Pleasure Rush Page 3

  Chad looked up from the map of the resort he seemed to be studying. “Theo! How’s it going?”

  “It’s all good.” Theo clasped Chad on the back. “Congratulations on being selected to the Pro Bowl this year.”

  “Finally,” Chad said. “Now that some musty middle linebacker is no longer dazzling the selection committee with his fancy play on the field, there’s room for us other guys to finally make it to Hawaii.”

  “Hey, you were chosen a few years ago,” Theo reminded him. “If not for that pulled hamstring you would have played. And since you pulled the hamstring while playing in the Super Bowl, you get no sympathy from me,” Theo said as the elevator doors opened.

  Chad held up the hand with his Super Bowl ring. “It is nice to know I can hold this over your head.”

  “Get out of here.” Theo gave him a playful shove onto the elevator. He suppressed the envy that surfaced at Chad’s good-natured jab. The absence of a Super Bowl ring would always be a bone of contention for Theo, and knowing that he would never have the chance to rectify that now that he was no longer affiliated with an NFL team left a vile taste in his mouth.

  “You’re still looking good out there,” Theo told his friend. “I’m proud of you for hanging with the young guys all these years.”

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate that coming from you,” Chad said with an earnest smile. “How’s retirement? You enjoying the new TV gig?”

  “It’s a lot better than getting banged up on the field.” Sometimes.

  Exiting the elevator, Theo gave his old teammate a firm pat on the back. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

  As he made his way toward the bar where he was to meet Ambria, his cell phone emitted the chime that indicated he had an incoming email. “Dammit,” Theo murmured as he read the email from his producer, asking for a rain check for the meeting they were supposed to have in a few minutes.

  Well, there went his excuse for avoiding dinner.

  He wasn’t up for this. Just the thought of seeing Deirdre right now sent a deluge of edginess and unwanted lust coursing through his bloodstream. It was maddening as hell. Even worse, Cedric would be there. How was he going to endure two hours of the dirty looks he would undoubtedly send his way?

  Theo had spent the past week trying to contact Cedric, but the man was as savvy at avoiding him as he was at dodging tackles on the football field. Oh, there had been some contact. The message Cedric had left on his voice mail a few minutes after his “Sacked” segment had aired last week was one Theo wasn’t likely to forget anytime soon. Cedric had called while Theo was still on the air, when there was no chance of him picking up the call. He’d ignored the calls and text messages Theo had later sent trying to explain why he’d chosen Cedric as the player who should be “sacked” last week.

  From the moment he’d taken the job with Sports Talk TV, Theo had been dreading the day he’d have to be critical of one of his friends. He knew it would happen eventually. He just wished he had been more prepared to handle the fallout.

  Before becoming a sports analyst, he had spent twelve years crushing opposing players on the field as a middle linebacker. Who would have thought he’d cause more damage with the job that required a microphone?

  * * *

  Ever since opening The Fire Starter Grille, Deirdre had become accustomed to inspecting other dining establishments with a critical eye. As she entered Jade, the signature restaurant at the JW Marriott Ihilani resort, she was duly impressed. The rich wood and bold eight-foot murals adorning its walls lent themselves to the welcoming, lush atmosphere. Small round tables and expertly placed soft lighting manufactured pockets of intimacy for couples celebrating with a romantic dinner for two, while the heart of the dining room was reserved for larger parties.

  “Did Theo say why he couldn’t make dinner?” Paige asked over her shoulder as they ushered past tables in the crowded dining room.

  “Production meeting,” Torrian answered.

  “It’s probably a blessing in disguise,” Paige remarked. “I wasn’t looking forward to spending an evening with Theo and Cedric at the same dinner table.”

  “What’s going on between those two?” Deirdre asked as they followed the maître d’ to their table. “They were both acting strangely earlier.”

  Paige rolled her eyes. “They’re both acting like children.”

  “Cedric has a right to be upset,” Torrian said.

