He shocked himself by turning both his phone and Treo off, pushing them to the side of the table and focusing completely, solely on her. “I’m all yours.”
“Good. That’s how it should be.” She swallowed hard, obviously not as at ease around him as she wanted him to believe.
Their attraction was something neither could ignore. He could let her have the upper hand when it came to their professional relationship, but he had no doubt that sexually, he was in control.
And he intended to make use of the upper hand. When the time was right.
“Let’s hear your game plan.”
The waitress served their appetizers, and while they ate, she outlined her goals. “You have three family members pulling you at all hours of the day. You need to set limits. But first, let’s tackle each one of them. Your mother. What is the main reason she’s been calling you?” Amy asked. She put a forkful of salad into her mouth, then licked a crumble of blue cheese off her bottom lip with her tongue, wreaking havoc with his attention.
He stared at her moist lips, moving as she delicately chewed her food.
She met his gaze. Obviously embarrassed, she cleared her throat. “Your mother?” she reminded him.
“Right.” He paused to suck an oyster from its shell. The food might be considered an aphrodisiac, but Amy supplied all the arousal power he needed. “Other than asking me to lend Ben money?” Which he was sure she would have done again on the phone today if he’d given her more time. “My mother needs a job of her own. Her lifestyle is killing my bank account. And she’s bored. She misses acting, not that she’s willing to admit as much.”
“Hollywood won’t hire her because of all the roles she already turned down over the years?” Amy guessed.
He laughed. “Hell, no. Harrison Smith-he’s a big-time director-sent her a script for a television pilot over three months ago that was tailor-made for her. He even offered her more money than she deserves at this point in her career.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “She said no, but apparently he’s waiting for her to change her mind. For some reason, the man only wants Cassandra Lee for the role and has been pursuing her relentlessly.”
Amy nodded in understanding. “That’s because she’s good,” Amy said. “What will it take to convince her?”
He shrugged. “She won’t change her mind. First, she thinks television is beneath her. But more important, my mother refuses to play the role of a grandmother, no matter how elegant, dignified or perfect the role may be. She thinks spending thousands in plastic surgery and Botox justify her desire to be cast as an ingenue.” He shook his head in disgust and frustration. “Sad thing is, she’s been saying it to herself for so long, she believes it.”
He glanced at Amy, looking for a glimmer of understanding. Heaven only knew why he needed it from her when he’d never wanted it from anyone else. At least she was too busy jotting down notes to realize.
“So tell me more about your brother.”
The busboy had cleared their plates, and the waitress set their lunches in front of them. Talking about his family had killed his appetite. “Ben needs a job and a life.”
“I’ve been there,” she said with more compassion than he’d afforded his brother lately. “I lived at home for so long it became too comfortable. Maybe that’s what’s going on with Ben. He just needs the right incentive to get him moving again.”
Roper had thought the same thing.
“Does he have any job options? I don’t mean investments, but legitimate employment opportunities that you know of?”
Roper took a long sip of water. “His head is so far in the clouds, he wouldn’t know an opportunity if it was handed to him. I’ve offered to make some calls and see if there are any openings as a high school baseball coach in a decent community. He’s good enough to teach, he just wasn’t solid enough to play pro. Ben won’t even consider it.”
“When he runs out of money, he’ll have no choice. Why don’t you give me some leads and I’ll see what I can come up with for him.”
Roper raised an eyebrow.
“It’s my job, remember. Come on.”
He rattled off some old ball players he knew were into coaching who might be able to use a guy like Ben. Although he loved his brother, it rankled to have to call in favors knowing Ben wouldn’t appreciate the effort and would probably turn down any opportunity Roper uncovered because
“Just be prepared. Ben won’t make it easy. He’ll play the guilt card because I had the father with the talent, while his dad had none. He likes living on pipe dreams of what life owes him, instead of what he could actually do to make it on his own.”
Amy jotted down a few more notes. “Delusions of grandeur,” she said without glancing up. Her brows were furrowed in concentration and her lips puckered as she wrote. Lips he still wanted to kiss more than he wanted to breathe. But she was working with him now. There would be time.
Neither one of them had eaten much, but he sensed until she finished dissecting his family, she wouldn’t be interested in food.
“Are you ready to talk about Sabrina?” she asked.
He leaned back in his chair and stretched. “Sure am. She’s the easiest one. My little sister is marrying a great guy. A normal accountant. The wedding is planned for next fall, after my season ends. I’m paying for the big day, but that isn’t a problem. I want to pay. She deserves the best. Problem is, she isn’t in charge of her own wedding, our mother is. Or at least she wants to be.”
“Long distance?”
He nodded.
“Sabrina calls me several times a day with another of Mom’s outlandish ideas, things Sabrina doesn’t want but Mom thinks are best. Sabrina wants me to mediate, but frankly, I don’t want to do any more than write the damn check.”
Amy chuckled. “Typical man.”
He grinned. “I tune them out when possible, but if I don’t answer the phone right away, they hunt me down. Don’t get me wrong. I love them but-”
“They need to live their own lives,” Amy finished for him. “But they haven’t had to since you’ve always done everything for them.” A few more notes and Amy finally put her pen down and met his gaze. “Got it all,” she said, then picked up her knife and fork. “God, I’m starving.” She dug into her meal with a gusto he’d never seen in a female.
Just watching her renewed his appetite and they finished their meal in comfortable silence. As soon as their waiter placed the check on the table, he placed his hand on the leather folder.
“I’ve got it,” she said, reaching for the billfold at the same time so their fingers met.
He’d always let Micki pay when they went out for business and he should allow Amy to do the same, especially this first business lunch when he figured she needed to feel in control.
But he let his hand deliberately linger so he could touch her a little longer. “You already talked me into turning off my phone and Treo. Don’t add insult to injury by paying the check. My fragile male ego can’t handle it.”
She laughed. “I don’t think your ego has been fragile a day in your life.”
“You’d be surprised,” he said, sobering. She probably thought the insults from Buckley and the fans rolled off his back. Maybe at one time they would have, but not any longer. He was afraid they were right and he was a washed-up has-been.
Without warning, she slipped her hand from his. “I’ll get it next time,” she said, leaving him with the distinct impression she did understand the fragile ego thing.
Just as he understood hers. “No, this is business. I don’t mind letting the Hot Zone pick up the tab.” Before she could get too cocky, he added, “I’ll get it on our next date.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he glanced down at the check, ignoring her so she couldn’t argue. Because there would be a real date.
She could count on it.
Once the check was paid, he walked her out of the restaurant and onto the street. To his surprise, they’d made it through the meal with only a few stares. No one asked for an autograph or bothered him with stupid questions,
