Dare to Desire (4 page)

On day one, when she’d accused him of not having staying power, it had been a subtle dig at his revolving door of women, not his work ethic. So she wasn’t at all surprised he’d thrown himself into this job with the same dedication he’d shown in his football career. She didn’t need anything to soften her toward him, but had to admit, she admired his enthusiasm for their project and the ideas he’d brought to the table so far.

Still, she’d expected him to leave at five. Instead, he’d stay until seven or eight, always walking her to the parking lot at the end of the day. What had happened to the parties at his house? The constant rotation of friends and teammates who came through his front door for poker, beer, and pizza? The bars with the groupies?

She frowned at the reminder. Maybe he went there afterwards, but he didn’t seem like he was partying. At all.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “You’re looking at me funny.”

She frowned at how well he read her. “It’s just that you’re surprising me,” she grudgingly admitted.

“In a good way? Or bad?” He leaned in closer.

“Sit back,” she muttered. “I need breathing room.”

He shot her a knowing grin. “I don’t mind being so close to you.” His brown eyes sparkled with mischief. “You smell good.” He deliberately inhaled, his nose close to the sensitive spot behind her ear.

“Stop!” She slid her chair back from her desk.

Chuckling, he raised both hands in the air. “Fine. Then spend time with me away from work, and I won’t push any agenda here.”

She raised her eyebrows high. “So you admit you have an agenda?”

A dimple formed in his cheek. “I admit I want to spend time with you. Anything else I say can only get me in trouble.” He grinned, surely intending to disarm her. “Let’s go for dinner tonight.”

“I can’t.”

“You mean you won’t.”

“I mean I can’t. I have a date.” With her foster brother, Eric, but she wasn’t about to give Alex any information on her family issues.

His smile turned into a deadly scowl she’d only seen on the football field. Did her after-work plans really bother him so much?

“Who’s the guy? Is it serious?” he asked, suddenly back in her personal space.

She felt lightheaded at his nearness, and the desire to throw herself against his hard body was strong. “I’m meeting my foster brother,” she said, only realizing she’d buried herself with the truth.

A shimmer of light returned to his gaze. “Okay, eat light with him, and we’ll go out after.”

She wrinkled her nose in confusion. “What’s with the persistence? I mean, if you were anyone else, I’d think you don’t want to go home and eat alone.” But Alex Dare was never alone.

He looked away and awareness dawned. Could he be lonely? “Alex, what’s going on? Where are all the guys who came in and out of your house at all hours when I was there?” He was the most popular guy she’d ever met, never at a loss for company, male or female, whether in Miami or in Tampa.

“Things changed.” He didn’t turn to meet her gaze.

This wasn’t the cocky Alex she remembered. But she wasn’t letting him off the hook. “Changed how?”

He was silent for so long she didn’t think he’d answer. When he did, he spoke so low she had to strain to hear.

“After the hit, I wasn’t exactly in a good place.”

She knew that firsthand. She bit her lip, refusing to snap back a retort because it just might give him insight into how much he’d hurt her.

He glanced up at her, the knowledge already in his eyes. “I was nasty to my family, my friends. I didn’t want company.”

“You weren’t at your best,” she agreed.

“True.” He grinned, the cockiness back.

For some reason, that reassured her. “And let me guess, not only didn’t you want their help, you didn’t want their pity.”

“Bingo. And after a while, the guys stopped coming by.” He shrugged like it didn’t matter.

Without looking at his expression, she knew better. Knew him better. Scary, considering a few minutes ago she’d thought she didn’t know him that well at all.

She cleared her throat. “What about your siblings? I’m sure they were there for you.”

“They were. They are. But if they think I
need
them, they’ll smother me.”

She shook her head at how easily he dismissed something so precious. “You’re lucky you have a brother and sister who care.” Speaking of siblings reminded her of her meeting with her foster brother, and she glanced at her watch.

“I don’t want to keep you,” he said, picking up on her cue. He slid off the desk and walked to his own corner of the room, looking more isolated than she liked.

