“Nine,” he countered, his mouth going dry at the sight of all that ample flesh—remembering that lacy black bra.
“Jerk,” she murmured. “Hello, eyes up here. And make it six dates.”
He lifted his gaze, saw the anger blazing in her eyes. “No way.”
“Seven.”
Nick shook his head, his gaze dropping to her cleavage yet again. Damn, he wanted to lick her right there. Taste all that soft, fragrant flesh, make her go wild with just a few strokes of his tongue…
“Eight.” She clamped her lips shut. “That’s as high as I’ll go, Nick. I won’t do ten. Ten is too many.”
“Eight it is, then.” He leaned across the table, reaching his hand toward her. “Shake on it. I won’t sign the deal if we don’t shake. It’s the least you can do for me.”
She extended her hand carefully, almost as if his were a snake and she was afraid he might bite her. He clasped her hand in his, smoothed his thumb across her palm and felt her shiver. “I feel like I’ve just made a deal with the devil.”
“Trust me, this devil is more than happy to make the deal with you.” He grinned and slowly withdrew his hand, his fingers skimming hers. “I have a lot of planning in my future. These dates are going to rock your world, darlin’.”
Willow leaned back in her chair with her shoulders slumped. She looked downright defeated. “Tonight counts as our first one, right?”
“No sir-ee. Nice try, though. I’ll give you points for that.” He nodded toward her. “This is a meeting. Not a date.”
“A meeting.” She rolled her eyes. “Feels like a date to me.”
“Maybe it’s because all those old yearnings you have for me keep bubbling up whenever we’re together?” She looked ready to tear him apart. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say.
“You think you can woo me or something with a bunch of prearranged dates? Trust me, you can do whatever you want. Take me wherever you want. I won’t fall for you. I am so over you, it’s not even funny.”
The girl threw down a challenge as if she knew he wouldn’t be able to resist. “I can guarantee I will have you in a melted puddle at my feet by the end of date three. You will be begging for it. Begging. For. It.” He arched a brow. “I’ve never met a challenge I haven’t been able to conquer.”
“I’m not some football team you can strategize to beat, you know,” she said just before she finished off the rest of her wine.
No, but she was the woman he wanted in his life on a permanent basis. He would have her. The eight dates deal would make it easier for him to convince her they truly belonged together.
He could do this. He’d faced far tougher challenges before, hadn’t he?
Willow studied him, a sultry smile curling her lips as she wound a thick, glossy brown lock of hair around her finger. Just watching her do such a simple thing like touch her hair made him break out into a sweat. Damn, he had it bad.
There was no doubt in his mind that he would conquer her. Make her his once and for all.
Game motherfucking on.
Chapter Three
“I need your help,” Nick said grimly the moment he sat at the table across from Sheridan.
She blinked at him, all baby blue-eyed, golden-haired angel of innocence. “Help with what?”
“Your best friend. What does she like to do when she goes out on dates with…other guys?” The last two words pained him to say. But damn, he needed a clue, a hint, something to help him figure out what the hell he was going to do on his first date with Willow, which was tomorrow.
He didn’t need the distraction. A Friday night date right before a most important game was stupid. Coach Walsh would have his ass if he came to practice Saturday worn out from too much fun.
Not that they’d have any fun like he wanted. Willow would put him off, he knew it. And if he didn’t play his cards right with this first date, well…
Nerves ate at his gut just thinking about her possible rejection. The lease papers were in negotiation. She was eager to push it through, but his lawyer had balked at the terms, and Nick went ahead and let him balk all over the place. She wouldn’t walk, not with the fine details still hanging in the balance. It was manipulation in its purest form, but he was a desperate man.
More than anything, he had a feeling she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. She just wasn’t ready to admit it yet.
This blackmail scheme had felt like the right thing at the time, but being away from her made him second-guess himself constantly. Being out of their attitude-riddled rhythm was throwing him off, too. He’d been practicing intensely for the last three days. He hadn’t spoken to Willow the entire time beyond a text message letting her know she needed to prepare for tomorrow’s date.