Cat Schield - Substitute Seduction

She made a face. “I figured you would be out in the public, soaking up the accolades, enjoying your stardom.”

Her thorny tone made him frown. “You seem to have a very jaded view of me. Why is that?”

“It’s not you.” She moved her wineglass around in circles on the white tablecloth and seemed engrossed in the light refracted by the liquid. “I guess it’s what you do. I’ve spent a lot of time around sports stars and most of them love being celebrities. The adoring fans. The special attention they get wherever they go. It makes them act...entitled.”

Obviously her attitude had been formed during her relationship with Lincoln Thurston. As a professional baseball player, no doubt Thurston had enjoyed his share of the limelight. Harrison needed to convince her he and her ex-fiancé weren’t cut from the same cloth.

“Not all of them,” Harrison insisted.

“Most of them.”

“Was Linc that way?” He’d asked, even knowing that it was risky to probe for details about what might be painful for her.

“I don’t want to talk about him.” London’s brittle tone was a warning to Harrison that he should tread carefully.

Still, he needed to know where her head was at. “Because you’re still not over the breakup?”

How could she be? He’d done his own bit of research on her and discovered only a few months had passed since their two-year engagement ended.

“I am over it.” The bits of gold floating in London’s blue eyes flashed.

“Are you over him?”

She exhaled in exasperation. “We were together for three years.”

“So that’s a no?”

London’s expression hardened into a look that Harrison interpreted as back off . That wasn’t going to stop him. This woman was worth fighting for.

“I can’t imagine what having him break your engagement must have been like for you, but I am happy to listen if you want to dump on the guy.” He paused and then grinned. “Or the male gender as a whole.”

From her frown, he could see his offer had confused her.

“Why?”

He shrugged. “Because I think too many men suck in the way they treat women.”

“And you don’t?” Her earlier tension faded into skepticism.

“I’m sure you can find plenty of women who would complain about me.”

One corner of her lips twitched. “So what, then, makes you so different from all the other men out there?”

“Maybe nothing. Or maybe it’s the case that I don’t take advantage of people because I can. I’m not an entitled jerk like my brother can be all too often.” Harrison brought up Tristan to see how London reacted. She’d shown far too much interest in him at the party and Harrison wanted to understand why. “Tristan treats women like they’re his personal playground.”

“But until recently he’s been married. Are you insinuating he wasn’t faithful?” London’s interest intensified when Harrison shook his head. “I’ve never understood why men bother being in a relationship if they intend to cheat.”

Harrison recalled what his uncle Bennett had told him about Linc Thurston’s infidelity. London had every right to be skittish when it came to trusting any guy she perceived as having the same sort of fame and fortune as her ex-fiancé.

“It’s a social norm.”

London looked positively dumbstruck. “Is that what you think?”

“It’s true, isn’t it?” Harrison countered.

“What about love?”

“Not everyone believes in love. I don’t think my brother does. Tristan chose to marry a very beautiful, very young, woman who was passive and pliable. For eight years she satisfied his need for a decorative and docile companion.” Harrison recalled how Zoe’s spirit dimmed with each wedding anniversary. “Her only failure was in her inability to make my brother happy.”

“Why was that her responsibility?” London asked in surprise. “Isn’t marriage a partnership where you support each other?”

“Mine will be.” Harrison waited a beat to see how she absorbed that before continuing, “I think Zoe’s dissatisfaction with her role grew too strong to be contained. One thing about Tristan—he likes having his way and becomes a bear if events run counter to his preferences. I imagine him perceiving Zoe’s discontent as nothing he’d done wrong, but a failing on her part.”

London absorbed his assessment for several seconds before asking, “How close are you with his ex-wife?”

“I like Zoe. She’s quiet and subdued, but once you get to know her you see that she has a warm heart and a wry sense of humor.” He could go on extolling her virtues but decided to keep to his original purpose, which was to make sure London understood that Tristan wasn’t a good guy. “She deserved better than my brother.”

“I hope she appreciated having you as her champion.”

“I don’t know about that. If I’d been a better friend, I would’ve steered her away from marrying Tristan.”

“You might not have been able to do that. Sometimes we have to make our own mistakes. It’s the only way we learn.”

“Maybe, but some mistakes carry harsher consequences than others.”

London sat back and let her hands slide into her lap. She regarded him steadily with her keen blue eyes. “You aren’t what I expected.”

“I hope that’s a good thing.”

“The jury is still out,” she said, an enigmatic smile kicking up the corners of her lips. “So, Mr. Introvert, what is it you enjoy besides cars and racing?”

“The usual guy stuff. Outdoor sports. Spending time with my friends. How about you? What do you do when you’re not working?”

She laughed. “Sleep and eat. Sometimes I get a massage or facial. I have a hard time unwinding.”

“Sounds like we’re both on the go a lot.”

“Like a shark. Swim or die.”

The phone in her purse chimed. She’d set the clutch on the table beside her plate and now made a face at it. “Sorry.” The tone repeated.

“Do you need to get that?”

“No.” She heaved a sigh. “I already know what it’s about.”

“That’s impressive,” he teased and was rewarded with a grimace.

“About this weekend...”

Something in her tone made him grin. “You’ve decided to accept my invitation to watch me race in Richmond.”

“I spoke with Maribelle,” she replied. “Both she and her fiancé are excited about your offer.”

Her carefully worded statement left room for interpretation. “What about you?”

“I’m not sure what I’m getting into, so I’m reserving judgment.”

“I guess that’s something,” he murmured, convinced he would win her over.

“We’re flying up Saturday morning,” she continued, ignoring his dry remark. “And Beau was wondering if you’d be able to get us into the pit. At least I think that’s what he wanted to know.”

“Absolutely.”

She’d been seated facing the restaurant’s entrance and suddenly her eyes went wide in surprise. Harrison drew a breath to ask what was wrong when she shifted her attention back to him and smiled brightly.

“You know...” she began, picking up her purse. “Maybe I should double-check the text to make sure nothing is amiss.” She gave a nervous half laugh. “The pitfall of being the boss is that I’m always on call. Excuse me, won’t you?”

And before Harrison could say anything, she’d fled the table, leaving him staring over his shoulder after her.

* * *

Everly Briggs strode along King Street, paying little attention to the restaurants, stores and bars clustered along the popular thoroughfare. Her entire focus was on the tall man she was following.

Linc Thurston appeared unaware of the stir he caused as he passed. Usually the professional baseball player paused to chat with fans he encountered, but tonight he seemed intent on reaching his destination.