“Since right after college.”
Jacobe frowned, upset by the idea that she’d been so close without him even knowing. Though he had thought of her over the years, he hadn’t gone so far as to track her down. “I didn’t know that.”
“We don’t exactly hang out in the same circles.” She glanced at his teammates.
“I guess not.”
Debra leaned forward. “So, Jacobe, how do you know Danielle?”
Jacobe met Debra’s eyes and searched for any indication she already knew about his one night with Danielle. He couldn’t fault Danielle for telling people about that night—a few of the women he’d had one-night stands with over the years had loved to brag about it afterward. He would be slightly disappointed if Danielle had done the same. That night had been spontaneous and wonderful, awkward but somehow special. A secret between them. He’d never expected her to brag.
“What did Danielle say?”
“That she helped you study, but that’s about it.”
Relief eased more of the tension. She hadn’t bragged to her friend. “Danielle tried helping me out in biology. I was a little hardheaded then.”
Danielle raised a brow. “Just a little.”
Debra leaned forward and looked expectantly between him and Danielle. “Was she just as driven back then as she is now?”
“When it came to biology and giving back she was. I remember her always trying to get me to volunteer for various causes or skip parties to study.”
Danielle smirked and leaned against the bar. “Tried but was unsuccessful. You never wanted to volunteer, and there was always some party to attend.”
“I gave back in my own way. You always liked to judge.”
Her shoulders straightened. “I didn’t judge.”
“Yes, you did.” He looked back at Debra. “When she rolled up the sleeves of those cute little sweaters she wore I knew she was pissed and that someone was about to get chewed out.”
Debra laughed. “She still does that. In the office we say she’s ready for battle.”
Danielle held up her hands. “I’m going up against politicians and businessmen. I have to be ready for battle.” The familiar fight-for-what’s-right tone came to her voice.
Isaiah watched her with growing interest. “Politicians and business men? What do you do?”
“I’m the executive director for the St. Johns River Watchers.”
Jacobe exchanged glances with the fellas to see if they recognized the organization’s name. Isaiah nodded. Of course he would know. Kevin and Will shrugged.
“Impressive,” Isaiah said.
“The River Watchers?” Jacobe asked. “What’s that?”
Her look said she was disappointed but not surprised by his ignorance. “We’re a watchdog organization that makes sure businesses, governments and citizens aren’t doing anything to harm the river. Our goal is to protect the river and, ultimately, the beach.”
Jacobe wasn’t surprised by her career path. “You’re still trying to save the world, huh.”
Her shoulders stiffened. “And you’re still turning your nose up at saving the world.”
Kevin cleared his throat. “Oh, look, I think I see the sign to get out of the cross fire.” He looked at Isaiah, Will, and Debra. “Pool, anyone?”
The others agreed quickly and scuttled away. “Wow,” Danielle said, watching the four leave. “We still know how to clear a room.” She took a sip from the straw in her fruity drink.
Jacobe chuckled. “We didn’t even have to raise our voices this time. Remember when they kicked us out of the library?”
She smiled. “Yes, the study session before our first test of the semester. You were so distracted and you kept pulling out your cell phone to do other things.”
“The test right before a rivalry game,” he replied. “I was trying to watch videos of the other team’s footage.”
“You couldn’t wait until we’d finished? One hour, that’s all we had.”
“I couldn’t help it. We met right after practice. I had basketball on the brain.”
“How hard was it to focus for an hour?”
“Very.” He thought of that day. Basketball hadn’t been the only thing on his brain. “You had on that pink sweater with a tight white T-shirt under it.” She’d buttoned the sweater to right beneath her breasts. The swell of her chest above it was like a beacon to his eyes. “I had to look at videos on my phone or stare and wonder how you’d squeezed into that shirt.”
Her mouth snapped shut and her eyes were wide. He chuckled. “Yes, I was checking you out back then. I thought you would have figured that out by now.”
“I hadn’t. I thought it was just that night.”
He shook his head. “I wanted you long before that night.”
She tucked her hair behind her ears and stared into her drink. “You never said anything.”
“I’m not into cheating. Too much drama.” Something he’d learned the hard way.
Her eyes flew to his. “Neither am I. I only...did what I did because I’d heard you and Christy broke up.”
“We had.” They should have stayed broken up.
“But then I heard you two were back together.”
“We got back after the draft. She said she was pregnant.” He couldn’t stop the anger from creeping into his voice.
Her eyes widened. “You have a kid?”
He shook his head. “Thought I did. Turns out he wasn’t mine.”
“Oh.”
“That’s why I hit Rob tonight. He brought it up.”
She scowled. “In the middle of the game. That’s a dick move.”
Jacobe grinned. He’d always loved her candor. Her spark. “Some would say the same about me hitting him.”
Her brows pulled together and she drew her lower lip between her teeth. “I’d thought that when you hit him and walked away so coldly. I guess I understand now. I’m sorry to hear about what Christy did.”
“I don’t want to talk about that.” He shouldn’t have told her. Only a few people knew about that situation. A part of him didn’t want Danielle to think he’d slept with her that night and gotten back with Christy on a whim.
He needed to change the subject before the old familiar bitterness of that situation took a hold of him. He’d come here for a distraction. He let his gaze slowly roam over every inch of Danielle’s sexy curves. “Instead of talking about the past, how about we get out of here?”
The sympathy in her eyes evaporated. “Excuse me?”
“I thought we could catch up. It’s been years.”
“Yeah, and we can catch up right here, right now.”
“You don’t have to be shy with me, Danielle. You popped up at my game, in the seat right behind me. Kind of reminds me of that night. I’m good with us hooking up again.”
Danielle leaned back. “I was there because one of our donors gave us his courtside seats. I didn’t think you’d even remember or recognize me.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because