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Kendra pursed her lips painted a rich, velvety red reminiscent of a full-bodied glass of vintage port. As proud and stubborn as her mother, the woman was allergic to accepting help. It had taken him nearly a year to convince her to accept child support for Kai.
“This is an opportunity for me, which means I’m invested in your success. When we worked together, informally, you were a media darling.”
Nate tapped his finger on the table. Kendra wasn’t wrong. She’d been a huge help back then. He’d even asked her to help a couple of his college buddies who’d run into trouble.
He sucked in a deep breath. “You’re good, but that isn’t the point.”
“Then what is the point?” She leaned forward, her arms folded, elbows on the table, providing an excellent view of her cleavage.
Nate was beginning to think she was doing it on purpose. Distracting him and trying to get him off his game. He swallowed hard, ignoring the blood emptying from his brain and rushing below his belt.
He glanced over at his smirking brother, who seemed to enjoy watching Kendra take him to task.
“You’re going to make me say it? Fine.” Nate leaned forward, palms pressed to the table. “I prefer to work with someone I know has my back. Someone who’ll ride this out instead of hitting the door the second the road gets hard. I want to work with someone who’ll stand their ground and fight for me.”
Kendra grimaced, as if he’d knocked the wind out of her.
Part of him relished the pain evident in her eyes. It didn’t begin to rival the pain she’d inflicted on him. Yet another part of him couldn’t bear to see the hurt in her chocolate-brown eyes.
“Your feelings are valid.” Marcus spoke after what felt like a full minute of silence. His tone was apologetic, though Nate wasn’t sure if the apology was meant for him or Kendra. “That’s why you two need to hash things out.”
“You’re not hearing me, Marcus. There is nothing for us to hash out.”
Marcus placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “You’re my brother. I’d take a bullet for you. But as your agent, I have to be the voice of reason. Tell you what you need to hear. You screwed up. Royally. At the worst possible time. This is mission-critical. We need Dray. She knows you better than anyone, and she’s a master at crisis management. Besides, she has a vested interest in seeing you succeed. All of our futures are on the line here, Nate. I wouldn’t bring Dray in if I didn’t trust her implicitly.”
Kendra gave Marcus a grateful smile. She sat taller and returned her attention to Nate. “I can do this, Nate. I won’t let you down.”
Nate ignored her plea. He turned to Marcus. “I think we’re pushing the panic button here.”
“Cards on the table, bro?” Marcus motioned for the server to come over. “It was Bat-Signal time the second that video hit the airwaves. The building is on fire. Don’t be too proud to accept the help of a friendly face wearing a cape and toting a fire hose.”
Nate gritted his teeth as Kendra held back a grin, her eyes gleaming. He sat stewing as Marcus explained to the server that he’d be leaving, so she should deliver his meal and the bill to Nate.
He loved his family, but it was a universal truth that older brothers could be asses.
Marcus stood and slipped on his wool coat. He gripped Nate’s shoulder. “You said you’d do whatever it took to make this right. I’m playing that card now. You’re two adults with a common goal. Figure it out.” He shifted his gaze to Kendra. “Walk me out?”
She grabbed her wrap and followed him out.
Damn.
Next time he’d be careful with the promises he made his brother. His only hope was to convince Kendra to walk away.
Again.
Chapter 2 (#u02b632ad-eecd-52c2-9177-94e46c892a32)
“You seem pleased.” Kendra pulled the wrap tightly around her shoulders to combat the biting winter wind rushing into the lobby as patrons entered and exited. It was an unusual cold spell for North Carolina. “I’m not sure we were in the same room, because Nate isn’t buying this.”
“Not yet, but then you were prepared to turn me down when you arrived. What changed your mind?”
Her cheeks warmed. She agreed to dinner because she’d been intrigued by Marcus’s proposal. It was her chance to finally establish a boutique PR and media coaching firm that catered to high-end talent. But she’d decided to take Nate on as a client the moment she laid eyes on him. Six feet three inches of brown-skin Adonis. Handsome and fit as ever. There was no way she’d admit that to his brother or to anyone.
“Despite what Nate thinks, he needs my help. Besides, I owe him.” She couldn’t erase the pain she’d caused when she’d walked away seven years ago, but she could make things right for him. Allow him to end his career on his terms.
Marcus squeezed her arm. “You don’t owe either of us anything, but I’m glad you’re on board.”
“This isn’t a done deal. I meant what I said. I’m willing to work through Nate resenting my help, but I won’t do this if he’s resistant. If he won’t listen to me, this doesn’t work.”
“Then you’ve got some convincing to do.” Marcus winked, tipped the valet and drove off.
