Dirty Score, A Rough Riders Hockey Novel (14 page)

Before she could decline, Rafe said, “I was just telling her the same thing. And I think she should bring her jersey designs. Don’t you think John Silver would be interested?”

“What?” She frowned at Rafe, confused.

“The Ducks’ owner,” Joe said with a tug to his brow before his face brightened. “Hey, good thinking.”

“What about him?” Tate asked.

Mia wanted to ask the same question. Rafe had played for the Ducks before he became a free agent and signed with the Rough Riders, but he still had a good relationship with the Ducks owner, Silver.

“He’s a really innovative guy,” Joe told Mia and Tate. “Makes more off merchandising than any other team in the NHL. What a fantastic idea, Rafe.”

She was—still—about to decline when Rafe turned one of those looks on her, one with a whole lot of heat simmering in the background. “Then you could watch the first two games of the playoffs, and in between we’d have time to drive around LA, check out your apartment, the hood where you’re going to be living. You could even go to that company party you were just telling me about and meet some of your coworkers.”

Whoa. Who was this man? Could a true change of heart come so fast?

He
must have done
a lot
of thinking last night to develop this plan, because he wasn’t just arranging things so he and Mia could be together, he was really thinking about Mia’s wants and needs.

Everything inside her softened, emotions whipped up, and her eyes stung. “You know, this whole jersey idea really isn’t mine. Sarah started it—”

“Because there is a demand,” Rafe said.

“I really don’t know anything about the business end of this. I just design—”

“I can help you with all the business, sweetie,” Joe offered. “You should at least show the designs to Silver. We can just take it from there. Make it casual. All you need are your sketches and a few photos. I’m sure the girls would love to pose for you.”

“Pictures are already all over the Internet,” Tate said. “You should take a look. There are all kinds of comments from people asking where they got the tops, wanting them for themselves. You should do this, Mia.”

Holy shit. She couldn’t remember the last time all three of these men were focused on her. On her life. On advancing her career. Mia was overwhelmed. Aside from that, selling her jersey designs was so out of her current realm of possibility, the thought added more stress. She was having a hard enough time getting her brain around the move to California and working in freaking Hollywood. Taking this leap into selling her designs was another world she knew nothing about and wouldn’t have time for with her new job. Then there was Rafe and this crazy revelation that he wanted time with her.

A girl could only take so many learning curves at once.

“It’s settled.” Joe clapped and swung an arm around Mia’s shoulders. “You and I will fly out together. We’ll talk business on the flight and catch up with the boys at the hotel.”

She should probably be more excited about the business opportunity, but her mind was on Rafe.

Rafe and a hotel.

Rafe and a hotel, and what an absolutely delicious thought that was.

Only… Yeah. Reality.

“Thanks for thinking of me, guys. I’d love to watch you play and check out LA, but I can’t. My budget’s already stretched tight with the move. I can’t do another plane ticket and hotel right now—”

“I’ll take care of it.” All three men said it at the same time. When they looked at each other, Mia laughed. Her face heated, and she pressed her hands to her cheeks. Rafe might be right about Mia being fiercely independent, but she was also grateful for all their generosity.

Rafe was the first to look back at her. “We all obviously want you there. Let LA burn to the ground for a change, Mia.”

Tate gave him a look. “Huh?”

Rafe shook his head. “Something we were talking about earlier.”

Oh Lord. The thought of three days and two nights with Rafe… Of course it wouldn’t be just Rafe. And with Tate and Joe and the Rough Riders so close, there would be a lot of sneaking around, but she couldn’t deny the excitement and hope this little revelation had created—for her relationship with Rafe, to smooth things over with Tate…

Nerves whipped up in her belly, and she pressed a hand to her stomach.

Tate laughed. “That’s her nervous tell. She’s gonna do it.”

Rafe smiled and nodded at Mia, and his expression was filled with a sort of intimate pride. “I’ll make the call.”

R
afe stopped
at Mia’s hotel room door, blew out a breath, pulled at the cuffs of his shirtsleeves, and knocked. He let his eyes drift to the ceiling, set his feet, clasped one hand over the other. Then took another breath. And let it out slowly.

