For the Love of the Game (6 page)

“About the ring. I know I told you I got it from the gift shop, but that wasn’t exactly true. I actually went to the jewelry store in the hotel and bought it.”

Morgan gulped. “So what are you saying?”

“Let’s just say it cost more than my parents’ first house,” he drawled. Seth found that even more amusing. If his father found out how much money he’d spent, he would have gone bonkers.

“I’ve been letting this thing hang off my neck for days. Someone could have taken it!”

“Well, if you’d kept it on your finger you wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

“I don’t want to put on this ring until I know what it means. I’ve been waiting for you to bring up an annulment.”

“I’ve been thinking about that too.” Seth moved her over to the other side of the tent, away from the ears of the crowd. “What if we don’t want to get an annulment? I’ve been meaning to ask what you thought about it, but I was afraid you would say something I didn’t want to hear. Maybe we can continue…dating?”

“You don’t date your wife.”

“Sure you do. My dad always told me that’s how you keep a relationship alive. You can’t let little things or everyday living wear away a relationship. Romance is eternal, he says.”

“Did your daddy also tell you to marry virtual strangers you meet on islands?”

“No.” He laughed. “But he did tell me to keep my eye out when miracles come my way. I had a good feeling since the day I met you. And I take pride in my gut feelings. The last time I made a decision off my gut, I got a forty million dollar contract.”

She let out an exhausted breath. “All that money you have. I am a pauper compared to you. It’s not right. It’s not fair. I wouldn’t feel right being with you.”

“Since when does money have anything to do with how you feel about a person? I know you don’t care about my money. You never bothered to ask me what I did for a living when you met me.”

“And I insulted your livelihood countless times.”

He laughed again. “Well, that was definitely an exercise on my ego, but I lived. It felt good not talking about houses, yachts, and my career for a while.”

Morgan closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Morgan, what do you want?” he asked.

“I want you to invite me to dinner.”

“My place tonight.”

“Um, tonight’s not good. The festival doesn’t end until seven.”

“Okay, I’ll buy the rest of your inventory.” Seth reached into his back pocket and pulled a black credit card out of his wallet with a logo she’d never seen before.

“There has to be at least two thousand dollars’ worth of merchandise here.”

Seth arched his eyebrow but didn’t comment.

Morgan laughed. “Let me guess. This has a hundred thousand dollar limit?”

“You could probably buy a plane with it if you like.” He grinned.

“Well, I’m lucky if I can get a tank of gas with my credit card.”

“If you need anything, I would be happy to—”

Morgan put her hand up to his chest in an attempt to stop him from finishing his sentence. Seth put his hand over hers.

“Morgan. Don’t over think this. I’ll send a car to get you at eight.” Seth’s hands fell to her waist; he pulled her against him. His mouth covered hers, his tongue pressing lightly for her to open, and Morgan’s tongue met his. She glided her hands up his back and caressed him under the polo shirt he wore. For a moment the world faded out and it was only the two of them. It wasn’t until Patton let out a loud whistle that they realized they were in the middle of a festival. They broke apart, both breathing heavily.

“Eight o’clock,” Seth said with a wild look in his eyes.

“Yep,” Morgan breathed.

“What are you doing to do with the merchandise?”

“You bought it. What do you want to do with it?”

Seth stepped forward to address the crowd. “Can I have your attention, everyone? My wife, Morgan, has been gracious enough to donate the remainder of her merchandise. Anyone interested can help themselves to what’s on the tables.”

Morgan’s tables were clean within fifteen minutes.

* * *

Morgan was getting ready for her date when her doorbell rang. It was her driver for the evening, who introduced himself as Oscar, handed her a dozen roses and informed her he would be waiting for her outside whenever she was ready to go. Oscar opened the car door for her when she emerged from the apartment building. She climbed in to find a bottle of champagne waiting for her.