Great. Kendra drew in a deep breath, then strutted back into the restaurant, spine straight and tall. You’ve got this, girl.
Nate didn’t bother standing when she returned. He stared as if he couldn’t believe she had the nerve to sashay her tail back into the private dining room. As if he’d expected her to turn and run.
“You need convincing, so let’s talk. Ask me anything you want. We can discuss the ideas I have so far or the crisis management work I’ve done for high-profile corporate clients.”
The server set their meals on the table. When she left, Nate took a swig of his beer, then set the glass on the table with a thud. “Fine. Let’s talk about what happened between us.”
“Nate...” Her voice wavered for a moment. She cleared her throat and lengthened her spine, holding his gaze. “We’ve talked about this.”
“‘I’m so sorry, Nate, I just can’t do this’ isn’t a discussion, Kendra.” The veins in his neck corded as he repeated her words that night verbatim. “You’ve shut me down anytime I’ve tried to have a real conversation about that night. If you want me to trust you, start by being honest about what happened between us.”
“This isn’t productive.” She shivered beneath his cold stare. “Discussing my proposed PR plan is.”
“If Marcus says you can do the job, I trust his judgment. What I need is to know I can trust you. So for once, be honest with me about why you walked out. Why you waited until I asked you to marry me and you were pregnant with my son to decide I wasn’t the right man for you.”
Her heart clenched at the bitterness that laced his words. It took her back to that night. The night she’d made the biggest mistake of her life.
“I underestimated how difficult it was to be the wife of a pro athlete.”
“I’d been with the Marauders for a year by then. How would your life have been any different?”
“There’s a huge difference between being the live-in girlfriend and being the wife and mother of your children.”
“A marriage license is just a piece of paper, Kendra. Other than having it and my last name, nothing would’ve changed.”
She tipped her chin, determined to keep her emotions in check. “It isn’t a meaningless piece of paper. It’s a lifelong commitment. That means something to me.”
Nate snorted. “If it means so much to you, why’d you turn it down when I offered it?”
“I couldn’t be one of those football wives who doesn’t have a life of her own and pretends not to know what happens on the road.”
His expression morphed from anger to hurt again. “So it was about that girl who let herself into my room in Cleveland. I told you, I didn’t know her, and nothing happened between us. When I discovered her in my room, I called security and they sent her ass packing. End of story. I called you right away and told you about it. I wasn’t trying to hide anything.”
“The sports channels picked up the story. I would’ve heard about it.”
Nate ran a hand through his close-cropped curls and heaved a sigh. “So that’s what you think of me? That the minute I’m out of sight I can’t keep it in my pants? News flash, Kendra, if I’d wanted to be with someone else, I would’ve been. Football groupies have been throwing themselves at me since high school. I didn’t want them. I wanted you. I loved you. You obviously didn’t feel the same.”
“That isn’t true.” The accusation hit her like a bullet to the chest, piercing her heart and severing arteries. Nate was the only man she’d ever loved. She loved him still, but their time was past, and it was all her fault. “I’m a realist. You’re only human. A man can only take so much temptation.”
“If you felt that way, you should’ve come to me. We could’ve worked things out.”
“How, Nate? You weren’t going to leave the team, and I’d never ask you to give up your dream.” She hadn’t meant to stress the word.
Nate shifted in his seat, lowering his gaze. He hadn’t missed the implication. She’d supported his dream, but he hadn’t supported hers. He took another sip of his beer. “I never gave you any reason to doubt me.”
“It was my issue, not yours. I fully own that.”
“Just to be clear, you blew up our relationship, our family, because you thought I might eventually cheat on you?”
“It isn’t as simple as that.” She poked at the flounder she no longer had an appetite for. “My fears are very real, and I have them for good reason. That’s my problem, not yours.”
Nate laughed bitterly. “It sure as hell felt like my problem when you turned down my proposal in a roomful of our family and friends.”
She cringed, remembering the moment he dropped to one knee and presented her with a beautiful, custom diamond engagement ring. The memory of that moment was as vivid now as it was then. Euphoric joy immediately followed by debilitating fear and a panic attack that stole her breath.
Chest heaving and the room spinning, she had only one clear thought—she couldn’t marry Nate.
Until that moment, she’d anticipated the day he’d propose and dreamed of an intimate wedding ceremony on the beach. Then Nate asked her to marry him and the room went black.
Visions of ruthless groupies who’d do anything to get with a ballplayer filled her head. Her own father hadn’t been faithful to her mother. How could she expect Nate to do so with so much temptation?
She’d broken it off, packed her things and made the long drive back to Pleasure Cove. Weeks later, she discovered she was pregnant with Kai.