I’m going to be good.

This is about her business.

This is an important meeting.

The fun stuff can come later.

His teeth clenched, and his eyes closed. God, he wanted the fun stuff now. He hadn’t felt Mia in days, and he swore he was going to go insane.

The door handle clicked, and as it opened, Rafe solidified his vow to stick to business for Mia tonight. To win her some confidence with Silver. Maybe even a little business gig on the side. Nothing major. Just a step in the right direction.

“Hey.” Her voice dragged his gaze down. “You look as handsome as always.”

He saw the flash of a red dress before she opened the door wider and stepped aside to let him in.

“Nice,” he said, looking around at the mini suite.

“Joe says they automatically upgrade him because of his frequent-traveler status.”

Rafe turned toward Mia at the same time she stepped toward him. Her fingers slipped under the lapels of his blazer, and her body pressed against his. His surprise melted in the warm, curvy, soft feel of her against him. And she smelled like sex on cloud nine. Like wildflowers and passion and heat and desire and… God, he wanted her.

“Wow,” he said, stroking his hands over the silky fabric covering her shoulders. “This is a nice surprise.”

She let the door close, then slid her hands up to his shoulders. Rafe walked backward, trying like hell to remember the fun stuff was supposed to come later. But his back hit the door, Mia eased against him, and all his blood rushed south. While he was fighting to pull some back to his brain, her hand wound around the back of his neck and pulled his head down.

And as soon as her mouth opened under his, all those great intentions of Rafe’s went straight to hell. He groaned, cupped her head, and kissed her back. Licked into her mouth, ate at her lips. God, it felt like he hadn’t kissed her in forever. And he didn’t realize how hungry he was until he’d tasted her again.

Before he knew how it happened, he had her pinned against the opposite wall, her legs wrapped at his hips, his erection rubbing between her legs. He broke the kiss and pressed his mouth to her shoulder. “Mia,” he said, breathless. “Jesus Christ. You make me…
insane
.”

She ran her fingers through his hair. Kissed his neck. “We don’t have to go. No one will know. Let’s stay in—”

“Silver will know.” He eased back and released his hold so she slid back to the floor. “Joe and Tate will know.”

Pulling away from a beautiful, willing woman had
never
been this painful.

Her big eyes gazed up at him, flooded with heat and emotion and desire that twisted him inside out. “Let’s cancel,” she said, her voice husky. “Just tell them I’m not feeling well.”

Yes.
Yes, yes, yes.
There was nothing he wanted more. But he said, “No, Mia. This is important.”

She sighed, released him, and stepped back. “It’s more important to you than it is to me, but I still can’t quite figure out why.”

“What do you mean, why?” He already missed the feel of her. “It’s a great opportunity for you, that’s why.” He reached up and lifted her hair off her forehead. “And there’s a car downstairs waiting. Grab your things.”

She moved to the table, picking up a portfolio and clutch purse, and Rafe glanced around the hotel room while he pulled himself together.

“Ready,” she said.

Rafe turned toward the door and took his first full look at her. Hundreds of thousands of brain cells instantly imploded. Her dress was indeed red. Fucking fire-engine red. It hugged every perfect curvy line of her beautiful body and made Rafe ache everywhere. It was also that soft see-through material with a solid layer of color beneath. The straps were all sparkles, the bodice barely more than a bikini top. The material was gathered in a crisscross across the top, supporting her breasts in a way that created cleavage Rafe wanted to lose himself in. The knee-length skirt gathered on the side beneath another shiny jewel, giving the dress an uneven hem and Rafe a mouthwatering view of one toned thigh.

“That’s, that’s…” Yeah, he couldn’t find words.

“A mini empire chiffon,” she said, looking down.

“No, that’s not what I meant. It’s…” He shook his head and took her in again, head to toe, then met her gaze. Her hair was in a bun just above her nape, her long bangs loose on one side. It was like seeing her for the first time. Seeing her without all the filters he’d used for years.

“Gorgeous doesn’t even begin do it justice. Or
you
justice.” He was blown away by this whole amazing, stunningly strong woman. “You have never looked more beautiful.”

