Team Tomás (The Saints Team #2) (18 page)

“That’s the classy folk,” The
Russian added and they cheered again. “I would like to be homesick but my
family keeps visiting.” The ladies all laughed and I started to relax a little.
They were both dry and funny, and it was going to be okay.

“And Tomás, where is your
hometown?” Loretta asked.

“Buenos Aires,” he said, and I
heard the collective sigh as the words rolled off his tongue in his sexy
accent. That tongue that I was in love with and that would be all over me on
Wednesday. I needed a glass of cold water immediately.

“Do you get homesick?” Loretta
asked again.

“No,” he said flatly and didn’t
elaborate. Everyone laughed at his direct answer. Then he continued. “My sister
Valentina is my housemate, so I have some family here. She’s here today.”

“Stand up, Valentina, where are
you?” Loretta called.

Valentina stood up and gave a
wave, and everyone cheered.

Tomás continued, “She’s a very
good jazz singer and performs every Saturday and Sunday night from six p.m. at
the
Buzz Club
. There’s a free plug Tina, you can cook me dinner for
that.”

The room broke up again.

“So do you two do duets?” Loretta
asked.

Tomás shook his head. “I don’t
sing. But The Russian does.”

Every eye in the house turned to The
Russian. I had forgotten until now that he did a version of
Sweet Child of
Mine
at Lucas’s pre-season party and did as good a job as Axel, well
almost. No-one can do Axel better than Axel and those dance moves, yeah.

Loretta worked the audience up.
“So could we get a duet then Valentina and Russian?”

The crowd starting clapping and The
Russian held up his hand and shut it down with a firm head shake.

“Can’t see any electric guitar
here, Loretta and that’s the only way I’ll perform, I only do rock.”

Loretta looked forlornly at the D.J.
who shook his head. “Right then, stored away for next time,” she said. “Another
question.” This time she picked someone nearby, in the middle of the room.

I gave the microphone to a woman
who looked like a personal trainer. She seemed super fit and her question
confirmed it.

“What’s your favorite workout?”
she asked.

Loretta nodded to Tomás.

“I like to swim but the coach,
Johan, likes us to run.” He glanced to the coach’s wife, Elizabeth, as he said
this and they exchanged knowing smiles. “So I’m running all the time, more than
I’ve run in my entire life. He even makes us run to the pool.”

Elizabeth nodded in understanding,
and the ladies laughed again. He was so endearing and everything he said with
his sexy accent and delivered with his boyish good looks just had them eating
out of his hand.

“And Russian?” Loretta turned to
him.

“I like weights,” he told the gym
bunny. “I’m not into speed, as you can tell from my svelte shape.” Laughter
erupted around the room as everyone studied The Russian wall who was anything
but svelte.

My first lunch was going to be a
hit, thank you boys.

The Russian continued and
addressed the lady who asked the question. “I bench press around 320 pounds,”
he said, and she looked impressed. Most of us had no idea if that was good or
not but by her reaction, I’m guessing it was good.

“Last question,” Loretta said,
looking around the room, “and let’s make it a good one.”

“A good one near me,” I said into
the microphone, and got a round of laughs.

She teased as she skimmed over the
twenty or more hands that were in the air and settled on a hand from the back
row. I took off with the microphone and passed it to a lady who looked as if
she had way too much plastic surgery and was barely forty.

She had a husky voice and I knew
she was trying to be sexy.

“I have a question for Tomás,” she
said. “The tango has its origins in Buenos Aires. Do you tango?”

The room erupted in whistles and
cheering and Tomás looked as if he was sizing up where the quickest exit was
located. He smiled and shook his head slightly.

“Tomás, you must have learned at
school at least? It’s the national dance isn’t it? Do you tango?” Loretta
pushed him.

“Ah, I guess every South American schoolboy
learns to tango.” He looked towards me begging me to rescue him and wrap it up.
I gave him a smile that said ‘bring it on’. I’d pay for that later no doubt.

The D.J. began with some perfect
slow tango music and the girls clapped and started saying ‘tango, tango, tango...’

Loretta held up her hand. “We have
to find Tomás a partner.”

He smiled and started to look
pretty satisfied that he’d be safe now. The Russian took Tomás’s microphone from
him, freeing him up, but Tomás put his hands in his suit pants’ pockets and
rocked, expecting no-one would know how to tango to partner him. Loretta was
smarter.

“Valentina, you must be able to
tango, yes?”

“Yes.” She nodded and stood.

