Hard & Deep: A Football Romance

"Wow," he said, his gray eyes finally meeting hers. His pupils dilated. "You look spectacular."

She blushed, but at the same time, reveled in the knowledge that she did indeed look spectacular. There would be more than just Mr. Hayes' eyes on her this night. She hoped that she didn't get a connection with too many guys tonight, because she knew that several of them would be dreaming about her in this dress.

She stepped into the car and sat down, and Mr. Hayes got in the driver's seat. He always drove himself. To those who just met him, that might have seemed strange, but to Tracy, it was just another telltale sign that he was a control freak. He was a good driver, though, no mistake about that.

Mr. Hayes opened the center console and set his phone inside before shutting it again. "I've specifically asked not to be disturbed tonight, and nobody knows where we're going. This should be a great night for us."

"Where are we going tonight?" Tracy asked, intrigued. Mr. Hayes never left his phone anywhere.

Mr. Hayes smiled. "At the last minute, James got us tickets to the grand opening of a salsa club. I wasn't kidding about you wearing your dancing shoes."

Tracy smiled back. "As long as they have good dessert, I'll dance all night."

Chapter 11

When they got to the club, there was a line out the door. The event was supposed to be invitation-only, but it looked like they were trying to pack the place. Tracy had gradually come to realize that Mr. Hayes didn't really care what happened to any his cars, just as long as he wasn't in it. It came as no surprise to her that he easily handed the keys over to the valet to park it. They headed to

the door, past the line, and sure enough, "Paul Hayes plus one" was on the list.

The sounds of a live Latin band filled the space. The club owner was just inside, obviously alerted that a VIP had entered. He held out his hand and smiled widely at the billionaire. "Mr. Hayes, come with me. Your table and bottle service are on the second floor, overlooking the entire club."

They went past a second bouncer to a set of stairs that led to a small hallway and balcony that ran around the entire perimeter of the club. Tables lined a railing that looked out across the dance floor. The lighting was dim up there, probably so that the people below couldn't clearly see the people above. Many of the tables were deserted for now, but at least some of them had people, and Tracy couldn't make out any of their faces. At least there was floor lighting, Tracy thought, grateful that she could walk without tripping in front of the hidden guests.

The club owner led them to a corner table with four chairs. There was a bottle of top shelf vodka, a carafe of both orange juice and cranberry juice, and six cans of energy drinks. There were also four glasses and four shot glasses. "If you require anything else, please, let me know. In addition, all the waitresses and bartenders are instructed to give you whatever you need."

Mr. Hayes may have been used to this type of service, but it never got old for Tracy. After the two of them sat down, Mr. Hayes poured a shot for the two of them. "To getting what we want," he toasted. She clinked her shot glass with his and downed it. She never was much of a shots girl, but this vodka was really smooth. She quickly poured herself a screwdriver with the orange juice there and used it to chase as she perused the small menu resting on the table.

"I want to dance," Mr. Hayes said, as he looked over the railing.

"I want dessert," Tracy said, smiling. She pointed to an entry on the menu.

Mr. Hayes chuckled and grabbed the next passing waitress. "My girlfriend and I are going down to dance. When we get back up, we want a chocolate torte waiting for us on the table." The waitress smiled and nodded.

Mr. Hayes stood and extended his hand. Her fingers slid easily into his as he helped her stand. She loved the way his skin felt against hers and the strength of his grip holding her to him. Again, she passed tables where there were people. Although she couldn't see their faces, she knew that their eyes were on her.

Mr. Hayes led her to the middle of the dance floor. The crowd parted naturally for him, giving him space on the crowded dance floor without anyone realizing it. Although he wasn't Latin, he had rhythm and confidence, two of the main ingredients of a good dancer. They were also the two main ingredients of a good lover, she thought while smiling. As he twirled her and dipped her, she could feel herself sweating. During the second song, he turned her around and ground on her ass for a moment, and her body heated in response to his touch. By the end of the third song, she was ready to make love to him right there on the dance floor.

"Let's go upstairs," she said, knowing that if they danced to another song, she'd go crazy with lust. "I need my torte."

He grinned at her and she suspected he knew how much she wanted him. This time, he let her walk in front, his hands on her hips as she slowly walked to the stairs. The stairs were mostly deserted, and he took the opportunity to run his hands down her thighs as she walked. She knew he was trying to turn her on, and he was succeeding. She wondered if there was a private VIP room that they could slip away to...

They sat down at the table, and there was the dessert waiting for her as promised. It was beautifully presented, with whipped cream and even a single little cherry on top. There were two spoons, and Tracy grabbed one of them and broke off a little taste. It melted in her mouth, the taste touching all of her taste buds, and it was amazing. After being turned on so much and now having this delicious dessert, she figured this to be one of the best nights out since she’d started dating Mr. Hayes.

She looked up to tell Mr. Hayes to try it, but his eyes were focused on someone in the hallway behind her. She heard a female voice behind her over the music. "Mr. Hayes?"

Tracy turned, and even though she hadn't met the woman personally, she already knew who the woman was. Or rather, she knew who this girl was.

"Jenna!" Mr. Hayes exclaimed, a little more excited than he should have been. He nearly knocked the table over in his hurry to stand and greet her.

This girl wasn't quite as young as she had been in Mr. Hayes' dream, but she was pretty close. She could almost be considered as angelic as Mr. Hayes' dream had made her out to be. She still had the light freckles from the dream and her cheeks were slightly chubby. The most striking differences were that she had pale skin, and her long hair was so dark that Tracy was sure that she must have dyed it.

Jenna wore a strapless, black, sweetheart-cut dress. At the bottom was a frilly line of lace, and around her midsection was a pink bow, tied up like she was a little present. She had on a beautiful set of black heels, which added a few inches to her height. There was no doubt about it. The package was all there, and she knew just how to attract eyes to her. She was beautiful, Tracy admitted. Absolutely beautiful.

She could see why Mr. Hayes had a crush on her.

Jenna grinned a smile so bright it was visible even in the dim light. She shrieked, and as Mr. Hayes came around the table, she gave him a big hug. "I haven't seen you since my high school graduation three years ago! How are you?"

"I'm great, just great,” he assured her. Tracy could see all the signs of a schoolgirl crush. Jenna was blushing and giggling with every word. Mr. Hayes didn't need to be a psychic to see the same thing. “Jenna, meet my girlfriend, Tracy!"