  “Theo was just doing his job,” Paige returned.

  “What happened?” Deirdre asked again, but both her brother and sister-in-law shushed each other as they arrived at their table, which was on the lanai and afforded an amazing view of the setting sun.

  Theo Stokes sat at one of the six chairs. He pushed back from the table and stood to greet them.

  “I thought you couldn’t make it,” Torrian said, pulling Theo in for a one-armed hug.

  “Meeting got postponed,” he answered. Theo pulled out the chair to his right and gestured for Paige to take a seat, kissing her cheek as she slipped into the chair. “How are you enjoying Hawaii so far, Paige? Torrian told me this is your first time here.”

  “I’m still too jetlagged to enjoy anything yet.” Paige laughed. “Ask me tomorrow.”

  Deirdre took the seat next to Torrian, directly across from Theo.

  He turned his gaze her way. “And you, Deirdre? How are you enjoying Hawaii?”

  “It’s…uh nice so far,” she answered.

  And that was that. No inquiry into how things were going with the restaurant, or with her son, Dante.

  Before their brief exchange in the hotel lobby, she had not seen Theo since the thousand-dollar-a-plate fundraiser she’d held at The Fire Starter Grille a couple of months ago to benefit Torrian’s scholarship fund. Theo had arrived with a gorgeous runway-type on his arm, and it had been sheer agony to watch the two of them together all night. The woman had clung to him like a spandex dress, holding on to Theo’s every word. Deirdre had done a superb job of making sure she was always on the opposite side of the room from them during the entire event.

  But there was no avoiding each other while at the same dinner table. Couldn’t he at least feign the slightest interest for propriety’s sake?

  Of course, if Theo wanted to know anything about her he could just ask Torrian, but that wasn’t the point. There was a time when such conversation between the two of them was commonplace. These days she scarcely warranted a glance from him.

  Deirdre had been looking forward to sampling the fare at this renowned restaurant, but right now all she could concentrate on was counting the minutes until this dinner would end.

  Just when she thought she could not be more uncomfortable, Cedric and Payton Reeves walked up to the table. The already tepid atmosphere instantly morphed into one of utter coldness.

  Payton was as effervescent as always, going around the table and greeting everyone with a kiss, but Cedric didn’t share his wife’s enthusiasm. He sat in the chair next to Deirdre’s, his surly gaze directed at Theo.

  “Is this what I’m going to be subjected to all night?” Theo asked with a disgusted grunt.

  “Please don’t start,” Payton said. She turned to her husband. “Cedric, you said you would behave.”

  “What, I can’t look anywhere now?” Cedric scowled. “I mean, I know I can’t run a football, according to some people, but I can still look where I want.”

  “Dammit, Ced. I told you—” Theo started, but Payton cut him off.

  “Cedric, give it a rest,” she said.

  Mercifully, the waiter appeared to take their drink and appetizer order. Deirdre ordered Sprite with extra ice. She looked up to find Paige rolling her eyes at her. Deirdre mouthed shut up over the edge of her menu.

  The waiter departed and the d
isquiet blanketing the table became even more pronounced. Deirdre didn’t know what was going on, but she could not stomach the thought of spending the next hour like this.

  She cleared her throat and turned to Cedric. “Congratulations on your first Pro Bowl,” she said.

  Torrian groaned. Paige went for her water. Payton brought both hands up and started massaging her temples.

  Uh-oh. Had she said something wrong?

  “Why, thank you, Dee,” Cedric said with exaggerated gratitude. “It’s nice to know someone thinks I deserve to be here.”

  Theo dropped the knife he’d been using to butter a dinner roll. The look he directed at Cedric should have sent the other man cowering underneath the table.

  “I never said you didn’t deserve to be here,” Theo bit out.

  “That’s exactly what you said,” Cedric shot at him.

  Oh, Lord. What can of worms had she just opened?