Tomás gave her a pained expression,
but folded to the crowd pressure. He took the couple of stairs down from the
stage and glanced at me with a look that I couldn’t read but I think it was
‘thanks
for getting me into this!
’—I would have to remind him it was all set up by
my predecessor and who was I to stop the flow of a good show? He stopped near
his sister, slipping off his suit jacket to a fresh round of whistles and
catcalls, and placed it over the back of the chair. I swear he looked
embarrassed—who would have thought.

Loretta introduced them. “Ladies
and the few gentlemen present, allow me to introduce the tango with Tomás and
Valentina Carrera!” The audience cheered and then a hush fell over the room
while the music began and we all imagined ourselves in the arms of Tomás.

He led his sister to the floor,
raised his left hand and placed his other hand on her back. Valentina put her
hand in his and mirrored him, putting her hand on the center of his back. They
stood tall, such beautiful creatures, and I held my breath watching the tilt of
his jaw and his power over Valentina’s stance.

On the beat, he moved forward with
his left leg, slow, slow, quick, quick, slow and repeated it. They were so
masterful in their walk together that I’m sure they must have danced together
before, even if Valentina was the baby of the family and it might have only
been at family weddings. It was such a sensual ballroom dance, emphasizing the
long lines of their legs and the power of his arms. His butt looked fantastic
in those suit pants, highlighted by the stretched moves of the tango, plus his
masterful turns and power over her movements was so sexual. Tomás seemed to
know where the music was taking him; he led Valentina around the floor so
effortlessly, slightly frowning as he concentrated and using his strength to
support her elongated movements. They moved as one in the high speed sequences,
and it was breathtaking.

Thank God Valentina was his sister
because if my man—this tall, dark, handsome creature—was holding Julieta or any
other beautiful woman close like this, dancing this intimate dance, it would
have killed me. The audience, like me, was enthralled. There wasn’t a dry panty
in the house I’m sure.

As the
dance came to an end with Tomás so completely in control and leading with every
movement,
I think I might have orgasmed and I don’t think I was the only
one. They finished with flourish and everyone rose to their feet and cheered. I
wasn’t the only one fanning myself. After today, Tomás Carrera had three
hundred new followers in his fan club and this lunch would be a very hard act
to follow. I pitied the next two Saints players to attend.

The audience roared for an encore
but Tomás apologetically shook his head and led Valentina back to her seat.
Grabbing his jacket and then The Russian by the arm, he excused himself to
Loretta and the audience: “We have to go to training,” he explained.

Loretta called for another round
of applause for the two Saints players and the roar must have disturbed traffic
it was so loud.

Backing out of the room, Tomás glanced
in my direction with a look that promised much more to come. With The Russian,
he disappeared around the corner of the ballroom and out through the doors. Luckily
dessert was served—we all needed some chocolate after that.

Chapter 32

I was walking in the door of my new abode after a
long and really good day—the lunch went so well and I was getting more
confident in the job every day—when my phone beeped with a text message. I
greeted Cassie who was sitting on the couch with her iPad and went to take off
my Sasha Saxon original and change into jeans and a sweatshirt. I felt so high;
love was amazing—I couldn’t believe only a few days ago I was at rock bottom.
Then I remembered I still had to deal with Dane and break the news to him. He
had called and left a message today. Sigh.

I grabbed my phone and saw the
text was from Dane, damn, just get it over with. I lay on the bed and called
him.

“Hi gorgeous, how are you?” Dane
said, answering the phone on the second ring.

“I’m good, and you?”

“Missing you,” he said.

Crap.

“I want to see you, so when can we
catch up?” he continued.

“Dane, about that...”

There was a noticeable change in the
phone atmosphere and I swallowed before continuing.

“This isn’t the part where you say
it’s not me, it’s you, is it?” he asked with hesitation in his voice.

“No,” I said, “it’s definitely you
not me,” I teased and he laughed. But I kept going. “You are gorgeous and fun
and sincere and...”

“And you are working things out
with that other guy aren’t you?” he finished my sentence.

“I think we might be. I’m sorry
that I went out with you on Friday... I should have waited longer to see.”

“I’m not sorry,” he said. “I had a
great time.”

“Dane, you’re making this so much
harder because you’re so lovely.” I sighed. “Can’t you just call me a cow or be
super angry at me?”

“I’m super angry at
him
for
sticking around but I guess he knows he’s onto a good thing. I’m super jealous
too, but he better treat you right because I’ll be waiting in the wings ready
to move in,” he said, his voice lowered.

