“I have a few days off and I’m going to Tennessee,” I said. “Jeff doesn’t trust me not to make an ass out of myself and the team. You have to babysit me.” I turned to Jeff. “Is that about it?”
“That’s about it, with a few more details.”
“I have to babysit you?” Eloise asked, blinking at me.
“Don’t worry.” I gave her my most charming smile. “I don’t cry.”
Chapter Two
Eloise
I stared at Dak, horrified. I was expected to be some kind of authority figure over the hotter-than-hell star quarterback? I can’t even make my cats listen to me.
“Mr. Dimarco, I think someone with more seniority might be better for this particular assignment.” Because how was I supposed to tell Dakota North what to do? He would just laugh at me.
“I have every confidence you can handle it. You’re an excellent asset to this team and we really want you to be able to stay here and have a great future with us.”
Could you hear that? The words unspoken, hanging in the air between us…
Do this and we’re cool. Don’t and you’re fired, Eloise.
I could hear them loud and clear.
My palms went damp and I bit my lip before I could stop myself. I could not lose this job. I would never forgive myself.
Even if that meant undertaking the greatest challenge of my adult life—somehow wrangling a grown man who did whatever the hell he wanted on a regular basis.
“You’ll be leaving on Thursday. Is that enough time for you to pack?”
Numbly, I nodded. “Yes. I can have my friend check in on my cats.” Because the GM of a professional football team needed to know about accommodations for my cats? I gave myself a mental eye roll.
“Excellent. Just so we’re clear. You have two main goals. Keep Dak out of trouble and keep Dak from posting on Twitter.”
“I think those are synonymous, sir.” I wasn’t saying it to be ironic. I really meant it. Every time he posted on Twitter, it was basically trouble.
Mr. Dimarco actually snorted in amusement. “Good point. Just keep him off social media. Period.”
“Um, any suggestions on how to do that?” I chanced a glance at Dak. He looked smug, like he knew the task ahead of me was impossible.
“Take his phone away. Lock him in his room.”
“Lock him in his room?” With or without me? Wait, was Jeff suggesting that I was supposed to keep Dak occupied by doing… things with him?
“I’m sure he has female friends who can keep him busy. Dak, give one of them a call to come over and have a little party or whatever.”
My blood pressure returned to normal. The GM wasn’t suggesting that me, that I, would be responsible for keeping Dak busy.
Because that would be wrong.
Even if I didn’t totally hate the idea, it was super inappropriate.
“Sir?” I asked because none of this was sitting well with me.
“Yes?” Jeff looked at me, eyes narrowed.
My intention had been to tell him I couldn’t do this. That it was out of the scope of my responsibilities and that a bodyguard might be more in order. But my words evaporated on my lips. He was going to fire me. I could see it in his body language.
When I thought about it, nothing he was asking me to do was outrageous. The sexy thoughts that popped into my head were not Jeff’s fault. They were mine. He had asked me to monitor Dak’s social media firsthand.
Was that really any different than what I normally did?
This just meant a change in venue, so to speak.
Personal contact with Dak.
No biggie.
I took a deep breath. “How long will we be gone?”
Jeff relaxed back into his chair. “Until Sunday. I want him back here first thing on Monday.”
I nodded. Then I turned to Dak. “What are your plans in Tennessee?” I knew his parents lived there, because I researched his background for my job, or if you want to be technical about it, stalked him.
“I’m doing an early Thanksgiving with my parents since we’re playing on the real Turkey Day. You ever been to Tennessee, Eloise?”
Shaking my head, I said, “No. I grew up here in New Jersey.” Interesting that he had called me Eloise twice now, not Kitty. Maybe even Dak’s balls had their limits.
“It will be fun. My parents love having company. They have three guest rooms on tap for visitors.”
I had to stay with his parents? That was just… awkward. I’m not a stay-with-strangers kind of girl. “Shouldn’t I stay in a hotel? I don’t want to impose.”
Dak gave me a look I couldn’t decipher. “If you stay in a hotel, you will insult my mother. Hospitality is like a religion in the South.”
Fabulous. Why was I suddenly picturing Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side? Big hair and a sassy attitude. “I see.”
“Madeline will get you all your flight information and your stipend.” Jeff stood up and stuck his hand out.
Was I supposed to shake it or was the hand meant for Dak?
I stood up. Either way it was clear I was being dismissed.
When Dak made no move to shake Jeff’s hand, I figured it was meant for me and gave him a damp, limp handshake. My palms were sweaty from stress from feeling like my job was on the line. He quickly pulled his hand away and I just about died from mortification.
I turned and bumped into the chair, which made a scraping sound on the wood floor. I stumbled a little, in a classic exit move. Because of course the girl who wants to disappear just draws more attention to herself. My sweat levels kicked up a notch, especially when Dak reached out and steadied me with a hand on my elbow.
“You okay?”
I nodded. “I do know how to walk.”
His eyes widened at my curt response. I didn’t even mean to say it out loud but I was stressed out and feeling like an idiot. Dak grinned.
“Never doubted it for a minute. See you Thursday, Kitty.”
Oh, damn. Those green eyes were challenging me, but I didn’t know to do what.
“Looking forward to it,” I said, striving for politeness.
It was true. I was a mixture of full-blown dread and eager, teenage-girl giddiness. If I could get over my nerves, I was being presented a golden opportunity.
Four days with Dak. Four days to watch him, listen to his laugh, picture him naked, smell him. Four days of sensory input to load into my data banks to draw on whenever I needed inspiration to produce a self-directed orgasm.
It was everything I could ever want.
If I didn’t blow it.
I wouldn’t put it past him to try and con me into giving him his phone back.
I had to be tough. Strong. Dedicated to the job. Not horny or girly or swoony.
Dak winked at me.
Oh, God, I was screwed.
Completely and utterly screwed.
* * *
Dak
“This is a commercial flight,” Eloise said to me as she looked at her boarding pass, biting her lip and pushing her glasses up her nose.
She was wearing jeans that came damn near up to her tits and a shirt my mother would call a blouse. It was gold with white polka dots. She had a pink sweater over it with a cat brooch pinned to the right side. A cat brooch. Un-fucking-believable. She cracked me up. She had high-heeled boots on, and to be honest, her body was pretty damn banging. Everything was tighter fitting than what she wore to work and I was appreciating her curves.