Page 15 of Playing with Temptation

CHAPTER 6

Nate climbed the stairs to the small private plane they sometimes chartered for his travel. He got a whiff of a familiar scent. Jasmine with a hint of gardenias.

No, no way.

He removed his shades and stood, stunned, taking in his ex’s apologetic expression.

“Guess that answers my question about whether you knew I was coming along.” She brushed off her skirt and crossed her legs.

Nate tucked his shades in the inside pocket of his jacket. He stood trying to decide whether or not he’d sit across from Kendra.

He grunted and flopped into his usual seat adjacent to the couch. She seemed relieved he’d chosen to sit across from her.

“No.” He held back a few choice names he had for his brother right now. “Marcus failed to mention it. I realize I screwed up, but I don’t appreciate the two of you treating me like a child. I’m a grown-ass man.”

“Then start acting like one.” Her expression was neutral, her tone unbothered. “Channel your passion for the game in a way that will help your team rather than hurt it. Tap into your desire to win in a way that will motivate your teammates instead of alienating them.”

Nate turned to survey the calm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, visible from the window. “Damn. I see we’re not pulling punches today.”

Kendra smiled sweetly, one long leg crossed over the other and her hands folded in her lap. “You didn’t hire me to soothe your ego. You hired me to get results, and that’s what you’ll get, as long as you stick to the plan.”

Nate tried to hold on to the resentment he felt when he realized Marcus had sent Kendra to be his babysitter. That anger was quickly losing ground to the other feeling that grabbed hold of his chest the moment her eyes met his.

Longing.

He wanted her. In his arms. In his bed. In his life. A sentiment he’d fought for the past seven years. Being in such close proximity to the constant object of his affection wasn’t helping him win that battle.

Kendra was smart as a whip, sexy as hell and confident in her abilities. Something about that combination made his heart beat faster. That and the expanse of smooth brown skin framed between the hem of her skirt and the top of her leather boots.

Nate raised his hands, his palms facing her. “Relax. I don’t plan on going off script again. After all, that’s why I’m headed to freaking Montana in the middle of winter, isn’t it?” He pulled his jacket closer around him, just thinking of the thirty-degree temperature drop they’d experience once they landed.

She tilted her head, assessing him before responding. “Hopefully, you’re also doing it because it’s the right thing to do. Wade isn’t just your quarterback, he’s your friend.”

They weren’t playing touch football anymore. Kendra had delivered a full-contact, center-mass hit that had knocked him on his ass.

Deservedly so.

She wasn’t tiptoeing around his ego. He admired that. Only Kendra Williams could piss him off and make him want her with a single utterance.

It was going to be a rough few days. For him, at least. Kendra seemed unaffected by him. That gave her the upper hand.

He needed to find a way to change that.

* * *

Kendra gave herself a mental high five. She stood her ground and told Nate the cold, hard truth while remaining calm, despite the anxiety raging beneath the surface.

Handling Nate with kid gloves wouldn’t benefit either of them. Marcus hired her because she’d always been straight with Nate and told him what he needed to hear—whether he wanted to hear it or not. Their painful history aside, she would do just that.

She’d hoped her resolve to be tough with Nate would mitigate her feelings for him. It hadn’t. Judging by the half frown that softened the edges of his mouth, a mischievous grin lay just beneath his show of displeasure. So it wasn’t deterring him much, either.

Kendra held her poise, despite her increasingly shallow breaths as Nate’s gaze raked over her. Heat curled its way up her spine like a black snake climbing a southern red cedar tree in search of prey.

“Of course Wade is my friend, but this is a business,” Nate said finally, shifting his gaze out the window for a moment before returning it to her. “Wade understands that more than anyone.”

The pilot announced they would take off soon. A growing sense of panic made her limbs feel heavy. She fumbled with her seat belt. It wouldn’t catch. They were going to take off and she’d go sailing across the plane.

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