She shrugged. “Well, first, and again, because I thought you already knew. And second, because I thought what you and I had was a fling, a temporary thing. I figured as long as we hid it well, no one would ever know. Now . . .”

She was elated by his declaration of love, and miserable at the same time.

He sat on the sofa. “This sucks.”

“Yes.”

“And it’s unacceptable.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and punched a number, looking at her as it rang. “Victoria, it’s Garrett. We have a problem.”

THIRTY

ALICIA CHEWED HER BOTTOM LIP AS SHE WAITED IN the team conference room with Garrett, his agent, Victoria Baldwin, and Lucas Birdwell, an attorney Liz had hired to represent Alicia in this matter.

Her boss, Max, Manny Magee, and the team’s attorneys were all present as well.

Alicia’s throat had gone utterly dry. That night when Gavin had told his agent he wanted to be traded, she’d nearly collapsed on her living-room floor.

“Now that we’ve outlined the issue, I’m sure you can see why Garrett has asked for this trade,” Victoria said, looking so well put together in her stylish navy blue suit and gold stacked heels that Alicia felt frumpy in comparison in her simple black dress and black high-heeled pumps. But the last thing she wanted to do was call attention to herself. She’d pulled her hair back in a low ponytail and hadn’t worn any jewelry. It was much better for Victoria to have all the attention, and that she did with her hair smartly cut in a short bob, her perfect manicure, and her expertly applied makeup. The woman was utterly stunning and completely confident as she addressed everyone present.

“Wouldn’t it be simpler for Miss Riley to secure another position?” asked one of the Rivers’ attorneys whose name Alicia couldn’t remember since there were five of them present.

“Simpler, yes. But Garrett has requested the trade, so Miss Riley doesn’t lose her job. As we’ve discussed, the two of them are in a relationship and determined that Miss Riley doesn’t lose a job she’s so well qualified to perform. She enjoys her position with the Rivers and doesn’t want to compromise it.”

“Wait,” Manny said, with a frown on his face. “So Garrett and Alicia have fallen in love, have I got that part right?”

“You have, Manny,” Victoria said.

“And this is a problem, how?”

“Miss Riley’s employment contract specifies she can’t personally fraternize with any of the players,” Alicia’s attorney explained.

“What a crock,” Manny said. “Why don’t you just rewrite her contract then. She stays, Garrett stays, and everyone’s happy.”

Victoria looked over at the attorneys. The one whose name Alicia couldn’t remember said, “If we did that, Mr. Magee, we’d have to do that for all the employees of the team.”

“What? You think there’s gonna be a bunch of fraternizin’ then? There’s only one other female member of the sports-medicine team, and she’s already married, isn’t she?”

“Yes,” Max said. “She is.”

Manny leaned back in his chair. “Then it seems to me the problem is solved. I’d rather not lose one of my best pitchers just because he happened to fall in love with a woman who works for the team. Dumb rule if you ask me. Who writes these contracts anyway?”

No one on the Rivers legal team answered that question.

“Is it possible to revise Miss Riley’s contract?” Lucas asked.

The suits conferred, then Mr. Teers—Alicia finally remembered his name—answered. “I think we can do that as long as Miss Riley and Mr. Scott agree that she’ll no longer be directly responsible for Mr. Scott’s therapy.”

“I don’t think so,” Garrett said. “What difference does it make if she does my therapy or not? She’s the one who got me back on the pitcher’s mound.”

“Garrett,” Alicia said, placing her hand over his. “You can’t win everything. It’s okay.”

“She’s right, Garrett,” Victoria said. “Take this as a victory. Alicia keeps her job, and you get to stay with the Rivers. Surely there are many fine sports-medicine specialists working for the Rivers who can handle your physical therapy.”

“There are,” Alicia said, looking over at Max, who so far hadn’t betrayed his feelings on the matter with any sort of expression. “Work with Max.”

Garrett inhaled, then sighed. “Fine.”

