Priceless(40)

“While it’s always nice to show your appreciation of a Higher Power, in this instance you should really thank football and wise investments,” he teased. “Of course, if you can’t bear the thought of taking any money earned playing such a stupid game…”

“I’ll give it some thought,” she replied oh, so seriously, then added a quick, “Yes. When it comes to saving more kids, I’m not proud. If you’re really serious about this, I’ll get together with my team and put a proposal together by the end of the week.”

Mack nodded. “I’ll be in to pick it up.”

She studied him intently, then shook her head at the unexpected turn the day had taken. It was yet more proof that she had seriously misjudged Mack. If the sex had been predictably incredible, then this gesture was equally mind-boggling in its unpredictability and its generosity.

“You’re not at all what I expected,” she admitted.

“Not so dumb?”

She flushed. “I thought we’d already established that as a lie. More important, you’re amazingly kind to Tony. And this whole playboy thing, I’m beginning to think maybe that’s more an image you’ve created for the media than a fact.”

“You think that after last night?” he asked, regarding her with evident surprise. “And all that fancy footwork I danced through this morning?”

Beth thought about it and finally nodded slowly. “Yes. Now that I look back over the last few weeks, I realize that you never seem to have a date. You’ve been spending every evening at the hospital.”

He gave her long, simmering look that made her pulse race.

“What do you think you and I have been doing?” he asked quietly. “I mean even before last night.”

“Grabbing a quick meal on the run,” she said, confused by the hint of amusement in his eyes.

“You with an eligible man. Me with a beautiful, intelligent woman. In my book, those are dates.” His grin spread. “And just look where they led.”

She sat back, stunned. “Well, I’ll be damned.” Somehow she’d dismissed all that earlier stuff as casual, friendly, inconsequential get-togethers, while he’d seen it as some sort of foreplay.

“I doubt you’ll be damned, unless of course you let me take advantage of you,” he taunted. “Any possibility of that happening again? Not right this second, of course, but sometime when you’re not due back at the hospital in less than five minutes?”

Before last night, Beth would have said there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of her letting that happen. Even this morning, with his stinging reminder that he wasn’t to be taken seriously, she would have said a flat no.

Now, seeing the faint vulnerability in his eyes as he awaited her reply, guessing that he was stepping far outside of his own relationship comfort zone to even ask such a thing, she was tempted to see where this could lead.

With her heart hammering in her chest, she met his gaze evenly. “You never know.”

Mack laughed, as if he’d never expected a different answer. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Has any woman ever actually said no to you?” she asked curiously.

“More than you might imagine. Then again, I’ve probably asked the question a lot less than you’ve imagined.”

To Beth’s very real regret, she wanted to believe that far more than was wise. She wanted to believe that the media had gotten it all wrong, but even she was savvy enough to accept that where there was smoke, there was usually fire. Or in this case, that if gossip paired Mack with a different woman every night, then more than likely he’d done something to foster that impression.

But maybe, just maybe, he’d done it as a defense mechanism to keep from having to put his heart on the line. That was a scenario Beth very much wanted to believe. In fact, she wanted it so much it should have sent her scurrying right straight out of Mack’s life before she got her own heart well and truly broken.

It should have, but she very much feared she wasn’t going anywhere.





Chapter Nine




When Mack wandered into the Carlton Industries offices after dropping Beth off at the hospital, he headed straight for Destiny’s office. She rarely put in an appearance there, but a few calls had assured him she was in this afternoon. He’d been drawn there because his aunt had a way of clarifying things for him when he was faced with uncertainty. Since meeting Beth, he’d spent a lot of time feeling completely off-kilter.

It had been a most enlightening lunch. He’d discovered that Beth was more of a risk taker than he’d imagined. He’d expected her to turn him down flat when he’d suggested they spend another passionate night together, especially after the way they’d parted just this morning. That she hadn’t said an immediate no had left him turned on and more intrigued than ever.