Her gut squeezed, everything inside her twisted, and tears burned her eyes. Goddamn him. He always knew exactly how to yank her chain.
You’re such a suck-up, she typed.
Normally, yes. But this is true. If you really want to get laid by that puck head, I’ll stay here and drink until there is no possibility my mind would ever work well enough to even imagine you two together.
This was exactly the shit that sucked her back in. One comment like that and Mia would be on the hook for another five years. She’d never have a life unless she got to a point where comments like that didn’t affect her.
She grabbed the front of Cole’s blazer to pull his attention back to her. “I’ll get you the girl, but you have to follow my lead, got it?” He looked like he was about to argue, so she jerked on his jacket. “Do you want the hot chick or not?”
“Sure, but I don’t see how that’s going to make things better between me and Savage.”
“Trust me on this. I’ve known these guys a lot longer than you have.” Mia slipped her hand around Cole’s forearm, pulling him into step beside her. “No matter what I do, don’t question me. Think of me as the coach. Do you question your coach?”
“No,” he said resolutely. “Never.”
“Exactly. Just trust me like you trust your coach, and you’ll end up in bed with that Baywatch babe tonight.”
Despite the anger rising in Rafe’s face as she approached with Cole, Mia pulled up the social butterfly she’d developed while working in New York’s fashion industry, along with the smile she used to dazzle, and held Rafe’s gaze.
But the closer she got, the harder it became. Their year apart had helped her forget how damn good-looking he was, how sexy he looked fresh out of the shower after a game or practice. Oh, but that wasn’t all. She’d forgotten about the crinkles at the corners of his eyes, the fullness of his lips outlined by an unshaven jaw, the intensity of those gray eyes rimmed in long, thick, black lashes.
Her throat grew tight. Her stomach balled into a fist. And for the first time, she was starting to realize she might just never get over the man.
Before she and Cole were within ten feet of the table, Baywatch’s monologue reached Mia’s ears. “…that’s just one charity I’m involved in. I’ve considered cutting back on my interior design business to take on another. I mean, we’re so fortunate, don’t you think? I love to give back. I’ve seen you doing a variety of charity work with the Rough Riders, and I’d love to talk to you about coordinating some efforts to support those organizations. Wouldn’t that be fun? And a great way to spend more time together, what with your travel and practice schedule and my work schedule…”
“Excuse me,” Mia said in her most conciliatory voice as she stopped beside the table. “I’m so very sorry to interrupt.” She turned her smile on Baywatch and offered her hand. “I’m Mia.”
“Ashlee,” she said, confused.
Mia shook the woman’s limp hand, then gestured to Cole. “This is Cole Kilbourne. If you’re a Rough Riders fan, you’ll be seeing a lot more of him. He’s the newest team member.”
Ashlee’s eyes widened, and she lifted her hand to Cole’s. “Oh my. Yes. Yes, you came from the Calgary Flames, didn’t you?”
As the two shook and Cole did what he did best—talked about himself—Mia turned, wandered behind Rafe’s chair, and pressed her hands to his shoulders. They were wide and as solid as the marble bar. His hair was too long and curling at the ends. And he smelled great, that recently showered fresh scent with an edge of spice. Just standing this close to him made Mia’s chest hurt. So many emotions whipped up and around, she didn’t know how to feel. She was having serious second thoughts about this plan.
He tilted his head back and looked up at her with those beautiful silvery-gray eyes, begging her to get him out of this situation. Mia put up her best shield to protect against the fact that this was a fantasy, pretend, a temporary spoof, not the real thing. Nor would it ever be the real thing.
She forced a smile, slid her hands over his chest, and bent until her cheek pressed his. Her belly fluttered with nerves, but her heart floated in bliss. She’d never made such a forward move—not with any man she wasn’t already involved with, and most definitely never with Rafe. Her headfirst dive into the act unnerved her far more than she’d expected. So she did the only thing she could do short of abandoning the ruse and running for the nearest exit. She forged ahead, hoping to develop enough momentum to carry her through to the end.