Page 17 of All's Fair in Love and Pizza
“Mrs. Malveney put the idea in my head at the opening party and after weeks of listening to you two nitpick and one-up each other, I think it’s time to do something positive with all this…testosterone.” She circled her wrist meaningfully. “I have a degree in marketing, and I’m good at highlighting positives to sell a product. I’ve been wracking my brain on ways to spin your feud, and it’s really so obvious. We’ll advertise it as a fund raiser for the football team, but let’s be honest, it’s great for business for both of us. Local jocks duking it out over pizza and bagels…for charity.”
“A charity bake-off?”
Amber beamed. “Yep! Brilliant, huh?”
“Wouldn’t that contest be between me and you?” Mateo asked. “I thought you were the head chef.”
“Yep! Rob’s a total disaster in the kitchen,” she replied, her gaze dropping for a moment to the phone buzzing in her hand.
“Hey!”
She slugged my arm playfully. “You know it’s true, and that’s what would make this fun. Okay, look, I gotta run. They need me next door. I’ll come up with some ideas, but I’m loving the contest concept with a couple of friendly judges. Maybe a food blogger or two and members of the current Great H footballteam. It’s October, and they’re in the middle of their season. The timing couldn’t be better. We’ve got to strike while the iron is hot…and all that jazz. Details to follow! Toodle-oo!”
She was gone in a blur of golden curls, leaving an awkward silence.
Mateo lifted one eyebrow, cartoon-style. “I feel like I just got run over by an eighteen-wheeler.”
“That’s Amber for you.” I scratched my nape and exhaled. “Uh…it’s not a terrible idea.”
He nodded thoughtfully as he stood. “No, it’s a good one. But she’s your business partner, so I gotta think this is gonna be rigged in your favor.”
“Is it possible for you to not be a dick for one whole minute?” I fumed. “Jesus, I don’t remember you being a cynical fucknut with a martyr complex when we were teammates.”
Mateo scoffed. “How would you know what I was like? We barely knew each other in college.”
“Except we were on the same fucking team. I guess you were too busy shining your halo while the defense did your dirty work to notice anyone else.”
Okay, I had no idea why I’d said that. It wasn’t true. Mateo had been a great QB. It was a stupid dig designed to get a reaction…and it worked.
“Myhalo? Not sure where that’s coming from, but it’s rich coming from a blowhard linebacker who’s got his jersey plastered on every inch of spare wall in a fucking bagel store.” He lowered his voice, his lips twisted in an evil sneer. “And you’re the one who wants to do cross-promo advertising. Why is that? It’s like you need me or something.”
Grrr.I leaned into his space—so close, I could see the vein pulse at his temple. Unfortunately, I also noticed that his eyelashes were ridiculously long and that his lips were full and lush and—Stop.
I clung to anger, stabbing my finger at Mateo’s chest. “Nice one, but I don’t need you. Unlike you, I’ll figure it out myself. Must have been sweet to have a business handed to you, but gee, my daddy didn’t give me a shop to run or?—”
“You fucking prick.” Mateo raised his fist as if to punch me.
I dodged him and collided with the desk. He spun around with his dukes up again. No thanks. I’d made a career out of wrestling on the field and had the battle scars to prove it. I had no intention of adding more. Besides, this wasn’t how real adults dealt with frustration, for fuck’s sake.
I captured Mateo’s wrists and pulled him against me to keep him from using his legs or body weight as a weapon. He was strong, but I was stronger, not to mention bigger and thicker all over.
“We’re not doing this,” I growled.
“Like hell we’re not. You don’t know anything about me or my family or my…”
Shit, Mateo was on a roll now, and he didn’t seem to have noticed that my grip had loosened in his tirade. I couldn’t follow what he was saying. Something about family and pizza and blah, blah, blah.
Hey, it was probably interesting info, but the more fired up he got, the more I noticedhim—his thick brows, the flecks of gold in his brown eyes, his chiseled cheekbones, and that mouth—so angry, so tough, so fierce, so goddamn hot. I was staring and I knew it, but I couldn’t look away.
After what felt like twenty minutes, he finally shut up.
I had to let his wrist go and say something…anything. I was frozen, though. So was Mateo. He didn’t bother shaking me off. He narrowed his gaze slightly, lips parted.So damn sexy.
Heat rose between us, and wave upon wave of something potent yet undefined rushed in like high tide. I couldn’t tell ifI was in danger of combusting or drowning or in some kind of freefall, unmoored and unhinged. All because of him.
And just like that, my mouth was on Mateo’s. And he welcomed me. Just like last time.
He dragged my bottom lip between his teeth and ravaged my mouth, driving his tongue so deep he hit the back of my throat. He eased the pressure but not the intensity. I lowered my hands to his ass and drew him close.Holy fuck.Yeah, I’d been hoping for friction, but the feel of his hard cock through two layers of denim was too damn much. I was gonna come in my jeans.
