“That’s what Tommi is going with, too, and working from that angle. I feel like there’s something she’s not telling me, though, and that pisses me off.”
“You can’t be upset. She has a job to do, and she doesn’t need anyone getting in her way.”
“I just hate feeling like a victim, Ashton.”
“You’re not—and you don’t have to surrender to that possibility. But I promise you when we figure out who’s doing this, there will be hell to pay. I doubt it’s going to be much longer. Whoever is doing all of this is going to slip up somewhere and be caught on camera, online, or in person. They won’t be able to hide for long, and the more confident they grow in the belief that no one knows who they are, the easier it’s going to be for them to make a mistake.”
“Thank you. Tommi said the same thing.”
“Don’t worry about all that. Let your cousin and her team do their job. I want you to think about this as a mini-vacation and all access to the athlete of your choice for the best article you’ve ever written.” I shot a smile her way.
She winked and replied, “I can do that.”
“And I’ll make sure of it.”
She smiled at me and nodded before she pulled the coffee mug to her lips. We sat in silence, lost in our thoughts as I finished my breakfast.
I grabbed her plate and mine when I finished. “You don’t have to do that. I can wash the dishes.”
“You cooked.”
“And you allowed me to stay in your home and eat your food.”
“It was a pleasure to have company up here. You were great company last night on what could have been a rough one for me,” I confessed.
“Well, you were definitely great company for me, and you made my night much easier by taking my mind off my troubles,” she admitted.
We carried our dishes to the kitchen, rinsed them, and put them away before we cleaned the rest of the kitchen. When we finished, we sat down and talked for a while about our individual careers and influences before I suggested that we take a swim in my heated indoor pool.
“I don’t mean to be callous, but I have no idea how she could screw up and walk away from such a luxurious lifestyle and a generous, handsome, and sexy husband.”
I stopped swimming and turned to see her sitting on the edge of the pool. She was kicking her feet gently back and forth as she watched me. I couldn’t lie; Chanel was starting to get to me in the worst way. I wanted her, and I knew she knew that.
“Oh, you think I’m sexy?”
“Everyone knows that. When the world talks about the sexiest basketball players, you have to know that you’re up there in the top five . . . always.”
I swam closer to her and placed my hands on either side of her legs. “I’m not asking about what the world thinks. I’m asking what you think.”
“Please, I think you’re a’ight,” she teased, waving her hand. “I mean, you do have excellent genes, and it’s clear that you take very good care of your body.”
“Coach keeps us on a rigorous workout routine.”
“And having an indoor court at your home, an in-home gym at your main house, and an indoor and outdoor pool in both locations doesn’t hurt.”
I had shared those details with her while she was interviewing me for the article.
I pushed back from the edge of the pool a little, and she looked disappointed. “It doesn’t. I keep myself on a strict routine as often as possible. It’s too easy to get lazy and lose good habits.”
I was tempted to say something about her body and beauty, but I knew that I was setting myself up for trouble. I refused to go down that path. So instead, I suggested we head outside and play with Titan because he needed some exercise.
“In the snow?” she balked.
“What better way to get exercise than in the snow?”
“You know, since you didn’t tell me where we were heading when we left Cherokee Springs, I’m glad that I brought a variety of clothing. Because I had no idea we were coming to the snow, but I did pack for it.”
“Good. Go get dressed, and we can head out.”
