The Tycoon's Marriage Exchange (6 page)

“No.  You’re fine.  I’ll go change.”  He disappeared down a hallway, leaving
Kallista
feeling more than a little lost.  She’d done
something
wrong yet again but had no idea what had prompted this anger.  All she’d done was fly halfway around the world to meet him at his request and now he was irritated
for some mysterious reason
.  She was starting to think that
perhaps grouchy
was just his normal mood. 

Maybe she should stop trying so hard to please him?  Perhaps approval from Hector was a bit like finding a unicorn, existing only in one’s imagination. 

He returned a few minutes later in a pair of flat front khaki slacks and a dark sweater
.  As she watched him approach,
instantly her mouth went dry and she was more than a little flustered.  She’d thought the man looked good in a suit
a
nd she’d only assumed that his jackets were padded.  But now, seeing him in a light sweater, she could see the muscles in his arms bulging against the material
and his hair glistened from a quick shower.  As he approached, she noticed that he smelled divine!  Whatever aftershave he used, she’d like to have some herself, just to
put in various places to remind her of….what was she thinking?  She already had enough trouble trying to keep him out of her dreams and here she was, coming up with ways to keep the mercurial man on her mind? 
 

“
W
hat?” he asked as he flipped through some papers before tossing them onto a desk.  “Are you ready?”

Kallista
pulled her eyes away and took a deep breath.  “Yes.  I guess I am.”

Dinner was entertaining since it was with several other couples that would be attending the game as well tonight.  She laughed with the other wives who greeted her as if she were an old friend, instantly bringing her to their side of the table so they could give her marriage advice and how to deal with megalomaniacs, which all the men were tagged for the night.  The men, on the other hand, were drinking bourbon and smoking cigars, slapping each other on the backs and taking bets in figures that made Kallista’s eyes widen at the large sums being tossed around.  Overall, the trash talking was amusing and Kallista was amazed to see a new side to Hector, one that showed him as one of the guys, a leader of the pack actually.  These men were friends, she thought, instead of just business acquaintances and she smiled inwardly
, happy
to know that Hector had others that cared about him. 

Traveling through New York was painfully slow but at the
massive New York
stadium, they were escorted
by security
through several underground tunnels that led out right to courtside seats.  Even
Kallista
knew that these seats were pretty impressive but she expected nothing less than that from Hector.  She couldn’t imagine him doing anything halfway. 

“How did you get these kinds of seats?” she asked as she settled down
and started looking for the agenda for the night
.
When she found nothing to tell her what would happen, she sat back and pretended to understand her surroundings
and what was happening on the court
. 

“I own the team,” he replied and stepped away to greet someone who was coming to shake his hand.

He said that so casually, as if it should have been assumed that he owned the team.  She supposed that traveling with Hector, one could basically assume that he owned wherever they were going. 
Wealth of
that magnitude was hard to comprehend but she supposed she should get used to it, even though she still didn’t want him buying everything for her.  

As the crowd started to find their seats, beer acquired and the pre-game announcements finalized, the crowd started to become more energized. 
Kallista
sighed and settled in
to her seat
, wondering what all the fuss was about.  It wasn’t like this was soccer, she thought to herself.  It was just a basketball game.

As the players came onto the court, she felt herself move to the edge of her seat
, the excitement contagious
.  With the tipoff,
Kallista
was rooting for Hector’s team.  “I’m guessing they are trying to get the ball into one of those hoops, right? 
Sort of a bit opposite of the Mayan’s
ball court
games, right?”

Hector looked down at her, surprised that she would make that comparison.  “I guess so.”
  Trust her to come up with something esoteric and assume it was common knowledge.  He loved history and knew about the Mayan sports.  And a part of him felt honored that she’d simply assumed he could relate. 

“Except no one loses their head, right?”

He laughed and agreed with her.  “Correct.  No one loses their head, at least
not
literally.”
  He glanced behind him, then leaned down and said, “Some of the fans can get a little out of control so follow my lead if I start heading out.”

“Will do.  So what are the rules?” she asked and
her eyes
followed the players as they moved the ball down the court one way, then bit her lip anxiously when the opposing team snagged the ball and headed in the opposite direction. 
“Our team isn’t supposed to let that happen, am I correct?”

At her interest, Hector relented and started explaining what was happening on the court.  She seemed genuinely excited and at least she was cheering for the right team.  With each play, he leaned towards her and explained
the strategy
and as she gained knowledge, her enthusiasm increased. 

Unfortunately, as her enthusiasm grew, her touches on his arm or leg also increased in both pressure and in intensity.  And each time the team scored, she hugged his arm which meant he felt her soft body pressed against his side
, his arm and his mind completely aware of her soft, full breasts as they rubbed him or pressed against him underneath that incredible sweater she wore
. 

By the second half of the game, he was gritting his teeth with the lust pouring through him.  At least this time he didn’t think she was doing it deliberately.  When his team scored, she inadvertently gripped his arm, pressing her soft breasts against his arm.  Or her hand would grip his thigh and she jumped up in her chair.  It was a close game, both teams scoring back and forth and by the last few minutes, he was almost hoping his team would lose just so he could end this torment. 

