head down!” The order she sent to Jace was probably a little overly dramatic; however, he pulled his hat down lower and sank in his seat. Glancing at his large frame cramped in the passenger seat, she giggled.
“Honey, why do you have me hiding in your car while we are stopped in a traffic jam?”
Ava’s response showed her aggravation at the situation and amusement. “The man in the car right beside us is looking at you. The back window of his car has Tennessee Renegades stickers, and I don’t want him to recognize you.”
“I don’t think it’s me he’s looking at.” Jace smiled at the confusion that crossed Ava’s face. “Did you look at yourself this morning? You are stunning in that sexy as sin business suit you’re wearing.”
Jace watched Ava blush at his compliment, and she insisted he keep his head down. She managed to get them through morning traffic to arrive at the law office with only minutes to spare before he was late for his appointment.
****
Why she worried about being late, Ava had no idea. The minute Jace “Golden Boy” Johnson walked into the lobby of the law firm, time stood still. While the females in the office tripped over each other to get a better look at the notorious football star, the men puffed up their chests as if willing themselves worthy to be in his presence. Ironically, the only one who was unimpressed with his appearance at the office was Ava.
Jace sauntered across the marble entrance toward the reception desk. Leaning heavily on the counter that separated him from Rena, the receptionist, Jace laid on the good ole boy charm. “Good morning, darlin’. Is there any possibility Mr. Lawson could see me right away?” The toothy grin he shot at the young girl had her visibly shaken, and the poor child stuttered.
Rena could hardly pick up the phone to dial the correct extension, and when she finally got through to her boss, she couldn’t even tell him who was there. As if in a trance, she couldn’t stop staring at Jace long enough to bother trying to form words. Luckily, Bob Lawson had heard the news of Jace’s arrival, and he didn’t have to rely on Rena’s announcement. To Ava’s dismay, it hadn’t escaped anyone’s attention they’d ridden up in the same elevator. Her friends peppered her with questions before they made their way back to their desks.
Jace, who was used to this type of treatment, took it all in stride. When Rena finally looked at Ava, the blushing receptionist told her she could take Mr. Johnson right back to Mr. Lawson. Jace smiled, “Thank you, Rena, for your assistance. It was my pleasure meeting you.”
Ava turned to him and, with a strictly professional voice, asked politely, “Mr. Johnson, if you would follow me, I will take you to Mr. Lawson’s office.”
Once they were out of earshot of Rena, Jace teased Ava about her hoity-toity attitude. “Remember, Ava, you can make them believe we just have a professional relationship, but I know the real you. I remember the girl who cried when I sprained my knee during a scrimmage in high school, and who came to my house every day to cheer me up. Can you still make milk bubbles come out of your nose when you eat Oreos?”
Ava stopped in the middle of the hallway and pulled Jace into the nearest office, which thankfully was not currently occupied. After she shut the door, she turned to face him and give him a piece of her unprofessional mind. The look on his face stopped her tirade. He may have flirted with the receptionist and shaken hands with several men in the office, but he was nervous and self-conscious.
“Jace, if you bring up any of my personal life in this office, I will kill you. I don’t care if they think you’re football royalty. I know you, and I remember your past as well as you apparently remember mine, so I say we call it even and play nice.”
Jace looked at her and smiled, and when he took two steps forward and pulled her into his arms, Ava almost forgot how to
“Honey, why do you have me hiding in your car while we are stopped in a traffic jam?”
Ava’s response showed her aggravation at the situation and amusement. “The man in the car right beside us is looking at you. The back window of his car has Tennessee Renegades stickers, and I don’t want him to recognize you.”
“I don’t think it’s me he’s looking at.” Jace smiled at the confusion that crossed Ava’s face. “Did you look at yourself this morning? You are stunning in that sexy as sin business suit you’re wearing.”
Jace watched Ava blush at his compliment, and she insisted he keep his head down. She managed to get them through morning traffic to arrive at the law office with only minutes to spare before he was late for his appointment.
****
Why she worried about being late, Ava had no idea. The minute Jace “Golden Boy” Johnson walked into the lobby of the law firm, time stood still. While the females in the office tripped over each other to get a better look at the notorious football star, the men puffed up their chests as if willing themselves worthy to be in his presence. Ironically, the only one who was unimpressed with his appearance at the office was Ava.
Jace sauntered across the marble entrance toward the reception desk. Leaning heavily on the counter that separated him from Rena, the receptionist, Jace laid on the good ole boy charm. “Good morning, darlin’. Is there any possibility Mr. Lawson could see me right away?” The toothy grin he shot at the young girl had her visibly shaken, and the poor child stuttered.
Rena could hardly pick up the phone to dial the correct extension, and when she finally got through to her boss, she couldn’t even tell him who was there. As if in a trance, she couldn’t stop staring at Jace long enough to bother trying to form words. Luckily, Bob Lawson had heard the news of Jace’s arrival, and he didn’t have to rely on Rena’s announcement. To Ava’s dismay, it hadn’t escaped anyone’s attention they’d ridden up in the same elevator. Her friends peppered her with questions before they made their way back to their desks.
Jace, who was used to this type of treatment, took it all in stride. When Rena finally looked at Ava, the blushing receptionist told her she could take Mr. Johnson right back to Mr. Lawson. Jace smiled, “Thank you, Rena, for your assistance. It was my pleasure meeting you.”
Ava turned to him and, with a strictly professional voice, asked politely, “Mr. Johnson, if you would follow me, I will take you to Mr. Lawson’s office.”
Once they were out of earshot of Rena, Jace teased Ava about her hoity-toity attitude. “Remember, Ava, you can make them believe we just have a professional relationship, but I know the real you. I remember the girl who cried when I sprained my knee during a scrimmage in high school, and who came to my house every day to cheer me up. Can you still make milk bubbles come out of your nose when you eat Oreos?”
Ava stopped in the middle of the hallway and pulled Jace into the nearest office, which thankfully was not currently occupied. After she shut the door, she turned to face him and give him a piece of her unprofessional mind. The look on his face stopped her tirade. He may have flirted with the receptionist and shaken hands with several men in the office, but he was nervous and self-conscious.
“Jace, if you bring up any of my personal life in this office, I will kill you. I don’t care if they think you’re football royalty. I know you, and I remember your past as well as you apparently remember mine, so I say we call it even and play nice.”
Jace looked at her and smiled, and when he took two steps forward and pulled her into his arms, Ava almost forgot how to
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