  “I said there were several other running backs that should have been considered and possibly selected,” Theo said.

  “And if all the guys you thought should have been selected were chosen, there wouldn’t have been a spot for me. So, yeah, you basically said I didn’t deserve to be here.” Cedric held his hands up. “I’m not mad at you, Theo. I’m just happy to know where we stand.”

  “If your ego can’t take a little criticism, then you’re in the wrong profession.”

  “I’ve been criticized my entire career,” Cedric returned. “I just didn’t expect it from one of my so-called friends—a man who, at one time, complained about how the media picked apart players on the field. I see you’re singing a different tune now that you’re a part of that media.”

  “Could you two please just stop it,” Payton pleaded in a hushed tone. “People are starting to stare.”

  Sure enough, as she glanced at the nearby tables, Deirdre saw curious gazes directed at their party.

  Cedric removed the cloth napkin from his lap and tossed it onto his place setting. “You know what?” he said, pushing back from the table. “The league provided all the players with a big lunch today. I’m not all that hungry.”

  “Ced, don’t be this way,” Torrian implored. “This is probably the only chance all of us will have to get together on this trip.”

  “Can’t say I’m upset about that,” Cedric sneered. He held a hand out to Payton. “You coming with me, baby?”

  Payton’s shoulders sagged in defeat. Murmuring an apology as she rose, she clasped Cedric’s proffered palm. Seconds later, their party of six was back down to four.

  At that moment, Deirdre would have given anything to have a hole open beneath her and swallow her into the bowels of this ritzy resort.

  “I’m sorry,” she said to the table in general, but she couldn’t stop her eyes from flashing to Theo. “I didn’t mean to start anything.”

  “Forget it,” Theo said, though the irritation in his stiff words belied his nonchalant tone.

  The waiter returned with their drinks, informing them that the appetizers would be out shortly. He attempted to take their entrée order, but everyone had been too distracted by the heated exchange that had just taken place to pay much attention to the menu. The waiter left with a promise of returning in a few minutes.

  As she surreptitiously observed Theo under the guise of reading her menu, Deirdre searched for a glimpse of the easygoing, charming guy who had taken Torrian under his wing during her brother’s rookie season with the Sabers. She couldn’t find him. In fact, Deirdre hardly recognized the man sitting across the table. He’d changed so much over the past year.

  When she’d first met Theo Stokes, he had been a godsend. Already overprotective and having heard horror stories of young players who got themselves caught up in the NFL fast life, Deirdre had been reluctant to let her baby brother out of her sight. Theo had given her peace of mind. He had been there to help Torrian acclimate himself to his new lifestyle.

  When he and Torrian, along with Cedric and Jared, had started spending their Sunday afternoons after Sabers home football games playing dominoes in Torrian’s rec room, Deirdre had been there to take care of whatever they needed. She’d relished the praise they heaped on her for the snacks she provided, and laughed at their good-natured teasing.

  Those Sunday afternoons had been priceless, providing countless hours to indulge in Theo’s company. After several years of observing the women he dated, Deirdre knew Theo didn’t go for women like her—quiet, reserved types. Theo liked his women flashy, going for starlets who seemed to make a profession out of partying. Deirdre had accepted that. In fact, she’d counted on it. It had been safe to fantasize about him; her heart had been protected.

  Back then, they had been friends.

  Then he’d messed everything up by asking her out.

  His first dinner invitation had been the beginning of the end of the friendship they’d once shared. It had altered the dynamic between them, catapulting Theo from his position as an innocuous infatuation to someone who could break her heart.

  Deirdre had witnessed Theo’s player lifestyle long enough to know she didn’t want to be cast in the movie. She’d played that role before, and it had ended with her pregnant and alone, nursing a broken heart after her high school boyfriend, Nathaniel Pittman, had moved onto his next plaything.