“And I would love that chance,” I
said, “but you and I both know that you won’t be single for longer than a
minute so consider us ships passing in the night.”

“I’m not the
Titanic
Alice,
so don’t sink me yet. Can we stay friends and I mean friends? I won’t cross the
line.”

“Yeah,” I brightened, “I would
really like that, really like it.”

“Good.” I heard relief in his
voice too. “So you could come to some of our movie preview nights just as
friends if you were free, and bring your friends.”

“That could work,” I agreed.
“Thank you Dane.”

“Hey, it’s all good. See you soon
then.”

“Yep, for sure.”

I hung up and breathed again, that
was a shit job but it was done. He was so nice. What were the odds of meeting
two great guys in the same week? The universe worked in mysterious ways. I
finished getting changed and went out to catch up with Cassie.

“Diaries,” she said.

“Sorry?” I was confused.

“We need to coordinate our
diaries. Now that we both have boyfriends, we can work out a system of who
wants the place to herself and when.”

“Oh right, sure, but I don’t think
I’m going to be at Tomás’s place a lot initially,” I said.

“That’s fine because Rick has a
great place and we’d both probably rather crash there anyway. You won’t be
pissed if I’m not home much will you?” she asked.

“Not for a moment.”

“That’s a relief because my former
housemate wanted company all the time. I swear she followed me into the shower
one day.” Cassie rolled her eyes.

I laughed. “No I’m good in my own
space. But this Wednesday night, I might be going to Tomás’s,” I said.

“I’m going to Rick’s place. His
mother leaves on Tuesday thank the Lord.” Cassie chewed on the end of a pen.
“If you and I are coming and going with work, college and new boyfriends, maybe
we should get a third housemate so someone is here,” she suggested. “It would
cut our rent down too.”

“It’s not a bad idea,” I agreed. “I’m
happy to pay less. A guy, maybe?”

“Perfect. A guy who can cook, like
a chef would be good. Or a flight attendant who is away a lot or a male nurse
who does shift work, so between the three of us, there’s always someone coming
and going but we’re not living in each other’s pockets. We’d have some fun, too,
with a full house.”

“Absolutely. Maybe a player who is
at training a lot and away every third weekend at away games,” I suggested.

We both brightened at the thought.

“Brilliant,” Cassie agreed.

“I’ll keep my ear to the ground,”
I said. “But there are only two bathrooms... I don’t want boy germs.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Me either.
You and I could share and give him the ensuite room.”

“Done,” I agreed. “Leave it with
me.”

My phone beeped with a text
message and it was just the man I wanted to hear from—my Tomás, part-time tango
dancer and full-time soccer star. He must have been finished at training.

TOMÁS: I need 2 C U 2nt

ME: U still have a guest

TOMÁS: I don’t care, I need 2 C U

ME: U saw me 2day sexy tango guy.
C U Wed. Only 2 more days

TOMÁS: Just 5 mins, come 4 a ride
on my bike

ME: Mm, supa tempting & I get
2 wrap my arms around you. Bike ride only?

TOMÁS: Promise

ME: No repeat of last nyt

TOMÁS: If U insist. Your place @ 7

ME: U will bring me back home?

TOMÁS: Of course
bella
,
I’ll do my best

ME: Promise

TOMÁS: Ok, promise

*****

Tomás must have come straight from training as
fifteen minutes later I heard his bike out the front, and with a wave to Cassie
I bolted down the stairs to meet him. He always looked so sexy straddling that
bike. He alighted, pulled his helmet off and grabbed me in a passionate kiss
before I had time to speak.

“Better,” he said, pulling away.
He handed me the helmet and I put it on. He lifted the bike seat and pulled out
a jacket. “I have a present for you.” He rushed the next words before I could
protest. “It’s a safety gift, for travelling so I want you to accept it,
please.” He handed me a soft black leather jacket. “I’ll make a bike chick of
you yet.”

“Wow, thank you Tomás, when did
you have time to get this?” I asked, delighted, and slipping my arms into it.

“This morning,” he said. “Very
cute, just right,” he said pulling it tight around me.

“Thank you, I love it, it’s
beautiful.”

“So you’ll accept this? Should we
have an accident, it’s much safer riding in a strong jacket like this.”

I smiled. “It’s very thoughtful
and since it is a practical, safety gift, I’d be delighted to accept it. Thank
you.” I smiled at him.

“You’re welcome.”

“You know you were the star of the
Saints’ Sisters’ lunch, you sexy thing,” I teased him.

“Let’s not talk about it.” He
swung his leg over the bike and I studied him.

