End Zone: Texas Titans 2 (3 page)

“No,” he said, with a straight face. “It’s
just you.”

“Thanks a lot,” she said, slapping his
shoulder playfully. She remembered how they’d always enjoyed easy banter. She
couldn’t help but feel guilty she hadn’t recognized his unique qualities back
in school. She’d just thought of him as a nice guy who helped her pass
calculus. Now she realized how rare it was to find a nice guy who knew how to
treat a lady.

“Are you getting hungry?” He nodded toward
the appetizer table in the middle of the room.

“I could eat,” she said, grateful the knot
of tension in her belly had eased since she’d first spotted Robert.

“You do realize he’s barely taken his eyes
off you all night, don’t you?” Matt asked, settling his arm around her waist to
lead her off the dance floor.

She noticed Robert sitting in a corner
sulking. Gale was dancing with a guy she’d had a crush on their senior year,
and Robert looked as though he’d rather be sitting in the electric chair.

“I suppose I should feel sorry for him,”
Kristen said. “But I don’t.”

Matt chuckled. “I guess I should feel
relieved to know he’s not the competition.”

Kristen elbowed his ribs as his words
wrapped around her like a warm blanket. He was interested in her, and she was
more than happy to feed that interest. “I have a feeling a guy like you doesn’t
have to worry about competition very often.”

He handed her a small white plate and took
one for himself before gesturing for her to lead him to the small line of
people waiting for appetizers. “I try not to put myself in the position of
having to compete for a woman. I don’t need that kind of stress.”

Kristen didn’t know whether she should be
flattered or offended. “I guess your work can be stressful, hmmm?” She filled
her plate with a selection of cold appetizers.

“It can be, but for the most part, it’s a
lot of fun. I love what I do, and I know most people can’t say that, so you
won’t hear me complaining about the occasional bad day.”

For the most part, Kristen felt the same
way about her career. “You seem like a pretty positive person.” That was one of
the qualities she found most attractive in a man.

“What the hell have I got to complain
about?” he asked, grinning. “I’ve got a career I love, good friends, a great
family, money in the bank, a nice house. Not to mention the fact I get to
travel and do all of the things I love in my down time.”

Kristen thought his life sounded pretty
perfect, and she wondered what it would be like to be a part of it. “Do you get
a lot of down time?”

“Enough.” He shrugged. He led her back to
their assigned table. They hadn’t been seated together, but since neither of
them had brought a date, she invited him to be the plus one at her table. “I
usually go into our corporate office Monday through Friday and pass by the bar
on the weekends, just to check in.”

“You work seven days a week?” Kristen
asked, feeling a little less guilty about the hours she kept.

“If you can call hanging out at the bar
work.” He smiled as he held her chair out for her. “Personally, I can’t. It’s
more about getting together with the boys for a beer at a place we love. We
built High Rollers because we wanted sports fanatics like us to have a
comfortable place to hang out and eat something other than pretzels while
drinking something better than draft beer.”

“I should stop by and check it out some
time.” She would make sure it was a Saturday night, when he was more likely to
be there.

“Anytime you feel like it,” he said,
winking. “The drinks are on the house.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls.”

“Only the pretty ones.” He reached for the
bottle of white wine in the middle of the table and filled their glasses.

He was too good-looking. Too rich. Too
smart. Too sweet. Too driven. Too successful. There had to be something wrong
with him, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Do you want kids?” she blurted out. If he
didn’t, that may be the out she was looking for. It’s not that she wasn’t
looking for the perfect guy, but she was afraid of finding him. When she did,
she would have to risk her heart again, and after what happened with Robert, that
was a frightening prospect.

Matt choked on his wine, coughing to clear
his throat before he said, “Excuse me?”

Trying to pretend she didn’t wish she could
retract the question, Kristen reached for her wine glass. “Kids, do you want
them?”

“Uh, someday, I guess. You?”

“Someday. Maybe after I’ve been married a
few years.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” he said, giving
her a wry smile. He noticed the place card to his left. “Is your ex’s last name
Channing?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I believe he’s supposed to be sitting next
to me.” He held up the manila card. “You want me to toss it while no one’s
looking?”

Before she could respond, Gale and Robert
approached their table.

“They tell us we’re sitting with you guys,”
Gale said, holding a hand out to Kristen. “That’ll give us a chance to catch
up.”

Kristen squeezed her friend’s hand. She
didn’t blame her for bringing Robert. Kristen was certain he’d cajoled the poor
woman into submission. He was a criminal lawyer, after all. “It’s nice to see
you, Gale.” She glanced at her ex. “Robert,” she said, inclining her head.

Gale’s eyes drifted to Matt’s nametag. “Oh
my God, I never would have recognized you, Matt. How’ve you been?”

Matt had also tutored Gale back in the day,
if Kristen’s memory served, though she couldn’t remember a single conversation
they’d had about him. They were too busy gushing over football players. Matt
was just the brainy guy who tutored them. What a difference more than a decade
made. Kristen couldn’t even remember the name of the jocks who used to hold her
attention.

“I’ve been good,” he said, standing to
offer Gale his hand.

His manners are impeccable.
Kristen realized he would be at home dining in five-star
restaurants or attending one of the many political fundraising galas she
planned.

“You?” Matt asked.

“I can’t complain.” Gale tossed a glance
over her shoulder before an awkward silence shrouded the table. “This is my…
uh… friend, Robert Channing. Robert, Matt Hudson.”

Kristen cringed when Robert gave Matt a
cursory glance before dismissing him without a word.

Obviously trying to break the silence, Gale
said, “What do you do, Matt?” She held up her hand. “Wait, let me guess.
Engineer? Professor? Accountant?”

