when they were together, he was fully present. Attentive. Thoughtful. He’d even helped deflect an awkward run-in with his father and his father’s girlfriend because she hadn’t felt ready to face Theo after what she’d learned about him. And knowing how little his own son trusted him.
Erika’s instincts had seldom failed her. In London, there had been something between them. Something she hadn’t imagined. And the more she thought about the past few days, the more excited she was to be with him again. To have another kiss. To throw away caution as quickly as clothes peeled away in the heat of passion.
To make love again and discover if the fire burned as hot between them as she remembered.
Erika clutched a long silver necklace in her hand, running the charm back and forth. Just as she did as a child.
Fiona, Henri’s wife, gently touched her arm. “You know, we have a book club to help pass the time when we’re on the road with the guys.”
“A book club?” She glanced at the row across from her, to where Gervais’s father’s girlfriend stared intently at a fashion magazine.
Fiona scrunched her nose. “I should have asked. Do you like to read?”
“Which language?”
Fiona laughed lightly. “No need to get all princess-sy on me.”
“I apologize. That was meant to be a joke. Sometimes nuances, even though I speak all those languages, get lost. Tell me more about the book club.”
“We choose books to read during all those flights and then we have one helluva party while we discuss them.”
“Party?”
Fiona nodded. “Spa or five-star restaurant or even the best room service we can buy.”
“Did Gervais ask you to sit here and use the time to convince me it is fun to be on the road?” Try as she might, Erika couldn’t keep the dry sarcasm out of her voice.
“I am simply helping you make an informed decision. It’s not just about partying. We have homeschooling groups for families with children, as well.” Shadows passed briefly through her eyes before Fiona cleared her throat. “It’s amazing what you can teach a child when your field trips involve traveling around the country. Even overseas sometimes for the preseason. Our kids have bonds, too. There are ways to make this kind of family work. Family is important.”
Damn. That struck a chord with her. Maybe Fiona had a point. She had just dismissed the women of the group without bothering to really get to know them. And that certainly was not fair.
Maybe she could strengthen her ties to Gervais’s world this way. She already knew she wanted to explore their relationship more thoroughly—to take that first step of trust with him and see where indulging their sensual chemistry would lead. But in the meantime, why not work on forging bonds within his world? If things between them didn’t work and they ended up co-parenting on opposite sides of the world, she would need allies in the Reynaud clan and in the Hurricanes organization. Growing closer to Fiona would be a good thing for her children.
All perfectly logical.
Except that a growing part of Erika acknowledged she wasn’t just thinking about a rational plan B anymore. With each day that passed, with every moment that she craved Gervais, Erika wanted plan A to work. And that meant this trip was going to bring her much closer to the powerful father of her children.
* * *
There was nothing Gervais hated more than a loss. It rubbed him the wrong way, sending him into a dark place, even though he knew that a preseason loss didn’t matter. The preseason was about training. Testing formations. Trying out new personnel. The final tally on the score sheet didn’t count toward anything meaningful.
Opening the door to his suite, he was taken aback by what he saw on the bed. Erika in a Hurricanes jersey. On her, it doubled as a dress, hitting her midthigh. Exposing her toned legs.
His mind eased off the loss, focused on what was in front of him. “I wanted to catch you before you went to bed.”
She closed the book she’d been reading and uncurled her legs, stretching them out on the bed. “I am sorry about the game.”
“I won’t lie. I’m disappointed we lost this one. But I’m realistic enough to know we can’t win every time, especially in the preseason when we don’t play all of our starters or utilize our best offensive strategies. The whole point of the preseason is like a testing ground. We can create realistic scenarios and see what happens when we experiment.” He told himself as much, but it didn’t soothe him when he saw a rookie make poor decisions on the field or watched a risky play go up in flames.
“You have a cool head. That is admirable.”
Her head tilted sympathetically.
Gervais was floored. Unsure of what to make about Erika’s behavior. For the first time since her arrival in the United States, it felt as if she was opening up to him. But could that be?
She’d been so adamant on keeping distance between them, urging logic over passion. She was probably just being polite to him. After all, they would have to be civil to each other for the sake of the children. She had said as much more than once.
Still, damn it, he knew what he saw in her eyes, and she wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her. Back in his arms.
In his bed.
“Thank you. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy the past few days.” He had taken a red-eye to Chicago to be there this morning for a meeting to secure a new corporate sponsor for the team. He was exhausted, but the extra hours had paid off, and he was one step closer to making the Hurricanes the wealthiest team in the league.
“You have been very thoughtful.” She leaned forward, her posture open, words unclipped.
Her gaze was soft on him. And appreciative, he noticed. So maybe he hadn’t been so off base. “I was concerned you would feel neglected having to fly in a separate plane.”
“I understand you have other commitments. And I had a lovely conversation with Fiona—in case you were wondering, since you made sure we had seats beside each other.” Erika raised her eyebrows as if daring him to deny it.
“Are you angry?” He couldn’t help that he wanted to give her reasons to stay in New Orleans. But he knew she did not appreciate being manipulated.
He’d never met a more independent woman.
“Actually, no. She was helpful in explaining the logistics of how wives blend in to the lifestyle of this team you own.”
He hadn’t expected that.
“She answered all of your questions?”
“Most...” Shifting on the bed, she crawled toward him. “I had cats when I grew up.”
All of his exhaustion disappeared.
His eyes couldn’t help but watch her lithe form, the way her breasts pushed against the jersey he’d given her. An unforgettable vision.
And