“Then it’s agreed,” Lucas said.

After some legal language maneuvering, the meeting was over. Alicia found the whole process exhausting, and was still shocked Garrett had even contemplated the trade in the first place.

After thanking Lucas for his time, Alicia stood outside with Garrett and Victoria.

“Thanks, Tori. I knew I could count on you,” Garrett said.

“You make me want to drink, Garrett, you know that?”

He grinned. “I doubted they’d let me go. Even though I’m not a starting pitcher yet, I’m too valuable to the team.”

Victoria patted his cheek. “That’s what I love about you. All that ego.” She looked over at Alicia. “Keep him healthy, even if it’s on the down low.”

Alicia laughed. “I’ll do my best. And thank you.”

“You’re welcome, honey.”

She linked her arm with Garrett’s, but ran into Max and Manny in the hall. She started to pull her arm away, but Garrett held her hand, keeping them firmly linked together.

Max’s lips stayed compressed tightly together. Manny grinned.

“That ended up good for everyone, but it would have been easier if you’d have just come and talked to me about all of it,” Manny said.

Garrett shrugged. “It was Alicia’s deal I was more worried about. I needed to protect her.” Garrett looked over at Max, who shrugged.

“We don’t arbitrarily dump our best therapists, Garrett,” Max said. “We’d have found a way to work it out. We’ll see you tomorrow, Alicia.”

Shocked, Alicia could only stare dumbfounded as Manny and Max walked away.

“So, he likes you.”

“Apparently. Or he was just blowing smoke up my ass.”

Garrett laughed. “I don’t think Max hands out compliments all that easily.”

“I have no idea. This has been a nightmare. Let’s go home.”

“Your place or mine?” he asked.

“I don’t care.”

“I have an idea. How about we take this relationship public?”

He took her to Charlie Gitto’s on the Hill. She had a ridiculous amount of penne primavera, and he had steak and pasta. They both had the most wonderful glasses of Chianti, and by the time they left, Alicia was full.

“I need to walk,” she said.

The night was cool, but she didn’t care. Garrett wrapped his arm around her, and they strolled around the block a few times.

“It does feel good not to worry about someone seeing us together.”

He stopped and pulled the edges of her jacket closed, then pressed a kiss to her lips. “I love you. And you don’t have to worry about being seen with me anymore. Unless I get demoted or can’t pitch.”

He said it with a laugh, but before they could resume walking, she laid her hand on his chest and stopped him. “You do realize I don’t love you because you’re a famous ballplayer, right?”

“Yeah. You love me in spite of it.”

Now it was her turn to laugh. “You’ve got that right.”

When she felt like she had sufficiently walked off the enormous meal she’d eaten, they climbed back into the car. She expected they’d head to either her place or his, but she was surprised when he stayed downtown and pulled into valet parking at the Lumiere, a hotel and casino.

He took her inside, and though it wasn’t quite like Vegas, bells were ringing, cards were being dealt, and she was ready to play.

They hit the poker room, and Garrett fronted her some money. Four hours passed before she realized it. She and Garrett both did well. She was several hundred dollars up and ready to stretch her legs, so they wandered around, played a few slots, and, unfortunately, lost money.

“I think I’ll stick with poker,” she said.

“I agree. You’re a hell of a lot better at poker than you are at slots.”

She laughed and tucked herself against Garrett’s side. “Thank you for taking me out tonight. I’ve had a great time.”

“Oh, the night isn’t over.” He led her to the front desk, showed his ID, and was given a room key.

When they walked off, she looked up at him. “We have a room here?”

“We do. And bags are being brought up. I asked Savannah to pack an overnight bag for you. I hope you don’t mind. I figured however this thing turned out today, we’d need an overnight getaway, just the two of us.”

“I don’t mind at all. Thank you.”

The room was a suite, overlooking the St. Louis Arch and the riverfront. It was beautiful and spacious, and she loved it. What she loved the most, though, was being alone with Garrett and no longer having to worry about anything other than being in love with him, spending time with him, and then going to work and doing her job.

