First Down (Texas Titans #3) (19 page)

“You’re right,” he said, tracing her lower lip with the pad of his thumb. “I’m glad you get that about me.”

Given her rush to judgment about Grayson in the beginning, the least she could do was mitigate the damage to his ego. “Ronan was all about making money so he could wield more power. You’re obviously doing what you love. I have a feeling you’d do it even if you didn’t get paid.”

He chuckled. “I don’t know if I’d go that far. I have to keep a roof over my head and clothes on my back, don’t I?”

Alana felt a rush of heat when she thought about his muscled chest and bare back. “I suppose so.”

“Besides, I know the people I love will never have to worry about money.”

“What do you mean?”

“My parents, mainly. Ranching is back-breaking work. There are good years, and there are lean years. Now, no matter what happens, they don’t ever have to worry about losing the ranch. They can relax a little. Lord knows they’ve earned it.”

She gave him a tender smile. She could easily lose her heart to him if he kept talking about his family that way. “That’s so sweet.”

“It’s nice to know my sisters and their families will be fine too. Terri and her husband do well, but Raelyn and her husband are teachers. There was a strike last year that made it tough for them to make ends meet. Being able to help them out when they needed it felt damn good. It makes all the hard work worth it, ya know?”

Alana looked down. “I wish I could say I did. My parents have both worked hard all their lives, but accountants don’t make enough to help out all that much.”

“True, but department heads make a lot more. At least with our company they do.”

Alana smiled, hoping she didn’t seem ungrateful. In their economic climate, she was happy just to have a job with a stable company. “Maybe someday when Bob is ready to retire, you’ll consider me for that position. Until then, I’m happy with what I’m doing.”

“Bob is ready to retire now.”

She snapped her mouth shut as soon as she realized it was hanging open. “But I thought Jaxon said he planned to work for at least another ten years?”

“Obviously, he was wrong.” Grayson smiled. “Bob’s a great guy, we’ll miss him, but his timing couldn’t have been any better. Now that we have you…”

Was he seriously offering her a promotion so soon? “Grayson, I appreciate your faith in me, but I have to prove myself.”

“You’ve already proven yourself.” He leaned in to steal a kiss. “Don’t you know that by now?”

It would have been too easy for Alana to accept his offer without thinking twice, but they were talking about her career. She couldn’t afford to make mistakes. “How do your partners feel about this?”

“Bob thinks you’re the right person for the job. So do I. They’re not going to argue.”

“The pizza,” Alana said, pointing at the oven. “You don’t want it to burn.” She needed a minute to catch her breath, and dinner seemed like a good distraction.

“Right, the pizza,” he said, looking confused as he pushed away from the counter.

Grayson had expected a much different reaction when he offered Alana the job. She seemed almost hesitant to accept, but why? The only reason he could imagine was that she didn’t intend to make Arlington her permanent home, and that possibility weighed on him heavily.

As he pushed his empty plate aside, he asked, “Are you going to tell me why you seem so reluctant about taking this job, or do I have to guess?”

Alana sighed. “At Ronan’s company, I had to deal with a lot of resentment. He hired me right out of school and promoted me quickly, mainly because I was one of the few people he trusted.”

Grayson sat back and wished he could get through one evening with her without having to hear about the man he despised more with each passing day.

“Is something wrong?” Alana asked, touching his hand. “You look upset.”

“No, go ahead. I want you to tell me why you don’t want to take advantage of this great opportunity we’re offering you.” The bitterness he felt seeped into his words. “I’m sorry. I want you to feel you can tell me anything, but it pisses me off that everything seems to begin and end with that jerk who didn’t even deserve to call himself your husband.”

Alana withdrew her hand. “I know you don’t understand. You think I should just be able to forget about him and move on, but it’s not that easy.”

The panic edging out his fear made Grayson realize just how much he cared for her. “You’re not saying you still have feelings for him, are you?”

Alana looked appalled at the suggestion. “God, no!”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“When Ronan and I met, I was young and inexperienced. He promised me the world, and I believed him. Being married to him forced me to grow up, and by the time I walked out on him, I swore I’d never make those mistakes again.”

