was for another time. She looked forward to this night
every year. She planned on enjoying being the most beautiful and desirable
woman in the room. Fluffing her freshly highlighted hair, Corrine entered the
room. The smile that was meant to be seductive froze on her lips when the first
thing she saw was a beautiful young woman surrounded by men.
Her
men.

It had been five years. The changes in her appearance were
startling. However, Corrine recognized the brunette in the cherry red dress
immediately.

Riley.

Her daughter was the laughing, sparkling center of attention.
The men grinned and fawned over her like anxious puppies. Corrine’s eyes
narrowed. Her face grew hot. It was all she could do not to stomp her foot in
frustration. She had money and beauty. She was always the belle of this ball.
The hostess with the mostess. This was her territory and she would not stand by
and let her place be usurped.

“She looks good, doesn’t she?”

Corrine jumped. She hadn’t heard anyone approach. She could
see Gerald out of the corner of her eye, but her attention stayed fixed on
Riley.

“I suppose.”

“It’s amazing what a few years and some polish will do.
Neither of us realized our daughter had been such a diamond in the rough.”

“Can the faux pride, Daddy.” Corrine’s voice dripped the
kind of sarcasm reserved for her husband. “You don’t like her reappearance any
more than I do,” she added with a sneer. “If you were any kind of a man, you
would have given me a son.”

“You think a son would have made you happy?” Gerald tried
picturing it. The kid would have turned out one of two ways. A sniveling mama’s
boy, or a sociopath who would snap, killing them in their sleep. He had no
paternal love for Riley, but a least he didn’t worry about her giving him a
shotgun blast to the head.

Then, because this was Corrine and he couldn’t resist one more
jab, he said, “Are you certain she’s mine?”

“You asked me that twenty-five years ago.” Until Riley had
been born, Corrine hadn’t been sure of the answer. “Look at her. She’s you in a
skirt. And without the five o’clock shadow.” She ran a hand over his bristly
cheek. “Your latest trollop must like the unkempt look. You are such a slave to
your dick.”

Gerald captured Corinne’s wrist, his grip tighter than
necessary. “Let’s sheath the claws and work together. Unless you like Riley’s
newfound popularity.”

“What can you do?” Corrine was open to anything that would
pop Riley’s balloon.

“God, you’re bloodthirsty.” Gerald recognized the look in
Corrine’s eyes. Dangerous and potentially lethal. It had made her exciting when
they were first married. Then, like all women, she grew tiresome. Now, he could
use it to his advantage.

“This,” Gerald motioned around the room, “is her biggest
weakness. She loves the team.”

“Ruin them.” Corrine could find new playmates. “You should
have done it years ago.”

“There are too many checks and balances in place.” Gerald
had tried to get around his father’s convoluted will—it hadn’t worked. “I’ve
kept this team a middle of the pack non-contender. Riley wants to change that.”

“Can she?”

“Yes.” Gerald hated to admit it, but it was true. Riley had
her grandfather’s savvy and business sense. Combined with her love for the
game, it was exactly what the Knights had been missing.

“I can’t ruin the Knights.” Gerald watched Riley place a
friendly hand on Gaige Benson’s arm. “However, I can make life very
uncomfortable for our daughter. By mid-season, she’ll be happy to leave town.”

“I liked her in Boston.”

“Liked?”

“Fine. I
preferred
when she was three thousand miles
away.Whatever you need, Gerald. I’m in.”

“When was the last time we worked on something together?”

Riley’s laughter rang out. Happy. Carefree. There wasn’t
room in Seattle for two Preston women. Especially when one of them was younger
and cosmetic surgery free.

“About twenty-five years ago.”

“WILL IT MAKE you uncomfortable if I admit to having a bit of a
girl crush? If we weren’t the same age, I would want to grow up to be you.”

“Me? You are a tough-ass business woman.
I
want to be
you
.”

Riley smiled at Claire Thornton. They wore dueling four-inch
heels. Riley’s put her a shade over five feet nine. Claire’s had her topping
six feet. The blond was slim and athletic with killer legs and blue eyes the
color of a cloudless day. Had Riley said
girl crush
? She was one step
away from wishing she swung both ways.

It was an interesting situation. Riley knew Claire through
Gaige. The women had spoken on the phone, but this was their first face to face
meeting.

Riley had been a little nervous. Her temper was still
simmering. Claire had been up for the assistant trainer’s job. It was her
dream—a goal she had worked her ass off to obtain. Then, just when she thought
the job was hers, it had been pulled out from under her. Boom. Thanks for
playing, but no cigar.

“I wish I could have changed their minds, Claire.”

Claire shrugged with a half-smile. “Football is a man’s
game—on and off the field. I should have known the owners wouldn’t want a woman
treating their athletes. Things change. But it is a slow and arduous process. A
woman will get there, it just won’t be me.”

It was true. However, it didn’t make Riley happy. Outraged,
she hadn’t taken her fight to her father. This time, she went to a man who
judged people on their abilities, not their gender.