Her expression softened, and her gaze dropped away. “Thank you.”

On the way to the elevator, Mia asked, “Are Joe and Tate meeting us downstairs?”

Rafe hit the button for the first floor. “No. I got them their own car.” When Mia just lifted one brow, Rafe said, “I wanted to give you some time to relax before the meeting. And I didn’t think Tate and Joe would let you do that.”

Outside, Rafe opened the door to the Lincoln Town Car for Mia and slid in after her. Champagne was already waiting in chilled glasses. Rafe gave the driver their destination, the time they needed to arrive, and asked him to take the long way. Then he lifted the smoked glass between the compartments, stretched out his legs, and sighed.

Now, if he could just keep a couple of feet between him and Mia for the next half hour…

He picked up the champagne glasses, offered one to Mia, then raised his own. “To new business ventures.”

Mia tapped his glass, then tipped her champagne back, drinking until it was gone.

Now it was Rafe’s turn to lift a brow. “Are you okay?”

She sighed, set the glass back, then shifted on the seat, curling up real close until her breasts and belly pressed against his arm. Her flat hand slid across his abdomen, and heat flooded south.

Rafe put his own champagne away before he spilled it, and stroked a hand over her arm. Screw distance. This was way better. He circled an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. And when he looked down at her, she was staring back with these big green eyes.

“What is this really about for you, Rafe? Wanting me on this trip. Setting up this meeting…”

H
e changed the subject
. “Are you still planning on going to your work party tomorrow night?”

She nodded and set the glass back in the holder.

When she didn’t go on, Rafe said, “I’d be happy to go with you if you don’t want to go alone. You don’t have to claim me as anything other than a friend, and I won’t cling and cramp your style. Just an offer in case you, you know, would like a familiar face in the crowd.”

She sighed and glanced around the car’s interior with a distracted “That would be nice.”

Rafe reached over and put his hand on her knee. The warmth and softness of her skin registered immediately. “Mia, what’s wrong?”

Her gaze came around. “This is all incredibly extravagant, but…” She shook her head and angled to face him. “I don’t understand this push. I don’t want this, Rafe. Honestly, I’m here because it was so important to all of you for me to do this. I’m barely keeping my calm with everything I’ve already got going. This new, demanding job in this new, demanding field, working with new people, across the country from the people I love most. Living in a new apartment with a new roommate, in a new town with a new culture. Even the weather is all different. I think that’s enough to adjust to. This probably isn’t the best time to take on the freelance design market. We can’t all be stellar shots on the spur of the moment in any situation.”

“Mia,” he said, his voice filled with apology, “that’s not why—”

“And to be honest,” she cut him off, “if I’m going to use what little energy I have toward something, it’s going to be toward figuring out what’s going on with us. Then figuring out how I’m going to leave it behind in a very short time. I came on this trip
hoping
I’d get more of you than a quickie before the games. Hoping we could talk about what you said yesterday on the ice.”

His stomach and heart squeezed at the same time. “You’re always so clearheaded. So straightforward. I wish I was half as sharp.”

“Says the man leading his team into the Stanley Cup playoffs.” She shifted on the seat, curling up real close until her breasts and belly pressed against his arm. Her hand slid across his abdomen and heat flooded south. “What is this really about for you, Rafe?”

“This is about something special, just for you, Mia.” He covered her hand with his own. “All your life, everything has been about me and Tate. We’ve gotten all the attention, all the breaks, all the opportunities, all Joe’s time. You said it yourself; you get the leftovers. You’ve always lived in our shadows, and it’s a crime. You’re so talented, so smart, and you work so damn hard for everything you have. Success is about three things—talent or knowledge, taking or making opportunities, and who you know. You’ve mined the hell out of two of those assets. I think if you take that last step, you’re going to find that you’re ready to stop working for other people. And I’d really like to see the fruits of all your talent, smarts, and hard work come back to you for a change.
That’s
what this is about.”

She searched his eyes, clearly skeptical. “Why now?”

