Maisey Yates - Six Of The Best Of Desire 2016

“And yet clearly you’re quite fit. You must work out.”

“I was in the military until recently, and I do enjoy running and yoga, but I have to confess, team sports have never held any appeal for me.”

“No?” Adelaide frowned. “Then I am not sure I understand why you are here— Pardon me. I shouldn’t have asked. It’s not my business.”

Erika searched for a simple answer. “Gervais and I enjoyed meeting each other in England.” Understatement. “And since there is a conference in the area I plan to attend, I decided to visit.” Okay, the conference was a lie, but one she could live with for now.

“Of course.” Understanding lit her gaze, as if she was not surprised that Gervais would inspire a flight halfway across the world. “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your checking on me. But I am independent.” She had always been independent, unafraid of challenges.

“I wasn’t sure of the protocol for visiting royalty,” Adelaide said, her voice curling into a question of sorts. As if a princess couldn’t fend for herself. “You are a princess.”

“In name only, and even so, I am the fifth daughter.”

“You’re humble.”

“I have been called many things, but not that. I am simply...practical.”

Pink lips slipped back up into a smile. “Well, welcome to New Orleans. I look forward to getting to know you better.”

“As do I.” She had a feeling she was going to get to know everyone exceptionally well. Erika’s thoughts drifted back to Gervais. She certainly wanted to get to know him better.

Adelaide started to leave, then turned back. “It might help you on game days if you think of football as a jousting field for men. You were in the military and come from a country famous for female warriors. Sure, I’m mixing time frames here with Vikings and medieval jousters, but still, if you see the game in the light of a joust or warrior competition, perhaps you may find yourself enjoying the event.”

The door closed quietly behind her.

A joust? She’d never considered football and jousting. Maybe...maybe she’d give that a shot.

Her gaze floated back to the window, back to Lake Pontchartrain. It stretched before her like an exotic promise. Reminded her she was in a place that she didn’t know. And it might be in her best interest to find any way into this world.

To make the most of these days here, to learn more about the father of her child, she would need to experience his world.

And that meant grabbing a front-row seat.

Yet even as she plucked out a change of clothes, she couldn’t help wondering... Had Adelaide Thibodeaux welcomed many other women into this home on Gervais’s behalf?

* * *

Today was quite the production. Gervais watched the bustle of people filling the owners’ suite at Zephyr Stadium for a preseason game day. Tickets for special viewing in the owners’ box were sold at a premium price to raise money for a local charter school, so there were more guests than usual in the large luxury suite that normally accommodated family and friends.

His sister-in-law Fiona Harper-Reynaud was a renowned local philanthropist, and her quarterback husband was the golden boy of New Orleans, which added allure to her fund-raising invitation. Henri—beloved by fans as the Bayou Bomber—was the face of their franchise and worth every cent of his expensive contract. He was a playmaker with the drive and poise necessary to make it in the league’s most closely dissected position.

The fact that female fans loved him was a bonus, even though it must be tough for Fiona sometimes. But she seemed to take it in stride, leveraging his popularity for worthy causes. Today her philanthropic guests sat casually on the dark leather chairs that lined the glass of the owners’ suite. Half-eaten dishes with bottles of craft beer peppered the table in front of them as the clock ticked down the end of the second quarter that saw the Hurricanes up by three points.

Yet Gervais’s eyes sought only one person. Erika.

He’d been busy greeting guests and overseeing some last-minute game-day business earlier, so he hadn’t gotten to spend any time with her yet. She was tucked away, in a leather sofa by the bar, sipping a glass of sparkling water with lemon, wearing a silky, fitted turquoise dress that brushed her knees and caressed her curves with understated sex appeal. He knew full well where those enhanced curves came from.

From carrying his baby inside her.

She scrunched her toes in her heeled sandals, reaching down to press her thumb along the arch of her foot. The viewing box was cool—downright chilly. But was the New Orleans heat bothering her? The climate was a far cry from where she lived. He wanted to help her feel more comfortable, to love his home city as much as he did so they wouldn’t be forced into some globe-hopping parenting situation. He wished they could have had a private breakfast to talk, but he’d been called away to the game. Thank goodness Adelaide had offered to check on her personally. Dempsey’s assistant and longtime friend remained the one good thing that had come from Dempsey’s early years spent living a hardscrabble life before their father had found him.

Adelaide had texted Gervais this morning, assuring him that Erika had everything she needed.

Now he watched Erika eyeing the food the servers carried. Caviar nachos and truffles pizza. Delicious delicacies, but she declined the offerings whenever the waitstaff stopped in front of her. Though she certainly looked hungry.

“Is the food not to your liking?” He stepped toward her, smoothing his tie and wondering if he should look into the foods native to her homeland. “We ordered a special menu for the event today, but we can have anything brought in.”

Nearby, a group of women cheered as Henri connected with one of the rookie receivers running a slant route down on the field. No doubt, it would be one of Henri’s last big plays of the game, since they needed to test the depth of the quarterback position with some of the backup talent.

Erika stood, moving closer to him, the scent of magnolia pulling his focus away from the game and slipping under his guard, making him recall their weekend together. Making him remember the view of her long legs bared just last night in a jersey that had covered her only to midthigh. He’d barely slept after that mouthwatering visual.

“Gervais, this is all incredible and definitely far more elaborate than I would have expected at a football game. Thank you.”

Her response had been polite, but he could see something tugging at her. So he pressed, gently, “But...”

She took a few steps toward the glass, gesturing to the seats below, where fans were starting to crowd the aisles as halftime neared. “Honestly? My mouth is watering for one of those smothered hot dogs I see the vendors selling. With mustard and onions.”

“You want a chili dog?” He couldn’t hide a grin.

Right from the start she’d charmed him with the unexpected. She was a princess in the military. A sexy rebel. And despite all the imported fare weighing down the servers’ trays, she wanted a chili dog.

“If it is not too much trouble, of course.” She frowned. “I did not think to bring my wallet.”

“It’s no trouble.” He wouldn’t mind stepping out of the temperature-controlled suite into the excited crowd. How long had it been since he’d ventured out from behind the tinted-glass windows during a game? It had been too long.

He leaned to whisper in her ear, hand bracing her on the small of her back. “Pregnancy craving?”

She blinked quickly, her breath quickening under his touch. “I believe so. Mornings are difficult with nausea, but then I am starving for the rest of the day. Today has been difficult, with all the travel yesterday and jet lag.”