Page 35 of Game Over
“You could always get a loan from that rich boyfriend of yours,” Jude said with a sly smile. “I’m sure he’d give you very, uh, favorable terms.”
“Shut up!” Hell would freeze over before she’d accept a penny from Deke. Well, except for the salary he paid her to look after his nephew. That was money she’d earned. Not a handout. “That’s not gonna happen. You know how many women have probably gone after Deke because of his money over the years? I refuse to be—”
“Yeah, that’s the only reason a woman might be interested in him, right?” Jude rolled her eyes. “Have you taken a good look at the guy recently? Muscled, inked, mouth-watering perfection.”
Like she needed to be reminded. She’d been up close and personal with him last night and had been salivating the entire time. “Still, I refuse to take advantage of him. Or take risks with his money. That’s crazy.” She shook her head emphatically. “I won’t even consider it.”
“But you would consider leaving him? Breaking his heart? Destroying any chance you might have of a future with him?” Jude shook her head. “Why? Because of your stupid pride? That doesn’t make sense, girl.”
It was more than her pride. Even if she was gambling with her own money and didn’t have a mountain of debt, it was still too risky. Besides, did she really want the added stress of running her own business when she could work in a classroom, have evenings, weekends, and summers to herself, and skip the stress? To her, signing on for that didn’t make sense.
“Look, I know you’re trying to help, but what you’re suggesting isn’t an option for me.”
“Okay, it’s your call.” She looked Harper in the eye. “So, when are you gonna tell Deke that last night was a one-time thing?”
“Uh—”
“You can’t keep sleeping with the man if you’re not gonna stick around, Harper. That’s not fair to him or you.”
She was right, but damn, it hurt like hell to admit it.
“I guess I’ll have to tell him this weekend.” And pray he doesn’t hate me.
***
Deke had managed to secure tickets to both Saturday and Sunday games, so by the time Sunday night rolled around, Drew was exhausted. He’d watched every inning with wide-eyed excitement and Deke even managed to snag a fly ball for him as a memento.
It was so sweet, watching the serious case of hero-worship he had for his uncle. And Harper got it. She’d never met a man who was so good with kids. And not just with Drew either. The kids they’d talked to at the batting cages before the game and the ones sitting beside them spent the whole game vying for Deke’s attention.
They’d had a great time. But there’d been an underlying tension between them and Harper knew it was because Deke was trying not to get in too deep until she’d made a decision about her career.
After they’d read Drew a bedtime story and he’d drifted off, Harper whispered, “Can we go next door and talk?”
They had adjoining suites and Deke had remained firmly behind his side of the door both nights, making her even more confused. If their time was limited, wouldn’t he want to take advantage of every minute they had together? It wasn’t like Deke to hold back, or play it safe. And she had to know what he was thinking, before her speculation drove her crazy.
“Sure.” He took one last look at Drew, who was sleeping peacefully, before crossing the room to his suitcase. “Thought we might need this,” he said, holding up the monitor.
She wanted to ask why they hadn’t put it to use before, but bit her tongue. Once they were in her suite, she asked, “You want something to drink?”
“No thanks, I’m good.”
They’d gone to a steakhouse for dinner, after the game, but Harper had been so nervous she could barely finish half of her meal. She knew this talk was inevitable, but no matter how many times she’d rehearsed it, she couldn’t find the right words.
“Do you think the other night was a mistake?” she asked, finally. “When we had sex?”
His expression turned dark and stormy, like he was barely hanging on. “First of all, we didn’t have sex, Harper. I made love… to the woman I love. And no, I don’t have any regrets.” He swore softly, turning his back on her. “Jesus, how can you even ask me that?”
She touched his shoulder tentatively, wishing she could ease some of his tension. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Why did you come back?”
“What?”
“You heard me.” The muscle in his jaw was contracting when he muttered, “Why the hell did you come back to Carlton?”
Wow. She hadn’t seen that coming. They’d been getting along well all weekend. She could tell he was on edge, but hadn’t sensed his resentment. Until now. “I came back to spend some time with my best friend and visit my family.”
“And what about me?” he demanded, turning to face her. “Did you think about me at all before you came back?”
