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up my wine. “To Benita and Marco,” I said, feeling grateful to the two people who had brought light into his life.
    He clinked the rim of his glass with mine. “To Benita and Marco.”
    “You toasting me?” Benita appeared at our side balancing two enormous white plates on her palms.
    “Yeah, I was just telling Carly how we met,” Brick said.
    She sighed. “Oh you should have seen him, bella. He worked so hard to buy those skates and those sticks. And he was so thin too. I fattened him up good though, didn’t I?” She placed down our meals and ruffled her fingertips through Brick’s newly short hair. “What you done to those angel curls, boy? You look all grown up now.”
    “I’m twenty-five, Benita. That does kind of make me all grown up.” Brick grinned and turned to me. “Besides, it’s a hit with the ladies. Look at the gorgeous girl I got to go out with me today with this new hairstyle.”
    “Well, I liked your curls,” Benita muttered as she walked away. “They’ll take ages to grow back.”
    Brick leaned across the table. “My curls were the butt of endless jokes in the locker room. They had to go. Phoenix’s wife, Brooke, made a comment that I looked like a beefed-up cherub and the cherub part stuck.” He shook his head. “Brick’s not the best name to be given but there’s no way in hell I can live with Cherub.”
    I let out a giggle. Cherub was the last word I’d use to describe Brick. There was nothing remotely angelic about him.
    “You think it’s funny?” He grinned and dug into his steaming lasagna.
    “Yeah.”
    “Unfortunately so did the guys. I love them, especially Phoenix, who’s been an older brother to me. But they show their affection in strange ways. Lots of cursing and plenty of whacks and wrestling.”
    I took a bite of my salmon. Delicious. Light and fluffy with the perfect amount of nutty pesto. “Are you going up to New York next week for the Ray Lenon show?” I asked, even though I knew he was. My agent had told me Brick was doing the interview so I’d put myself up for it too, hardly believing the opportunity to spend more time with him was being handed to me on a platter. Who knew charity work could be so wonderfully convenient?
    “Yeah, I’m going, are you?” he asked.
    “I think so. I just need to confirm it.” My train tickets were booked and so was my hotel room. My bag was half packed and there was a big red circle marking the day on my calendar.
    He set down his knife and fork and reached for his napkin. He wiped the corners of his mouth then leaned toward me. “I hope you do,” he said quietly, his gaze capturing mine. “Because if all goes as planned, we’ll be well past our first date by then.”
    The lust in his eyes hit me like a cannonball. I thought I was in control but suddenly I had doubts as to whether I’d be able to keep him harnessed. Whether I’d be able to keep my own carnal desires harnessed. I took another mouthful of wine. I was feeling hot. Hot and flustered.
    “How did you get on in the recording studio?” I asked to change the subject. We’d all gone in individually, all eighteen of us Florida athletes, to record our parts of the Promises and Dreams song. No one had actually met until the morning for the promotional photo, unless of course they were already teammates or friends.
    Brick groaned. “I’m no singer,” he said. “That much is obvious by the fact they’ve only given me one solo line in the whole song.”
    “I only have two,” I said with a smile.
    “Yeah, but you sound sweet. I sound like a troll who’s been kicked in the nuts.”
    I laughed. I’d heard his solo and a troll kicked in the nuts wasn’t a bad description. I guess he couldn’t be completely perfect, so if I had to take something I’d happily settle for a bad singing voice.
    He laughed too. “So I’d better not give up the day job for a career on Broadway then, eh?”
    “I think the day job is suiting you very well.”
    “Yeah,