Hotshot (5 page)

Finally, I realize I can’t push anymore. She has to make the decision.

“It’s up to you, babe. If you want to back out, I’ll understand.”

Fuck, don’t let her back out.

She purses her lips and stays quiet. Then she inhales deeply and flings her head back, focusing on the ceiling. “You’re amazing, you know that? What time do we leave next Thursday?”

My heart beats double time, and I fight the impulse to raise my arms in victory.

“I’ll have a car pick you up around five.”

She grabs her phone and keys and comes to me, throwing her arms around my waist and her head against my chest. “Thank you, Shaw. I’m excited.”

“Me too,” I agree, even though excited is an understatement. The next six days can’t pass quickly enough.

“I have to go. I’m working all weekend. We have a nurse out sick.”

“Mathis on this weekend?”

“Sunday night. We’re going to try to grab dinner.”

Jealousy spikes in my blood. What the hell is wrong with me? She and my brother eat together all the time.

“You get hungry, you get sad, you need anything… you call me.”

She raises her head and locks eyes with me. A smile spreads across her lips. “I will.”

I reluctantly follow her to the door and watch until the elevator closes. Then I walk back to my patio and pour a full glass of whiskey and stare at the ocean, wondering what the fuck I’m going to do.

There’s a buzz around the office, knowing I’m meeting with three of the most sought after clients in the state over the next few days. My boss, who basically leaves me alone, has stopped by twice today to wish me luck. Even with everyone’s enthusiasm, I can’t seem to think about anything but Bizzy.

She’s texted or called me every day, mentioning something else she’s excited about. A long time ago, Nick told me her family used to do vacations every year until she got sick. The bills piled up and vacations became scarce. Her parents, Rory and Tom, got back on their feet, but the days of family getaways were over.

So, with her growing excitement, I asked Gail to make sure Bizzy had anything and everything she wanted. Spa treatments, a private cabana, whatever made her smile. There was no way to miss Gail’s approving smile as she promised to take care of it.

“Crenshaw,” Gail buzzes through the phone, and I roll my eyes at her continuous use of my formal name.

“Yes?”

“Your brother’s on his way up.”

“Which one?”

“The smart one.”

I howl in laughter and glance at her through the glass. She gives me a wink then points to Mathis walking our way. He kisses her quickly on the cheek, and she motions for him to come in. I sit back in my seat and wait for him to lie down on the sofa as he usually does after a long shift. Instead, he sits in a chair opposite me and crosses his arms. His face is almost unreadable except for the tick in his jaw. It’s a surefire sign he’s pissed.

“This is a surprise. You okay?”

“Fuck no.”

“Something going on?”

“You tell me.”

“I get the sense you’re pissed, but I don’t have time to play guessing games, so spit it out.”

“What’s up with you and Bizzy?”

The force of his words shocks me, and I try to hide my flinch. “Not a damn thing. Why do you ask?”

“Bullshit! I saw the way you looked at her last week at dinner, closing in on her when you thought Nick and I were in the other room. The way you lit up when she decided to come along on this trip. It may have escaped a lot of people, but I know you. Not to mention, she’s a freaking loon… a floating loon. I’ve seen her almost every day at the hospital, and every time, she’s grinning.”

“Maybe she’s happy.”

“She works with cancer kids, you dumbass. Her heart is broken almost daily…”

He’s got a point I can’t even argue. “What do you want me to say?”

“I want you to tell me I’m sleep deprived and imagining this shit. Tell me you’re not interested in her, that I’m hallucinating. Fuck! Tell me anything that will make me more comfortable with her leaving for four days alone with you.”

I glare at my brother and then close my eyes, scrubbing a hand down my face. “You’re not imagining this shit. I’m not really sure what happened. It came out of left field.”

I explain Bizzy’s visit two weeks ago and when my feelings shifted.

“It was like a fucking light bulb, man. You can’t understand. She was so beautiful, even with the tears streaming down her cheeks. My heart hurt as I held her close and felt every heave of her chest while she cried for Grady. When she told me she loved me, like she has a hundred times before, I felt it down to my soul. Something snapped. Everything changed for me.”

Repeating the story has the same feelings bubbling to the surface. My heartbeat quickens with the primal need to erase her pain, my fingers ache to thread through her hair and massage her scalp to calm her tears, and my arms want to wrap back around her and protect her from the hurt of losing another patient. I want to demolish anything that takes the light out of Bizzy’s gorgeous face. The desire inside intensifies.

“JESUS! You can’t fuck this up.”

“I know, you asshole! That’s why I’m going to take it slow. She may not even feel the same way!”

The privacy blinds start to close in my office, and I give Gail an appreciative nod.

“Okay, well, let’s cover a completely different topic. Tell me about Sasha.”

I jerk my head to him so quick, my neck cracks. “What the fuck are you talking about? What about Sasha? She has nothing to do with this. She’s no one.”

“Did you not leave the bar with her a few weeks ago?”

“That’s none of your fucking business, but seeing as you’re asking, you know the answer. It was a mistake, a big mistake that won’t happen again.”

“Well, let’s lay this shit out, big brother, because you need to know. You have a slow burn inside that seems to be lit by our favorite girl. The same girl we’ve loved since Nick and she declared they were best friends for life. That same girl that was tortured for years by Sasha fucking Crane!”

“What?” I feel the blood draining from my face. No fucking way. What are the chances?