Grayson released a slow breath, allowing some of his concern to dissipate. Looking into her eyes gave him peace of mind. He didn’t know how he could be so sure, but something told him he could trust her. “Tell me why you think this would be a mistake.”

“Like I said, some people in his company didn’t feel I’d earned the position. They’d been there longer and felt he owed it to them to promote them instead of me.”

“Seniority doesn’t trump all,” Grayson said, trying for once to put himself in Ronan’s position. “I appreciate employees who are loyal to us, but that doesn’t mean everyone is cut out for a managerial position. Some people are better suited to it than others. He obviously felt you were, and so do I.”

Alana looked down at her plate. “Would you be offering me this position if you weren’t interested in getting me into bed?”

The question shocked and offended Grayson so much he wasn’t sure how to respond. His first impulse was to tell her to go to hell, but forced himself to remain calm. “What do you think?”

She raised her eyes. “I’m sorry. That was unfair. I know you wouldn’t offer me this job just because you’re attracted to me. I know how much your business and your partners mean to you. You wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize them.”

“You’re right.” Since things were already tense between them, he may as well mention Cal’s idea. He wanted her to fully understand that he intended to keep business separate from their personal relationship. “Which is why my lawyer thinks I need to take some precautions to protect the business.” He winced inwardly when he realized he’d chosen the wrong words. He’d made it sound as if she was trying to take advantage of their relationship, which he knew wasn’t the case.

“What kind of precautions?” she asked, looking wary.

“Cal, my lawyer, and the guys are a little concerned about me getting involved with an employee.” He reached for her hand. “Please understand, Alana, it’s nothing personal. It’s just that we live in a litigious society. Sometimes when a relationship ends and we’re hurt, we do things we never thought we would just to get even with the person who hurt us.”

“That’s true.”

Grayson was surprised, but grateful, she’d agreed with his explanation. He assumed the betrayal she’d experienced had prompted her to do things she never thought she would. “Cal suggested it may simplify things and put everyone’s mind at ease if you signed a contract stating you were entering into this relationship voluntarily and didn’t expect anything as a result.” When she stared at him instead of responding, Grayson felt his chest tighten. “Of course, it’s your decision. Whether you choose to sign it or not doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”

“Of course I’ll sign it.”

“You will?” He hoped his disbelief didn’t offend her. He just couldn’t believe she hadn’t lashed out and reminded him that she’d voluntarily walked away from her marriage with nothing.

“Sure.” She squared her shoulders as she looked him in the eye. “I have no intention of suing you or your company, regardless of what happens between us, so why would I object to signing your lawyer’s document?”

Her eyes seemed colder, and that concerned him, but he didn’t know how to bridge the gap he’d created. “I’m not sure that I’ve met anyone like you before, Alana.”

As though she hadn’t heard his compliment, she continued, “I don’t believe in accepting a cent I haven’t earned. That’s why I walked away from my marriage with nothing, much to my lawyer’s dismay.”

Grayson felt as though he’d lost his footing. She was making him feel things he’d never felt, and it scared him senseless. “You need to know how much I admire and respect you.”

“I think I do,” she said quietly. “Because I feel the same way about you. It’s been a long time since I’ve met a man who makes me want to believe…”

He was dying to ask her to elaborate, but he didn’t want to push her. He knew things would continue to progress at their own pace, and he was content with that as long as they kept building a solid foundation.

“I trust you, Grayson. I think you’re honest, genuine, and sincere.”

Grayson swallowed, telling himself that was the moment of truth. He had to tell her everything, but before he could, the doorbell rang.

“Were you expecting company?”

“No.” He stood and tossed his napkin on the chair. “I’m sorry for the interruption. Whoever it is, I’ll get rid of them. Just sit tight.”

“No problem.” She reached into the purse hanging over her chair. “I can check my email while you’re gone.”

Grayson approached the front door, feeling sick when he saw who was standing on the other side. He didn’t want Alana to hear from someone else that he was her new landlord. “Bernie, what the hell are you doing here? This isn’t a good time.”