Ross Morrisey was a minority owner in the Knights. He also
ran a very successful sporting goods business based out of the Northwest. He
had given Riley’s fledgling consulting firm a chance, making them both a lot of
money. She thought if she could get Ross on her side, she would rally the other
owners and get Claire the job she deserved.

Riley hated to fail, but there was no budging Ross or anyone
else. No one would come right out and say it, but they were not going to hire a
woman. No matter how qualified she was.

“Let it go, Riley. I have.”

“Really?”

“No.” Claire laughed. The fact that she could, said a lot.
Last week a smile was beyond her abilities. “But I’m getting there. It helps to
have someone special in my corner.”

“Gaige?” Riley’s smile turned sly. “Or Logan?”

“Both.” Almost to herself, she said, “Gaige’s misfits.”

“Excuse me?”

“Gaige has a way of collecting people in need. He gave me a
boost when I was at the end of my rope. Logan had given up on ever playing
football again. Who knows how many others he has helped over the years.”

“Misfits.” Riley supposed she could add herself to the club.
“You might want to keep that to yourself.”

“He loves to help but hates to be thanked,” Claire agreed. “Our
Gaige is a complicated man.”

“Whatever makes him tick, we are very lucky to have him in
our lives.”

“Amen.”

“Now that we are halfway to BFFs.” Riley grinned, tapping
her wine glass against Claire’s. “It must have felt good to arrive with Logan.
A few weeks ago you two were still hiding your relationship.”

“Keeping it on the down low wasn’t easy.” Claire loved that
she didn’t have to look around in case anyone was listening. “Until we knew if
I got the job with the Knights, I was Logan’s physical therapist. Period.”

Other than Gaige, Riley was the only one who had known the
truth.

When Gaige went to Oklahoma to see Logan Price, he took
Claire Thornton with him. Claire had some radical ideas about rehabbing sports
injuries. She stayed with Logan, getting him ready for his comeback. Gaige was
tickled to death that the pair had fallen in love.

However, Claire had wanted the assistant trainer’s job with
the Knights. They decided it would be best if she and Logan didn’t advertise
just how close they had become. If Claire wanted to get her foot in the door,
being a player’s girlfriend wouldn’t be an asset.

In the end, it hadn’t mattered.

Claire didn’t have the job, but she had Logan—and understood
that she had come out a winner.

“About those ointments and potions you’ve developed?” Claire
had her own concoctions that she used to help an athlete’s aches and pains. She
had used them on Logan. If he were any example, they had worked wonders.

“What about them?” Claire took a salmon puff off the tray of
the circulating waiter.

“I want to help you get them on the market.”

“Really?” Claire almost choked on the puff.

“Careful.” Laughing, Riley gently patted her on the back. “If
I do my job properly, and I always do, those magic elixirs are going to make
you a rich woman. You want to be around to enjoy it.”

“Riley. I don’t know what to say.”

“We’ll hash the details out, then you can say yes.” Riley
loved that she was in a position to do something for Claire. “The deal will be
more than fair.”

“I’m sure.”

“Don’t be. Get a lawyer. Gaige will give you the name of a
good one. Read everything. Twice. If you don’t understand something, ask
questions.”

“Are you planning on cheating me?”

“No. But I won’t be the last person you deal with. There are
a lot of people who wouldn’t blink if it meant making an extra buck.”

“Thank you, Riley. I know there’s more I want to say, but
right now I’m a little overwhelmed.”

Understanding, Riley changed the subject.

“One more week and the games count.” Riley looked to where
Gaige and Logan were speaking with Sol Bellows and Pete Jacobs. “Logan has
looked great in pre-season. You’ve done wonders, Claire.”

“He has worked his ass off.” Claire beamed with pride. And
love. She and Logan could try to hide it, but anyone with eyes could tell how
they felt.

“Is he nervous?”

“Sure. In a good way.” Claire took a sip of her drink. “I’m
the one who can’t sleep. As much as I hated it, I would go back to waiting
tables if it meant Logan could play football again.”

No doubt about it
, Riley thought. Claire Thornton and
Logan Price had the real thing. Love with a capital L. It made her long for the
same—with a certain someone who might never feel the same.

“Speak of the devil.”

“Is that what we were doing?” Following the path of Riley’s
gaze, Claire nodded. “Ah. I see. Sean McBride. He certainly flirts like the
devil. If I weren’t off the market, I would have been tempted to give that man
a ride. Oops. Did I hit a nerve?”

“It’s an old one. Why it hasn’t toughened up by now, I don’t
know.”

“Don’t you?”

Sean chose that moment to meet Riley’s gaze. She was used to
the jump of her heartbeat and the flutter in the stomach. However, this was
something new. It was what she saw in his eyes that made her skin tingle with
thousands of tiny electric jolts. She hadn’t changed.
Sean
had. He wasn’t
looking at her with the old amused indulgence. He saw a woman. And he wanted
her.