Page 33 of Vegas Baby

Raina lifted her sunglasses and met the other woman’s radiant smile, glad for a distraction. She’d been standing next to Howler for the past five minutes, the silence between them palpable, while they waited for the valet to bring their car around. It was more than apparent he was still pissed about the previous night. It was hard on her as well, but she’d done what she had to.

“I don’t know what you said to my father but he gave Veer his blessing to sign with Howler and to play football. Can you believe it?”

“Yes, he told us last night.” Raina crossed her arms and nodded. They’d reached their goal and she should have been ecstatic but it felt anti-climactic. Perhaps it was the exhaustion that weighed her eyelids or her throbbing temples caused from lack of sleep. Howler had been gone when she’d come out of the shower, a great relief and she’d pretended to be asleep when he’d returned. Except she’d spent the remainder of the night making sure she stayed on her side of the bed, which meant no sleep. “I can’t wait to sign you to the team.”

“You can submit your bid via email. I’m considering all offers on Monday,” Howler said, the cold clip to his tone spoke volumes.

“All offers with an s?” she snapped, the implications racing through her tired mind.

“Yep, just got a third one. Things are looking good, Veer.” Howler said with a wolfish grin.

“Veer and I had a deal. I held up my end of the bargain.” She looked over at Veer and narrowed her eyes as the big man quickly averted his gaze.

“Father Patel did say her dedication to Howler was a big factor in his decision,” Veer said.

“Yes, I was.” Raina snapped her head towards Howler, his profile, stern, masculine, and chilly, nothing like the warm man who twirled her on the dance floor. An illusion she’d created in her mind. Her stomach twisted, an ache moving into her chest. Emptiness for what they’d had—even for a fleeting evening—encompassed her entire being. She tore her eyes away, pushing the sunglasses higher up her nose. Time to remind herself who he truly was: the opposition.

The valet pulled their car into the carport and jumped from the driver’s seat, leaving the door open while the porter put their luggage in the trunk. “Your keys, sir,” the valet said, handing them to Howler.

“I—” Veer began, but Anaya slipped her arm around his waist and shook her head.

“I know we owe them both a debt of gratitude for all they did for us, but we must let them work out the details, it’s what they do. We have wedding guests to get back to,” Anaya said, forever the pragmatic one.

Holding out her hand, Anaya clasped Raina’s, her eyes filled with apology. “I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, I know Veer wants to be on the Pioneers and I also know you can make it happen. Look what you did for us already.”

A part of Raina wanted to jerk her hand back from the younger woman, but she read the truth of Anaya’s words and the real regret in them. Veer was the talent and Howler was his agent, the man who did the negotiations for him. Veer would make the ultimate decision. He’d agreed to be on her team and she’d made sure that happened. She craned her neck and looked into his uncertain eyes. Time to remove the kid gloves and be brutally honest. “Yes, I know it’s not personal, but Veer gave me his word and we shook hands on it. Don’t forget.”

Turning on her heel, Raina climbed into the car. She clutched her purse, gaze locked in the distance. The rejection was a slap in the face, a betrayal of the worst kind. Except this was business and she’d made the ultimate mistake in business; she’d gotten personally involved. She’d sacrificed her dignity and married Howler to seal this deal. Yet she might lose out.

The car dipped when Howler slipped into the driver’s side, the smell of his soap invading her nose, reminding her of what could have been. Although her body regretted her decision, her mind knew it was the right thing to do. Sex with Howler would have been all it promised but could she have forgiven herself in the morning? Especially knowing he’d move on to his next conquest as soon as they parted ways. Like Miller moved on, leaving broken hearts in his wake.

She pushed back the regret, unable to allow herself to soften. They’d be parting ways soon. The sooner, the better.

He turned onto the road and gunned the engine. Good, they couldn’t get back to Vegas fast enough. Raina fiddled with the strap of her purse, staring out at the passing scenery, dry and blah, just like her mood. It was hard to believe she’d flown into Vegas on Tuesday and her entire life had changed, a lifetime of internal struggle in less than a week.

Her phone buzzed and after digging it out of her purse, she read the text from Miller. He wanted to know how the negotiations were going. Fingers clenching the plastic case, she hissed out a breath. Great, this was all she needed, to be hounded by Miller. She typed back a generic reply, not committing to an answer. But she couldn’t put this off, no matter how infuriated she was with Howler. They were in the car and she had his undivided attention. Better to bite the bullet and discuss business than let it go simply because she was in an uncomfortable position. While she was upset about the entire affair, something in her mind called foul.

“Up until Wednesday, Veer had no offers except for the Pioneers, and then magically two other teams are interested. Somehow I find it hard to believe.”

“Are you calling me a liar?” Howler tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, a tick in his jaw.

How to answer? Try the truth, it works wonders sometimes. “It wouldn’t be the first time an agent has lied to me.”

He snapped his head around, and she was one-hundred percent certain he was glaring at her without looking in his direction. “I’m not lying.”

She twisted in her seat, weighing her options. He was mad that she’d rejected his advances, and while the woman in her wanted to apologize, the lawyer in her needed to use the opportunity to manipulate him to her will. Horrible, but necessary, especially given he was playing hardball as well. “Prove it. Show me the emails.”

The corner of Howler’s mouth lifted the slightest bit and he shook his head. “Nice try, but I wasn’t born yesterday. If you want him on the team that badly, offer the rookie cap and this conversation is over.”

Raina barked a disbelieving laugh, her incredulity evident in the sound. “You’re being ridiculous. I’m being more than generous with a first time, free agent player.”

“A player you need more than he needs you. While you were shaming Veer, I received an email from California who’ve expressed an interest in him, which makes three teams. How much do you want to bet more will come crawling out of the woodwork?” The emails had thrown him for a loop as well. Outside of the league’s draft, he hadn’t dealt with such an intense bidding war in a long time and it triggered the familiar adrenaline rush. He tapped his thumb against the steering wheel, needing to work off his nervous energy.

He chanced a glance at her and read the indecision in her furrowed brow. Miller wouldn’t be happy about offering Veer more money, nor would he be happy about losing the man. Either way, Raina had to deal. He’d backed her into a corner and she had no option but to claw her way out of it. Even knowing this, he couldn’t let his defenses down no matter how guilty it made him feel. Not that he should feel guilty. He had to be on his guard.

“You’re bullshitting me about California. Their first-string roster is full,” she said, shifting in her seat.

“Second string isn’t and with his speed, it’s only a matter of time before Veer is first string. You and I both know it, otherwise, you wouldn’t be reeking of desperation.” Second string wouldn’t be ideal but it was enough to push Raina and that’s all he needed to do at the moment.

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