The ride to Seth’s penthouse was sublime. Oscar had classical music pumping through the speakers, and Morgan even poured herself a glass of champagne. She peered out the dark window, watching the scenery. Philadelphia seemed majestic to her at night. Oscar finally stopped in front of the Ashcroft Building, an old historic landmark that had been turned into luxury condos about twenty years ago. The lobby of the building looked like a museum. She remembered a newspaper article that said it was being listed as a stop on a tour schedule for its architectural history. She even had a book on the history of the Ashcroft at the bookstore.

Oscar escorted her in and handed her over to a surly man named Eli. Eli smiled politely at her and informed her that Mr. Blake was waiting for her. He escorted her into the elevator, entered a key and pushed the penthouse button, then stepped out.

Butterflies invaded her stomach as she ascended higher and higher. She played with her ponytail and suddenly felt underdressed. She’d opted for a nice pair of gray slacks and a blue cardigan. She’d even managed to put on some lip gloss. She’d seen him in cargo pants, a speedo, and even jeans. She wondered what the superstar football player dressed in when he was lounging around his penthouse apartment in a building that had been featured in several style magazines. She got her answer when the elevator doors opened and Seth stood in his doorway waiting for her in a pair of black slacks and a black silk shirt. Although it kind of looked like bed head, his hair was perfectly moussed, and she could tell he’d shaved. The only thing missing was a ten-gallon cowboy hat and a pistol on his side.

“Morgan,” was all he said.

“Hi, Seth.”

Seth took her hand and guided her into the penthouse. “Did you enjoy the car ride?”

“I-it was excellent,” she stuttered, distracted, as he caressed the back of her hand.

“Welcome to my humble abode. Let’s get the tour out of the way. Shall we?”

Seth kept a firm grip on her hand as if she was going to break loose and make a run for it. Not that she didn’t think of it. Every room he navigated her through had something eloquent, exotic, or sophisticated in it. There was rich black leather in the living room, an elegant marble dining room table with place settings for eight, and several flat screen televisions bolted to the walls of a room he called his strategy den. Each television was tuned to a different sports program. There was a wall with glass shelves that housed all his trophies. His bedroom was just as she’d imagined it. It looked like a man lived there. He had a king-size sleigh bed draped in a bluish-gray bedding. There were two huge plasma televisions positioned on the wall opposite the bed.

Two huge balcony doors led to a terrace lit softly with white decorative lights. When she peeked in the bathroom, she was amazed to see not two, but three sinks, a Jacuzzi, a shower fitted with ten strategically placed showerheads, and a claw-foot tub. In the center of the room was a fabric-covered bench with a magazine laying on it. So this was how the rich and famous lived?

When they returned to the living room, she was at a loss for words. She knew it was rude the way she kept quiet, but she was still taking it all in. There seemed to be never-ending contrasts and layers to this man. The simple, sweet, anonymous Seth she’d met on the island was getting further and further away from her, and she missed him. But was it really fair to make him some one-dimensional character in her mind? Perhaps if they’d never seen one another again she could have lived with that perception of him. And now that she was crawling out on the other side of her romantic dream getaway scenario, it was a bit overwhelming.

“You look very nice tonight.” He smiled. “I forgot to tell you that when you got off the elevator, I was so happy you didn’t cancel.”

“Thank you,” she said she as wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I had no idea I was coming to… I would have worn something else.”

“Nonsense. I only dress up when I’m networking. I would rather be back on my ranch at home with a pair of dirty jeans on and taking a stroll with Iris.”

“Iris?” She bit her lip, hearing another woman’s name.

“Iris,” he repeated and brought her over to a photo. “Iris is one of the best things in my life.”

Morgan reluctantly honed in on the picture only to discover that Seth was in it standing next to a horse. A beautiful horse, but nonetheless a horse. She let out a chuckle. “Iris is a horse.”

“Not just a horse.” He grinned and grabbed her hand. “A good friend. But admit it. For a minute you were jealous.”

Morgan suppressed a grin. The man wanted her to admit being jealous over what had turned out to be a horse. “You really are a cowboy, aren’t you?”

“I’d love to take you to the ranch. We could ride together.”

“I don’t ride, Seth.”

“I don’t believe that.” He smirked.

“Where exactly have you seen a slew of horse stables in Philly?”

