Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 100873 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100873 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Daniel Tana Esera, pinup boy for the masses, national sweetheart, and gifted rugby player, snarled. “No cookies for you.”
“Hey!” Pointing her phone at him, she snapped a shot. “Gimme or I’ll post this with a sappy heart emoji.” No need to tell him he had a murderous glint to his eye that would shoot down any idea of romance.
Not the least worried, Danny checked what he’d put in the oven, then returned to his current work in progress, his biceps flexing as he began to whisk again. “Go away.” A growl in his tone that threatened to cause a tingle inside her. “My genius needs space.”
Catie wanted to get up and—
Eyes wide, she pulled back her thoughts with a painful screech.
Tingle? What the hell?
Her cheeks flushed. It was the whole cooking thing, she told herself as she picked up the contract again. It was stirring a primordial part of her nature. It had nothing to do with Danny.
Nothing at all.
6
WHEREUPON WE LEARN THAT DANNY IS A HIGH-MAINTENANCE CASANOVA
Delicious smells permeated the air by the time she finally finished reading the contract—she refused to think about why it had taken her so long to concentrate. Putting it aside, she typed up an email on her phone asking for clarification on a couple of clauses, pushed Send, then looked up.
To see Danny walking over with a plate of cookies.
“Eee!” Sitting up, she made gimme hands.
Lips curving, he put the plate on her lap, then placed a glass of milk on the coffee table next to her. “Don’t inhale them! They’re meant to be savored.”
“Mmm-hmm,” she said around a mouthful of warm cookie.
Shaking his head, he returned to get himself a glass of milk and his own plate of cookies. Because he knew Catie wouldn’t share hers. Then he sat at the other end of the couch, and they ate cookies and drank milk like any other hot young twentysomethings who were having a flaming affair.
Despite Catie’s speed eating, he was done before her.
She still thought it sucked how much he could put away and not gain a freaking ounce. That they were both athletes with intensive training schedules just made it worse.
After drinking his milk, he stretched an arm out along the back of the sofa and turned to her. “I’ve been thinking about what you said, about the whole public backlash.”
“Uh-huh.” In a sugar-chocolate-raisin haze, she licked her fingers.
Danny’s eyes followed the movement before lines formed between his eyebrows and he flicked his attention back to her face. “I have a problem too—the fact I haven’t been in a steady relationship is becoming a PR issue.”
“You’re a twenty-four-year-old star rugby player,” Catie said dryly. “No one expects you to settle down.”
“Twenty-five in just over a week,” Danny pointed out.
“My argument stands. Lots of people our age are single.” She pointed at herself as an example.
“That’s what I said, but apparently I’m meant to have had a serious girlfriend at least.” He shrugged. “I dunno who makes the rules. I mean, with my recent sponsorship deal and how conservative they are, I just laid off on hooking up with anyone. And I’m training right now. Focus is on that. Don’t have the attention to spare for women.”
“You sound like a grade-A arrogant ass.”
“Hey, I can’t help it if I’m irresistible.” His grin was young and wicked. “I only accept invitations, princess. Can’t help it if they keep on coming… and coming.”
Catie pretended to throw up. “Stop, or I’ll have to take off a leg and massacre you with it.” The worst thing was that he was right; she’d seen how women drooled over him. “Why did you agree to that sponsorship deal anyway?” The company was well known for being sticklers when it came to the “morality” of their athletes. “Gabe advise you to do it?”
Smile fading, he shook his head. “No, he told me he didn’t think it would be a good fit, but it’s a shit ton of money.” He blew out a breath. “Enough to give me a solid foundation if I suddenly have to stop playing. And all I have to do is walk the straight and narrow for a couple of years.”
Catie didn’t make a snarky remark, well aware that Danny had watched a career-ending injury fell the big brother he idolized. That he had family support didn’t matter, not in this. It was a thing of pride, but not the bad kind. No, it was the kind that made for a good man—one who wanted to stand on his own feet.
“I get it,” Catie said, thinking of her own fight for independence against Jacqueline.
Their eyes met, understanding passing between them.
Until she couldn’t take the intensity of it, broke the contact. “You’ve still got the clean-cut image even if you haven’t had a steady girlfriend. You must have good taste in hookups since no one has sold their story to the magazines.”