“Oh,” she said, but she didn’t sound so distant now. Just disappointed. Hell, he was disappointed too. Then she seemed to pull out of her frustrations, because her next words were sweet. “Well, I totally understand. I’m sorry you have to deal with all of that, but I know that’s just how it goes.”
“It’s been crazy. I’ve barely come up for air. I’m going to call my sister and let her know I can’t make the game.”
“Well, I better go. I think I’m just going to get the dress anyway. I like it,” she said. “But I do appreciate your input.”
* * *
Five hours later, he couldn’t get Casey out of his mind. As he and Tom finished up a round of celebratory drinks with the manager, who’d agreed to the last-minute transfer since they’d agreed to his terms, he couldn’t stop thinking about how Casey had sounded annoyed, then sad, then let down, then deliberately upbeat again. He tried his best to focus on the men at the table with him in the corner booth at one of the nation’s capital’s finest watering holes.
But that dress was taunting him. It was an image he couldn’t shake. It was his sole focus.
And as they polished off a second round, he couldn’t take it anymore. He scrubbed a hand across his unshaven jaw. Hell, this was why he was the CEO. He oversaw the whole company. He hired the right people, trusted the right people, and gave them authority to do their jobs. He’d done his part in convincing his guy to head to the southern hemisphere. Tom could handle the rest.
He had to see Casey. He had a lesson to teach her.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
New York, evening . . .
As 50,000 fans erupted in cheers, Bryan’s phone rang. The shortstop had just whacked a three-run home run to put the Yankees ahead in the bottom of the eighth. Bryan was ecstatic; he hadn’t been to Yankee Stadium in nearly a year. He couldn’t complain about his prolonged absence as a spectator—he had his two beautiful daughters to thank for keeping him from sporting events, and he wouldn’t trade them for the world. But being here tonight with his wife while his team was winning was an absolute high.
“Man, you don’t even want to know what you’re missing,” he said to Nate as he answered the call.
“I know. Just got an update on my ESPN app.”
“It was a thing of beauty,” Bryan said and then recounted every detail of the home run as if he were a play-by-play sports announcer.
“That’s awesome,” Nate said, but hardly seemed interested in the game. He cleared his throat. “Hey, Bryan. Remember that time nine or ten years ago when you stayed at my house for two weeks the summer after business school, and fell in love with my sister and didn’t tell me about it?”
Bryan furrowed his brow. Of course he remembered falling in love with Kat. But he couldn’t fathom why Nate would bring it up now. “Yeah. Of course I do.”
“Good. I hate to dig up the past, but I hope the fact that I was never an ass about you dating my sister behind my back will make this hurt less.”
“Okay,” Bryan said, nervously looking around the luxury suite. Both Casey and Kat glanced up from their seats by the window. His wife’s curious expression seemed to say who are you talking to and why on earth are you taking a phone call in the middle of us celebrating a home run? He moved away from them, walking up the three steps to the back of the enclosed suite. “What’s going on, man?”
“I need you to leave,” Nate said bluntly.
“Shit.” Bryan’s shoulders sagged. “You can’t be serious?”
“’Fraid so. I’m sorry, but I’m also not sorry. I hope you understand. Tell my sister I’ll make it up to her and I’ll babysit next time. I’ll be there in five minutes. You and Kat will need to go then.”
Bryan ended the call and shook his head. Damn. His wife was going to be pissed. She’d been looking forward to this night out for some time.
True to his promise, five minutes later Nate opened the door to the private suite. Three pairs of eyes landed on him but he only looked at one person.
* * *
Casey stood, her heartbeat speeding to NASCAR levels, her skin heating up.
He was the last person she’d expected to see. He was supposed to be in D.C. for the night.
His eyes raked over her. He had that hungry look in them—the look that melted her in seconds. She wore a blue tank top with the Yankees logo on the front, a short jean skirt, and blue Converse sneakers. She never wore sandals to Yankee Stadium; too many people, too many pairs of feet that could step on her toes.
Bryan was whispering to Kat, whose eyes widened as she glanced from Nate to Casey. Then she quickly gathered her purse, hugged Casey and simply said, “See you later.”
If Casey had been processing what was happening she probably would’ve asked “Why? Where are you going? What’s going on?”
But she wasn’t processing anything except the way she felt. For the last several hours, she’d swallowed the disappointment from the night before. Because when he’d told her about his day turned upside down she’d felt so bad that she’d doubted him.
She simply hoped that he wasn’t still mad at her.
As soon as Bryan and Kat left, Nate shut the door, then locked it. She glanced quickly behind her at the window that provided a view of the sea of rabid fans. The stadium shook with excitement. Cheers from the crowd vibrated throughout the house of Ruth. Nate stalked down the three steps separating them. When he reached her, a vein twitched in his neck. His mouth was a ruler-straight line. His jaw was set hard. His stare undressed her.