First Down (First and Ten #1) (7 page)

Leaning forward, he took a chance that this was the right moment for their first kiss. He slowly lowered his head toward her and looked for any stop signals. He didn’t get any, so he pressed his lips to hers and felt like this was the person that he’d been waiting for. Excitement ran through his heart as he felt her respond to his mouth. It was the most perfect last first kiss of his life. Slowly releasing her mouth, he opened his eyes and saw a smile on her lips as she sighed. As far as reactions went, that was pretty damn perfect.

Slowly opening her eyes, she smiled and sat up straight. “That’s the type of kiss that could change a girl’s mind about a lot of things. I’ll definitely think about wearing your jersey.”

Laughing, he took her hand and leaned his head against hers. “I’d like the opportunity to give you a lot more of them.”

She ran her hand down his face and couldn’t ever remember seeing one that she liked so much. He felt familiar and exciting all at once. “I’d like that, Jack.”

“Me, too.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Tuesday – Reality TV night

Ronnie sat in her new office, surveyed her surroundings, and approved of what she saw. She had worked her buns off since high school to get to this place, and she wanted to take a moment and appreciate the view. Her eyes ran over her desk, and she admired the design. In her line of work, it was important to appear successful, because she needed her clients to feel confident she was capable of managing their massive paychecks and making them a pile of money. She had always taken her job seriously and, as a result, had to turn a lot of clients away.  She only wanted people who were serious about their financial future, because she didn’t want to work as hard as she did, only to have them piss it away. She made each of her clients agree to a budget the first year she was with them, because she wanted to know they were capable of making smart decisions. If they were not, then there were lots of other people they could go to. It was a unique approach to business, but it worked for her and her clients. She had a long waiting list, and as soon as she added more people to her team, she could address it. Her phone buzzed, and her assistant told her Jack Ellis was here and wanted to speak with her. She straightened up and told Amanda to let him in. He better be here about his massive fortune and not her best friend. 

“Hi, Ronnie.” He strode in and sat in one of the chairs facing her desk. “I’m glad to see you got chairs that are comfortable for your clients. People don’t often remember that we’re bigger than the average bear, and there’s nothing worse than trying to squeeze into a small chair.”

“I’m glad you like them. I don’t think my clients who play tennis and golf feel quite the same way you do, though.”

“I can see why. They probably disappear into them. Listen, I’m here to find out what Ana’s favorite dessert is. I want to bring the right thing over to her house tonight.”

“So you’ve decided to ignore all of my directives and advice.”

“Absolutely. I’ve never backed down from something I want, and I want Ana.”

“For how long?”

“I’m thinking fifty or sixty years should do it.”

“Oh, Jack. Are you sure?”

“As sure as anything. I’ve never felt this way about someone, and I’m going to go after her the same way that I go after my career.”

“Holy mother of football. I’m not sure about this.”

“It’s not for you to be sure about. It’s between Ana and I.” He crossed his arms and stared at Ronnie the same way he glared at the offensive linemen each week.

“You listen to me, Jack Ellis. I don’t care how big and strong and rich you are. She is my best friend, and I will take you down if you so much as hurt one of her feelings. You know that I’m not a person to be trifled with.”

“I know, Ronnie. Now tell me what Ana likes, so I can go out and get it for her.”

“Napoleons.”

“What?”

“She loves napoleons. It’s a dessert with layers of crispy puff pastry with cream. Ana loves things that are timeless. She’s not going to be impressed with anything flashy or shiny.”

“I got that. She wants to go Joe’s for our first real date. I offered to rent a boat or fly her down to the Keys, and she looked at me like I was offering to poison her cat.”

“Yeah, that’s Ana. She likes what she likes, and she won’t be swayed. She’s one of the most stubborn people that I know, and that’s saying something. Actually, she and Alex are the same person. That’s why they bicker all the time.”

“What are you bringing tonight?”

“I bring the wine and lots of it. I think its Jordan’s turn, so we’re stuck with some sort of survival show. I much prefer when we watch Dancing with the Stars or the one with the polygamist family. But that’s just me.”

