Second Down (First and Ten Book 2) Read online

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Monday

  One Week Later

  Stepping away from her desk, Ronnie moved over to the large windows facing the ocean and admired the fading colors of the sky. There were still quite a few people enjoying the ocean on this quiet February evening. Slipping her shoes off, she wiggled her toes and enjoyed the feeling of giving her feet a rest. Her assistant, Amanda, called goodnight, and then she heard the front door close. It had been a good week for DuMond Management and she’d finally decided which direction she was going to take the business.

  Checking her watch, she realized she still had some time before she needed to leave for her last meeting of the day. A friend of hers had begged her to meet with one of his clients and advise him on a business he was considering. Collapsing on the couch, she regretted agreeing to the meeting, because she was exhausted. The last year had finally caught up with her. She’d worked almost non-stop to get her business up and running. Closing her eyes for a moment, she thought about where she should go for a mini-break. The front door opening broke her reverie, and a small river of panic slid down her back. Standing quickly, she moved to her office door and observed Chase Bedford walk into her reception area. She let out a big breath and covered her heart with her hand. “You scared me to death.” The panic receded, and anger was quickly taking its place.

  He remained motionless in the doorway and beamed at the woman who was going to become his wife. She stood before him in a form-fitting red skirt, silk blouse, and bare feet. He remembered her telling him how her feet hurt from wearing high heels all the time and thought about offering to rub her feet. “Sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to scare you. I came to pick you up for our meeting.” He noticed confusion pass over her face as she remained still with her hand still over her heart. “I’m your seven o’clock meeting.”

  She twirled and strode back into her office, muttering to herself. “That isn’t very nice. If you wanted to see me, why didn’t you just call?” She found her abandoned shoes by the window and slipped them back on. Moving over to her desk, she turned on the small lamp before sliding into her chair.

  “You don’t take my calls, Ronnie. So I had to resort to asking my friend to work on my behalf.” He sat in the chair facing her and watched her move things around. She had a big bowl of voodoo dolls, and if the rumors were to be believed, she used them on a regular basis.

  “I think it’s time I have your face put on one of my dolls. You are starting to irritate me.”

  Leaning over, he took one out of the bowl and admired the craftsmanship. These were not something she picked up in a tourist store. These appeared to be the real thing. “I want you take a look at my portfolio and give me your opinion about a couple of businesses that I’m considering. I’m not sure that I’m taking advantage of every opportunity.” He passed a folder over to her and she pushed it away.

  “I’m not taking any new clients, and you know that. I understand you have Don Watson managing your wealth, and he’s quite talented, so you don’t need me.”

  “Now that’s where you’re wrong.” He heard her snort as she shook her head. “Please, Ronnie, just give me your thoughts.”

  “Oh, I have some thoughts for you all right. And none of them are very nice.” She pushed his folder back across her desk and crossed her arms. “No new clients. My business is as big as it’s going to get. I barely have time as it is. When the baby comes, I’ll have even less time.” Her phone buzzed, and she turned her attention to an incoming e-mail.

  A cold chill ran down his spine as a ball of anger filled his chest. The thought of another man’s hands on her, much less anything else, made him see red. There was no way she could be pregnant. Sputtering, he finally was able to form a response. “Whose baby and when are you due?”

  She continued to read something on her phone and didn’t respond. He almost jumped across the desk, but kept himself firmly in the chair. She finally glanced up at him questioningly. “What did you say?”

  “Whose baby and when are you due?”

  “I’m not pregnant yet, but I want some babies soon. I need to make sure that I’m creating a business I can manage when I start having children.” She gave one last glance at her phone and then focused on the man sitting across from her. He didn’t look well. His face was pale, and he appeared sweaty. “Are you feeling okay? Maybe you’re having a heart attack.” She stood up, walked around her desk, and laid her hand across his forehead. He was warm, and his color wasn’t good. Are you having pain in your chest or arm? Maybe I should call a doctor?”

  Her soft curves pressed into his shoulder as she stood next to him, her scent surrounded him and made him feel a little better. Sagging, he pressed his head into her hand and felt her body stiffen. “Let me buy you dinner.”

  Stepping back, she looked down and realized that he was playing her. Slapping his shoulder, she let out a groan. “I was actually worried about you, and the only thing wrong with you is your black heart. How could you play on my sympathies?”

  Enveloping her small hand in his, he gazed up with a satisfied grin on his face. “I’m desperate, and I want a chance to have a meal with you.”

  Walking back around her desk, she began to gather her things. “I’m going home.”

  “Please, Ronnie.” He saw her shoulders sag and hoped he was wearing her down. Perhaps she would consider his offer. “I may not be well, so maybe you could drive me over to the hotel.”

  She gave him a measured stare. “What are you up to?”

  “Me…? Nothing.” He gave her what he believed to be his best innocent smile and noticed it wasn’t effective. “I wanted you take a look at my portfolio, but I understand that you can’t, so I would like to take you to dinner as a way of expressing my gratitude.”

  Picking her briefcase up, she began to pack it with folders on her desk. He noticed his folder got put up with the rest of them. A smile formed on his face when he realized that he may have a small chance after all. She placed her tablet in last and then closed her bag. “Fine. One meal.”

