Tamed by You (18 page)

No—not at all. "
She's an actress
," she said miserably.

He held out his hand, his gaze
frosty and distant
. "Her number."

Bowing her head, s
he
pulled up the information from the database on her phone and
wrote it on a
scrap
of paper
she found in her purse.
She set
it in his
outstretched
palm
,
will
ing
him to crumple it and toss it aside.

But he jammed it in his pocket. "See you around, Valentine."

He left, and he took her heart with him.

Chapter Twenty

A week later, Ethan stared at the beautiful woman across from him. He'd seen many of her movies and pictures of her in magazines, but in person she was even more stunning.

Her face was perfect, with beguiling eyes and pouty lips. She had a killer body hard-won through discipline and exercise, and she knew how to showcase it to her best advantage. She wore a dress so short and tight that it should have looked ridiculous. On Sophie Martineau, it was perfection. Every time he looked at her, he heard Bull's voice in his head, saying,
Dude, you've lost your marbles if you don't want to tap that
.

But he didn't. He wasn't attracted to her at all.

He tugged at the cuff of his shirt. He hated that he had to dress up, and that he was out with her. He hated that he had to make small talk and act interested in her when she wasn't the least bit fascinating to him.

He hated that she wasn't
a little redhead with pearls and a mouth like heaven.

Sophie set her menu down.
"You look as thrilled to be here as I am
.
"

"You don't want to be here either?"

"Are you kidding?" She
leaned forward
. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe you."

Setting his menu down, he frowned at her. "Then why did you ask me if you weren't going to trust my answer?"

"
It's nothing personal. I don't trust anyone." She toyed with the stem of her wine glass, which was full of red wine she hadn't touched yet. "
I'm Sophie Martineau. You can sell anything I say for a fortune."

"I already have a fortune." He shrugged. "Money doesn't drive me."

"What does?"

"What drives
you
?" he countered.

She sat back and stared at him. Then she said, "I want to win."

He nodded. "We have that in common, but I think it's pretty much the only thing."

"I'm in love with another man," she blurted. S
h
e blinked. "Do I look as surprised as I feel?"

"Yes." He smiled. "Are you surprised because you're in love, or because you admitted it?"

"Both."

He leaned forward. "Since we're sharing secrets, I'm in love with someone, too."

"T
h
en why are you out with me?"

"Because she asked me to go out with you."

"Venus the matchmaker?" She made a face. "She doesn't seem your type."

"No. Her daughter, Valentine."

Sophie leaned her chin on her hand. “Tell me about her."

"I love her more than I've loved anyone or anything. Even my career." He shook his head. "I never thought I'd say that. But when I thought I'd lost everything, she showed me the way to a new life,
professionally and romantically.
"

The actress hummed thoughtfully. "Tony is the same to me."

"So why are you here?" he asked.

"Because I screwed up, and then when he got angry I decided to lash out." She gave him a rueful smile. "I'm an idiot."

"How did you screw up?"

"I sent a picture of me and Tony out at dinner to the tabloids, thinking it'd boost both our careers. He's an agent. Unfortunately, he didn't see it the same way."
She shook her head sadly. "I was an idiot."

"Just apologize to him." Ethan smiled when Sophie looked at him like he was insane. "If he loves you, and I suspect he does, he'll forgive you."

The waitress came at that moment to take their order. Sophie ordered salmon with vegetables, no butter, and he ordered the pork chop. After the waitress left, Sophie turned to him and asked, "Why do you think Tony loves me?"

"Are you serious?" He shrugged when she just waited for his answer. "Look at you. You're stunning."

"He's a talent agent. He knows any number of beautiful women."

"You're also smart and interesting. You look fantastic, but you've got experience—"

"Watch it," she said with her eyes narrowed.

"It's a sexy thing if you don't fight it."

She stared at him silently. "Does your Valentine have experience?"

"Not at all. She's a strange combination of little girl and woman, but it works for her." He smiled faintly, thinking of the way she played dress-up.

Sophie shook her head. "I can't believe she gave you to me."

He couldn't either. It still infuriated him. She'd cold-cocked
him with the request.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

He'd been thinking about it nonstop, torn. But now the choice seemed so simple. "I'm going to make her realize she was an idiot like you."

Sophie laughed, a tinkling sound that made heads turn their way. "Excellent. Good luck."

"I make my own luck." He nodded at her. "You should, too."

Her expression became sad. "Tony left."

Ethan shrugged. "So go after him."

She blinked. "Just like that? Just go after him?"

"The way I look at it, you have two choices." He held up first one finger then the next. "You can let him go and live with the regret for the rest of your life, or you can convince him that he won't be able to live without you."

Playing with the edge of the placemat, she looked away. "What if he can?"

"If you can't convince him, you're in the wrong line of work. Or he's not worth it."

"He's worth it." She stared at him for a long silent moment. Then she lifted her water glass in a toast. "You're a nice man, Ethan Hunter. Valentine would have to be crazy to let you slip by."

"She won't." He touched his glass to hers. "I won't let her."

Chapter Twenty-One

Marley
needed
a couple
evening
pictures at
Nectar
, so Valentine and Nicole tagged along for an impromptu night out. It should have been lovely. Chris, the owner, was attentive and cute, the
wine was delicious, and girl time was always a good thing
.
But
Valentine huddled miserably on the couch at the
wine bar
,
her drink neglected on the table
.

Somewhere in the city, in a romantic place just like this, Ethan was on a date with Sophie Martineau.
That morning, Sophie had called the office to thank them, and let them know that she and Ethan were going out tonight.