“Because you’re different. I don’t know if it was your last apprenticeship or your last relationship or our time apart over the last year, or all of it, but you’ve grown. You’re…” He exhaled. “I don’t want you to take this wrong, which is probably impossible, but you’re just more…mature. You’ve always been sensible and responsible and compassionate. But now you’re just, I don’t know, now you’re savvy. Clever. Charming in a different, more worldly way.” While still being the girl next door, which made him absolutely crazy. “And your designs…”

He glanced down—something he’d been trying not to do. Her breasts swelled into the sheered fabric crisscrossing the bodice, her skin smooth and glowing. Swells and skin he wanted in his hands, his mouth. He wanted her so bad, every cell of his body ached with the need.

Swallowing against a dry throat, he asked, “Is this another one of yours?”

“Yes.” Her answer was smooth and soft and leading. “Do you like it?”

He wasn’t going there. “You’ve really broken out, baby. Your designs are sophisticated and bold and beautiful.” He pried his gaze from the length of her smooth thigh stretching from beneath the short hem. “Yet you can whip out fun, stylish jersey designs on the spur of the moment and produce them in a matter of days. I don’t have to be fluent in design to know that’s an incredibly valuable asset. The fact that Hollywood snapped you up is confirmation.”

He lifted his hand to her face and tilted it up to his. Her lips were parted and just inches away. He needed to taste her.
Needed it.

“Just talk to him. If it’s not for you, fine. If the opportunity presents itself and you want to explore it, great. But don’t close the door before you even check it out. You’re so ready to take this step.”

Her eyes searched his, and a soft smile turned her mouth, one that pulled him back in time. “Sometimes I still see that kid you used to be. A smile, a look, and you drag me back to those Colorado summers.”

Rafe might not have noticed her when he’d been sixteen and she’d been fourteen, but when she’d turned sixteen and he’d been eighteen, that changed—in a big way. She hadn’t just blossomed into a woman, she’d exploded. Rafe remembered it as an overnight transformation from the skinny, leggy fifteen-year-old tomboy challenging him and Tate to springtime figure skating competitions on the local pond, into the curvy, eye-popping, sixteen-year-old lifeguarding at the local pool.

“It was a good thing I got swept away by the Eagles,” he said, mentioning the farm team he’d joined that summer. “Otherwise, my hormones would have overridden my brain and there would have been hell to pay with Tate.”

Which would have ended his relationship with Joe. And those two men were the reason Rafe was where he was today. The main reason Rafe had all he had.

She smiled. “I miss those days.” She pulled her hand from under Rafe’s and stroked it across his belly, stirring heat. “And I still prefer that old truck of yours to this ride. Those greasy burgers at the café on the corner to whatever five-star restaurant we’re going to tonight. If you lost everything now…” She lifted a shoulder, and her lips curved in the slightest smile. “I’d still hang with you.”

Rafe laughed. His heart softened. And yearned. She was everything he couldn’t find in any other woman. All she’d been to him in the past. All she’d stayed to him over the years. All she’d become to him as he’d risen to the top of his profession. She knew him. Understood him. And loved him anyway.

“I know you probably prefer those silly puck bunnies I see you with in the media.” She kept stroking her hand back and forth over his dress shirt, but her fingers got lower with every pass. “So I guess I can pretend to be one of those for now, go meet this important person, play the superficial socialite.”

With her eyes holding his, she lowered her hand to his belt and hooked one leg over his thigh. Then her fingers went to work on his buckle. Excitement fired through Rafe’s veins. He circled her wrists and darted a look at the driver. But the glass was in place, and the man behind the wheel was singing along to whatever was on the radio.

Rafe looked back at her and found her eyes heavy and hungry. She pulled his belt open.

“You wanted to get away from me a couple days ago,” he told her. “What changed?”

She twisted her arm from his hand, draped her leg all the way across both his thighs, and slid right onto his lap. Rafe’s heart rate spiked. His lungs shrank. And his cock throbbed.

“Someone suggested I enjoy the people in my life while I have them close.” Both her hands worked his button open and his zipper down. Her biceps crowded her breasts, deepening the cleavage there and making Rafe moan. “The way I feel about you hasn’t changed for fifteen years. It’s not going to change now. Leaving you will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, no matter what happens between us.”