Before We Kiss. Susan Mallery

Чтение книги онлайн.

      CHAPTER THREE

      DELLINA ARRIVED AT the office of Score five minutes before her appointment with Sam. While she knew where the offices were, she’d never been in them before. Now as she walked through the glass doors, she took in the open foyer with the two-story ceiling. A big reception desk stood in the center. There were stairs to the left and an elevator beyond that. But what really caught her attention was the nearly life-size pictures on the wall.

      Sam, Kenny and Jack stared down at her from all angles. There were photos of the guys in uniform, in shorts and T-shirts, standing around and working out. There was one of Jack about to throw a football, another of Kenny jumping to catch. One showed Sam in that last nanosecond before he kicked the ball.

      She turned slowly, taking in the various poses and expressions. In the back, by the stairs, was one picture showing all four partners together. In her heels, Taryn was the same height as Sam. Jack was an inch or so taller with Kenny a couple of inches taller than him. The guys were in suits and ties and Taryn had on a long-sleeved black dress that showed every skinny inch of her body. Dellina immediately sucked in her stomach.

      A middle-aged woman walked toward her. “May I help you?”

      “Dellina Hopkins. I have an appointment with Sam.”

      The woman smiled. “Yes, of course. This way, Ms. Hopkins.”

      “Dellina, please.”

      She was led down the hallway. Signed jerseys and trophies lined the walls. The receptionist stopped in front of a partially open wooden door.

      “Thank you,” Dellina said before she stepped inside.

      She found herself in a large office. One end had a big desk with a computer. There were windows, a long leather sofa and, at the far end, a small conference table.

      The square footage probably came close to that of her house, she thought with amusement. Ah, to be a rich, famous football player, she thought. Talk about serious perks.

      A door by the conference table opened and Sam walked into the room. Her girl parts cheered, her breath seemed to catch and she wondered if it was just her or if the sun was shining just a little brighter now. He smiled when he saw her.

      “Right on time.”

      She was about to ask if there was a private restroom or if he and the other guys had secret passages back and forth between their offices when she took a look at his face. His left eye was slightly puffy and there was a deep violet and red bruise from the bridge of his nose to his cheekbone.

      “What happened?” she asked, instinctively stepping toward him.

      “You should see the other guy.”

      “You got in a fight?”

      The smile returned. “No. I played basketball and got in the way of Consuelo’s elbow.”

      “Consuelo did that to you?” Dellina cleared her throat and lowered the pitch of her voice. “On purpose?”

      “That second question is harder to answer. She would tell you it was my own damn fault and she would probably be right.”

      “You have a black eye.”

      “That seems to be the consensus.”

      She was only a few feet from him. For a second she thought about moving closer and lightly touching his skin. While the idea was tempting, she couldn’t figure out an excuse. It wasn’t as if she had magical healing powers. While being around Sam made her think of tangled sheets and soul-stirring kisses, the information wasn’t relevant for their current discussion. Or any discussion. Because what had happened that night had been an anomaly. Given the choice between the job and man, she would take the job.

      But being with the man had been very, very nice.

      He pointed to the conference table. “Have a seat. We can go over what you’ve brought.”

      She sat down and set her tote on the chair next to her. Sam sat on СКАЧАТЬ