Hot Number

was special,' he said, watching his words this time. He opted for specialover hot number since Damian didn't need Yank coming after him with his walker.

'I knew that. She saw the real you, too. She knew you were more than the idiot ladies' man you pretended to be.' Yank ran a hand over his straggly beard. 'But if I know my Micki, she's only thinking about the kind of women you spent time with before her and she thinks she can't compete.'

'She can't,' Damian said, slamming his good hand against the window.

'Watch it, wise guy. You bust the other hand and nobody's gonna help you wipe your-'

'I get the picture.' Damian cut the older-man off, suppressing a laugh. 'But I'm serious. Micki can't compete against those women because she's head and shoulders above them.'

Yank pulled him into a hug with one arm, hanging on to the walker with the other hand. 'Good luck convincing her of that,' Yank said. 'Because the one thing Micki learned from me beside sports is stubbornness and once that girl makes up her mind, changing it is some kind of difficult.'

Damian glanced heavenward. 'Thank you for that advice,' he said, sarcastically.

Yank grinned. 'My pleasure. Oh and if it makes you feel any better, I didn't screw you. I just wanted to be livin' on my own again before I asked Lola to accept me and my problems back into her life.'

Damian could respect and understand the man's position. 'I hope you make out better than I did.'

'You got a game plan for the future?' Yank asked him.

Damian spread his hands wide before him. 'Completely open and in Micki's hands.' Too bad she wasn't returning calls or e-mails, not even in the guise of business.

Micki found it too easy to ignore his overtures so Damian was now using the silent treatment. If she didn't mind being ignored, he was out of options and heading back to the island.

Alone this time.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

YANK-HATED THE WALKER. He hated not being able to see everything clearly. But he hated being without Lola more. Maybe he'd had to be kicked in the butt a ridiculous number of times and let decades go by before he was ready to see what was in front of him all along. 'But dammit I'm seeing it now!'

'Excuse me, sir?' The new security guard who rode the elevator in the Atkins building asked.

'Nothin'. Seventh floor, please' Yank said to the man.

He'd been out of rehab for over a week and now that he was managing to get along, thanks to his driver and walker, he was out of excuses for avoiding his fate.

A series of consecutive beeps let Yank know when he'd arrived on the right floor, as did the sound of the doors sliding open.

'We're here,' the guard said.

Yank maneuvered his way out, walker first. He could make out shadows enough to see where he was going and he also knew Spencer's office space well enough to manage on his own.

'Mr. Morgan!' The receptionist at the main desk jumped up from her seat. 'We weren't expecting you.'

'Good. I like the element of surprise. I want to see Lola.'

'She's in her office. Should I tell her you're here or do you prefer the element of surprise there, too?'

'You can tell her I'm coming to talk to her and to clear anyone else out of there.'

'Yes, sir.' The woman picked up the phone while Yank slowly headed to Lola's small room off Spencer's office.

He knew by the familiar perfume that she was waiting for him in the doorway. She'd used the same scent or something similar since the day they'd met. He smelled it in his dreams, Yank thought.

'I can't believe you're up and around,' Lola said.

'Yeah. Time flies when you're havin' fun.'

'Well you certainly used the time to get yourself healthy.'

He nodded. 'I didn't have anything else to do except rehab and think.'

'Come on in.' She stepped back so he could walk into the office.

He had no choice except to allow her to help him into a chair. He ought to get used to it, he thought and clenched his jaw.

'So what brings you by?' She lowered herself into the seat next to him.

Surrounded by her scent, a warm familiar feeling and unmistakable arousal kicked in. 'You're really gonna make me spell it out for you?' he asked, annoyed she couldn't understand that this visit was his way of making a major statement.

She jumped to her feet. 'I' m too busy for games so if you have nothing to say, you can leave now.'

Yank groaned. 'Okay, okay, cool your jets and sit down. Please,' he added, afraid she wouldn't even give him a chance.

He wasn't sure but he thought she narrowed her eyes and glared at him. He certainly could sense steely anger emanating from her in waves. Didn't the woman know how hard this was?

But then how hard had he made her life all this time? He'd thought about this long and hard and he hadn't come to her empty-handed.

Yank reached into his pocket and wrapped his hand around a jewelry box. He'd gone shopping alone, not wanting to involve the girls. He hadn't wanted to get their hopes up nor had he wanted to face their pity if Lola turned him down.

Lola slowly eased herself into a seat again, watching Yank warily. She'd known him too long to jump to any conclusions. Just because she'd given him an ultimatum again didn't mean he'd come around. After all, she'd tried once before and she was still working with Spencer and not Yank.

Suddenly he pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket.A jewelry box if she wasn't mistaken, and she began to shake. Her palms grew damp. And despite the evidence in front of her, she still refused to believe. Who knew what was inside? He could have bought her a necklace or something.

'Well aren't you going to take it?' Yank asked.

She accepted the box. Hands shaking, she turned it over and over again, almost afraid to open it. 'It's got teeth marks,' she said, recognizing the inane comment.

'I don't think the girls fed the dog too well while I was in rehab. She's picked up some awful habits I'm gonna have to break.'

Lola laughed and ever so slowly opened the box. Inside was a huge pink sapphire stone set in white gold and surrounded by diamonds.

She sucked in a startled gasp. 'It's… It's…' For the first time in her life words failed her.

'It's five karats and each diamond is pretty damn big. I can't remember the size. But I can get bigger. Or green if you'd prefer an emerald. Or one large diamond. We can do that, too. Whatever you like, the jeweler said he'd get it for you,' Yank said, rambling.

Also a first, Lola thought. Tears streamed down her cheeks and Yank reached out and wiped her face with his hand. 'How'd you know I was crying?' she asked, knowing he couldn't possibly see her tears.

'Because after all these years, I know you,' he said in a gruff voice filled with more emotion than she'd ever heard from him before.

Lola swallowed hard. 'So is this a friendship ring?' she joked for lack of knowing what else to say.

Yank had never been an eloquent speaker, and now he'd handed her a box with the most beautiful ring she'd ever seen inside. Yet he hadn't explained its significance. Just like the man, she thought with exasperation, the tears still flowing.

'Well here's the thing. I'm no bargain. I'm getting closer to being legally blind. I've got a bum hip and use a walker, though it'll soon be a cane.'

She leaned forward, holding her breath.

'I'm grouchy on a good day and my dog craps and sleeps wherever she wants. You can blame the girls for that. I had Noodle trained.'

'Somehow I doubt that,' Lola said. 'Now quit getting off the subject and go on.'

He shook his head. 'Right. Well I probably waited too damn long and I no longer look like the prize I once