Hot Item (Hot Zone 3)

From the glimmer in his dark eyes, it appeared that Miguel liked what he saw. “May I offer a word of advice?” he shifted his attention to Sophie, his eyes gleaming with hidden knowledge that made Sophie nervous.

“Can I stop you?” she asked easily.

He laughed. “There are people who don’t take other’s sexual orientation lightly. You should have Spencer talk to his important clients before someone else does.”

His tone was friendly. His words were not. Sophie understood the hidden implication. Spencer’s nervous clients were up for grabs. She had to find the man and soon.

“I appreciate the advice.” She forced a smile.

“If I can do anything, please let me know. In case you misplaced my number—” He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a business card, handing it to Sophie. “And even if you didn’t, if your beautiful friend is interested in meeting for drinks, she can take the card instead.”

He winked at Cindy before leaving and Sophie’s friend nearly swooned. Sophie had seen Miguel have this effect on women at many charity events. The Spanish accent and his Antonio Banderas looks were enough to lure any unsuspecting female into his clutches. Which Sophie supposed might not be a bad thing for a woman who wasn’t his professional competition.

As soon as Miguel was out of earshot, Cindy leaned forward. “So? Is he one of the good guys?” Blatant curiosity shimmered on her friend’s face.

Sophie sighed. Cambias wasn’t someone Sophie would touch with a ten-foot pole, but she had an inherent bias against the man. For all she knew, outside of business the man was a saint.

“I honestly don’t know. But I do think he had an ulterior motive for coming here today.” She just wished she knew what it was.

“I’ll be careful.”

Sophie slid the business card toward Cindy, who snatched it up and placed it in her purse.

“What do you say we double-date? That way you can try and figure out what he wants,” Cindy suggested.

Sophie shook her head. “When it comes to Miguel Cambias, you’re on your own. Just don’t divulge any secrets,” Sophie said, laughing.

She wasn’t worried. Cindy’s ethics were solid and she wasn’t privy to anything on the sports-agency side of the business. Besides, Sophie had other problems to deal with. “I’m going to need you to hold down the fort for a while.”

“Where are you going to be?” Cindy asked.

“Florida.” With Riley Nash.

RILEY THREW some clothes together in a duffel bag. He grabbed the shaving kit he always kept packed, since he traveled often during the season, and tossed it in as well. Then he picked up the phone.

He wasn’t looking forward to informing his daughter he’d have to cancel their day tomorrow, but since she was in school he’d have to let his ex-wife know. Lisa would relay the message to Elizabeth about the change in plans and Riley would call her from Florida.

Lizzie, as he’d called her since she was a baby, lived with her mother and stepfather in Scarsdale, a ritzy suburb outside of New York City. Riley had chosen an apartment in Manhattan, so he could be nearby.

Lisa, Ted and Riley had managed to co-parent fairly well, at least until the teenage years had kicked in. Now they disagreed on how to handle Elizabeth, how to give her things without spoiling her and how to discipline her over her declining school grades. Add attention deficit disorder to the mix and they really had their hands full, Riley thought.

He didn’t think Elizabeth would mind him canceling since he saw her a couple of times a week and weekends when she wasn’t busy with her friends. She was probably sick of him by now, he thought with a smirk, and would be glad he’d had a change of plans.

Scratch that. Even if she was relieved that she didn’t have to hang with her father, she’d act as if she’d been slighted and wronged just so she could pick a fight and piss him off. His sweet baby had woken up one morning and morphed into the very thing a parent dreaded most: a hormonal teenage girl.

He dialed and a familiar female voice answered on the first ring. “Hello?”

“Hi, Lisa.”

“Hi, Riley,” she said. “How’s the man of leisure?”

He didn’t take offense. She’d never recognized that he worked out as hard on the off season, if not harder, never taking good health or good shape for granted. “I’m fine but I have to take an unexpected business trip.”

Lisa didn’t know Spencer Atkins was his father and if he hadn’t revealed the secret during their brief marriage, he sure as hell wasn’t about to spill his guts now. “Can you tell Lizzie I’m sorry and I’ll make it up to her?”

“You can tell her yourself since she’s home with a stomach virus. We would’ve called you today and canceled anyway. She’s going to need to rest tomorrow, too. Hang on. Elizabeth,” she screamed, probably over the blare of music from his daughter’s bedroom. “Your father’s on the phone.”

“Hello?” a miserable-sounding Elizabeth said after picking up another receiver.