Authors: Debra Elise
Clearing her throat, she continued. “I've read everything I could find on your career, your personal life, but I'd like to hear it from you. If we're going to restore your reputation, I need to know it all. Let's start with the video,” Kelsey said.
“
How about you call me Maverick? Everyone else does.” He grinned.
Damn those dimples
.
“Why are you avoiding using my name?” he prompted, while his smile made her insides twist and shout.
“Um, I'd rather keep this on a purely professional level and I promised T.S. he would be the one to tell you about my new role with the Outlaws and with you. I didn't want to break his confidence.”
“That's not much of a reason. Sure, T.S. hired you, but we're going to be working togetherâclosely, and I don't want to start off our association with secrets or hidden agendas. Plus, I want to hear how you say Maverick.” He took a moment and made a production of looking her up and down. Damn if she didn't feel it right to her bones.
Her skin heated as his gaze traveled up her legs, making them itch with awareness. Higher to her waist and then he briefly stopped on her chest. An area that she was desperately trying to control movement in by using a breathing technique she learned in yoga. One she also found quite helpful when she was stressed. And lordy, was she stressed now, but he didn't need to know that.
Kelsey wasn't going to give him a reason to continue his flirtation. She didn't want him thinking she was as easy to woo as every other woman he came across or that she'd fall all over herself for a chance to be seen on his armâor naked in his bed.
“Mr. Jansen?” She put a thread of old schoolmarm into her tone. “Eyes up here. I know you're used to women fawning all over you and maybe you even think you can sweet talk me, but I can assure you that it won't work,” she said.
“It won't?” He blinked and gave her a look of innocence she knew darn well wasn't.
“
No. There is a goal here and playing footsie is not a part of it. I need your cooperation. Not your seduction attempts,” Kelsey responded.
He shifted forward and placed his forearms on the table between them. “Kelsey, look, I know you think I'm what the media portrays me to be. And maybe I tend to play it up a bit too much, but that spark I felt with you last night, that was real. And professional relationship or not, I plan on exploring it. So, fair warning, Doll Face, when it comes to something I really want, I rarely play fair.”
Oh. My. She was in trouble. She needed to get back on equal footing with this man and fast. “Right. Duly noted. Now back to Operation Restore Reputation.”
“Excuse me?” Mav said.
“I name all my projects and for you I've dubbed this âOperation Restore Reputation.' It helps me focus on the goal. Typically, my clients find it reassuring.”
“Well, I'm not typical, and we don't need a silly name to label what I think is a pretty straightforward solution. Take pictures of me working with disadvantaged kids, or going to the openings of hospitals and boom. Problem solved.” He sat back with a Cheshire grin on his handsome face. She wanted to scream.
“Look, I'm not playing games here. You have a major image problem. I've been hired to repair that problem and I'm damn good at what I do. Silly name or not, T.S. assured me I would have your full cooperation for at least the next two weeks. But it doesn't look like you're willing to give me what, a mere twenty minutes, so . . . what's it going to be?” She began tidying up the papers she had placed in front of him and stared him down.
“Now hold on a sec, put that evil eye back in its cage. I'm only making conversation and you're treating this as if we need to solve cold fusion or some damn thing,” Mav said.
“
Do you want my help or not? Because I can assure you that TMZ is not going to let up on you and
lookatme.com
is ignoring all the team lawyer's calls. It's your decision,
Mr. Jansen
. You in, or are you out?” Kelsey demanded.
Maverick had been staring at her mouth the entire time she scolded him. She reached for her water glass and took a few sips. She looked back at him and noticed his gaze still on her as she licked her lips. A low groan sounded. Was that him, or her?
This was ludicrous. If she didn't get her libido under control, all hope of having the upper hand with Maverick Jansen would be lost.
“When you work up a good head of steam, you're stunning, Kelsey. And . . . no, wait, please sit down.” Maverick pushed his chair back and placed his hand on her forearm to guide her back into her chair.