“They’re around. And you have the rest of the state of Pennsylvania.”

“I’m a city girl. And no matter what I’m surrounded by, I’ve always remained within my urban perimeter.”

“I could teach you to ride,” he said in a husky tone. “Riding a horse is all about finding a rhythm. It’s like making love. When you find that right person, you develop a rhythm with them. It’s all about moving together and keeping a pace.”

She hadn’t realized it, but Seth was putting his own words into practical application. He placed his hands on her waist and drew her closer to him. As he pressed her against him, she thought maybe he did have a hidden gun somewhere on him because she could feel a bulge in the front of his pants. Seth leaned down and moved his mouth against hers; it only took Morgan a second to let him slide his tongue into her mouth. He sucked on her tongue and ran his fingers through her hair, stopping at the clip holding her ponytail in place. He opened the clip and slid it into his pocket. His skin warmed every place Morgan’s hands glided on his body.

Seth was pretty sure he was getting another hand job from her, but this one was on purpose. He started his journey from the living room to the bedroom. With each step they took, a piece of clothing was removed. By the time they reached the doorway of his bedroom Morgan was wearing a fancy black lace bra and panties and Seth was naked. He couldn’t kiss her enough, caress her enough, or love her enough. That was what he was feeling—love for his petite, feisty, stubborn bookstore owner. His heart began beating faster as the word
love
bounced around inside his head. Seth pulled back his sheets as best he could while liberating Morgan from her bra. He immediately cupped her breasts. She moaned in appreciation of his thoughtfulness. Everything about her body was smooth and soft. Nothing in his life could compare to the feelings this woman evoked in him. He reached in his nightstand and pulled out a condom. If Morgan had given the slightest hint that he didn’t need to use it, he would have happily hurled it over the balcony. But for now being responsible won out over throwing caution and common sense to the wind.

Tomorrow he would tell her his true intention for inviting her to his house. Tomorrow he would give her a heartfelt speech about how he was falling in love with her and wanted to share his crazy Seth Blake, the Quarterback Corporation life with her. Tomorrow he would tell her the book signing at Reed Books was a ruse to let him pay for her repairs so she didn’t have to worry so much about keeping the store afloat. Tomorrow he would tell her he’d had his entire staff in Texas looking for a stallion for her so she could learn how to ride with him. Tomorrow they would figure out how to integrate two very different lives in a happy living arrangement. Tomorrow he would give her keys to the penthouse, hoping like hell she’d say she’d move in with him. Tomorrow.

* * *

Seth Blake might have been the pride of Philadelphia right now, but his greatest test was going to be surviving meeting Morgan’s family. After spending almost every day together for three weeks, she told him she would be busy the following Saturday.

“Family thing. I promised my dad I would a while ago. But we could meet up afterward.” She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Seth started the blender again, mixing his daily ritual breakfast energy shake. Morgan winced at half the things he put in there, but he was convinced he could get her to try it.

“Uh, Morgan honey, did it ever occur to you to invite your husband?”

“Hey, Seth, did you know your Southern comes out of you when you are trying to be charming or mildly pissed off?”

“Is that right?” He winked at her.

“That’s right.”

“Why didn’t you invite me?”

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted to go. We’ve been doing a good job dodging the press, but my family is another thing. I’m not sure you can handle it.”

“I can handle it.” He patted his chest. “Me strong like bull.”

“Do you bring your equipment home? You may need it.”

* * *

After summoning them all to her father’s house to tell them about her marriage and wading through a myriad of arguments with her family, she finally called Seth over. Four grown men waited on the porch for Seth like he was coming to pick her up for her first date. She had to hand it to Sydney, her father’s wife, for stepping in and calming everyone down. She and Sydney had never had very much to say to each other, but she was thankful her father had waited until Morgan was sixteen before he started dating again. He had been alone for a while; Morgan’s mom had died from pneumonia when Morgan was nine. By the time Curtis and Sydney were getting serious, Morgan was on her way to college.

She could see Seth getting out of his Range Rover and thought how incredibly brave or brain damaged he was for coming to her father’s house. But he was serious about his intentions.