Page 44 of Angel In Armani

“They’re nervous,” she said. “You need to loosen them up a bit.”

“They need to be able to perform under pressure.”

“I get that, but if you want to see what they can really do, you need to get them to relax. Have a little fun with it. You seem to be big on people having fun.”

He ignored her dig. “This is major league. It’s serious.”

“Yeah, well, I had to teach nervous eighteen-year-olds how to fly helos in the army. Trust me, it was always easier if you could get them to forget how terrified they were for a while.”

He turned to her, a curious expression in his eyes. “What do you suggest, then?”

“They’re guys, make it a contest.”

“I think they already know they’re competing.”

“Yes, but right now the goal is too big. Their whole life’s dream dangling over their heads. No one can relax in those circumstances. You need to make it something smaller. A more immediate reward.”

“You want me to take them to Disney World or something?” Lucas sounded amused.

“If they like Disney, that might work,” she said. “But they’re young guys trying to look tough in front of the pros, so I’m guessing that they wouldn’t admit anything so uncool. Make it a cooler prize, though, and you’re on the right track.”

“Something cool, huh?” Lucas said. He smiled then, and the expression held more than a hint of wickedness. “Like a helicopter ride with the hot pilot?”

She frowned. “I’m hardly the hot pilot.”

“I think I’m the better judge of that,” he said, his voice dropping low and intent. “And trust me, they’ll see it my way.” He leaned a little closer. Just a little. They were, after all, in public. But it was enough to make her mind fog a little as she breathed him in.

No. No. No. “Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not going to happen,” she said.

A smile spread across his face. “I was thinking that you could take the guy who does the best for a bit of a scenic flight later on.” He cocked his head at her, a clear invitation for her to contradict him.

As clear as the fact that he wasn’t thinking about his rookie pitchers at all. No, he was thinking about the two of them. About her.

She didn’t know why he wouldn’t just quit it. There were plenty of way prettier women than her who’d be more than happy to sleep with Lucas. But here he was. Looking at her.

Thinking at her.

Daring her to ask him what he was thinking about.

So not going to happen.

She was glad of the sunglasses hiding her a little from his gaze. It meant she didn’t have to look away. “Well, you are the boss. So sure.”

His mouth quirked. “If only you were so amenable to all my suggestions. Have you given any more thought to the whole concept of having fun?”

She held up her eReader. “I have a good book. I have all these nice-looking men to watch, and I’m sitting in the sunshine in Florida rather than freezing my butt off in New York. I’m having plenty of fun.”

“Your idea of fun needs work,” he said. “I have much better ideas than that.”

“Well then, figure out something fun for your baby pitchers to do,” she said. “And go bother them.”

“Why, Sara Charles, do I bother you?” he said in a voice that was almost a purr, satisfaction underscoring his words.

Her cheeks went hot. “Not in the slightest,” she lied.

Lucas lifted his eyebrows, smile widening. But then, to her relief, he moved back and got to his feet.

She kept her eyes firmly on her eReader as he walked away.

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