Valentine groaned and let her head drop back against the cushion.

"You aren't allowed to
wallow
," Marley said, reaching for a piece of cheese from the platter they'd ordered.

She lifted her head and pouted at her friend. "I think I should be allowed."

"Why can't she wallow, Marley?" Nicole asked
.

"Because this is all her own choice. If she didn't want it to happen, she could have stopped it."

Valentine nodded. "So you're saying I'm an idiot?"

"No, I'm saying you're a fool, because what woman willingly sends the man she loves on a date with the most beautiful woman in the world?"

Valentine raised her hand.

"Exactly." Smiling, Marley nudged her shoulder. "But I still love you."

Valentine’s phone buzzed, alerting her to a text. She picked it up from the side table, her heart beginning to hammer when she saw it was from Ethan. "He texted me," she exclaimed, surprised.

Nicole grabbed a piece of bread. "I thought he was on a date right now."

"So did I." Why was he texting her?

"What does he say?" Marley peeked over her shoulder.

She opened
his
text
.
Where are you?

"Why does he want to know where you are?" Marley's eyes widened. "He isn't going to bring Sophie Martineau here, is he?"

"I hope not." Valentine shuddered. Imagining them out together was one thing—actually seeing it was another.

So she texted back:
Why?

The reply came within seconds.
Tell me where you are, damn it
.

Hesitating, she debated holding out on him. Why would he want to know, anyway? In the end, her curiosity got the better of her and she told him.

"What'd you say?" Nicole asked, motioning to the waitress for another glass of wine.

"I said I was here." She looked at her phone, waiting for the next response.

"Did he say why he wanted to know?"

"No." Frowning, she set her phone on the table so that she could see when he texted back.

"You're so screwed up." Marley sipped her club soda. "You of all people should know that love doesn't come around often. When it strikes, you have to be ready to act on it. When do you think you're ever going to meet another man like the Hulk?"

"Probably never," she said glumly.

"Exactly. You should tell your mom that. And while you're at it, tell her you're quitting matchmaking and starting app-making."

She groaned. "You don't know how bad that went."

"Having a mom like yours, I can imagine. Actually," Marley pursed her lips in thought, "my mom may be worse than yours. At least your mom loves you and is acting out of caring. I'm just a nuisance to mine."

"I still can't believe that," Nicole said, shaking her head. She set her empty glass on the table. "My mom's one of my best friends."

"It's because my mom means well that makes it so hard to crush her."

Marley looked at Valentine flatly. "So you'd rather crush your own dreams?"

The thing was, she'd already crushed her own dreams. "It's too late. Like you said, I already screwed up. Ethan's out with Sophie, and Sophie is every man's dream."

Nicole stared out the front window. "What if he were suddenly back? Would you take the chance then?"

Valentine’s heart leapt at the thought of a second chance. "He won't come back."

"Wanna bet?" Nicole arched her brow.

The front door swept open, and all three of them looked up.

Ethan stormed in, looking like thunder as he coolly searched the crowd. He saw her, and his gaze narrowed as he stalked toward her.

"
Hulk
smash
," Marley said
.

Valentine didn't have time to tell her friend to shut up, or to ask what Ethan was doing there, or to find out where Sophie was. Before she could do more than look up at Ethan, he hauled her onto his shoulder like she was nothing.

She squeak
ed
. "What are you doing?"

"Taking you home, where you belong."

Nicole sighed. "That's so romantic."

Marley nodded. "
She thought she tamed the beast, but the beast tamed her.
"

"
And then he ate her all up,
" Nicole added,
"
and it was delicious
."

Valentine lifted her head to
glar
e
at her friend
s as Ethan turned around and headed for the door
. "
Do something
. He's kidnapping me."

Marley stood up and ran ahead of them.
"
Which would be disconcerting if you didn't want him to kidnap you.
"

Ethan growl
ed
in assent.

"Second chances happen, but third ones don't." As Marley opened the door for them, she pointed at Ethan. "You aren't going to hurt her."

"No." He scowled. "She may deserve to be spanked."

"Well, that's just fun and games, or so Brian assures me." She winked at Valentine. "Do the right thing. Then come and tell us all about it."

His car was double-parked out front. He opened the door before he let her slide down off his shoulder. She inhaled him and let her hands trail over his muscled shoulders.

She'd
missed
him.
She'd known that intellectually, but the full force of it just hit her in the chest. She’d missed the feel of him and his scent, and the way he talked to her, like he wanted to know every detail about her.

She’d missed his smile, the special intimate one that he saved just for her.

Marley was right—she'd been an idiot. She had to fix this. She started to get inside.

He stopped her, pressing her against the side of the car. "We're done playing games, Valentine."

Hope filled her. She was almost afraid to ask, "We were playing games?"

"Yes, and it's going to stop." He lifted her chin. "I won't allow you to make a bad decision here. I've got your back, just like you have my back. You were right about my mouth guard. Instead of focusing on myself, I should be focusing on the good it could do other athletes."

She perked up. "You're going to market it?"

"Yes. I'm ready to let go of the past." He exhaled deeply, as though blowing away demons. Then he speared her with a look. "I'm ready to think of the future, and it involves you."

"Even though you could have had Sophie Martineau?" she asked, because she had to check.

His brow furrowed. "You're crazy to think that I could ever want anyone other than you. But I love you, and the fact that you're a little crazy comes with the package, so I'll deal."

Her breath caught. "You love me?"

"What did you think this was about? Do you think I go around hijacking women all the time?" He glared at her. "And don't even consider denying that you love me, because I know you do."