“I’d assume you’re looking for me,” she said, keeping her voice calm and detached. “How did you find me?”
“Your parents and I hired a private investigator. They thought you might have had a-a breakdown.”
She bit back a laugh. “I’m mentally sound,” she said. “I’m not crazy.”
“The investigator tracked that Quinn fellow here after he figured out you’d left the station with him. He’s spent the last few days following you. You’ve had quite a vacation. Or maybe we should call it a honeymoon?”
Payton glanced around. She and Brody had been so caught up in each other, they hadn’t even noticed someone following them. “Why don’t you just say what you came to say, Sam. I understand you’re angry and I’m sorry for any embarrassment I caused. But you have to realize I saved us both a lot of heartache.”
This seemed to soften his prickly facade. “Did you ever love me?”
“I think I did,” she said, knowing it was probably a lie. “But I also think I was getting married to please my parents. They wanted me to be settled and happy and I never thought about what I really wanted.”
“And this is it? Some guy you just met? I’ve read the report on him, Payton. Come on, you can’t seriously be thinking of staying here with him. He’s just some washed-up jock.”
“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow or the next day. But I’m happy right now, Sam. Happier than I’ve been in a long time.”
“Payton, be practical. You don’t belong here. You’re thousands of miles from everything you know-your family and your friends. I forgive you. You made a mistake, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. We can begin again.”
“I did make a mistake,” she admitted. “I should have been honest about my feelings and my fears. I should have told you how I felt long before our wedding day.”
“You got cold feet. Lots of women go through that. But give it a little more time and you’ll realize who really loves you. And then you’ll come home.”
“Sam, I don’t-”
He reached out and pressed his finger to her lips. “Don’t. Just think about what I’ve said, Payton. I’m staying in Perth for the next three days. I think we should take some time to talk. To see if we can smooth out this wrinkle.”
Wrinkle, Payton mused. She ran away from their wedding and took up with another man and Sam considered it a wrinkle. “I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”
“I’m at the Intercontinental. Room 1250. I’ll be waiting for your call.” With that, he turned and walked back to his car. Payton stared after him, wanting to shout out her anger. How dare he assume that she’d change her mind? She wasn’t some feebleminded doormat who could be convinced by his mere appearance.
Sam could wait all he wanted, but she wasn’t going to change her mind. She’d call her parents tonight and tell them exactly that. And then she’d tell them to talk some sense into her ex-fiancé. But first, she’d tell Brody about Sam’s sudden appearance. Knowing Sam and his inability to accept losing at anything, she could expect another visit. She would not allow Brody to be caught off guard.
When she returned to Brody’s apartment, she found him sitting on the sofa, examining his knee. He glanced up as she walked inside and she noticed the worried expression etched across his face.
“Is everything all right?” she asked. From the looks of things, now was not the time to bring up her ex-fiancé. That could wait until tomorrow, after the tryout.
“Sure,” he said. He pushed to his feet and crossed to her, taking the bags from her hands. “Dinner?”
“Yes. I’m cooking something special. A good-luck meal. I figured it’s about time to show you my true talents in the kitchen.”
“You have talents in the kitchen too?” he teased, his mood shifting quickly. “I knew you were great in the bathroom, the bedroom and the living room. But the kitchen wasn’t something I’d considered.”
“I’m a very good cook,” she explained.
He peered inside the bags, then pulled out the strawberries she’d purchased. Payton reached for them. “Those are for dessert,” she said.
“Can’t we have dessert first?” He took one from the bag and bit into it, then held it in front of her mouth. Slowly, he drew the fruit across her lower lip. She ran her tongue over the sweet juice and smiled.
With a quick move, she bit down on the strawberry, then pulled him into a long, deep kiss. The taste of the berry exploded in her mouth, and Payton wasn’t sure that she’d ever tasted something quite so wonderful.
The kiss went on forever, their hands moving over each other’s body, so familiar yet still so exciting. He spanned her waist with his hands, then lifted her onto the granite countertop. The short shirt she wore bunched high on her thighs and he slipped his hand between her legs and began to caress her.
Payton knew his touch, yet every time he seduced her, he found a new way to take her to the heights of pleasure. He pushed her back until she was lying across the cool granite. Then he pulled her panties off and trailed kisses along the insides of her thighs.
She knew what was coming and waited, knowing the exquisite sensations his tongue could elicit. And then, he was there, sucking gently, making her writhe with the need for release.
She’d meant to tell him about Sam, but as her pleasure began to escalate, all thoughts of her former life dissolved. She was here with Brody now, and what they were doing was perfect. Nothing could possibly spoil it.
BRODY WINCED as he pushed up from a crouch and ran the width of the field. Though he was in pretty good shape, he hadn’t really run full out since before his accident. When he reached the far side of the field, he gulped in a deep breath, then turned and ran back.
The scout scribbled something in his notebook, then nodded. “I understand your injury prevents lateral movement.”
“Not prevents,” Brody said. “Hampers. I’m just not as quick as I was. But it doesn’t affect my kicking. You saw that. I put ten of them through the posts from fifty meters. I can do ten more. Hey, I can kick all day and I won’t miss.”
“But you’ll have to run and tackle,” he said. “And even though we have a rule against roughing the kicker, you will get knocked down. That knee isn’t going to take much abuse.”
“I know I can do this,” Brody said. “Just give me a chance. I’ll come to the States. I’ll kick in your football stadium. I’ll play for free.”
The scout considered Brody’s offer, then nodded his head. “You’re a hell of a kicker. But I’m worried about the knee. The strength just isn’t quite there. But you do some serious work and that might change. You should be running every day and doing some intense weight training. The NFL preseason starts the end of July. If a team is in need of a kicker, they’ll be looking before the regular season begins in September.” He held out his business card. “You call me after a month and we’ll see where you’re at.”
Brody stared down at the card. “All right. I can do that. Thanks for taking the time.”
“Good luck, son. I hope I hear from you.”
Brody walked toward the exit, resigned to the fact that he’d given it his best try. Hell, he’d kicked well. No one could quarrel with that. But his knee wasn’t what it should be. Even he knew it. He drew a deep breath, trying to push back the disappointment.
Though it wasn’t good news, it wasn’t really bad. He had a chance, if he put in a little work. He still had access to the team’s training facilities and their physical therapists. Given a month, maybe he could gain more strength.
As he walked through the tunnel to the car park, he saw Payton standing in the entrance, her slender form outlined by the morning sun. She smiled and he felt his spirits rise. Even if the world was falling apart at his feet, she could still make him feel like a hero.