The Fearless Groom (Texas Titan Romances) Read online

  Izzy’s heart slammed into her chest. It was just a ride, but it felt like much more. Would he still want to take her home after she’d bought him like cattle on the auction block? Something was really bugging her about her father being so gracious with his money for the hospital on the condition that she buy Xavier.

  “I don’t take rides from someone I’ve just met.” She folded her arms under her chest and lifted an eyebrow.

  Xavier’s eyes dipped for just a second, but they quickly came back up to focus on hers. “That’s a shame. Here I am selling my body, I mean, a date for your hospital, but you can’t make the sacrifice of a simple ride?”

  He had her. Oh, man, did he have her. The thought of him selling that body brought heat to her neck. “So riding home with you would be a sacrifice?”

  “Depends on where we go on the ride.” He smirked and gave her a suggestive look that had her panting for air.

  Izzy put a hand on his chest and tried to push at him. Unfortunately, he didn’t budge, but the sculpted muscles of his chest felt sumptuous under her fingertips. “I’ll have you know that I’m a good Christian girl, and we won’t be going anywhere for a ride.” She pinned him with a look.

  A laugh bubbled out of his chest. She could feel it and hear it. He wrapped his large palm around hers. “I like you, Izzy with no last name. At least wait for me after. We can … talk.”

  Izzy pulled her hand free, not ready to make any promises. He’d quickly reminded her that he was a player in every sense of the word, and that was not the type of man she was looking for, ever. She’d buy him at the auction because it would help her hospital, but if he thought he was getting action on that date, he had another thing coming.

  “I don’t … talk.” She flipped her hair. “Goodbye, Mr. Newton.” She strode away angrily, not an easy feat in these stupid heels.

  “X!” She heard Kade call again. She made the mistake of glancing back at him when she reached her assigned table. He was watching her with a bemused expression like she was a toy he would like to have fun with. Well, she was nobody’s toy, no matter how successful, famous, and handsome they were. Especially when they were all of those things. Her father could be described as two of those three things, and he’d only brought misery to her and her mother, heaven rest her soul. Izzy would stay safe and far away from men like Xavier Newton. At least, she would after she got through tonight and the date she would be purchasing. Hopefully, Xavier would only want to go to dinner in a very public place, and she could just put on a fake smile and soldier through. Too much time spent alone with that man would spell a lot of trouble for her, and trouble wasn’t something she had time or energy for.

  2

  Xavier joked with Ace, but his palms were sweating so much he couldn’t have caught a ball if the Championship Game depended on it. He was struggling to cut the perfectly cooked meat in front of him. It was medium rare and probably fifty dollars a steak, and he couldn’t even enjoy it. Kade had disappeared, chasing after the pretty redhead he’d had his eye on and Xavier really wished both of his friends were here.

  He glanced around the room, searching for Kade. Several women winked at him. A few others licked their lips, and most of them were staring at him or one of his buddies. Most of these same women all had men at their side. He hated these events because he hated people who promenaded their wealth. Silly to say, now that he was insanely wealthy, but he still felt like that kid growing up in Colfax, the west side of downtown Denver, just wishing he could find somebody to toss a football with him and hoping to avoid drugs and gangs and to keep his mama safe.

  Finally, Kade walked back in, waving to the crowd and poised as ever. He settled down next to Xavier, cut a bite of meat and asked, “You picked out a little hottie you’re hoping will bid on you?”

  “Not yet.” Xavier leaned back in his chair and grinned, looking like the overconfident player his agent had worked hard to build up in the world’s eyes. Even though Xavier hated all the fake dates and publicity, he supposed his agent’s plan had worked. His contract was up this year, and he was a free agent. The Titans and Denver Storm were fighting over him, both throwing out increasingly ridiculous numbers. His agent was eating it up and claiming it was all because of the image he’d created for Xavier.

  Xavier would love to go home to Denver. He felt compelled to be there for his mama and his little buddy, Marcos. Marcos was an eight-year-old Mama watched out for when Marcos’ mom worked late. The kid was already being targeted by gangs and drug runners. Yet Xavier was torn, not wanting to leave Texas and break up the Triple Threat. He loved these guys like brothers.