  Standing quickly, he took the bag from her hand and slung it over his shoulder. “Thank you, Ronnie.”

  She followed him out of her office and turned off the lights. “I’m not sure what you’re thanking me for. I may eat a lot, and this could end up costing you a lot of money.” She grabbed her keys out of her bag and locked the front door. She faced him and noticed a frown form on his face.

  “You need better security. Let me call a friend and see if he can come out this week and put a system in for you.”

  “No, thanks.” She walked over to the elevator and pressed the button.

  “Ronnie, one small lock on your front door isn’t sufficient. What if someone waltzes into your office? What are you going to do?”

  She glanced him up and down and then smiled. “Apparently, I’m going to agree to have dinner with them.” He shook his head and, by the looks of it, let go of some kind of lecture. “Don’t get your boxers in a twist. I have someone who’s going to put a system in for me. I just have to call him and let him know when he can come over.”

  “Did you kiss him?”

  She gave him a bored look and watched the elevator doors slide open. “I think that’s your favorite question.” He followed her into the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby. They stood in silence as the elevator moved. “Yes, I did kiss him. I liked it a lot, and I plan on doing it again. As soon as I can.” Don’t mess with me, Chase Bedford. The doors slid open, and she stepped off and felt his hand grab hers. He stepped in front of her and what she saw surprised her. He appeared hurt as raw emotions flickered over his strong features. “Don’t ask me who I’m kissing anymore. It’s none of your business.”

  He squeezed her hand and nodded. “I know. I just need to figure out a way to make it my business, and then I’ll be the only one who can taste your lips. I know you have no reason to believe what I’m saying, but it’s true. I had a successful career because of all the hard
work I put in, not raw talent, and I’ve found something…someone I’m going to work for.” Taking a step closer, he whispered, “The next time you tell me about a baby, it’s going to be about the one I put in you.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “By the way, you can eat as much as you want. When you study my portfolio, you’ll see I have more than enough money.” He led her out of the building and then stopped. “Where is your car?”

  Staring at him blankly, she couldn’t process what he was saying. His declaration was flying around in her head, and it couldn’t land because it was too crazy. She felt him lean down and peer into her face. “What?”

  “Where is your car, honey?” Watching her point to an open lot on the corner, he frowned, because it wasn’t a safe place to park. He didn’t like the idea of her being alone at night. Anyone could get to her without a problem. Leading her along the sidewalk, he thought about ways to keep her safe when he wasn’t there. “Which one is yours?”

  “It’s the Audi Q5 over there.” Holding up her keys, she unlocked the car and opened the back door. “I’ll put my briefcase back here.” He handed her the bag, and she set it on the floor. She got in the front seat and waited for him to climb in and buckle up. She pulled her phone out of her purse and then handed it to him. “I pick the music.”

  He gingerly held her purse on his lap and nodded. He felt her eyes on him and glanced over to see a smile on her face.

  “Are you afraid of my purse?”

  “No. Why would you ask me that?”

  “Because you’re holding like it’s a bomb and if it explodes then tampons are going to come flying out of it.”

  Letting out a loud laugh, he felt some of the tension leave his body. “I have four sisters, and we shared a bathroom until I left for college. Girl stuff doesn’t bother me at all. Hell, I can’t tell you how many times I was sent to the store to pick something up for them. I’m the oldest, and one of the rules of having the car was that I had to take my sisters wherever they needed to go. They liked to go to the drug store a lot and the mall. So your purse and anything else you have going on doesn’t bother me.”

  She checked her mirrors before backing out of her space. “Good to know.” She drove them out of South Beach and made her way to the freeway toward Coral Gables. “By the way…telling a woman you’re going to put a baby in her is not considered casual chatter. One of my best friends, Ella, struggles with casual chit chat and even she knows that.”

  “Is this the Ella that is dating Clark from the Sharks?”

  “Yes. As a matter of fact. How did you know about them?”

  “Their picture was in the paper, and the article mentioned that she went to Stanford. It’s interesting that the two most important women in your life are in relationships with football players. Maybe it would be a good idea to give this old, retired one a chance.”

  “That’s right, I forgot you were so old. Thanks for reminding me.”

  “Sure. No problem.” He felt her hand on his leg as she patted him and laughed her head off. Making a woman laugh was a good thing, and he seemed to be good at it, so maybe he should try doing it more. Joining her, he caught her eye for a second and winked…Her answer was a smile, and he couldn’t ask for more.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Tuesday

  Chase walked down the street in South Beach toward Ronnie’s office with a bakery bag in his hand and a grin on his face. He couldn’t wait to see her again. Last night’s dinner was too short, and he needed to spend more time in her company. Having discovered her sweet tooth during their meal, he decided that bringing her something was a perfect excuse to stop by and see how she was doing. Smiling to himself, he remembered their conversation and the many things they found to talk about. They discussed a wide range of subjects, and all he wanted to do was see her again and do it some more. He hoped like hell she didn’t kick him out of the office when he showed up.

