In the Red Zone by Crista McHugh Page A

falling faster than normal.
    But thankfully, by the time Tre and Denise entered her office, she and Frank had managed to get themselves in order.
    Her brother stopped short when he saw his teammate, his eyes narrowing. “What are you doing here?”
    “Just showing Kiana something I’ve been working on.” He squared his shoulders and stared at Tre like he had every right to be there. “I was demonstrating a few things I’d like to try. That is, if she was open to the idea.”
    A new wave of heat rose into her cheeks, and she stared at the top of her desk. If he followed through on what he promised, she was more than open to the idea. Unfortunately, a night of pleasure in his bed had nothing to do with the foundation she needed to run during the day.
    The staring match intensified, only now she was bearing some of the anger from Tre’s glare. Time to diffuse it before the boys got into a fistfight.
    After she introduced Frank to Denise, she beckoned her brother and stepmother over to her computer. “Come see what Frank set up for the foundation.”
    Denise came over first and smiled when she saw the auction website. She clicked through some of the listings, her smile widening. “Look at all the items!”
    That was all Tre needed to end his silent standoff. He joined his mother at the computer screen. “Where did you get all this?”
    “I just asked around,” Frank replied with a shrug. “I have a few more things in works, though.”
    His gaze fell on Kiana in an unspoken dare that asked if she was up to accepting his offer.
    She turned away before he saw how tempted she was. Her heart hammered in her chest, but she managed to keep her voice level as she said, “The online auction might be a good idea. It will raise awareness for the foundation beyond the local level and help us raise more funds.”
    “I couldn’t agree more.” Denise placed her hand on Frank’s arm and smiled up at him. “We can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done.”
    Frank turned his charming grin on her. “I’m just getting started, Mrs. Dyer. Your husband was an inspiration to me, and this is my chance to pay it forward.”
    “And what else are you planning on doing?” Tre asked in a way that clearly said keep your hands off my sister .
    “Depends on when Kiana tells me to stop.”
    Her pulse went into overdrive. Oh, dear Lord, would these boys just grow up? “So far, I’m liking everything Frank’s done.”
    And that includes what was happening a few minutes ago .
    Frank caught the underlying meaning of her answer and bounced on his heels. “Good to know, because as I mentioned, I have a few more things up my sleeve.”
    “Such as?” Tre asked, his frown deepening.
    “My brother is asking some of his hockey buddies for items, for example. After all, hockey gear can be pricey, but the kids still need good brain buckets if they want to play.”
    The boy was so good at playing the innocent act, Kiana wondered how many times he’d gotten away with it. At least it kept her from getting a tongue lashing from her brother, although she’d probably hear about it later once Frank left.
    Denise, however, remained the peacekeeper. “And the foundation would gladly fund any youth hockey programs in need.”
    “I’ll pass that on to Ben so he can drum up some more support.”
    Tre’s expression darkened into something akin to jealousy. “Well, that’s nice and all, but we have lunch reservations.”
    It was his way of ending the conversation before Frank got any more praise, but Kiana was grateful they had a reason to leave. Any more time in Frank’s presence, and she might forget herself.
    “Would you like to join us?” Denise asked.
    Frank took one look at Tre before shaking his head. “Thank you, Mrs. Dyer, but I have a plane to catch.”
    That got her attention. Kiana lifted her gaze to him, trying to decipher what the next step in his plan was. “Where are you going?”
    “Orlando,” he replied as though he were