“That’s not putting my career first, Logan. What happens to your luck if I say no?” Her fingertips curled against his lips in a deliberate caress that immediately made him sorry they were on a plane with a hundred other people.
“You can’t. They need you.” He was pretty sure she heard the unspoken I need you in that as well, but he didn’t care. “I’ll make it worth your while. Look what I’ve already done for your career. Seven percent increase in sales isn’t anything to sneeze at. I’ll figure out a way to blend work and orgasms to your satisfaction. Trust me.”
“Okay.” She snuggled down in the seat. “It’s good for us to keep being seen together anyway.”
“Absolutely,” he agreed and didn’t bother to hide his smile. He’d definitely won that round, and if she wanted to pretend like they were still seeing each other for publicity reasons, he could live with that.
Ticket sales were at an all-time high after a three-game winning streak and the extra boost from the publicity surrounding the road trip he’d taken with Trinity. When he got back to his office at the ballpark, he dived headfirst into his job, which he’d sorely neglected lately. Trinity wasn’t the only one with deadlines. Some crucial trade agreements had finally landed on his desk—also thanks to the positive publicity his team had recently seen—and he worked through those without pausing to think about her laugh more than about a dozen times. A personal best.
Trinity came to the games and the Mustangs didn’t lose. Their winning streak stretched to five games. Then eight. They were on fire, a flame eclipsed only by the one between Logan and Trinity as they burned up the sheets after games. Sometimes she brought her laptop and worked while the team tore the competition to shreds. Sometimes she put it away and cheered alongside him, occasionally coming up with relevant comments about the action on the field, which showed that she was learning baseball whether she’d meant to or not.
With his fake girlfriend by his side, Logan hadn’t watched a game from the dugout since the Mustangs played Oakland. It was a huge shift in his managerial style, one that his coaches hadn’t failed to comment on. He let them think it was because Trinity had caught him by the neck and wouldn’t let go. Secretly, he was convinced it was part of the good luck that she’d brought them. It was simple math. If he went down to the field, they’d lose. So he stuck to his box and sometimes used the seventh-inning stretch to make sure Trinity felt like she was getting her share of orgasms out of the deal.
The subject of the broken condom hadn’t come up, and he trusted she’d tell him if there was something to report. Everyone was getting what they wanted.
A call from the commissioner’s office burst Logan’s bubble. Cal Johnson, his star player, was the subject of a doping investigation and would likely be suspended pending a long string of meetings that Logan had just been cordially invited to attend. The devastation this news would create could not be overstated. He’d go to the meetings and then see what was what.
Without pausing to question the decision, he drove from his office to Trinity’s condo, parked and texted her.
I’m outside. Can I come up?
Her response was immediate.
Of course.
When she opened the door, he forgot everything he’d been about to say, even though he’d seen her yesterday.
She looked so good, gorgeous in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, which signified she’d had no plans to go anywhere this evening. Of course she had on her facial armor, but her eye makeup was more subtle than normal. But even if she had done her Cleopatra thing, it was part of her whole package, one that he could secretly admit he liked on her. She was bold, outrageous, and he couldn’t get enough of her.
“What’s up?” she asked, and it was obvious from her expectant expression that she’d assumed the reason for his visit had something to do with their publicity campaign.
“I wanted to see you.”
Suddenly, he felt foolish showing up unannounced when in reality, he didn’t know what was up. He’d done more wicked things with this woman than with any other woman of his acquaintance, but that didn’t give him any better ability to understand how to communicate with her. What was he supposed to do, come right out and admit that he’d been dealt a devastating blow and she was the only one he wanted to be with right now? Because that felt way too real for what they were doing here.
Something shifted in her expression. “Then come in.”
He must be more transparent than he thought. He’d never just dropped by like this. Their association started and ended with being seen together for publicity purposes, which he was using as an excuse to continue having sex without committing to anything else.