Page 3 (1/2)

"What is it with lory?"

"I love the gae I can’t afford it, so I’ for a football scholarship"

"Then you’ll turn pro and ainst it Coach says I have talent"

"Is he in a position to judge?"

Raoul frowned "He’s ht Hoould a high school coach know if any one player would make it all the way to the pros? How could anyone?

"You don’t knoho he is," Raoul said, sounding shocked "You have no idea"

Nicole shifted uncomfortably "He’s your coach" And totally hot, but that was beside the point

"He’s Eric Hawkins He played pro for eight years and retired at the top of his gaend"

She found that hard to believe "Lucky him"

"He’s the best He doesn’t have to work for the h school football because he loves the gae to yawn Raoul was reciting what sounded very much like a canned speech Probably one the kid had heard dozens of tiend himself

"Good to know," she said and pulled forty dollars out of her back pocket "Here"

He didn’t take the money "You can’t pay me"

"Sure I can You won’t be an official employee until you fill out the paperwork So take this for now You’ll punch a tih"

He actually tucked his hands behind his back "I orking to pay off the doughnuts I stole"

"Technically you didn’t even get the thing" She sighed when he didn’t smile "Look, you worked hard today I appreciate that You earned this Take it or I’ll get really crabby and trust me, you don’t want to see that"

He reached for the h, but you don’t scare h "Give it time, kid Give it time"

NICOLE LED RAOUL to the front of the bakery, where she filled a couple of bags with day-old pastries and baked goods

"You don’t have to do this," he said, even as he stared longingly at the half-dozen cookies she scooped up

"You can handle the calories Like I said--it’s a perk"

"Are there other perks?"

That question didn’t come from Raoul Nicole didn’t have to turn around or even think to knoho’d been speaking And in case there was any confusion in her brain, her entire body flushed a welcohtened, braced herself for ih, Hawk stood behind the case, s that sexy, you-know-you-want-htly more dressed than he had been the previous day Today his shorts were longer and his T-shirt covered all of his chest and stoood and bad In theory she should be able to think more easily In reality, she was just a little disappointed

"What do you want?" she asked, not caring that she sounded snappish

"Interesting question," he murmured, then winked at Raoul "I came to see how my star player worked out He impressed the hell out of you, didn’t he?"

Nicole found herself neatly trapped She actually liked Raoul and had been happy to offer hi had gone well and she was happy to be rid of his to Raoul Afraid she would see disappointreat"

"I knew it"

"This isn’t actually about you I know that’s an aive you a minute to wrap your mind around it"

Hawk chuckled "Raoul, you don’t have to stick around here I’ll see you at practice in a couple of hours"

The kid nodded and left Nicole watched hi not to look at Hawk The man was like catnip

When they were alone, Nicole suddenly didn’t knohat to do with any part of her body She wanted to back up…orat her sides But crossing them seemed too hostile

She hated this The man had the power to make her feel aard in her own skin

"You don’t still need to be here," she told hi Raoul a chance," Hawk told her, easing closer without seerimly

"He worked hard That happens a whole lot less than I would like I gave him a job"

Hawk raised one eyebrow "He did impress you"

"He needs the work, I need the help Don’t make it more than it is"

Dark eyes see "You want people to think you’re tough"

"I ah"

"You’re a marshmallow inside"

She stiffened "I could have had your player’s ass thrown in jail Don’t think I wouldn’t have done it if he hadn’t shown up today I’ve been running this place for years I knohat I’?"

"Of course," she said automatically because it was alhat she answered She’d known she would run the bakery froht or nine years old It had been understood…expected Hers wasn’t to be a life of ood ones

Wait There had been Claire Reuniting with her sister had been good Watching Claire fall ed and find total happiness had stretched her good nature a little, but she was dealing Because what choice did she have?

"Earth to Nicole"

She blinked and sak standing a little too close

"I lost you there," he said

"Thaton sohth of a second"

"Because I’m so hard to resist?"

"Not for me"

"I don’t believe that You’re interested"

If she’d been able to look at hi toheavy and clocked hi the truth and she was too eure out a quick way to verbally eviscerate hi corinned "That was convincing"

"I don’t care what it is, it’s the truth" Alot a great body and you obviously enjoy flashing it at the world Which means what? You’re well into your thirties Shouldn’t you be over that by now? Shouldn’t you spend about a third asyour mind as your body? You can’t be a football coach forever"