OKAY, SO MAYBE ALICIA’S FAMILY WASN’T AS UNCOMFORTABLE to be around as Garrett had imagined. Once they’d gotten past the initial discomfort, he and Cole had bonded fast over their mutual love of golf and poker, and then they’d launched into a discussion of some of their favorite video games. He probably could have spent all night talking to him, except Cole’s fiancée, Savannah, had dragged him away, claiming the current band up on the stage was playing a slow song she wanted to dance to.
Garrett realized he’d pretty much abandoned Alicia, though she and Savannah had seemed engaged in an animated conversation of their own. He shifted to face her.
“Sorry to leave you hanging. I like your brother.”
She grinned. “So I noticed. I think he likes you, too.”
“Would you like to dance?”
Both her brows went up. “You dance?”
“Not really. But I like having my hands on you, and that’s about the only way I’ll be able to do that with your whole family watching.”
She laughed. “Then by all means, let’s dance.”
He pulled her onto the jam-packed floor and drew her into his arms. There was a band with a lot of horns playing something slow and jazzy. He stroked up her back, liking the dress she had on. It was short and sexy and clung to her body, showing off all her curves and her great legs. He hadn’t yet told her how good she looked tonight.
“I like this,” she said.
“The band, or my hands on you?”
“Definitely your hands on me. But the band is good, too, now that you mention it.”
There wasn’t much room for maneuvering, which suited him just fine since he had no finesse on the dance floor, so they mainly swayed back and forth in time to the music. What he really liked was having Alicia’s body pressed up against his, her breasts pillowed against his chest. With her high heels on, she was much taller. He didn’t have to bend down so far to see her beautiful eyes.
“You’re quiet.”
He smiled. “Doing inventory.”
“What?”
“Feeling you. Watching you. Thinking about how beautiful you look tonight, which I failed to mention earlier.”
“Wow. Thank you. You feel good, too. And you look amazing. Though I have seen you in ads all dressed up before. There was that one in the tux. You were hawking men’s cologne, I think.”
He grimaced. “Damned uncomfortable photo shoot.”
“Yeah. All those half-naked models draped over you. I’m sure it was a hardship.”
“Seriously. Those things take hours, and the models were unfriendly as hell. In between takes they would sip water, text on their phones, and otherwise look bored. They had no idea who I was and thought I was some newbie model dude at my first shoot. They couldn’t be bothered with me.”
She laughed. “Really?”
“Really. It was kind of embarrassing. But not as embarrassing as the one commercial I did for a razor where I had to spend an entire day with my face coated in shaving cream while wearing nothing but a towel around my waist.”
“Oh, I saw that commercial. Lord, you looked hot with that towel slung low on your hips. I had fantasies about you while watching that commercial.”
He grinned. “Yeah? Would it burst your bubble to know I had my boxer briefs on under that towel?”
“Totally.”
“No way was I going commando with twenty crew members there. Doing those commercials and print ads are never as fun or as sexy as the finished product. It’s all work.”
“Oh, poor you.”
He squeezed her hand, then twirled her around as the music picked up. “I can tell I’m not going to get any sympathy from you.”
She laughed. “No. Poor famous guy.”
“If I don’t start pitching again, I’m going to be has-been guy.”
“You are pitching, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“I’m practicing. That’s different. I’m reserving judgment until I pitch a minimum of six innings in a real game.”
“Oh, is that a challenge?”
“Would it help if I said yes?”
“It’s not going to make me work any harder on you, so no. We’re doing the best we can to get you ready, Garrett.”
“I know you are. But this is my career. Hell, it’s my life.”
She pulled away from his embrace. “Do you think I don’t know that? Do you think I approach any of my clients any differently than I do you? That I don’t take this seriously?”
She walked off the dance floor. He followed. “Alicia, that’s not what I meant.”
She turned to face him. “Then what did you mean? See, this is the problem with you and me.”
How the hell had they gotten from a dance to talking about his rehab to some kind of issue in their relationship? “What problem between you and me?”
“This. What we’ve been doing. You think after we—” She paused to glance around, then moved in closer. “You somehow must think that us sleeping together has caused me to approach your therapy differently. Like I’m on some goddamned vacation. Like I’ve slacked off with you instead of giving it my all.”
“That’s not what I said. When did I say that?”
She pointed her finger at his chest. “Well, let me tell you, stud. At no time have I ever given you less than everything I’ve got to give. In fact, I’ve given you more. A hell of a lot more.”
She went to the table, grabbed her purse, and headed for the exit, leaving him standing there with several sets of Riley eyes zeroed in on him.
Shit.
The only one to come up to him was Cole, though.