  His eyes perused the room again and landed on the beauty in the teal blue dress who had fallen into his arms on the way in. “Okay, maybe one,” he said to Kade.

  She looked up, and their eyes met. Something deep and true passed between them, and not for the first time, Xavier cursed his agent for making him look like a womanizer. Izzy had definitely cooled off when he flirted with her, and it was probably because she thought he was a huge player. Little did anyone know his agent set up most of his dates, and they never lasted past coffee and dessert.

  “Point her out.” Kade urged him.

  Xavier lowered his voice. “Spanish beauty, teal blue dress, about your two o’clock.”

  To his surprise, instead of giving his approval or razzing him that Xavier could never get a date with someone that exquisitely beautiful, Kade burst out a short laugh. “Dude! Do you know who she is?”

  Xavier straightened, blinked a couple of times. “Izzy. A nurse at the children’s hospital.”

  “Oh, man.” Kade was laughing too hard to explain.

  While Xavier waited very impatiently for an explanation, the singer America Starr and the comedian Malcolm took the stage. America started praising everyone for being there and then spent a full minute reminding them their generous donations went to help all the “darling children.” She was a child herself, so Xavier thought that line fell a little flat and seemed funny. When she started gushing about the hot bachelors, he didn’t find it funny at all. Xavier, Ace, and Kade had all eyes on them. Kade stopped laughing and smiled cockily at the crowd.

  Xavier needed to know who Izzy really was. What had he missed?

  Ace was on the chopping block first, and Xavier could only hope he didn’t appear as cagey and uncomfortable as Ace. Then again, who was he to judge? His palms were already producing their own sweat bank, and he kept wiping them on the cloth napkin on his lap. He didn’t hold out much hope of someone delectable, like the beautiful Izzy, being able to bid on him. It would have to be some ridiculously wealthy chick. Then he’d spend the night of the date with her talking about Prada, Gucci, Hermes, or maybe Manolo Blahnik’s latest shoes and which parts of Europe or Asia were his favorite to visit. His brow creased just thinking about it, but he’d been on hundreds of said dates. What was one more if it helped children?

  “Dude, smile.” Kade admonished him.

  Xavier forced a grin and noticed a few women titter at him. Honestly, curse the dimples. “Tell me about Izzy,” he said in a harsh undertone. He was going to thump Kade after this was over for laughing instead of giving him the details he needed.

  “Later, you’re up.” He nudged him.

  A beautiful brunette in a skimpy red dress had purchased Ace for three hundred and twenty thousand dollars. Sheesh. Ace flashed a perfunctory smile, looking pleased about it on the outside, but Xavier didn’t think that was really the case. Ace had almost as big of a chip on his shoulder regarding wealthy people as Xavier did.

  Malcolm told a few jokes and got the crowd roaring. Then America turned Xavier’s way with a predatory grin on her face. Xavier wanted to recoil but kept his smile in place. What was she, all of seventeen years old and made up like a streetwalker? He prayed he had only sons.

  “Get your handsome self on up here.” America cooed at him. Xavier’s thigh muscles flexed as he stood, and he heard a sigh from some nearby women. He’d bee
n idolized for his receiving yards, he knew women loved the stupid dimples, and most of his dates were a sham, but he’d never felt quite so demeaned as he did right now. Suddenly, he was a piece of property to be ogled over and bid on, not a man who had feelings. Okay, he wasn’t some touchy-feely guy, but he was a human being with a mind. All for the sake of football. Curse his agent and curse the owner, James Knight, for making them do this.

  Xavier strode to the platform, towering over America even in her ridiculous shoes. Izzy’s shoes had a decent heel on them, but they simply flattered her. She was a nice height, probably five six or seven, without the heels. America looked like a little girl playing dress up compared to the mature, classy Izzy.

  He grinned at the crowd, raising a hand. Quite a few people waved back at him.

  “Yes, show off those dimples for us.” America clapped her hands around the mic. “Ladies, how could you possibly resist this glorious man?” She licked her lips, and he wondered how that thick red goop stayed on. “Yummy!”

