Eva for longer than I care to admit.” Mark realized he’d given his standard knee-jerk response. His statement wasn’t the only thing jerky.
Apparently, not only had his ex destroyed his self-esteem, she’d turned him into a judgmental jerk, too.
Before Mark could retract his glib response, Henry gave one of his characteristic shrugs and turned the conversation. “You asked about the confidentiality of the students. Staff will need signed release waivers from anyone they film. For anyone under age, they’ll need the waivers signed by either a parent or a legal guardian or we can’t use the film. You can use that as a way to keep your interactions confidential if you need to.”
“I understand. Thanks for checking on that for me.”
“I consider it part of my job. Despite any preconceived ideas you have about us, agents really do take care of more than the paperwork.”
“I’ll remember that.” Mark raised his hand in promise. “From now on, no preconceived ideas about agents or about doctors turned talk-show hosts.”
Henry gave him a nod. “That would be a good thing to remember.”
A good thing would be to wear sensible shoes on an athletic field. But Mark had stuck his own foot in his mouth enough already, so he refrained from saying it out loud as he watched Eva approach him.
To keep her heels from sinking into the grass, she had to take mincing steps on tiptoe, making her hips sway even more than he’d noticed earlier.
He’d always been a sucker for curvy women. His ex had cured him of a lot of his downfalls, but apparently not this one.
Mark had to exert great willpower to keep from gawking as Eva walked towards them.
Instead, he turned back toward the practice field where his nephew was now doing push-ups as punishment for some transgression, likely mouthing off. Mark worried about the boy. Aaron was too much like him at that age. The kid was going to get into real trouble if he didn’t change his ways.
But no amount of advice was going to keep Aaron safe from himself. Again, experience talking.
Mark gave the assistant coach a nod and a knowing look, even though the man wouldn’t see it with his attention focused on Aaron. If not for the dedication of men like him, he wouldn’t be who he was. He didn’t know how he would have turned out without such dedicated role models, he only knew he would have become someone a lot, lot worse.
Aaron had a good heart. But he also had a hot head. Between his mouthiness and his temper, he was too much of a handful for Mark’s sister to handle along with her new husband.
In the three months since Aaron had moved in with him, Mark’s grocery bill had quadrupled, his electricity bill had doubled and his social life had become non-existent.
Which explained why the Hispanic hottie in front of him captured more of his interest than he wanted to give her.
Time for a date night. What did he do with that cute little history teacher’s number?
Eva pointed her clipboard at him. “I’m only doing this for the numbers.”
“What numbers?”
“Ratings.” She looked out at the field then back at him. “Let’s get this right out in the open. It wasn’t my idea to partner with you, but I’m a professional and intend to make the best of it. I’m hoping you’ll extend me the same professional courtesy.”
Mark knew what she was referring to. “Professional courtesy like acknowledging your medical degree?”
“That’s a start.”
“I looked you up. You’re legitimate.”
“I looked you up, too.” She gave him a hard stare up and down. “You do a lot of volunteer work for the local high schools, this school in particular. You’re well respected among the educators and the coaches in the area. I’m impressed with your work.”
He hadn’t been expecting a compliment. “Thanks.”
“But you need to understand from the beginning that I’m the lead on this project. Got it?”
“Got it.” Mark gritted his teeth. It went against his nature to follow anyone’s lead. But his years in sports had taught him how to be a team player even if he couldn’t always be team captain.
Apparently, his tone didn’t convince her, because Eva put her hands on her hips, straining the fabric across her breasts as she drove her point home. “Those tricks you learned for getting through those five-minute press-release interviews you did when you were in high school won’t always save you when you have to fill a thirty-minute segment.”
She was a lot of woman. Swimsuit model came to mind—not the über-skinny kind selling women’s fashions but the kind that made it into men’s sports magazines, the kind that were substantial enough for a real man to put his hands on.
Women had always complimented his large hands.
He concentrated on her mouth instead. But those full red lips were as much of a distraction as the two buttons that threatened to pop.
Eyes, Mark. Look in her eyes and no lower.
“Are you listening to me, O’Donnell? This is a topic I’m very passionate about.”
Those flashing black eyes echoed her words. Yes, she was a passionate woman.
“Don’t worry, Dr. Veracruz. I’m a big fan of passion.”
Her brow furrowed, warning him she was readying herself for another impassioned lecture. As much as he would enjoy watching her deliver it, he also respected what she’d said.
“Give me a chance to try again with a better reply.” He was usually quicker thinking on his feet than this. He held up a hand, buying time as he gathered his thoughts.
“I have to admit, if you hadn’t stepped in and helped when I was explaining the heart-attack symptoms, I would have been sunk.” Mark always gave credit where credit was due. “To do this series the way it needs to be done, I’m going to need your experience.”
Eva was a sucker for a man who admitted he needed her. But Mark O’Donnell would be her exception. He was one of those kinds of men all smart women avoided, the kind of man who would scramble your brain and break your heart.
And she hadn’t yet got her mind straightened out from the last man she’d given her heart to.
Automatically her fingers felt for the missing wedding band that held a special place in her jewelry box. Almost two years.
The pain had finally become a dull thud instead of a sharp ache.
“Bad break-up?” Mark noticed her hands. He seemed to notice everything.
“You could say that.”
But she wasn’t about to trip down memory lane with this man in front of her.
“I really don’t want to talk about it.”
Maybe she would talk about it one day, but not today and not to this man.
Her camera crew awaited her signal as they sat in their steaming van on the coaches’ parking lot. Mid-September with both the temperature and humidity in the high nineties didn’t make waiting a pleasure.
She gave them a big wave and they tumbled out, dragging equipment with them.
Mark glared at them. “What’s this?”
“We’re here to get filler video, get the feel of the environment, maybe do an impromptu interview or two, that kind of thing.”
“I just agreed to do this show with you. How have you come already prepared?”
“It was happening with or without you.”
“So should I think