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"About what?"

"Whatever he said"

"You don’t know that"

"Yeah, I do"

Hawk’s expression was kind, his touch co and just a little sexy He was exactly what she needed, Nicole thought

His gaze dropped froles and little sighs, and theher How did he do that?

Before she could find out, there was the sound of several teenagers in the hallway She stepped back

"Reinforce in the boxes"

Whichher no excuse to stay and, for so in her jeans pocket and pulled out thein a week"

"Okay"

"You’re going to stay for the , aren’t you?"

"I, ah, sure" Because the alternative was going ho her friends who all currently felt sorry for her

Hawk sent several of the guys out to get the desserts she’d brought Raoul returned with the Sheyou out by being here?" she asked "Is it tooaround in your personal life?"

He s anymore"

"Sure they do"

"Because you’re so hip?"

"No one says hip I know that hed "It’s fine if you stay"

"Good Maybe I can give you a few pointers"

"Maybe Coach says women are a mysterious island and a smart man always knows the li mixed metaphor She didn’t doubt that Hawk had uy and that Raoul would be smart to listen to hi chairs Nicole found herself sitting next to Hahich made her happy He was exactly the distraction she needed

He pushed a reaot lucky," he said "The snap was sloppy Funda Wilson, you were two seconds late off the line Green, you’re supposed to be covering the quarterback Their guys get through, we don’t score It’s that si praise where it was deserved--which didn’t see constructive criticiss si…at least for the first ten htly brush her ared to stay in her seat and casually glanced down to see hiers across the inside of her wrist Slowly, gently, without once looking at her

In theory there was nothing sexual about the contact It shouldn’t have beenabout the heat of his skin, the way he brushed his thumb across the inside of her palm, that made her want to squir After about tenherself into his arms was couys dove into the cupcakes and brownies, consuht in a matter of seconds Hawk leaned back in his chair

"You enjoying the gaht, hts on, they weren’t touching He was acting like nothing had happened Like they were little rocery store She felt all squishy and swollen inside and desperately hungry fora lot," she told hiot to her "I’ve never been into sports It’s a lot s are Want to get so to eat after this? Or head back to your place?"

"You’re very co her voice low and checking to make sure no one could hear them

"I knohat I want"

Her? She shifted on the seat, then wished she hadn’t as her insides whimpered

"Hawk, I…" What? Did she want to say yes?

Scratch that Of course she wanted to say yes, but there were a thousand reasons why she shouldn’t Sleeping with Hawk ht be a momentary distraction, but she’d never been into easy Or casual sex She wasn’t sure reacting to Drew’s scathing co into bed with soaze settled on her face "How long are you going to run fro you have a proble it"

"How very burabbed her hand and pulled her close

"At least admit you’re tempted," he murmured

"More than you know"

"HELLO?" Nicole said Monday afternoon as she answered the phone She’d just left work and was looking forward to a little lounging time

"Nicole? It’s Martin Bashear"

Her lawyer "Hi, Martin How’s it going?"

"Well I have a few things I want to talk to you about"

"A them?"

"Probably not"

She mentally braced herself "Okay What?"

"We’re at a crossroads with the Jesse situation We either have to pursue prosecution or let it go"

"You knohat I want"

"I do, but as your lawyer, it’sto advise you to drop the charges"

She tightened her grip on the phone "She stole the family recipe A world-famous recipe She baked Keyes chocolate cakes and sold theet aith that"

"I agree that her behavior was reprehensible"

That almost made her smile Martin always talked like he had a stick up his butt Usually she was the stuffy one in any relationship but with him she was, by comparison, the free spirit

"She stole, Martin," she repeated, feeling the outrage swell up inside of her

It wasn’t enough that Jesse had screwed Drew No She had to go and steal the Keyes chocolate cake, too