She was torn over what to do. Being with him outside of work was so dangerous to her peace of mind. Most people she found easy to keep out. Not Alex.

“Walk you out?” he asked.

She bit the inside of her cheek, knowing she was going to regret this and unable to not ask it anyway. “Why don’t you come with me? I’m meeting Eric for a quick talk. You and I can go to dinner after.”

A grin spread across his handsome face. “Lying to avoid me?” he asked, amused and confident once more.

Ignoring the question, she bent down and grabbed her purse from her bottom desk drawer.

“This sudden invite, it’s not pity-based right? Just because I confided in you doesn’t mean I—”

“Alex? Shut up and let’s go,” she said, slinging her purse over her shoulder and walking out ahead of him.

They agreed that she would drive and she’d take him back to the stadium later to get his car. He’d been overly agreeable, as if sensing she just needed any little reason to change her mind. He was right. She wanted to run as much as she wanted to go with him. She was too susceptible to him in general when he was
the full-of-himself athlete
he showed to the world. The more vulnerable man she’d seen glimpses of tonight? He was even more of a risk.

She consoled herself with the notion that she could consider this a business dinner. They could discuss the idea of consulting a public relations firm for their campaign. Alex had been been in meetings most of the day and away from the office, so tonight would be the first chance she had to broach the notion.

“Where are we going?” he asked a while later as she drove to a part of town she normally avoided. But her brother had insisted this was where he wanted to meet.

“A place called Dom’s,” she said as she pulled into the parking lot Eric had mentioned.

“Well, I’m glad I’m with you. Who the hell sends a woman around here alone?” Alex asked, outraged.

She swallowed hard. From the gang of kids on the corner in matching colors and jackets to the homeless man who’d camped out across the street, it was no place for her to be wandering around. Suddenly she was glad Alex was here too.

They stepped out of the car, and he strode over to her, hand outstretched. “Keys. I’m driving us out of here.”

Deciding not to argue, she handed him the set. He pulled her against him, his arm wrapped snuggly around her waist as they strode toward the entrance.

Memories of another time, another place assaulted her, forcing her to recall the times he’d held her tight for far different reasons, when they were a involved. And how much she’d enjoyed it. His strength represented a security she’d never known, his scent and touch aroused her, and damn him, once again she found herself wishing for more than he was willing to give. She stiffened, holding herself apart from him as much as she could.

They paused beneath a ratty awning that hung awkwardly and broken above them, and Alex opened the door for her to step inside, his hand still strong and reassuring against her back.

As she walked farther inside, a mildew-like stale smell assaulted her, and she regretted this meeting even more.

“Can I help you?” a bored-looking woman asked.

“Yes, I’m looking for—”

“Oh my God, you’re
him
!” she said, now bouncing in her platform heels, her large breasts bobbing along with her. “You’re the hot football player, Alex something.” She batted her heavily made-up eyes at him.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Madison muttered.

Alex turned on his patented charming grin. “I can’t believe you recognize me in Thunder territory,” he said to her.

“Of course I do! You’re so much hotter than our quarterback, but don’t tell him I said so,” she said, leaning close until her breasts brushed his forearm. Her come-on was clear, despite him having walked into the bar with Madison on his arm.

She’d suffered through being invisible when she was with Alex before. Overly enthusiastic women tended to ignore the girl he arrived with, thinking they had a chance anyway. It was rude and ridiculous, and he’d eaten up the attention. She remembered often feeling pushed aside, but she’d accepted it, telling herself it was part of his life. He’d needed to cater to his fans.

“Thanks,” he said, taking a deliberate step away from the ogling female fan. He reached out and squeezed Madison’s hand.

She blinked in surprise. This behavior was new. After she and Alex had broken up, Madison had realized she’d been making excuses for him. He’d chosen to let her be pushed aside. He could have handled meetings with female fans differently.

And this time he had. Unsure what to make of things, she cleared her throat, intending to move forward with her own agenda.

“Excuse me. I’m meeting someone. Eric Grayson?”