“Yes, of course I'm in. Please take a breath, let me buy you a glass of wine, anything. Stay. Please?”
For the first time in their short acquaintance, Maverick appeared unsure of himself. Maybe he realized he'd played his hand a bit too aggressively? She hesitated and glared at him. Thoughts of him groveling on his knees made her smile. So she stayed. Crossed her arms, and gave him another chance.
Not five minutes into their meeting and he'd managed to tick her off. Not a good start. Damn, how was he going to break through her cool exterior? She was turning out to be a tough cookie and he needed to get inside her pretty little head to convince her they'd be perfect together.
“Mr. Jansen, have you ever done charity work?”
Her
voice sounded way too prim and proper. If this was going to work between them, he needed to set one thing straight.
“Look, if this relationship is going to work, you're going to have to call me Maverick.” She opened her mouth, but he cut her off.
“And without that scolding tone you use too. Hell, you sound like my grandma every time you refer to me in that tone. And the last image I want in my head when you scream my name as you come, is my Gramma Jansen.” Maverick sat back and waited for the fireworks.
Kelsey blinked and blushed. “Does it really matter what I call you? How about Mr. Asshole? Would that work?”
“Would you be wearing lingerie? If yes, you can call me anything you want.” That damn grin appeared again and her lower half went liquid.
“How did I lose control of this meeting?” Kelsey mumbled to herself. She picked up her purse and made to rise from the table again, but he placed a large warm hand on hers. She hesitated but managed to get out one more scolding. “And don't call me Doll Face.”
“Why? It fits you. And I like how you get all flustered when I say it.”
“Why do you always do that?” she asked.
“Do what?”
“Fall back on flirtation? Is it so hard for you to have a straightforward conversation with a woman without peppering it with innuendos?”
“I can assure you that everything I say to you is not a line, and I stand behind each comment I've made to you as sincere and honest. Besides, I definitely plan on making you scream my name.” Maverick watched as she opened her mouth, closed it again, and repeated the action at least two more times. He had her right where he wanted her. Off balance.
“
Maybe I'm trying to break through your protective layer to the soft inner one I know is just begging to be revealed? I can see it in your eyes when you look at me, Kelsey. You can't hide the desire I see and I want to be the one to let it out.”
When she didn't say anything, he thought he'd miscalculated. “Damn, why won't you budge? I mean, do I stink? Have bad breath?” Maverick coughed into his hand to check his breath and she broke.
Her laughter was like a balm. It punched him point blank in the gut and he felt lighter. It was her first unguarded moment with him and he was hooked. He wanted, needed more.
“There you are. Nice to meet you, Kelsey Sullivan.” He held out his hand and introduced himself. “Hi, I'm Rand Jansen, but my friends call me Maverick. I hope you will too.”
Damn all charming men. This one was going to be her downfall. Kelsey could feel it. She didn't know how to respond to such blatant seduction. Her one semi-serious relationship had hardly been the heart-pounding, I-can't-live-without-him connection.
Deep inside her, way down where she'd buried all her dreams of happily ever after, a trigger had tripped. Her skin still tingled from his touch, and her heart pounded. It was on the verge of escaping the thick, cold shield she'd created around it each time he smiled at her. She needed to diffuse this situation.
“I see the wheels turning in your pretty little head, Kelsey, but you have to promise me one thing?” Maverick asked.
“What's that?”
“Stop trying to fix me,” he demanded.
“But that's my job.”
“No, your job is to repair my damaged reputation in the eyes of the media-crazed society and ensure the ticket-buying public I'm not unstable because of a couple of bad choices,” Maverick said.
“All right, I'll strike âfix' from my vocabulary, but you do need my help and I have a few ideas.” Kelsey noticed his eyes had changed in color, from a cornflower blue to something darker, dangerous. Exciting.
“
A shrink, right? T.S. mentioned it in our meeting earlier and I agreed only because I need to save my career.” Maverick lifted his chin in defiance. “There's nothing wrong with my head.”