Matt chuckled and settled a warm hand on
Kristen’s shoulder. “No, no, and no. I’m the marketing director for High
Rollers, a chain of sports bars.”

Knowing he would be too modest to tell them
the whole story, Kristen piped in, “And part owner. Matt and his friends
founded the chain.” She couldn’t contain her smug smile when she saw Robert’s
eyes narrow.

“Seriously?” Gale asked, wide-eyed. “That’s
a huge chain.”

“We do okay,” Matt said, holding out the
chair next to him and gesturing for Gale. He clearly didn’t want to get stuck
next to Robert, not that Kristen could blame him.

“I’d say that’s an understatement,” Gale
said, smiling at Matt once she was seated.

Her friend was clearly smitten, not that
Kristen could blame her. Matt was a walking, talking poster boy for erotic
dreams.

“Why didn’t you tell me y’all were seeing
each other?” Gale asked Kristen once the gentlemen were seated.

Kristen should have known that question was
coming. She didn’t want to admit she and Matt weren’t technically seeing each
other. If Robert assumed they were, he might take it as a sign and leave her
alone. Her ex still couldn’t accept that one mistake was reason enough to call
off their engagement. In Kristen’s mind, sleeping with one woman while
committed to another was more than a mistake; it was an unforgiveable sin.

Robert’s eyes were fixed on Kristen,
waiting for her to respond. Thankfully, Matt stepped in to save her the
embarrassment of having to stretch the truth.

“We just reconnected recently.” Matt put
his arm around the back of Kristen’s chair and drew her closer. He obviously
sensed Kristen wanted to send her ex a message, and he seemed happy to help her
deliver it, loud and clear. “We wanted to give it a little time, see where
things were going before we told our friends and family we’re a couple.”

Kristen looked at him, stunned how easily
the lie fell from his lips. The boy genius she knew would turn ten shades of
red when he tried to lie. Apparently deceit was one of the not-so-great
character traits he’d picked up on his path to sexy.

“I think it’s great,” Gale gushed, touching
Matt’s arm. “I always thought you were one of the sweetest boys in school. I
used to tell Kristen that all the time, didn’t I, Kris?”

The lies were flying around the table so
fast, Kristen felt she might get whiplash trying to follow them. “Is that what
you used to say, Gale?” Kristen smiled sweetly as she reached for her wine
glass. She would be surprised if Gale had even known Matt’s name in high
school.

Gale narrowed her eyes, clearly expecting
her friend to back her up.

Robert reached for his scotch, his eyes
never leaving Kristen. “So did y’all keep in touch after graduation?”

If he was trying to get her to admit to
seeing other men during their two-year relationship, he would be sadly
disappointed. Kristen didn’t play those games or respect anyone who did.

“Unfortunately not,” Matt said, letting his
fingers trail down Kristen’s bare arm. “I got caught up in business, married,
divorced, you know the drill.” He looked Robert in the eye. “Building a
business can get in the way of trying to maintain a relationship, don’t you
think?”

Obviously Matt was on a fishing expedition
to figure out why things hadn’t worked out with Kristen and Robert. She’d been
too embarrassed to admit the truth—she hadn’t been woman enough to keep him
satisfied.

“If that’s true, how are you and Kristen
making it work?” Robert raised an eyebrow at Matt. “I know her career comes
first. I assume yours does too?”

Kristen glared at Robert. He had routinely
said things that were completely out of line when they were a couple. She
couldn’t rein him in with a kick under the table anymore, so she had no choice
but to let him run off at the mouth, embarrassing himself and everyone else.

“You would assume wrong,” Matt said,
putting Robert in his place. “I gave myself over to our business in the early
stages because that’s what it took to be successful. Things are different now.
We’re more established, and we have a larger team to run the day-to-day
operations. That gives all of the principles more time to devote to other
interests.”

Kristen imagined Matt’s social calendar was
packed full with women anxious to help him waste his free hours between the
sheets. It shouldn’t bother her, but it did. She didn’t want to believe the
sweet kid she used to know had become a merciless player just because he had a
few bucks and a flawless face to complement his centerfold body.

“Other interests?” Robert took a sip of his
scotch. He wasn’t much of a drinker and was clearly trying to act as though the
burn didn’t bother him. “Such as?”

“I enjoy traveling, real estate investing.”
Matt shrugged. “Watching sports, engaging in extreme sports.”

Before anyone could ask him to elaborate,
two other couples joined their table. Pleasantries were exchanged and
introductions made before the servers appeared with their first course.

“I saw you in that magazine spread,
Kristen,” one of the guys from their high school football team said with a wide
grin. “My wife wouldn’t believe we used to date.”

“Him too?” Robert asked, glaring at
Kristen. “Show of hands, is there anyone at this table who hasn’t slept with
Kristen?”

Kristen gasped as her cheeks burned. She
was mortified. Every pair of eyes at the table turned to her… except one.
Matt’s sole attention was on Robert.

“You need to back off,” he told Robert. “If
you ever disrespect her like that again, I’m gonna haul your ass outside and—”

“Please, don’t,” Kristen said, reaching for
her pewter evening bag and standing. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”

As she walked away, she questioned whether
she would have the nerve to show her face to these people again. She heard a
chair scrape across the parquet floor but didn’t have the guts to turn around.
If Robert was stupid enough to come after her, she would make him wish he
hadn’t. When a strong arm closed around her wrist, she knew immediately it
wasn’t Robert’s.

“Matt, please. I just need a minute.” Her
voice broke, adding to her humiliation. She wanted to escape to the ladies’
room so she could collect herself.

He hauled her back against his chest,
wrapping her in a tight embrace. “Ignore him, Kris. He’s an asshole.”