  The crowd tittered, and half of the women looked like they wanted to sink their teeth into him. He glanced over to Izzy’s table. Her face looked as disgusted with America’s diatribe as he felt. Their eyes caught, and all the other nonsense fell away. Izzy gave him an innocent smile, and he realized what he hadn’t been able to put his finger on. She was different than all the women his agent lined him up with because she hadn’t pushed to initiate something when he’d offered to take her on a drive. She was beautiful and innocent. But Kade had said there was something about her. Something that had his friend cackling at him. What was it?

  The bidding started, and Xavier forced himself to break eye contact with Izzy and smile at the women who were bidding on him. They started the bidding at fifty grand. For one stinking date! At least, it was going to help Izzy’s hospital. That thought made posturing up here and the dread he felt about going on one more date that meant nothing to him more endurable. His eyes bobbed from woman to woman as they threw their little auction fans up to bid on him. There were quite a few battling it out at first. Some were quite beautiful and some obviously past their prime and kind of terrifying to him. The way their eyes perused his body repulsed him.

  When the bidding approached two hundred grand, he felt sick to his stomach. He shouldn’t have attempted to eat that steak. How could they just throw around money like this? He could’ve rebuilt his entire neighborhood for two hundred thousand dollars growing up. It’s for a good cause. It’s for a good cause.

  The bidding was down to two women now—a twenty-something platinum blonde with a voluptuous figure that you couldn’t miss in her miniscule black dress and a seventy-year-old grandma. The older lady looked classy in a peach business suit and smiled kindly at him, like she might actually be here to donate this money to charity. Maybe she wanted to give the time spent with Xavier to her ten-year-old grandson who loved football. A guy could hope, right?

  “Five hundred thousand dollars.” The voice rang out clear and beautiful and from the corner where Izzy had been sitting simply watching him be bid on moments earlier.

  The entire room seemed to cease all movement and sound. Xavier looked over, and to his amazement and happiness, Izzy sat with her shapely legs crossed and her bidding fan up in the air. She met his gaze and gave him a brief smile before glancing back to America.

  The singer’s mouth gaped open. She finally snapped her jaw back into place and said, “Well, we’ve got a new bidder on the floor, my friends, and a very generous one to boot.” She glanced at the other two women. “Do I hear five-twenty-five?” Her voice squeaked as if even she realized the absurdity of the number.

  Everyone else in the room was still staring in shock, including Xavier. That was more than the price of a home, and for a date with him? And Izzy? A nurse? What on earth was going on? He wanted to go pin Kade down and rap on his chest until he told Xavier what he knew about this woman that had him laughing so hard a few minutes ago.

  Xavier stared at Izzy with a questioning look. She arched an eyebrow and simply lowered her hand, setting the fan on the white tablecloth and placing her fingers in her lap. Her face wasn’t flirtatious or warm now. It was oddly businesslike. He felt like he’d been tackled by Brady Giles, the two hundred and fifty pound defensive end from New England.

  “Ladies?” America tried again, probably thinking she might as well go for more money if they were willing. The pause was long and awkward. Xavier hated James Knight, the team owner, for requiring him to be here, and he hated everyone in this room, except Ace and Kade, for thinking he was their entertainment. Might as well put on a gladiator costume and go chop off some heads. No, these people would probably prefer he dressed like Magic Mike and strip. It was disgusting, and he was fed up. Then he realized he was going to get to go on a date with Izzy. He’d definitely felt something when they were talking earlier, and she was exquisitely beautiful and seemed to have a head on her shoulders, but something was off about her, and until he got Kade alone, he wouldn’t know what it was.

  “And this handsome bachelor, Xavier Newton, goes to the lovely Isabella Knight.”

  Knight? Knight? It couldn’t be. His jaw tightened. That would explain where she got five hundred grand to throw around. He stared at her, but Izzy wasn’t looking at him now, focused on America like she was ready for more entertainment.