“You didn’t deserve that. I should’ve told you how I’d been feeling, but—”
“You didn’t trust me enough to have an honest discussion then. Give me one reason I should trust you now.” The ache reflected in his dark eyes penetrated her skin more than the bone-chilling air outside had.
Kendra choked back the thickness in her throat. “Because I’m the same girl who cheered you on at every game from peewee to the pros. The one who wouldn’t let you give up on your dream when you weren’t drafted.”
Nate’s expression softened, but he didn’t respond.
Encouraged, Kendra continued. “We were so young then, Nate. I handled my feelings poorly. But I’ve never been anything but supportive of your career, and I’ve proven that I’m willing to go to bat for you. Who was it that convinced those arena football teams to give you a shot? Who sent your arena highlight clips to pro teams until the Marauders invited you to try out?”
“You.” He rubbed his chin. “I owe my entire career to you.”
“Our relationship may have ended, but my support of your career hasn’t. No consultant will fight for your career harder than I will. Deep down, I think you know that.”
Nate kneaded the back of his neck. “Okay, fine.”
“Really?”
“Just until we secure my new contract.”
Her buzz was quickly doused—like a too-short candlewick. The muscles of her face strained to maintain her smile. “Of course.”
“We’ll make it a six-month contract. You’ll be well paid and Marcus will give you references, contacts...anything you need to rebrand your business. All right?”
“It’s a generous offer, thank you. I accept.”
* * *
“All right then.” Nate inhaled Kendra’s sweet scent: a gentle breeze wafting through a summer garden bursting with jasmine and gardenias. He pretended not to notice the disappointment on her face. It tugged at his heart and made him want to promise her the world just to see a genuine smile light those brown eyes. “I’ll call Marcus tonight and have him draw up the contract.”
“Great, I’ll have my lawyer review it and we can go from there.”
“How is your brother doing?” Nate sipped his beer, amused by how formally Kendra referred to her brother, Dashon, a contract law attorney.
Kendra shrugged. “He’s still Dash. Being himself and doing his own thing.”
“New York must be treating him well. I hear he rarely returns to Pleasure Cove.” Nate carved into his prime rib covered with a creamy mushroom and lobster sauce—one of Nadine’s specialties.
Kendra’s mouth twisted. He’d obviously touched a nerve. He wouldn’t pry further. They didn’t need to be best friends. Just have a personable working relationship. “He comes home about as often as Quincy.”
Touché. His globe-trotting younger brother was quickly making a name for himself as a photographer. His shadow rarely darkened the Johnston family’s doorstep.
Nate contemplated the quiet look of concern that furrowed Kendra’s brows. “Did I say something wrong?”
She stopped pushing the food around her plate and put down her fork. “No, but there’s something we need to address, so I’m just going to say it.”
He put down his utensils and sat back warily. “I’m listening.”
“What happened between us in Memphis—”
“Which time?” Nate couldn’t help the smirk that tightened his mouth when he remembered how an argument between them had descended into hot, angry sex on two different occasions.
“Both.” Kendra clearly wasn’t amused. Nor did she seem to have the same fond memories of those occasions. “That can’t happen again.”
“I was hoping it would be one of the amenities you’d throw into the deal.” He held back a grin as he drained the last of his beer.
She pointed one of her painted fingernails at him. “See, that’s what I’m talking about. If this is going to work, you have to take me seriously.”
“Oh, I took what we did very seriously.” He raised an eyebrow and resumed eating his meal.
She let out a frustrated sigh and settled back in her seat. “This is your career we’re talking about here, Nate. I need to maintain my focus, and I can’t stay focused on cleaning up your rep if I’m thinking about...” Her words trailed off and there was a deep flush in her cheeks beneath her smooth brown skin. She shook her head, as if trying to shake off the memories. “Neither of us can afford the distraction.”
“Agreed.” He adjusted in his chair, his own body reacting to the memories. Her scent. Her taste. The sound of her soft pleas. “Though it worries me that my media consultant can’t multitask.”
They dissolved into laughter, and for a moment, it felt like old times. It was the first time either of them seemed relaxed since he’d arrived.
Nate smiled, relishing the sound of her laughter. One of the countless details about her he missed. “Okay, Ms. Media Consultant, where do we begin?”
Chapter 3 (#u02b632ad-eecd-52c2-9177-94e46c892a32)
“This sounds like a great opportunity.” Maya Alvarez, Kendra’s half sister, sipped her mocha latte as they sat at the breakfast bar in the gorgeous penthouse Maya shared with her fiancé, hotelier Liam Westbrook. “So why aren’t you excited about it?”
Kendra took a sip of the frothy peppermint mocha her sister made for her and let out an appreciative moan. “I am, but what if I’m jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire?”