“Haven’t seen him,” the woman said without pulling her attention from Alex. Clearly she didn’t take his distance seriously.

Madison frowned and glanced at her watch.

Alex turned to her. “He’s late.”

“Five minutes. Not bad by Eric’s standards.” She’d give him more time. “Are you sure you don’t want to see if she wants an autograph? Her chest is nearly exposed and waiting.” Madison winced at how catty she sounded, but the words were out, as was the hurt from the times he’d ignored her in the past.

She didn’t understand his lack of eagerness over the attention now and couldn’t allow herself to put any stock in its meaning.

Alex narrowed his gaze, concern in his eyes. “Madison—”

Before he could speak, a young guy wearing dark jeans and an old tee shirt, both arms covered in full sleeves of tattoos, strode over.

“I overheard you saying you’re looking for Eric Grayson?” the guy asked.

“Who are you?” Alex asked, pulling her against him protectively.

“Are you Madison Evans?” the man asked again.

She nodded. “I am.”

Beside her, Alex stiffened, and his fingers bit into her waist.

“Who are you and what do you want?” Alex towered over the other guy, his mere presence an implied threat.

The man pulled folded papers out of his pocket, handing them to Madison. “You’ve been served,” he said, then turned and walked out of the bar.

She stared at the blue legal documents in stunned silence, immediately guessing what they were. “I can’t believe him,” she said, gripping the papers tighter in her hand.

“Do you want to look at them here or in the car?” Alex asked her in a gentle voice.

She didn’t want gentle. She wanted to scream. “I don’t have to look. I know what he’s up to, that son of a bitch.” She slapped the papers against Alex’s chest, letting him grab them before she pivoted and left the rundown bar where her foster brother had set her up.

The rat bastard. It wasn’t enough his mother was one step from inpatient care, he wanted to take away what she held dear. Well, Madison would be damned if she’d let him get away with it.

Shaking, she headed for the car, ever aware of Alex by her side.

*     *     *

Alex wanted to throttle Madison’s foster brother for setting her up and catching her off guard. Since she was angry and trembling, Alex was glad he’d nabbed the keys before the disaster in the bar. Madison was too shaken to focus on the road.

He drove them to his favorite Italian restaurant, a small place near his new apartment and owned by a husband and wife, who Alex had come to know well. Considering he picked up dinner or ate there at least three or four nights a week, they’d sort of adopted him since their son lived across the country.

Madison stewed in the passenger seat beside him, silent and seething the entire trip. He was aware when she opened the documents and scanned them briefly only to roll them up once more in anger. He gave her the space she seemed to need, hoping she’d confide in him while they ate.

He didn’t know much about her family or background except that she’d been in and out of foster homes growing up, and though she had a close relationship with her last set of foster parents, she disliked their son, the foster brother she’d been supposed to meet tonight. Alex had no more details beyond the bare basics because that was the way he used to like his affairs. As impersonal as he could get away with.

He glanced over. She was still lost in thought. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, giving him a good look at her tightly set jaw. She bit into her plump lower lip, and though she was upset and frustrated, the small act only served to ignite the desire never far from the surface when she was around. She’d always affected him on a sensual level, everything she did making him need her
immediately
. Except at this moment, he wanted to help her through whatever was going on in her life more than he wanted to seduce her. And that was a first for him.

Her silence continued in the restaurant. They ordered, and she returned to fuming quietly. Their meals were served, and she picked at her dish.

“Want to talk about it?” he finally asked.

“No.” She twirled her pasta with her fork, playing with her food more than eating it.

“You should. It’s the only way you’re going to calm down enough to eat.”

She narrowed her gaze. “Since when do we do serious talk?”

“Since we’re starting over.” He was prepared for her digs, and though he deserved it, the reminders of what an ass he’d been hurt.

“Right. We’re co-workers now.”

He set his jaw. Not just co-workers, not if he had his way. “Come on. Talk.” He coaxed her to get rid of the anger inside her.

“Fine. You know I was close to my last foster parents, right?”