  Turning the corner, he felt a woman come up on his left side and start walking next to him. Glancing over, he noticed that she was beautiful and also staring at him. Giving her a faint smile, he wondered what she wanted. He had a lot of fans, but she didn’t seem like she would be one of them, because she looked a little crazy with a brittle smile and too bright eyes. Slowing his pace, he hoped she would take the hint and walk away. His old habit of being careful in public kicked in, because an encounter could go south and he could be blamed for someone else’s behavior.

  Sliding his eyes to the side, he tried to determine if she was going to be one of those encounters. Most of the fans were genuinely kind and just wanted to talk for a minute, but there was a small minority who, after meeting him, seemed slightly disappointed. As though it was his fault that he didn’t live up to the fantasy. He was just a regular guy who worked hard and had a lot of luck playing a game he loved with a team that had a lot of wins. Nothing more and nothing less. Celebrity culture wasn’t something that he was ever going to understand. The only time he enjoyed his fame was when he could use it for the good of someone else, and his annual fundraiser every year was an example of that.

  Noticing the woman had kept pace with him, he let out an internal sigh. He was going to have to deal with it. Making sure there were people around, he continued to slow his pace. He didn’t need to be caught in a he said, she said situation. He had received excellent advice years ago to always make sure there was someone else in the room when interacting with a female stranger. He had more than one friend who had been caught up when they didn’t follow that rule. He was almost to Ronnie’s office and wanted to shake the woman before walking in. Glancing sideways again, he noticed she was staring at him. Shit.

  “Are you Chase Bedford, super-star football player, ‘cause you look like him?”

  “I’m Chase, but I don’t know about the rest of it. I’ve been retired for a few years.”

  Grabbing his arm, she made him slow down. He couldn’t shake her off like he wanted to without causing a scene, so he stopped and plastered a patient expression on his face. Studying her closely, he wondered if she was a prostitute. She had a hard-edged beauty, and everything about her appearance was a little too over the top. Her hair was a harsh platinum color, and her eyes held a menace in them that he wasn’t used to seeing unless a defensive end was trying to get to him. Realizing her dress was too tight and short for her not to have an agenda, he wondered what she was after. This wasn’t going to end well. Letting out a breath, he waited for her opening shot. It was sure to be a doozy.

  “What’s it like to have all that money and fame? I hope you don’t have some bitch controlling you.”

  Slipping his arm out of her grip, he slowly took a step back and shook his head. “Can’t really say that I do.” He continued to move away and prayed that having her say was all that she needed. “You have a good day now.” He turned and moved down the sidewalk, walking past Ronnie’s building. He decided to walk around the block to make sure that she wasn’t following him, because he didn’t think Ronnie would like it if he brought crazy to her door. Not wanting to glance back, he walked along, trying to catch a reflection in the store windows to see if the woman was still around. He didn’t spot her, so he figured she had moved on.

  That was creepy and strange to have an encounter like that so far away from the town that he’d played in. When he was in San Francisco, his encounters were varied and sometimes crazy, but never anything quite like the one he just experienced. It probably had nothing to do with him personally. He was just the lucky guy walking down the street at the wrong time. Making it around the block in record time, he opened the door to Ronnie’s office building and felt a hand on his back and turned around. Crazy lady was back, and it looked like she was ready to go off the deep end.

  “I hope you’re not going to go see that bitch Ronnie. That woman has some kind of nerve, thinking she can control a man’s money. It isn’t right. A man should be able to do what he wants without answering to some bitch who thinks she knows everything.” Tu
rning, she stalked off down the street, swinging her purse like she was thinking about hitting someone with it.

  Staring after her, he shook his head and wondered what the hell that was about. Why would someone have it out for Ronnie? All she did was manage people’s money. As he walked to the elevator, he remembered his early conversations with her about his players and knew it might be possible that the woman was pissed about someone’s lack of funds.

  ********

  Ronnie stared at her client, Andre, and couldn’t believe that his ex-girlfriend still had it out for her. “Are you sure that she said all of those things?”

  Sitting uncomfortably in his chair, he shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah. She turned out to be more of a nutcase than I originally thought.”

  “I trust it was worth it,” she stated flatly. “I’ll stay alert. I was hoping after she was hauled off my property last month that it would be the end of it.”

  “Are you going to fire me, Ronnie?”

  “No, Andre. But please try and date a nice girl next time. There is no reason for you to keep dating the crazy ones.”

  “They don’t seem crazy during the first couple of dates. They seem really nice.”

  “You meet them in clubs. Why don’t you try something else?”

  “Maybe your assistant, Amanda, would be interested in me.” Glancing over his shoulder, he tried to grab a glimpse of her in the reception area. “She always gives me a big smile when I come in.”

  “She gives everyone a smile, because that’s her job.”

  Sitting up straight, he fidgeted in his chair. “Does she have something against baseball players?”

  “No, but she has a boyfriend.”

  “Maybe they’ll break up, and then she’ll want to go out with me.”

  “You never know, Andre. Anything is possible…just try and stay away from the crazy ones.” Moving things around on her desk, she stared fondly at her bowl of voodoo dolls. “All right, get out of here and go meet your trainer. I have work to do.”