I stood beside him on the bike. “You
were great, you know that don’t you?” I frowned at him.

He shrugged. “I don’t like being
pressured into doing things, like an ambush.”

I bit my lip, wondering where this
was coming from. “Did you really not enjoy it? It was fun and you made a lot of
people happy.”

“I would do it for you Al...iss,
but... it doesn’t matter, climb on board,” he said.

Mm, odd. I jumped on behind him
and wrapped my arms around his waist as he started the bike. God it felt so
good. He pulled his own helmet on and we pulled away from the
curb
.
We drove for a while along the beach, through the city, and it was amazing.
Eventually we went to his favorite quiet spot on the beach and he parked the
bike, and helped me off. We walked down to the sand.

“Can we sit for a while?” he
asked.

“Sure, but if Julieta is going
home Wednesday, shouldn’t you be home doing some last minute socializing?” I
asked, not wanting him to but not understanding why he wasn’t.

He shook his head. “She’s away for
the night staying with her aunt. She’ll be back tomorrow, so we’ll do a dinner
with Valentina tomorrow night and I’ll take her to the airport Wednesday
morning.”

I nodded, taking it all in and
knowing tomorrow night would be tough for me thinking of the three of them
together. He sat on the sand and raised his arms to me, lowering me down
between his legs. Tomás wrapped his arms around me and we sat in the warmth of
the night, watching the waves and listening to the quiet and the waves breaking
at his favorite get-away place. If we could just stay here, like this for the
rest of our lives, it would be perfect.

“Tomás...”

“Yes?”

I turned slightly to face him,
digging my legs under his.

“I don’t understand what you said
earlier, about the ambush... you looked so great today, why does it bother
you?”

He sighed. “I’m not like Lucas or The
Russian or even Nik. I’m a bit like Ed. We don’t like the limelight.”

“But you’re in it so much,” I
said. “Your picture is everywhere and you’ve got sponsorship contracts where
you appear wearing brand gear and watches.” I thought of the gorgeous shot I
saw of him wearing a designer watch. “There’s footage of you all over YouTube.”

He nodded. “But that’s for sport.
I’m comfortable with that, I know it and the model shots, I agree to do those
with a photographer, not an audience. But I don’t like being singled out as the
center of attention in a crowd.”

“I get it,” I said, “and it won’t
happen too often but I guess it is part of what you have to do now as a signed
player.”

He sighed and nodded his
agreement. “True, but I don’t have to like it,” he said, softly. “Unless…”

“Mm?” I prodded him.

“You wanted to shoot a sexy
Saints’ calendar… maybe you could find a month for me and we could try all
these different poses and positions in private to pick one for the shoot?”

I laughed. “You’re a nutter,” I
teased him. “But hell you were sexy doing that tango, I think I orgasmed when
you were on the dance floor.”

His lips reluctantly twitched into
a smile and he looked directly at me. “Well that makes it all worthwhile. I
wish I’d known that earlier; it gives me a hard-on thinking of you all flushed
and wet.”

“I can’t wait for Wednesday,” I
said, running a finger along the stubble on his chin line. “I want to tell you
something...” I said, getting Tomás’s attention.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“I want to say what you said to
me, because I feel the same, but I can’t say it until you are one hundred
percent mine,” I said looking into his eyes.

A look of relief and sheer
happiness crossed his face.

“But you feel that way, Al...iss?”
he said, his face all smiles.

“Yeah, I do.” I grinned.

He lowered his lips to mine then groaned
and pulled away.

“You don’t think we could just...”
he began.

“No,” I said. I was sticking to my
guns even if it killed me. I was going to be the only woman in Tomás Carreras’s
life and I wasn’t going to go the whole way with him and send him home to his
girlfriend/ex-girlfriend.

“You’re seriously not going to let
me touch you or stay or...”

I shook my head. “It’s not easy
for me either let me tell you.”

“Fucking hurry up, Wednesday,” he
muttered.

I grinned and he went mad at me.

“Stop teasing me Al...iss.” His
eyes narrowed.

“What? Me?” I said, wide-eyed.
“You wanted to go for a ride on the bike, that was your idea.”

“Mm,” he grunted.

“You stopped here and wanted to
sit on the beach.”

“Right,” he conceded. “Yeah well,
you look too damn cute.”

“Sorry,” I said, and giggled.

He pulled me onto his lap and his
tongue slipped into my mouth. He pushed against me and I felt the hardness of
his erection. I felt just as needy. God, I loved this man.