When We Met (Fool's Gold #13)(34)

Taryn had met him the summer between his first and second winning seasons. He’d been hot, in every sense of the word.

Now she looked at the young man he’d been and wondered at the differences.

“He was a baby,” Larissa said with a laugh.

“That he was.”

The DVD played on. The scene switched to Kenny and then Sam having the same conversation, although Kenny hadn’t gone until the second round and Sam had been right after him. Rare for a kicker.

Taryn had seen the interviews dozens of times, but they were still fun to watch. Sam, not wanting to give anything away, and Kenny both excited and concerned. The former because he was going to be a star and the latter because of what was happening at home.

Twenty-two, Taryn thought, doing the math. Kenny was a father-to-be by then. Or so he’d thought.

The door to the TV room opened and the men in question entered. They were older now. All in their mid-thirties. Former players in suits that cost more and fit better. They weren’t as muscled, but they were all still fit.

Jack crossed to Taryn. “You remembered.”

She thought of the red notice on her computer and held in a need to wince. “I know this day is tough for you.”

“A lot of memories.”

She handed him the remotes. They would watch the coverage of their own NFL draft before switching over to view today’s draft live. They would drink beer and tell stories and get absolutely no work done. Which was okay. They’d earned the break.

Taryn left them and went back to her office. She glanced at her phone and saw she’d received a text from Angel. It showed a picture of a rock-climbing wall. At least she assumed that’s what it was. She’d only seen them in the movies or on TV. Next to the picture were a place and time.

She smiled. “You’re not one for picking up the phone, are you?”

A second text came through. You helped me. Now I help you.

A man with a sense of fair play, she thought. That was something she could appreciate.

* * *

LATE SATURDAY MORNING Angel arrived at the sports center by the Lucky Lady Casino and Resort. From what he’d heard, the rock-climbing wall was a new addition. There were plenty of cars parked out front. He maneuvered his Harley to the parking lot on the side, then tucked his helmet under his arm as he headed around front. He saw Taryn walking toward the entrance.

She’d dressed appropriately—a loose T-shirt and some kind of fitted workout pants that left virtually nothing to the imagination. His gaze lingered on the length of her legs and the curve of her butt. He barely noticed her athletic shoes or that she’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail. It was only when he realized she’d come to a stop and had put her hands on her hips that he raised his attention to her face.

Both eyebrows were raised. “Really?” she asked. “You can’t be more subtle?”

Caught red-handed, so to speak, and he had no one to blame but himself, he thought with a grin. “I’m unrepentant. You’re more temptation than the average man can handle.”

“And here I was hoping for better than average.”

In flat shoes, she was several inches shorter than him, which he liked. He took her by her wrist and tugged her around the side of the building, then put his helmet on the sidewalk, cupped her face in both her hands and kissed her.

They were in a public place, in the middle of the afternoon. Not exactly conducive to a make-out session, but what the hell? He’d wanted to kiss Taryn from the first second he’d seen her last fall. He’d done his best to play things smart, but how was he supposed to resist her when she looked the way she did and sassed him on a regular basis?

Her mouth was soft and yielding. A bit of a surprise, but maybe she wasn’t nearly as tough as she pretended. She put her hands on his sides. The touch was light, as if she wanted connection but didn’t need his help to stay standing. Which would be just like her.

He brushed his mouth back and forth, exploring her, getting a feel for how it was going to be between them. Then, when the wanting started to grow, he drew back. He stared into her smoldering violet-blue eyes, pleased to see she’d been as intrigued as he had. He was about to kiss her again when a minivan pulled into a nearby parking space and about sixty kids tumbled out of the vehicle.

Taryn followed his gaze. “I never want that,” she said.

“Kids?”

“A minivan.” She shuddered.

“Because it would mean surrendering your identity?”

“Because no one needs that many cup holders. My assistant’s kids are all grown and she still drives a minivan because she loves it. She brags about the twelve cup holders. Whenever she runs an errand she goes on and on about how much she can hold. It’s not natural.”

He chuckled and put his arm around her. “The same could be said about your shoe collection. Do you really need that many? And those heels can’t be good for you.”

She glanced at him. “Angel?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a favorite pair of my heels?”

He thought about how she looked in them and shook his head. “They’re all good.”

“Imagine what it would be like if I was wearing them...and nothing else.”

They’d been walking toward the entrance. He stumbled and had to catch himself as the image she’d planted in his brain blossomed to life size and beckoned him closer. Was it him or was it hot out here? A naked Taryn in five-inch heels. That kind of reality had the power to kill a man.