Page 37 of On Her Team
“I don’t know how to do this.”
“Do what?”
“Impress you.”
He wants to impress me?
“I’m used to women who want diamonds and furs.”
“Fur isn’t sustainable.”
He barks out a laugh. “Naturally, my songbird doesn’t care about fur coats and diamonds.”
I enjoy shiny things as much as the next woman. But not when gifts are used to buy my affection. And, make no mistake about it, extravagant gifts given to a woman you barely know are not appropriate.
“What do you want, Gage?”
He scratches his neck. “I want you to answer my messages. I want to spend time with you. I want you to be my friend.”
“Friend? Friends don’t buy each other expensive concert tickets for a concert in New York City.”
He cringes. “Friends make mistakes.”
“Instead of learning from your mistake, you made another mistake – a bigger one – and tried to run my life.”
“I wasn’t trying to run your life by giving you Jerry’s number. I was trying to help. Trying to be a good friend.”
I stand and march to him. For good measure, I poke him in the chest. “Good friends listen when their friend says they can’t move away from the island.”
He captures my hand and places it over his heart. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think. I thought you’d be excited.”
I can feel his heart beating against my hand. It’s strong and steady. Like the man.
“You need to stop with the extravagant gifts and trying to control my life.”
“I was—”
I cut him off. “Think of it from my point of view. How would you feel if I showed up in your hometown when you were in high school and gave you the number of some football scout?”
He grins. “I’d be ecstatic.”
I groan. “You’re incorrigible.”
He clears his throat. “Sorry. I wasn’t trying to be an ass.”
“You just are without trying.”
He smiles and his dimple appears. He’s entirely too handsome. I retreat a step. I immediately miss his heat. Miss the reassurance of his heart beating in his chest.
“You can’t do everything on your own. Sometimes you need help. Do you think I’d be where I am today if a football coachhadn’t seen my potential? If he hadn’t found me a tutor to help improve my grades in high school so I’d be eligible for a football scholarship to college?”
I frown. Was he merely trying to help?
“You didn’t give me the producer’s number to try and control me?”
“Hell no. I would never want to control you. I love how you surprise me with your reactions. I never know what to expect from you.”
“I’m not your friend because you’re a football star.”
