Page 28 of Payback
IONLY HAVE A FEWminutes to open up my laptop and catch my breath before the conference room doors swing open to reveal the South African soccer player who has been occupying way too many of my thoughts the last couple of days.
Roan strides in wearing a pair of sporty joggers and a Bethnal Green T-shirt. The white fabric of the shirt is tight around his large biceps and contrasts nicely with his tan skin. He has a Mediterranean look about him that’s like a more exotic version of tall, dark, and handsome. My eyes drop to admire the glorious V-shape of his athletic body. If anything, Roan has grown hotter since that night we spent together. A career in soccer certainly agrees with him.
I straighten my posture and plaster on a professional smile. “Roan, thank you for coming. Have a seat.” I point to the chair at the opposite end of the table because space seems like a really good idea.
“So formal, Lis,” Roan says with a lazy smirk. He ignores my request and lowers himself into the seat right next to me. “Do I need to remind you that I’ve seen you naked?” My face flushes as he brazenly winks at me.
“No, you do not need to remind me,” I reply with an awkward laugh. “Though I prefer you forget that ever happened.”
“Forget it ever happened?” he exclaims with a wounded look. “Fat chance, mooi. It’d be impossible to forget the best sex I’ve ever had.”
Goosebumps explode all over my body. I look up expecting to see a joking expression on his face. Instead, his caramel eyes are dead serious as they blaze into me with an electrified energy that moves between us like an invisible current. I quickly divert my attention down to the papers strewn out all around me in hopes of hiding my body’s reaction. Best sex he’s ever had? What a smooth-talker! He’s an athlete who has beautiful women throwing themselves at him every day, so there’s no way I’m the best sex he’s ever had.
Thankfully, his friend, Mac, decides to make his loud entrance. “I’m ready for my close-up!” Mac booms as he walks over to us and slaps his big paws on the table. “Please, for the love of Christ, tell me there are going to be cue cards. My memory is shite.”
“We can use cue cards if needed,” I reply as Mac takes the open seat next to Roan. “But practicing the script will give you a more natural feel, so I want you guys to try your best to memorise it before the shoot on Wednesday.”
Mac nods seriously. “I shall give it my best effort…What do we have to say exactly?”
I clear my throat and thumb through the papers, handing them both their individual scripts. “The wording is pretty straightforward. Like, ‘Hi, I’m Maclay Logan, and I’ve teamed up with LaFaze to raise money for the Get Fit Britain gala coming up in a couple of months. Your donation to this cause gives you a chance to be my date for the special evening.’”
Mac shoves Roan in the shoulder. “Fancy that. People will actually pay money to date us.”
Roan nods, his eyes scanning over his script. “How do you pick who wins? Is it truly random?”
I nod slowly. “Random-ish…We do background checks on everyone so we don’t accidentally pair you with someone crazy.”
“Aye, but the crazy ones can be a right good time, though!” Mac exclaims.
I smile at his optimism. “We just want to make sure you guys are safe and comfortable.”
Roan gets a wicked look in his eyes as he drops the script on the table and says, “If I do a good job at this, will you give me your number, mooi?”
“No!” I reply, my shoulders tensing as I flick a glance at Mac, who doesn’t seem the least bit surprised by the remark from his friend.
“Why not?” Roan volleys back.
“Because we’re working together. Because that would be inappropriate.” I give a pointed look to Roan that basically tells him to shut the fuck up.
Roan leans in. “Ag, don’t worry about Mac here. This guy is my best friend. He’s heard me moaning about you for two years, so I think we have a well-wisher beside us.”
Mac nods enthusiastically. “It’s true. This goon hasn’t spoken about any other burd for two years.”
Embarrassment floods all of my senses as I place my head in my hands and let out a groan. This is not how I expected my reunion with Roan to go down. It was one thing when he was a stranger and a sexy memory in a video. It’s another thing when he’s gazing at me with his gorgeous eyes and calling me mooi right in front of his friend.
He puts his hand on mine. His voice is deep and smooth when he whispers, “I’m not one to walk away from a challenge, Lis.”
“I’m gathering that,” I retort, goosebumps exploding up my arm from his touch.
He smiles like he knows his effect on me. “Do I have to ask your cousins for your number?”
I slap my hand to my forehead because I can just imagine how horribly that would go down. My eyes meet his one last time. “Why are you so persistent about this?”
Pinning me with his smouldering eyes, he lifts his brows knowingly. “Because I know anything worth having is worth working hard for.”
My mouth turns to cotton as I attempt to figure out how the hell to respond to the most perfect comeback in the history of all comebacks.
I pull my hand from Roan’s grasp and grab his script. With a shake of the head, I scrawl my number down, trying to decide if this is a crazy good idea or a crazy bad one. I look at Roan’s wickedly sexy face and realise it’s both. It’s definitely both.
Jesus, take the wheel!
I push the paper over and stare seriously into his eyes. “Don’t make me regret this.”
He lifts the paper and presses it over his heart. “I don’t believe in regrets.”
Mac sighs from beside us, and I look over to see his twinkling eyes taking in our exchange with great delight. He smirks a naughty smirk and whispers loudly, “It’s like I’m not even here.”