“Sorry, buddy.” Bernie laughed as he brushed past him. “But these contracts can’t wait. He signed back on the closing date. Apparently he’ll be out of town that week, so he wants to push things up a few days.” He stopped when he walked into the kitchen and spotted Alana at the table. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you had company. I didn’t see a car in the drive.”

Alana smiled as she stood to greet Bernie. “I’m afraid I’m without wheels at the moment. A friend dropped me off.” She extended her hand. “Alana Holmes, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr…”

“Bernie’s my realtor,” Grayson said, jumping in before Bernie could elaborate. “I made an offer on an investment property earlier today, and apparently the seller had an issue with the closing date. I just have to sign off on the change. It shouldn’t take a minute.”

Bernie shot Grayson an apologetic look. “I tried to call first. Your phone went straight to voice mail.”

“That’s because I didn’t want to be disturbed,” Grayson said, clenching his teeth as he gave Bernie a meaningful look. “But you’re here now, so let’s get this over with.”

“Would you like something to drink?” Alana asked, smiling to let Grayson know she was fine with the interruption.

“I’d love a glass of sweet tea,” Bernie said. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble?”

“No trouble at all.” Alana crossed the kitchen, reaching into a cupboard beside the fridge.

Bernie watched her reach for a glass before bending over to reach into the fridge. “Holy hell, she’s hot,” he mouthed at Grayson.

He and Bernie had known each other a long time—Grayson would have even counted him among his friends—but he wouldn’t hesitate to put Bernie in his place if he disrespected Alana or made her feel uncomfortable. “Shut up,” he mouthed back.

“Here we are.” Alana passed Bernie the tall glass. “Grayson, would like you some?”

“No, I’m good, thanks.” He’d stopped after one beer at dinner since he had to take Alana home, but he could definitely have used a shot of something stronger to calm his nerves. He felt as if he were standing on the raw and ragged edge of hell as someone prepared to push him into the fire.

“Thank you, darlin’,” Bernie said. He laid on the charm as he flashed a mouthful of veneers Grayson had likely paid for with his last commission check.

“Why don’t we take this into my office, Bernie?” Grayson gave Alana apologetic smile. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not. Take your time. I can straighten up the kitchen while you’re gone.”

“In a minute, Gray.” Bernie slid onto a stool at the breakfast bar as he set his briefcase on the counter. “I’m dying to know how y’all met. Grayson didn’t mention he’d been seeing someone new.”

“Since when do I tell you everything?” Grayson demanded, crossing his arms as he considered the ramifications of slapping Bernie upside the head.

“I work for High Rollers,” Alana admitted, casting a shy glance at Grayson.

“You don’t say.” Bernie looked amused. “Not like you to mix business and pleasure, ol’ boy.”

Grayson felt his blood boiling. The last thing he needed was for some outsider to give Alana more cause to question their relationship. “How ‘bout you mind your own business before I find someone else to handle—”

Alana slipped her arm through Grayson’s and leaned into him. “It’s okay, Gray. People are going to ask questions about us. I don’t mind.”

Grayson gave Bernie a sharp look, letting him know he’d better keep his questions and comments to a minimum.

“What do you do at High Rollers, Alana?” Bernie asked, clearing his throat before he took a sip of his drink.

“I’m an accountant.” She ran her hand up Grayson’s arm and curled her fingers around his bicep.

Feeling her hands on him made Grayson wish Bernie would leave already. He wanted to caress every inch of her the way he hadn’t been able to at the office earlier.

“An accountant? Really?” Bernie’s lips curled into a smile. “I never would’ve guessed. I’ve always thought of accountants as boring little men with wire-framed glasses and bad comb-overs.”

She laughed. “Just goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover. I’ve always loved numbers. No matter how complicated the problem, you know there’s always a solution.”

“Beauty and brains,” Bernie said to Grayson. “I hope you plan to hold on to this one.”

“Let’s make our way into my study now,” Grayson said, purposely avoiding his friend’s comment.

Alana loosened her grip on his arm, stepping back. When he glanced at her, he saw the flash of hurt in her eyes. He cursed himself when he realized Alana thought he’d dismissed Bernie’s comment because he wasn’t committed to going the distance with her.