Smooth Play (Brooklyn Monarchs 2)

What did that kiss mean? How did he feel about what she’d told him? Had she spoken too soon? She wasn’t going to ask him. She didn’t want to be that woman.

But she was desperate to know.

Troy held the door open for her to walk into her apartment building’s lobby. His hand on her shoulder stopped her from walking to the elevator. His ebony eyes were dark and glittering with unquenched desire as he looked down at her.

His kiss was a brief tribute that stole her breath. “I’m falling for you, too, Andrea Benson.”

Her lips parted in surprise. A smile spread over her face as she watched him leave before she floated toward the elevators.

He was falling for her, too. Now, what did that mean?

Five days later, Troy sat in a rear, tall-backed booth in a dimly lit sports bar watching Gerald Bimm talk with Otto Nunez. The two men sat at one of the front tables. Saturday’s off-hour lunchtime crowd was thin. Still, it provided enough cover for him, Andrea, and Jaclyn as they made themselves inconspicuous.

Gerald’s back was to them. But, by leaning closer to Andrea seated beside him, Troy could see Otto clearly. The referee’s features were tight with controlled anger.

Andrea pinched him, and Troy settled back into the booth.

“Between the suspense of tonight’s game seven against the Cavs and this meeting, I might have a heart attack.” Jaclyn sat on the inside of the booth across the table from Troy.

“Me too.” Troy was only slightly exaggerating. The Monarchs had managed to tie the series with the Cleveland Cavaliers, three games each. Although he was hoping for a miracle, the basketball pundits didn’t think Brooklyn’s team would win.

“This meeting between Gerry and Otto shouldn’t last much longer.” Andrea sat beside Troy on the outside of the booth facing Otto’s table. She was hard to recognize in a baggy brown sweatsuit with her silky dark hair tucked under a black baseball cap. At least Troy hoped Gerald didn’t recognize her.

He checked his watch. Again. “It’s already been thirty minutes.”

“The longest thirty minutes of my life.” Jaclyn finished her second glass of iced tea. “The worst part is not being able to see what’s going on.” Jaclyn had wanted to sit facing Otto and Gerald, but Troy was afraid her partner would spot Jaclyn as soon as he walked into the sports bar. She was hard to miss, dressed in a silver and black sheath dress in a Cleveland sports bar.

Troy considered his unsweetened iced tea. Had he already added the sugar? “We can’t risk Gerry turning around and seeing you.”

Andrea stiffened in her seat. “Otto just adjusted his baseball cap. That’s our signal.”

Finally! Relief and excitement surged through Troy as he followed Andrea from the booth. “Now, let’s hope Gerry goes quietly.” He grabbed the restaurant bill from the table and waited for Jaclyn and Andrea to precede him from the booth.

Gerald’s beady brown eyes widened with recognition as he saw the group appear beside him. His expression gave Troy a sense of deep satisfaction. Well worth waiting for.

Jaclyn put her hand on the referee’s shoulder. “Hello, Gerry. Hi, Otto. How are you?”

Otto’s expression was a picture of relief. “I’m well. Thank you, Ms. Jones.”

“Jackie.” Gerald’s cool gaze swept over each of them. “What are you all doing here?”

Jaclyn glanced at Troy and Andrea as they stood beside her. “Funny thing, Gerry. We heard a rumor that you’re blackmailing referees in an effort to get them to throw playoff games.”

Gerald shot a venomous look at Otto, who sat silent and impassive in the seat across the table from him. “That’s absurd.” He returned his attention to Jaclyn. “Where did you hear that?”

“I thought it was pretty absurd, too.” Jaclyn shifted her hand from Otto’s shoulder. Troy saw her white-knuckled grip on the back of the referee’s chair. “After all, blackmailing officials, bribes, and tampering with the outcome of games are all against league rules. I was certain you knew that.”

“Of course I do.”

Troy almost believed Gerald’s affronted tone. He stepped closer to Otto’s table to give a server more room to walk past. “Then where did the rumors come from, Gerry?”

Gerald shrugged his shoulders beneath his dark blue jersey. “Maybe you started them, Troy. You’ve been more paranoid than usual lately. After all, you slandered me on ESPN.”

Troy fought the discomfort of Gerald’s comment. No one wanted to be reminded of mistakes from their past. Behind him, Andrea’s hand settled on the small of his back. It was an encouraging gesture, a supportive touch, and he leaned into it. “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, Gerry. I made the wrong call with the Insider blog. But I don’t make the same mistake twice.”

Gerald narrowed his eyes on Troy. “I’m happy for you.”

Jaclyn settled her right hand on her hip. “So the rumors of you blackmailing refs aren’t true, Gerry?”