  A young man in a tux approached the stage and handed Malcolm a piece of paper. He flipped it open and read quickly. His eyes widened. “Oh, Izzy, you are going to love this, girlfriend. Ladies and gentlemen, in case you didn’t know James Knight is Izzy’s illustrious father. You might have heard of him—owner of the Texas Titans and Knight Oil and Enterprise.” He paused, and everyone chuckled. “Mr. Knight wanted to surprise his beloved daughter. You see, Izzy is a nurse practitioner for Dallas Children’s Hospital.” He waited again, and the room oohed appropriately. “Mr. Knight, knowing how much his daughter loves her hospital, has just offered to donate double whatever Izzy bid tonight. A million dollars! How about that?”

  The cheering was loud and unanimous. Xavier had no clue what his face was doing, but if it was as upset as the rest of him, he sure hoped the paparazzi hadn’t snuck in here. Isabella Knight. The owner’s daughter. The same owner who had picked Xavier up for way below what his agent thought he was worth, but now was willing to pay whatever it took to keep him in Dallas and keep the Triple Threat together. He’d really thought Izzy was different from the usual pampered girls. Obviously not.

  The cheering finally died down, and Xavier started to walk away. At least, his time in the limelight was over, but now, he had to plan a date for him and Izzy. The thought would’ve thrilled him an hour ago.

  “Whoa, whoa, stud. Slow down there.” America had a hold of the back of his suit coat, and the crowd was laughing now. “We need to hear what you think about all of this.” He turned to her, and she jammed the microphone into his mouth.

  Xavier forced a smile. “I think it’s great. Such a worthy cause, and I’m glad to hear that I play for an owner who cares about children as much as I do.”

  Everyone smiled and many clapped their approval. It was well known that his mama had started charities for children at home and abroad and he funded them all.

  He tried to walk away again.

  “One more question.” America had a hold of his arm now. “What are you going to plan for the lovely Miss Knight?” America winked at him as if he was going to take Izzy off to some skanky hotel.

  Xavier found his gaze drawn to Izzy again. Her smile was tentative and almost as beautiful as the rest of her. Unfortunately, beauty didn’t matter a whole lot when you were a snake in the grass. He’d been lured into a lot of uncomfortable and dangerous situations, from preschool on up, but he had the feeling this one was going to be one of the worst. A brilliant thought struck him. He’d teach the rich girl a lesson and enjoy every second of it. Take her to a scummy restaurant and maybe a tractor pull or the paintball experience he, Ace, and Kade had r
ented out for the team a few weeks ago. That would be fabulous. Shoot her right between those beautiful brown eyes. Eyes that were staring expectantly at him.

  “Oh, don’t worry. It’ll be a date our beautiful princess will never forget.” He gave her a snarky smile and stormed off the stage. Let her interpret that any way she wanted to. Ace held out his fist as he reached the safety of their table, and Xavier gave it a bump. Kade stood and waved as the crowd exploded with expectant joy for their beloved quarterback, giving Xavier a manly backslap hug on his way past. “Sorry, man. I should’ve told you,” he muttered.

  “It’s good.” He let Kade go and relaxed into his seat. When he looked up, Izzy was staring at him.

  “Sorry.” She mouthed.

  Xavier leaned back in his chair and zeroed in on her. She thought she’d get off the hook with a lame sorry? This was only the beginning. He arched both eyebrows at her and gave her what he hoped was a smoldering look. If she was one-tenth as innocent as he’d originally thought, she should be crawling in her skin right now. He was going to make her think he was the wolf about to devour the delicious chicken. The joke would be on her when he took her on the craziest redneck date of her life. He was going to be extra careful not to touch her though. All the heat he had felt earlier tonight could not happen with a princess like Isabella Knight.

  She returned his look with a smirk of her own. Xavier hated to admit it, but he kind of liked the challenge in her eyes. Let the games begin.

  3

  Izzy couldn’t draw her eyes away from Xavier as he reclined casually in his chair and dared her with a searing look to become one of his floozies. There’d been a moment there where she’d glimpsed an uncertainty and purity that had drawn her in much more than his good looks, talent, or fame would ever do. But it had disappeared, and now, he was the hot ladies’ man who planned on treating her like every other plaything he dated.