Page 19 of Fair Trade (New York Monarchs #2)

My bucket is the first to hit Luisa, and her shriek is high and loud. Before long, the whole shower area is doused in red sangria, leaving my Italian suit wrecked. Not that I give a shit.

I scan the massive shower and note the smiles on everyone’s faces, the camaraderie shared among this team, the euphoria that comes with doing something as absurd as dumping perfectly good alcohol on their boss in a form of celebration.

I spot Daisy at the mouth of the shower, recording this all on her phone.

As I watch, a rogue bucket is tossed her way, and Coach Weston places his hands on her arms to move her out of the splash zone.

Once the flying flashes of red come to a stop, I look down at Luisa. She smiles up at me. She looks adorable, her lashes wet and clumped together, her bright white outfit now a ruby red color.

“I look like a wet rat, don’t I?” she asks as she shakes her arms out.

I’m not thinking straight as I wrap her wet ponytail around my fist and start to wring the liquid out of it. She sucks in a shocked breath. “More like Carrie, but it suits you.”

She slaps my hand away from her hair but surprises me when she clutches my forearm. “Use your Neanderthal strength for good and lift me out of here. My ass feels like it’s sitting in swamp water.”

My hands dip to her waist and pull her out immediately.

I wait until I know she has her feet firmly planted on the shower floor, then check to make sure there’s nothing she can slip on.

“Hands off the merchandise, Luci.” The smirk on her face has her looking downright devilish, and it has nothing to do with the fact that she’s covered in red.

“And here I thought you weren’t a fan of pet names.”

“You’re like a fungus, Stonehaven. Remember?”

“Yes, but last I recalled, I’m the fancy kind.”

She plucks her wet shirt away from her body and I can see that she was wearing a white lace bra underneath. Her nipples are visibly hard. “You owe me a new outfit,” she mumbles absentmindedly.

“And apparently some white lingerie. Is that what you always wear to work, or is tonight a special occasion?” My voice hardens at the thought of another man unwrapping Luisa at the end of the night as I lie in my bed like a fool dreaming about her.

“Someone throw me a towel,” I bark at no one in particular.

Ace Middlebrooks, our third baseman and resident ladies’ man, stops in front of me with two towels.

When I go to grab them, he momentarily moves them out of my reach.

“One is for álvarez to cover up with and the other is for her hair.” He hands one to her, and she secures it around her body quickly. Then she grabs the other one offered.

“Thanks, Middlebrooks. Who knew you could be such a gentleman?” Luisa smiles as she delicately wraps the towel around her wet locks.

Ace puts a finger against his lips. “Shh, it’ll be our little secret.” He backs away and joins his teammates, who are now enjoying the unsprayed bottles of champagne. I stare at his retreating form and wonder if being playful with his GM is reason enough to get him kicked off the team.

“Huh, interesting,” Luisa says, breaking me from my running thoughts. “Never thought I’d say green looks good on you.”

I look down at my black suit and white shirt that are now resembling a deep blush color. “Did we accidentally waterboard you or something? Because there is most definitely no green on my body right now.”

She rocks back and forth on her bare feet. “ Sure , if you say so.”

It clicks a second later. “I wasn’t envious, or jealous, or whatever else it is that you’ve conjured in your mind.”

She places her hand on her chest. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Stonehaven.

Remember size 36DD when you go shopping for my white lingerie.

The one I only wear for ‘special occasions,’ and, of course, the kind you’ll never actually see worn on my body because we”—she points between the two of us—“are nothing more than work colleagues. Correct?”

She’s taunting me. I know the game she’s playing.

I shouldn’t take the bait. But it’s no surprise that when it comes to Luisa álvarez, my sense of control is weak at best. But I’ll be damned if I roll over and show her my belly.

I lean down low, using the cover of the noisy clubhouse to keep our conversation private.

“Incorrect. I am your boss, not your colleague. Just because I know what your sweet pussy tastes like and how tight you feel when you come around my cock does not mean you are going to pull me around by the collar and walk me around like a lovesick puppy here at our workplace. I’ll get you a new suit.

Hell, I’ll buy you a lingerie store. But think twice before you try to taunt me with the memory of your tits, because two can play that game. ”

Her eyes are wide as saucers as she takes in shallow breaths. I wipe a drop of sangria from her cheek with the pad of my thumb, but the rosy color remains.

This wasn’t part of the plan. But I find myself telling her anyway. “I have a charity event to attend this weekend. Come with me.”

She stares at me for what feels like an eternity before she starts to shake her head. “What? No. Are you insane?”

“Clinically,” I deadpan.

She tightens her hold on her already secured towel. “How do you think it’s going to go over when I show up to a fancy event with you, arm in arm, huh? The internet is going to go crazy with conspiracies of how I got this job, and the most common ones will involve accusations that I slept with you.”

“You did sleep with me.”

“Shh.” She slaps my bicep. “Not to get the job. And that was before I knew who you were. Or do you still think I’m a conniving liar? If so, we have other hurdles to climb before we can even—”

“I believe you.”

She nods, eyes bouncing between mine. “Good. Right. Well, that’s great and all, but I’m finally starting to get some respect thrown my way with this new trade and winning streak we’re on, so I’d be an idiot to throw it all away by being arm candy.”

I look her up and down. “You do look good in red.”

“Stonehaven.”

“Nick. My name is Nick, Luisa. I thought we’d established this already.” I lean in even closer. As much as I love anything that comes from her lips, I’m waiting with bated breath to hear her call me Nick one more time.

She takes a step back, and I can practically see her placing the bricks up one by one around her. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“To what part?”

“All of it,” she whispers as she stares down at her bare feet.

I look away as I try to reel in my frustration. I can be mad all I want, but I’ll never let Luisa feel an ounce directed her way. “Got it. But just a heads-up: I have to take a date to these types of things.” I peel off my wet suit jacket as I speak. “There will be photos in the press.”

She tries to keep her eyes trained away from the wet shirt pressed against my chest and fails spectacularly. “Real mature, Stonehaven. Do you think you’re rubbing something in my face by telling me that?”

I shake my head. “I’m telling you exactly how these things go.

And by these things, I mean me making public outings.

I will be accompanied by a date. If not, women will badger me to no end.

” She scoffs, but I carry on. “At the end of the night, I will have my date dropped off at her apartment and I will go back to my place. Alone.” I start to unbutton my shirt, uncaring that my team is about to see me shirtless.

They see much more in these showers anyway.

“Why are you telling me all of this? We’re not… a thing. You’re free to bang as many supermodels as you want. You don’t owe me anything.”

I wonder if the words taste bitter on her tongue since her face scrunches up as she speaks.

“I suppose I could, but I won’t. And I’m telling you all this for the same reason that no other man should ever see the obscene amount of lingerie I’m about to purchase and have delivered to your apartment.”

“Which is?”

“I may be the devil, Luisa, but I am your devil. And don’t you forget it.”