Page 78 of Love Game

“You should know it by now. You’re practically a squatter,” she said, lifting both brows in challenge as she eased away.

“I can’t believe I’m asking this, but…what exactly are we going to do at your place?”

“Work on strategy.”

“Strategy? There is no—”

She silenced him with a finger pressed to his lips. “I want to see how you are with the pick and roll outside the bedroom.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You think I can’t play ball?”

Her smile turned saucy, and she flicked her hair over her shoulder, like she’d scored a point off him. “Oh, I know you can. But the buzzer hasn’t sounded yet, Coach.”

Chapter 18

Danny opened and closed the nightstand. LeBron/Michael/Magic/Kareem hit the back of the drawer with a dull thud, and the man with the real dick smirked. That was the most action Kate’s trusty vibrator had seen in a long time. He’d made damn sure of that. Sighing, he let his eyes skim over her long legs as he turned back to the television screen. The sound was muted, which was just as well. He was getting enough of an earful from his agent.

Traveling the path he’d worn in the polished hardwood, he headed for the bedroom door once more. On the threshold, he turned back. This was his favorite view. Kate, stretched out on her bed, wearing nothing but a faded athletic department T-shirt and a little popcorn butter on her chin. She had a sheaf of papers in her lap, but he didn’t want to think about those. He didn’t need to. That’s why he paid the guy currently reaming him out a hefty percentage of his salary.

“I know, Gene.”

He spoke the words by rote. He’d been chanting them like a mantra through three phone calls. Yes, he knew another scandal might make him unemployable, but there was no scandal here. He and Kate were both legal and unattached. There was no glaring age difference, no question of staff/student ethics or any conflict concerning parties in a position of authority over one another. Kate may be able to kick his ass in the record books and on the basketball court, but that had no bearing on his ability to lead a football team. It also helped shore up his ego that he knew exactly where and how to touch her to get her to admit he was The Man.

He stepped back into the room. On screen, the NSN anchors flapped their lips. A live feed of the Wolcott University media room showed only a blank backdrop printed with the Warrior logo. The ticker scrolling along the bottom of the screen informed viewers that they were awaiting a special announcement from Wolcott Athletic Director Mike Samlin. Danny scowled at Jeff Sommers’s ultra-high-tech media center. He couldn’t help but wonder if Kate and her ex had spent an equally disheartening evening awaiting the announcement of Ty Ransom as the school’s men’s basketball coach.

“Tell him to look at the second clause in section three again,” Kate said without looking up.

“Danny, are you listening to me?” his agent demanded.

“I know, Gene,” he answered automatically, then turned toward Kate. “Ask him to what?”

“I want him to read through the part about the buyout clause again. They might choose to pay you off,” Kate answered.

“You know,” Gene scoffed, the two of them talking over one another. “You can’t possibly know. I just told you.”

“Do they have to buy me out regardless of the reason for termination?” he asked his agent.

“There’s a buyout, and if they feel like keeping things cordial and low profile, they may pay part of it, but you’re in violation, so they can terminate for cause, and you get nothing,” Gene replied, his answer short to the point of rudeness. “Now, did you hear me about San Jose?”

At last, Gene’s information clicked. Danny turned away from Kate and her high-definition television screen. “San Jose? As in California?”

Gene blew out an exasperated huff. “Yes, the last time I checked, San Jose was in California.”

The papers crinkled again, but this time, he didn’t dare look at Kate. “San Jose is interested?”

“They’ve put out feelers.” Gene paused, and Danny could almost hear the smugness rolling off the man. “Idaho too.”

“Boise State?” Danny’s heart began to thrum. He might have to buy some special sunglasses to deal with the glare off that blue turf, but he’d—

“Idaho,” Gene repeated more forcefully. “As in the Vandals.”

“Oh.” Danny’s stomach dropped, but his heart continued its drumline cadence. “Nothing closer to home?”

“Home?” His agent repeated the word as if Danny had spoken in a foreign tongue. “What home?”

“Here,” Danny said, spinning on his heel and heading for the bedroom door on the first leg of what he was sure would be an epic bout of pacing. “Close to where I’m at now.” He paused on the threshold, closing his eyes as he awaited the answer he knew in his gut was coming.

“No. The only other nibble I’ve had was from UTEP, but I figured you weren’t hot to move back to the Rio Grande valley.”

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