“Yeah, that bitch has had it out for Lizbeth for ten fucking years. Even with the two year age difference, she found a way to hurt her every chance she got. It’s not my story to tell, but Nick says it was awful. He would have killed Sasha Crane if he could have.”

“Why didn’t I know?”

“You’re older. You were in college and then law school. You did an internship in New York. Every time you were home, it was about holidays or birthdays. Bizzy never, ever talks about it.”

“Motherfucking son of a goddamn bitch. The girl who hurt her in high school, the one who made fun of her for losing her hair and being plump because of the steroids was Sasha?”

“Same bitch.”

“I fucked that woman?”

“Poor judgment.”

“Bizzy can’t know.” My stomach turns in revulsion.

“She’s not going to hear it from me, and lucky for you, Nick was drunker than us. He didn’t see. He’d kick your fucking ass.”

“Shit, shit, shit…” I hang my head and rub my temples where a massive headache is forming.

“You have to be careful, Shaw. I would never get in your personal business, but this is too delicate to fuck up. Be sure of everything before you make a move because you can’t go back.”

“Damn.” I keep massaging my head. “I’m not sure whose side you’re on.”

“You’re my brother, but I love her, too. Tell me I don’t need to worry.”

“You don’t need to worry.”

I glance up in time to see his worry disappear, and his lips twitch.

“You enjoying this?”

“Oh, hell yeah. Been wondering for years if you’d ever find a woman. Mom’s gonna flip her shit. If Bizzy gives your sorry ass a chance and this thing takes off, Mom will have your wedding planned and hounding you about grandkids.”

Any other time, his words would make me break out in hives, but the image of Bizzy as a mother fills my head and I stop thinking all together.

“Promise you I won’t fuck this up. She’s the most important person in this scenario. I’ll proceed with caution.”

“Gotcha.” He moves to the sofa and lies down, spreading out, and looks at me with a grin. “So tell me about your weekend plans.”

I shoot a message to Gail to tell her to hold my calls as I loosen my tie. Then I relax and fill my nosy brother in on all I have planned for the weekend.

“You sure it’s a good idea to take the woman you’re interested in to dinner with some young, twenty-something athletes? Seems a little risky to me.” He raises an eyebrow and gives me an annoying grin. “You’ll be replaced before you even get a shot.”

“You’re an asshole,” I rumble and throw a pen across my office at him.

His words sink in, and my mood goes to hell. He’s right. I need a plan.

The kind of plan that changes both our lives.

Bizzy

This is paradise. Absolute paradise. I lean over the balcony, close my eyes, and inhale deeply, smelling the salt in the air as the sea breeze hits me. The sound of music from the outdoor bar is faint, but I recognize the song and smile.

I roll my neck a few times and feel the tension draining as the anxiety of the day melts away. When I got off shift this morning, I was exhausted, but as soon as I walked through my door, my energy returned. It has been years since I actually got away for a few days with nothing to do. Claire and I rarely get the same few days off, so when we do, we usually head to the local beach or spend the day pampering ourselves. Shaw, Mathis, and I try to go to at least two away games a season to support Nick, but those are hectic. So the thought of four days with nothing but sun, sand, and relaxation is awesome.

Claire was as excited as me and showed up unexpectedly to help me pack. When she saw my selection of clothes, she insisted on a last minute trip to find ‘perfect’ dresses for the dinners with Shaw’s clients. She hustled me through three stores until we found what she deemed acceptable. Then she decided I needed ‘perfect’ lingerie as well, which led to her explaining I need to be ready for anything.

She was trying to be sly, but I knew what she was up to. And for those few hours, I allowed myself to think about buying these items for Shaw. Each piece I picked out, his face filled my head, wondering if he’d like it. Then I came back to reality and remembered there would never be a ‘Shaw and Bizzy’. But for those few hours, I never stopped smiling.

“I don’t think this was in the brochure when Gail booked the room.” Shaw’s voice startles me, and I turn to find him watching from the doorway. He’s changed out of his suit and is now in casual shorts and a t-shirt that fits tight around his chest and arms. Nicky told me Shaw and Mathis had been trying to join him with his workouts. Mathis’s schedule has been unpredictable, but obviously, Shaw has been able to make time.

“What do you mean?”

“I knew the place was nice, but having a gorgeous woman on the balcony at sunset would be a great marketing tool.”

Heat creeps up my cheeks as it usually does every time he gives me a compliment.

“Charmer.”

He chuckles and walks out, joining me at the railing. “How’s your room?”

“Huge, beautiful, extravagant. This whole suite is extravagant. I’m pretty sure it’s bigger than my apartment.”

“This is all Gail. Most of the time when I travel, I don’t spend enough time in the room to care, but she wanted you to have the best.”

“It’s very unnecessary. I would be happy in a regular room.”

“Yes, but I’m more comfortable having you here.” He slides closer and takes one of my hands in his, linking our fingers.

I try to stop my head from spinning. We’ve held hands hundreds of times. It’s purely a platonic gesture. I swallow to moisten my throat and give his hand a squeeze. “You know I’m a big girl, right? There’s no need to be so protective.”

He turns to face me, and I notice something in his gaze. Something unfamiliar and intense. His eyes search my face and then land on mine, sending a chill down my spine.

He uses his free hand to frame my face and rubs his thumb along my cheek. My heartbeat races with bells ringing in my ears. I bite the inside of my lip to stop from squeaking.