“Do you think she’ll mind if I bring Justin? He heard Clark and I talking about it, and he wants to come, too. I don’t think he’s made a lot of friends since he came to Miami, and I feel like he could use a little help.”

“I don’t think she would mind. Just let her know, so she makes enough food. Her mother taught her that if you don’t have leftovers for three days, then you didn’t make enough.”

“Maybe I should offer to go to the market with her. I doubt she has a lot of experience with feeding the defensive line.”

“She has two brothers, and they’re both big guys. But give her a call and see what she needs.”

“Thanks, Ronnie. I’m serious about this, and I want a real chance of making something with Ana.”

“Fine. Don’t make me regret this. Do you see this bowl of voodoo dolls?”

“Yes, Ronnie. Everyone knows about your bowl of voodoo dolls.”

“I can have your face on one of these in less than an hour if you misbehave.”

Jack stood and smiled at Ronnie. He appreciated the way she felt about her friends, and it was one of the reasons he chose her to manage his finances. That and her massive brain. He didn’t know too many people who held a Masters in accounting from Stanford and a JD from Tulane. All before the age of twenty four. “See you tonight, Ronnie. Thanks for the info.”

“See you later, Jack.”

********

Jack walked through the market with Ana and couldn’t have been happier. They were standing in the aisles with the pasta, and Ana was holding up one of the bags and asking him a question. “What was your question?” He knew he was probably smiling like an idiot again, but he didn’t care. Ana was happy, and no one was taking pictures of them.

“How much do you eat?”

“I usually eat about three quarters of a bag. Clark probably eats a whole bag, and so does Justin.”

“So you’re the light weight?”

“Yeah, all two hundred and seventy pounds of me.”

“I need another pan. I don’t have one that’s big enough.”

“Ana, I don’t want you to go to all of this trouble. Let me order some food from a restaurant.” He watched her eyes go small and her mouth turn into a flat line. That might not have been the right thing to say. “Tell me what to do.”

“I’m more than capable of feeding a group of people. Do you think I was raised in a barn? My mother would be horrified if she thought that I invited people over and ordered food from a restaurant. The woman is still alive, and I do not plan on having her disapproval rain down on my head.”

“She lives in California. How would she know?”

“My mother could be in space, and she would find out.” She shook her head and started pulling bags of pasta off the shelf as she calculated how much she would need. “I need to go to the Cuban market after this, and then you can take me home. I need to get started on the sauce.”

“Did I just make a ton of work?”

“No. My aunt cooks for thirty people every Sunday, and she makes Cuban food, which takes time. I’m making pasta, which is relatively easy.”

“So this is a cultural thing?”

“Yeah, I guess. I’m more than my brain.”

“Oh, I get it now.” He leaned down and kissed her head. “I’m here to help, so you can tell me what to do.”

She smiled up and winked. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She turned the cart around and swung her hips down the aisle.

She fit his picture of the woman that he wanted in his life. She wore jean shorts, a t-shirt and Converse, and he’d never wanted a woman more, because she didn’t try to be anything that she wasn’t. What you saw is what you got with Dr. Ana James. The fact that she didn’t want to impress him, made him want her all the more. He caught up with her and took the cart. “Let me push the cart. You can tell me where to go.”

She laughed and took his hand as they made their way over to the vegetables. “Follow me, Jack.”

Yeah, he’d follow her just about anywhere. Why was doing something so mundane so much fun? He was walking around the market and shopping for dinner, and he felt like someone just gave him the key to the kingdom.

********

Ana worked in the kitchen while Jack was in the office assembling her desk. She couldn’t believe he wanted to put it together and wondered if she was giving him the wrong message. She was definitely attracted to him, but felt wary. How much encouragement was too much? She heard him call her name, and she wiped her hands before walking toward the office.

Jack sat in her desk chair and pressed the button to turn on her computer. “I think I have everything set up. Come and see if your computer is hooked up properly.”

“Wow, Jack! This would have taken me forever. Thank you so much.” She stepped up to the desk and started putting her password in. He tugged on her waist, and she landed on his lap. She gave him a questioning smile as she looped her arm around his massive shoulder.

