Page 23 of Playing with Seduction

“I appreciate tenacity, even in an opponent. Regardless of the playing field. Apparently you do, too. You teamed up with one of your fiercest rivals, Bex Jacobs.” Wes reached behind him and opened the cooler. “Beer?”

She stared at him for a moment, as if the question was a test, then nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

Wes grabbed two beers, opened them both and handed one to her. “So you and Bex…how’d that happen?”

“We became friends during a trip to the Olympics with other partners. A couple years later, we both found ourselves in need of new partners. Teaming up was a no-brainer.”

“A lot of pundits felt it was a mistake for you two to team up.”

“Reporters and analysts who were afraid that without our rivalry, there would be nothing else in women’s volleyball to talk about.” She practically snorted. He held back a grin. “They were wrong.”

“They were, and so was I. I was one of those people who thought it was a mistake. Glad I was wrong.” He sipped his beer.

“But you’re not wrong now?” She narrowed her gaze when he gestured that her estimation was correct. Her cheeks turned deep red and she pursed her lips. “You summarily dismissed the idea without giving it any consideration.”

“I have considered your proposal. It’s admirable you want to make the event welcoming to families, but that isn’t what we’re going for here.”

“Why not? Because you say so?” She crossed her arms again, higher this time, blocking his view of her curves. It was a move he appreciated—he didn’t need the distraction.

“Because we want to make as much money on this event as possible the first time out. We won’t do that selling cotton candy and ice cream. Alcohol—” he held up his bottle for emphasis “—that’s where we’ll make our money. Throw in a celebrity chef making gourmet meals. Couple that with overpriced drinks with fancy names. Suddenly we’re making money hand over fist our first year.”

“You act like there isn’t money to be made in family entertainment.” The pitch of her voice climbed higher. “Ever heard of theme parks?”

“Of course.” He smiled inwardly. She was on the defensive. Not as calm and collected as she’d been when she’d strolled across the deck. “But this ain’t a theme park, darlin’. The Pleasure Cove Luxury Resort is geared toward entertainment of the adult variety. I imagine having Junior underfoot would kill Dad’s buzz while he’s ogling the celebrity volleyball players.”

She folded her arms, lifting her breasts again. Then she dropped them and sighed, not responding. He wasn’t sure if she was angry with him or herself.

Despite what she seemed to think, he got no joy from raining on her parade. He’d much prefer to see that gorgeous smile of hers. The one that went straight to his chest and made his heart skip a beat.

Wes leaned in, his voice apologetic. “Look, I admire your idea. I’m just not sure there’s a market for a family-friendly volleyball tournament. If there is, it’s definitely not Pleasure Cove. Besides, our goal is to make this event rival some of the other popular East Coast volleyball tournaments within the next three years. Inviting small children isn’t the way to do that.”

Her lower lip jutted out a bit. Even her pout was sexy as hell. It made him want to cross to her side and suck on her lower lip. Hear the soft moans that would emanate from her throat when he did. The memory of how she felt in his arms and the taste of those sweet, kissable lips crawled over his skin, unsettling him.

Keep your hands and lips to yourself, man.

Wes set his beer on the hot tub, dragging his gaze back to her eyes. He hated to see her disappointed. Hated being the cause of it. But he was hired to do a job. Not to protect the volleyball princess’s feelings.

So why did he feel like shit for killing her idea?

Bree set her beer bottle on the side of the hot tub. “Then we should be more aggressive with our plan. Give it a music festival vibe. Maybe bring in some up-and-coming local bands on rotating stages. That’s what they did at the tournament in LA. I played in that tournament a few times. The lure of the bands boosted attendance.”

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