Dare To Resist (Dare Nation 1)

“What do you have against athletes?” she asked. The rest of the family loved sports. She came by her choice of job naturally. Her dad was a die-hard Miami Thunder fan.

“I know their social reputations. I just don’t want you to end up a notch in this guy’s bedpost.”

Her eyes opened wide. “Oh my God, Matt! He’s been nothing but professional since I started working for him.” If she ignored the one kiss that consumed her dreams.

She pulled her brother over to Austin’s table, where he sat with Bri and Marcus. “Matt, you’ve met Austin. This is his sister, Bri, who works PR at the firm, and Marcus, who is an agent. Guys, this is my brother, Matt.”

They all exchanged hellos.

“I didn’t know you’d be here tonight,” she said to Austin, who looked casual and relaxed. His white shirt was unbuttoned, showing a smattering of chest hair she had to drag her eyes away from. And right now those gorgeous unique-colored indigo eyes were hot on her face.

“I was dragged here by these two.” He gestured to the others at the table. “What brings you out tonight?”

She glanced at her sibling. “Matt wanted to talk. I figured this place was a good choice.”

Austin inclined his head. “So I don’t suppose I can convince you to join us?”

She smiled but shook her head. “I need to know what Matt wants.”

A low laugh sounded from beside her. “I want a drink.”

Quinn grinned. “And that’s my cue. I’ll see you Monday?” she asked.

Austin nodded. “See you Monday.”

Matt grasped her hand and led her to the table the hostess had indicated earlier, and a little while later, she sat with a glass of Chardonnay, while her brother drank a scotch and soda. They talked about home, their parents, their siblings, and their jobs, catching up. But all the while, she was acutely aware of Austin. And the waitress who was definitely flirting with him in ways that couldn’t be misconstrued.

Quinn ought to be used to the attention Austin garnered. From the first business lunch they’d attended, women ignored Quinn and threw themselves at Austin. He had cleavage lowered into in his face, boobs brushed against his arm, phone numbers slipped into his jacket pocket … and she could go on. He laughed it off to being an ex-NFL star.

But in the time Quinn had been working for him, he’d been discreet. He didn’t parade women in the office and never had he asked her to make a lunch or dinner reservation for a date. But the man wasn’t a monk, and he clearly had no intention of settling down.

“Quinnie-Boo, God, are you even listening to me?”

She blinked when Matt snapped his fingers in front of her face and even called her by that awful childhood nickname to get her attention. “I’m sorry. I was lost in thought. But I’m paying attention now.” She couldn’t spend time thinking about her boss and his strong, chiseled features and tanned skin. Or the muscled body beneath the suit. She needed to stop letting her mind wander there.

“I guess you want to know why I asked to see you in person?” Matt asked.

Finally, he got to the crux of things. “I take it you didn’t just want to see your sister?”

He shook his head. “I mean, of course I did, but I also wanted to tell you something.” Her brother looked like he was chewing glass, that what he had to reveal was that upsetting.

“What is it?” She put her hand on his.

“I ran into Daniel at a faculty meeting on campus.”

She startled at the mention of her ex-fiancé. “Oh. Okay?” She and Daniel Munroe had ended things on an awkward note.

Matt had introduced them because he and Daniel were colleagues at the smaller college where they both taught. She and Daniel had bonded over the notion that neither one of them wanted children. As the oldest of the family, she’d raised her siblings and was quite content with any nieces or nephews that might come along who she could spoil.

She’d thought they’d been on the same page. So when he’d asked her to marry him, it seemed like the right thing to do. They enjoyed each other’s company and could each focus on their careers. Until the day he revealed he really did want kids and had assumed she’d change her mind at some point in time.

When she assured him she hadn’t … wouldn’t … he’d asked her to at least agree to reconsider things down the road. But she knew better than to go into a marriage with something as fundamental as wanting children undecided. She’d ended things and hadn’t seen him over a year.

“And?” she asked into the silence.

Matt drummed his fingers against the table. “His wife is pregnant and I wanted you to hear it from me. In case you took it hard or had had second thoughts.” He stared at her with love and concern in his eyes, and she adored him for it, but she did not understand her family.