When the final bell sounded and the ball dropped into the hoop, his team scoring the winning two points,
Kallista
jumped up and threw herself into his arms.  There was nothing he could do but wrap his arms around her and enjoy her
gusto
, but he did so with straining muscles and
clenched
teeth. 

He wasn’t sure he was going to be able to deal with the next ten days until the wedding he thought as they made their way back through the tunnels to the team locker room.  As the owner, he knew it was essential that he show up and congratulate the team
on their hard fought win
.  They’d done a good job
, not giving up when the other team continued to score against them
and he owed them
a huge pat on the back for their efforts
. 
But all he really wanted to do was to carry Kallista off and make love to her
, for once in his life he wanted to ignore what he knew he should do, and proceed with what he wanted to do
. 
She wouldn’t appreciate that action though, and probably not even him thinking it.  He looked down at her shining head and bright eyes, wondering what was going through her mind right now. 

Kallista
watched in fascination as she and Hector were immediately surrounded by extra security.  Why they would need that as they walked through cement tunnels she had no idea but she walked alongside Hector, taking her cues from his attitude.  

When they entered the brightly lit locker room and the noise and sweat hit her, she was a bit taken aback, but tried to hide her surprise.  She thought this kind of thing was reserved for the team and
sports
reporters but she pretended to take it all in stride
, but she moved closer to Hector, feeling more secure with his heat and strength beside her
. 

As soon as they stepped in, the team hushed and all of them turned to face Hector.  “You all did a great job today.  I saw the effort each of you put into that game and I was very impressed.”

Kallista looked around, seeing the reactions of the other players and smiled with pride.  The team members were trying to impress Hector!  It wasn’t just about the paycheck or the glory.  There was something about the way Hector managed
the group
that helped each of the players dig just a little deeper, go that extra mile and make the play to help overcome their opponents.  It was a mysterious quality, but Hector had it if the expre
ssions on the players’ faces were
any indication.

“
I
s that you’re new fiancée?” someone called out from the back
of
the
locker
room.

Hector turned slightly and caught
Kallista
’s hand.  “Yes.  This is my fiancée
, Kallista Papadelias
.  It was her first basketball game and I can guarantee that you’ve made her a fan for life,” he announced.
  “Thanks for the win!”

Kallista
laughed and hugged his arm affectionately.  “It was a fabulous game
!
  I really enjoyed all of it.  Especially that last point!  Very exciting,” she said and smiled brightly at the team, all
of whom were pushing and jostling
each other,
back slapping the guys that had scored the most points or had a good shot. 

“You don’t really need this old guy’s money, Ms.
Kallista
,” one of the team members called out daringly
from the back of the pack
.  “
C
ome on over and marry me!  I got enough money to keep you in style.”

There were several hoops and laughter, more pushing and shoving and
Kallista
laughed good naturedly
and moved closer to Hector, showing her support for him, while not rejecting the team’s humor
. 
“I think I’ve found a keeper, gentlemen.” 

“She’d never leave Mr.
Christophe
for you, doofus!  But I got the last shot.  She’d leave him for my talent alone, wouldn’t you, Ms.
Kallista
?”

Kallista
shook her head
, leaning her head against Hector’s bicep and hugged his arm closely
.  “I’d never give up all this charm and personality,” she called right back, giving as good as she got.  The hoops and laughter at her comment increased exponentially and
Kallista
smiled up at Hector who only rolled his eyes. 

“W
ith that. I’ll bid you good night.  Have fun at the po
st game interviews and parties,”
he said and put his arm around
Kallista
’s back, guiding her out of the locker room and back
out
into the tunnel.

As soon as they were clear of the locker room, he moved away, dropping his arm from her back and she suddenly felt cold. 
“Thank you,
”
he said, bending down so only she could hear.

She glanced up at him, wondering if he was being sarcastic or if he was angry with her last comment
while in the locker room
.  “
F
or what?”

“For being a good sport.” 

They were guided quickly into the waiting limousine which immediately pulled away. 
Kallista
tried hard, but she
started
nodding off in the car
.  The day had been long and productive but she was exhausted after
having been up early this morning in an effort to meet an informant about her story.  Since these were the type of men who didn’t appreciate the daylight hours, she’d been at their meeting point by four thirty
that
morning
.  The plane ride
with all the requisite jet lag plus the excitement of the game made her extremely tired.

They drove right back to the plane which took off moments after they boarded. 
Kallista
tried very hard, but she couldn’t keep her eyes open.  About five minutes after takeoff, she was sound asleep,
unaware that she was
leaning against Hector’s shoulder for a pillow. 

Hector looked down at the woman sleeping beside him, trying to figure her out.  How could she be so open and friendly to a group of strange
, sweaty
men and yet any kind of touch fr
om him she started to pull away?
  He wasn’t fooled.  She touched him, but it was always in places that were innocuous.  His shoulder, his arm, his back…nothing that would give him any
encouragement to indicate
that she wanted more
from him
.