  Yeah, she knew all too well the anguish loving a man like Theo could induce. Yet, despite her common sense’s insistence that she shield her heart, Deirdre still found herself pining for him. She’d spent years secretly harboring the hope that Theo would eventually show interest in her.

  The day he had finally asked her out should have been a dream come true. And it would have been, if Torrian hadn’t told her the night before that Theo had inquired about her dating status because he was “ready to settle down with someone comfortable.”

  Comfortable.

  Otherwise known as boring. Not exciting.

  For years Deirdre had watched Theo drift from one gorgeous twentysomething to another. Yet when it was time for him to retire and settle down, he wanted comfortable.

  She had been torn between feeling completely crushed and biting mad, but Torrian’s revelation had reiterated the fact that opening her heart to Theo Stokes was an invitation to eventual heartache and sorrow.

  Sometimes Deirdre wished Torrian had never mentioned their conversation. She could have been blissfully ignorant, believing Theo had finally come to his senses and realized that he should be with someone more mature. But knowing that his motive for asking her out stemmed from a desire to finally settle down with someone “comfortable” was more than Deirdre was able to swallow.

  She may not be a party girl who was up for going out to clubs seven nights a week, but she wasn’t settling material either. At least Deirdre never thought of herself that way.

  Paige’s accusation during their conversation on the beach taunted her.

  Maybe she did give the impression of someone who was averse to enjoying life, the kind of woman a man wouldn’t bother with unless he was only interested in mundane nights at home. Had Theo only been reacting to the vibe she’d been giving off?

  The table attendant returned, but Deirdre hadn’t given the entrée selections more than a cursory glance. She chose the first item on the menu and handed it to the waiter, her appetite suddenly absent. Her stomach was too heavy with discontent to consider filling it with food.

  Across the table, Theo’s cell phone rang. He looked at the screen and said, “Sorry, but I need to take this.” Averting his head, Deirdre heard him say, “Yes, Ambria?”

  Unbidden, her mind instantly conjured the image of what a woman with the name Ambria would look like. Young, vibrant, gorgeous. Typical Theo Stokes fare.

  Deirdre mentally chastised herself for falling prey to such harsh,
unwarranted thoughts. There was no justified reason to disparage Theo or the faceless Ambria. She was the one who had turned him down, Deirdre reminded herself. What right did she have to begrudge Theo his newest plaything?

  “Yes, I can meet you,” Theo continued, then disconnected the call. “Sorry, but I need to bail. Something’s come up,” he said as he rose from the table. He looked over at Torrian. “I didn’t mean for this thing between me and Cedric to ruin your dinner, Wood.”

  Torrian waved him off. “Don’t sweat it.”

  “Enjoy Hawaii,” he told Paige. He turned his attention to her, and with only the barest nod, murmured, “You too, Deirdre,” as he walked away from the table.

  After several awkward moments, Paige broke the silence that had engulfed the table. “So,” she said, taking a sip from her martini glass. “Are we having fun yet?”

  Chapter 3

  As he edged his way past the tables, Theo fought the urge to go back and apologize for the curt tone he’d used when he’d spoken to Deirdre. It was as if he couldn’t stop himself from being an ass when he was around her.

  So she’d turned down his invitations to dinner without giving him a reason why. So what? Was it written in the constitution that any woman who turned him down was obligated to provide a detailed accounting of her motives?

  No, the problem was that very few women turned him down at all. Theo was ashamed to admit it, but he’d assumed—no, not just assumed—he had expected Deirdre to gush with gratitude the first time he’d asked her out.

  Yeah, that hadn’t happened.

  And even though she didn’t owe him an explanation, Theo still wanted one. He needed to know where he’d gone wrong with her. And if there was anything he could do to make it right.

  “Dammit,” Theo cursed under his breath. Didn’t he tell himself he was done obsessing over Deirdre Smallwood?

  He glanced around the lounge and caught sight of Ambria Cohen waving him over. As he made his way to the bar, he shook the hands of several players he’d once faced on the football field.