Quarterback Draw

“No. But I’d like to spend time with you.”

She didn’t answer, because the car arrived at a restaurant Katrina had suggested to the driver.

“This place is open late, plus the food is really good,” she said as they climbed out of the car.

He laid his hand at the small of her back. “I trust your judgment.”

It was a French restaurant. Really nice, with a lot of mirrors, dark corners, and sexy ambiance. His kind of place.

The hostess smiled and said Katrina’s name. Obviously she was well-known here, because a waiter came over and also greeted her by name, then led them to a table against the wall. Since it was late, they weren’t crowded and had some privacy.

The menu was good, too. He zeroed in on something he wanted. Hell, he was hungry. Everything looked good.

The waiter handed them a wine list.

“Would you like some wine?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Not really, but you can have some if you want.”

She handed the wine list back to the waiter, whose name was Claudio. “Just sparkling water with lime for me, Claudio.”

Grant ordered regular water, and they placed their dinner order. Claudio left to get their drinks.

“Do you come here a lot?” he asked.

“On occasion.”

“You know it’s open late, so you must eat here after your late-night dates.”

She laughed. “No dates. It’s more like late-night photo shoots. It’s a good place to come when everything else is closed and the entire shoot team is hungry.”

“Uh-huh.”

Her gaze met his, and in the muted light, her eyes sparkled like sapphires. It was amazing how the color of her eyes changed depending on the lighting.

“I told you, I don’t date. I’m too busy. But I do have a tendency to want to eat, especially after a grueling day of shooting. Just like you, tonight. You worked hard. You’re hungry.”

“And you’re barely eating. You only ordered a salad.”

“I ate plenty in the club box tonight. Thank you again for the amazing seats. Leo and Anya really enjoyed themselves.”

“You’re welcome. Did you have a good time?”

“I did. I spent a lot of time with Savannah Riley. She’s charming.”

“Yeah, she is. She keeps Cole on his toes.”

“I could see that. She seems very organized.”

Claudio brought their drinks.

“Thank you, Claudio.”

“You’re very welcome, Miss Katrina. Your food should be up shortly.”

Their waiter politely disappeared again.

They were sitting on the same side of a booth, looking out toward the restaurant. He turned to her. “I don’t want to talk about Cole and Savannah. Tell me how you liked the game.”

She half turned to face him. “It was fascinating, actually. Having never been to a football game, I realized there was so much to learn. And of course, Leo and Anya felt it their duty to educate me.”

He picked up a lock of her hair, rubbing it between his fingers. “Of course.”

She was squirming, but she didn’t pull away. A good sign.

“So you learned a lot about football today?”

“Yes. A lot more than I knew before. It was quite an education.”

“And you like learning new things, I take it.”

Her gaze was glued to his. “Yes, I do.”

“Any questions you want to ask me?” He paused for effect. “About football, that is. I’m a good teacher.”

He’d lowered his voice.

She hesitated, swallowed. He watched her throat work, then moved his attention to her mouth. He really wanted to kiss her right now, but the restaurant wasn’t that empty, and he didn’t want to break the spell. He liked the silky feel of her hair between his fingers, even though he wanted to cup the back of her head and draw her closer.

“You don’t play the entire game.”

“Not yet. I will soon. The coaches like to put in the rookies and the free agents who haven’t played for the team yet, see how they fit.”

His fingers brushed the top of her breast. She drew in a deep breath. Was that so his knuckles would linger on her skin? Either way, he sure as hell enjoyed the sensation. Katrina didn’t seem to mind it, either, because she leaned in a little.

“Do you evaluate them, too? When you’re on the sidelines?”

He felt her heart pumping faster against his hand as he continued to play with her hair. But outwardly she maintained such calm.

“Yeah. Especially any of the new offensive linemen and the receivers that weren’t in when I was playing. I want to see how fast the receivers run their routes, how accurate they are, and whether they’re where they’re supposed to be. With the linemen, how tough are they? Can they beat the defensive linemen off the mark, or are they getting pushed off the line? If they can’t protect me when I’m in the pocket, then I’m going to end up on my ass and they’re of no use to me.”