“I have a college friend whom I'd like you to meet. Her name is Dr. Caris Sloane. She's very well respected in the area and she'll do her best to . . .”
“Fix me?”
Oh, the man was truly pissed now. “No, think of it like a checkup for a well-tuned sports car. Even the best machines need maintenance now and again.”
“Maintenance, huh?” He squinted at her and crossed his well-defined arms. She noted the fine dusting of dark blond hair on them as her gaze traveled to his long, blunt fingertips. She had trouble not thinking of his earlier touch and having those arms wrap around her and . . .
“Kelsey, you with me? I said okay to seeing this shrink,” Maverick said.
Get it together, Kelsey
. She needed to get this meeting over with and get away from his tempting presence. She recovered as best she could and answered him. “Great, I really hope you don't plan on addressing her by any name other than Doctor Sloane,” Kelsey cautioned.
“All right, it's a deal. How does this work, should I call her or what?” he asked.
“We'll work up a spreadsheet laying out your schedule between now and opening day so I know what you're committed to and where I can make the appointments for you as well as any other appearances I arrange. Since you don't have an assistant right now, I don't mind adding it to my duties. You're my only client right now, so I'll have plenty of time to work on your schedule when you're not practicing or playing.”
“Kelsey, what do you see when you look at me?” He switched gears on her, again. “I want to know. Do you see an attractive eligible bachelor or is it the media persona?”
H
e'd thrown her off balanceâagain, and again he didn't give her a chance to answer.
“Because when I think back on our conversation, I think I've given you a look into who I really am. Not some two-dimensional, pro athlete that the public sees.” He uncrossed his arms, and reached for her hand; holding it lightly, he stroked his thumb back and forth. Goosebumps appeared all over her body and when she tried to pull away, he held firm.
“I know we're here today because of the PR thing, but I've been trying my damnedest to show you what a desirable woman I think you are.”
“That's what I'm afraid of,” Kelsey whispered.
“What, Kelsey? What are you afraid of?”
“No, not afraid of you exactly.” She groaned. She was so out of practice when it came to dealing with men, and his touch was sending tiny, delicious pulses up and down her arm. “What I mean is, I'm of course attracted, I won't deny that, but our relationship can be nothing but a professional one.” There. Out in the open. Now they could deal with it, put it in a box, and move forward.
Maverick gave her a slow, wolfish smile, which intensified her awareness of him tenfold and reminded her of all the things she didn't, couldn't deal with right now.
“I think it best if we table this . . . discussion for a while, and I need to go and get started on some appointments for you.” Flustered, she pulled her hand away from him and took one of the papers she had brought with her and handed it to him. “Here's a statement you need to put out on your Twitter account, the sooner the better.”
Maverick took the piece of paper and frowned. “What the hell, Kelsey. I can handle my own tweets.” His frown did little to affect his attractiveness, darn it at all.
“I'll be in touch.” She needed to leave before she said or did something inappropriate.
“
When?”
“Soon.”
“What the hell, Kelsey, wait.”
She ignored him and stepped right into the path of a passing waitress, apologized for bumping into her, and sprinted toward the exit. She stepped outside into the gorgeous north Idaho sun and made for the corner down the tree-lined sidewalk. She was about to cross over to Fifth Street when a hand grabbed her elbow and halted her progress. So much for a clean getaway.
Maverick stepped into her and pressed her back against the cool brick building. Her pulse thudded in her throat and her eyes widened as the man she'd left sitting alone in the restaurant became an alpha hunter, passionate intent bouncing off him.
His eyes dared her, warned her of his intent. Maverick paused long enough so she could say no, if she wanted to. But she didn't. She gave a quick nod and let out a sigh. She wanted this walk on the wild side. Tomorrow would be soon enough to second-guess herself.
He raised his hand and cupped the back of her head. Another shiver slammed into her and she felt moisture between her thighs. He rubbed his thumb in slow circles and tipped her head. There was no going back.