She liked the simplicity of it all.

“I like this chair,” he said, referring to an overstuffed chair sitting near the window.

“Do you? And why’s that?”

“I think because I’d like to see you holding on to the arms of that chair while you’re bent over.”

Her body warmed at the visual. “Would you like me to keep my dress on, or take it off?”

He came over to her and pulled her against him, kissing her thoroughly until that warmth she felt turned into a full-blown heat explosion. He raised her dress over her butt, smoothing his hand over the red silk panties she’d chosen to wear today.

He peered around her. “Oh, dress definitely off. Turn around.”

She turned and he unzipped her dress, drawing it off her shoulders. He kissed each shoulder, then pulled her ponytail holder out, moving her hair to the side so he could kiss her neck. She shivered, goose bumps breaking out on her skin.

“Cold?” he asked.

“Definitely not cold. You make me hot.”

He drew her dress down her arms and over her h*ps until it pooled on the floor, leaving her in her heels and underwear.

“Oh, yeah,” Garrett said, cupping her breasts, teasing her ni**les through the flimsy silken fabric.

Alicia leaned back against him, watching his hands as he played with her. They were so large they dwarfed her breasts. She put her hands over his and pressed in, loving the pressure. He drew the cups down and brushed his thumbs over her sensitive nipples.

“I like you touching me.”

He rolled her ni**les with his thumbs and forefingers. “Like this?”

She gasped. “Yes. More. Harder.”

He gave her ni**les a light pinch, and she rubbed her butt against his quickly growing erection.

“And I like that,” he said. “I love when you rub that sweet ass of yours against me. Bend over, Alicia. Grab on to the chair.”

He took her breath away. She held on to the arms of the chair while he swept his hands over her rear, worshipping it with the lightest of caresses. When he gave it a light tap, she gasped and half turned to look at him.

“Hurt?”

“No.”

“More?”

“Oh, yes.”

Her pu**y tightened when he gave her another swat, and when he drew her panties down to her thighs and spanked her again, still gently, she felt naughty.

“I love seeing you like this. It makes me hard.”

She looked at him, her pu**y quivering with delight at this unexpected turn in their sex play. “It makes me wet.”

“I like you wet and quivering for me.”

She did. He swatted her again, this time a little harder. She cried out, but it was in pleasure, because he smoothed his hand over the spot, then bent and kissed her where he’d spanked her.

“You’re so hot with your smoking red panties pulled down and your butt red where I’ve spanked you. I had no idea you’d like that.”

“I didn’t, either.”

“Is your pu**y wet?”

“Yes.”

He slipped his hand between her legs to cup her sex. She nearly died from the ecstasy of his touch.

“Yeah, you’re wet.” He tucked two fingers inside her and used his thumb to swirl over her clit.

“Oh, God,” she said, throwing her head back as he began to f**k her with his fingers. And when he tapped her butt with his other hand again, her pu**y clamped around his fingers like a vise.

“You do like that, don’t you, Alicia?”

She couldn’t answer, because he was going to give her an orgasm if he kept doing that. “Spank me. Rub my cl*tand spank me. I’m going to come.”

He did, and oh, dear God, it was too much. She cl**axed on a wild cry, bucking against his fingers, hoping he’d hold her right there because it was so damn good she didn’t want it to stop.

The waves kept rolling while Garrett tore open a condom wrapper. Then he was behind her, inside her, holding on to her h*ps as he rammed into her with one glorious, hard thrust.

She heard him groan as he seated himself fully inside her, and she was still throbbing from the aftereffects of that amazing orgasm. He stilled, and she knew he felt her.

“God, Alicia, you feel so good.” And then he began to move inside her, taking her there again so quickly she wasn’t sure she’d be able to remain standing. Her legs trembled as he withdrew, then thrust, smoothing his hand over her back, then leaning over her to nip at the nape of her neck.