“You just have the one chair, so I thought we could share.” He leaned forward and kissed her shoulder then moved her until she was squarely in his lap. Sharing a chair was definitely a good idea. All of Ana’s soft curves were pressed into him, and he couldn’t have been happier or more turned on. Well, he could be happier, but he’d take what he could get.

“I’m glad that I didn’t meet you when I was in college. I would’ve never been able to resist your slick moves. But then again, I doubt we ever would’ve met. The science geeks had a tendency to hang out together and never mix with the football players.”

“Is that how you see yourself?”

She studied her computer for a moment and then glanced at him. “I hate to admit it, but I probably still see myself as the shy girl with the big brain and awkward personality. Sometimes, I think we never grow out of our high-school identities.”

“That may be true. Sometimes I wonder what people get so excited about when they meet me. I think they’re seeing the big clumsy kid who struggled to read. The classic dumb-jock stereotype.”

“I guess we’re more than what we were in high school. But somehow I never feel very far from it.”

“Neither do I. I feel confident when I’m on the field, but I’m not real comfortable with all the attention I get.”

“I can see how that would be the case. So we’re the odd couple. The jock and the geek.”

“The best odd couple in the world.” Tipping her back slowly, he lowered his head. A smile formed on her lips as her eyes grew big in anticipation. He lowered his mouth, captured her lips and felt her soft mouth beneath his. Slipping his tongue inside her mouth, he felt his body react instantly as their mouths began to play against one another.  He fell under her spell until the doorbell rang, a timer from the kitchen went off, and her computer gave off an alert. “Damn.”

She lifted her head and looked at him with desire-laden eyes. “I couldn’t agree more.” Sitting up, she fixed her shirt and then lifted herself off him. “I guess I’ll answer the door. Though, I’d much prefer to stay in your lap.”

“I’ll be out in a few minutes.” He sat up and adjusted himself. It was going to take a while before he got over the effects of sharing a chair with Ana. He smiled at her retreating figure and let out a small laugh.

Ana walked toward the front door and tried to remember the last time that her brain was quiet and couldn’t. Her body was buzzing with desire, and her hormones were dancing, but her mind was blessedly quiet. Answering the door, she watched her best friend study her.

Ronnie shook her head as she walked in. “Jack Ellis was smooching you, and you liked it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that look on your face before.”

“I think you may be right. I’ve never had a kiss like the one he just gave me. I think he may have magic kissing powers.” Closing the door, she turned and smiled. “It’s going to require a lot more research, so my plan of dating beta men is going to be put on hold. I need to see about that big alpha one sitting in my office first.” She took one of the bags from Ronnie and walked into the kitchen.

Jack stood in the hallway and smiled to himself.
Magic kissing powers
. Damn, he felt the same way about her. He stood there quietly and waited for them to move away. He didn’t want them to know he’d been eavesdropping.

The doorbell rang, and Jack walked out and looked into the kitchen. “Ana, do you want me to answer it?”

“Sure. Thanks, Jack.”

He opened the door and was greeted with the sight of Ella, Clark, and Justin. “Hi, guys. Come on in. Ana and Ronnie are in the kitchen.”

Ella swept into the house and left Clark and Justin standing in the hallway with Jack.

He watched one of his closest friend’s eyes trail after a woman who didn’t seem that impressed. “So what did you guys bring?”

Clark held up his bag. “I brought gourmet popcorn. It’s from the shop in South Beach that sells those fancy snacks. Ella told me that it was a good idea.”

Justin held out a bakery box. “I brought brownies. Ronnie told me that chocolate was always a good idea. I should go in and introduce myself to Ana, and thank her for including me tonight. This is a welcome change from the bars in South Beach. I’m tired of hanging out with those rookies—it makes me feel old, and I hate having to supervise their stupidity.”

Clark laughed. “When did we become the old guys with more sense?”

“I was always that guy,” Jack responded.

Clark clapped him on the back. “That’s true. How’s it going with Ana?”