The All-Star Antes Up (Wager of Hearts #2) Read Online Free Page A

her long, dark hair was still neatly tucked into its low ponytail.
    After straightening the collar of her blouse, she opened the door of her office and strode across the lobby’s granite floor, her heels clicking on the stone. The Pinnacle had been built with the finest materials, but this gold-and-gray floor was her favorite, reminding her of hot desert sand swirling around cool river rocks. Sometimes she still couldn’t quite believe she worked in such a spectacular building whose residents were on every A list in their respective fields. It was a far cry from milking cows in upstate New York, but she’d worked darn hard to get here.
    Her boss, Orin Spindle, had chosen his office for its impressive size rather than its convenience, so she had to hike down a lengthy hallway to reach it. Although Miranda was an assistant concierge, the small, elegant office she shared with her fellow assistant Sofia Nunez was much more accessible to the building’s tenants, which meant they tended to come there first. Depending on his mood, that either irritated or relieved Orin.
    His door was closed. Not a good sign. Miranda knocked lightly.
    “Come in.” Her boss nearly sang the words.
    She braced her shoulders and turned the knob. Once inside, her first impression was that Orin’s capacious office was crowded. The impression resolved itself into the presence of two very tall men seated in the black leather armchairs in front of Orin’s desk. Since there were no chairs left, Miranda walked to the side of the desk. “Good morning,” she said with a polite smile.
    Dismay clenched a fist in her chest when she recognized the men as the Archer brothers.
    Almost anyone in the New York metropolitan area would be able to identify Luke Archer, the superstar quarterback of the New York Empire, winner of four Super Bowls, and a media darling for his blond hair, blue eyes, and laconic charm. He lived in the building, but she rarely saw him since he was either training, playing, or at his ranch in Texas during the off-season. And his penthouse had its own private entrance. He made very few requests of the concierge service, partly because he had a full-time assistant and partly because he was showered with invitations to every exclusive event in the New York metro area without having to ask.
    His brother, Trevor, was a different story. She’d heard that he had a PhD from Harvard, but he didn’t seem to have done much with it. He had the same blue eyes as his brother, but his hair was light brown, and his physique was lanky, rather than superbly muscled like the athlete sitting next to him. When Trevor visited his brother, he availed himself of the concierge services with gusto. In fact, she’d had a problem with him last night, but she couldn’t imagine Orin calling her in about that.
    Luke Archer surged to his feet, towering over her. “Morning, ma’am,” he said, his Texas accent making it sound friendlier than he probably intended. “Please,” he said, gesturing to his chair.
    “Thank you, but I’m fine,” Miranda said with a quick shake of her head. Orin would be angry if she took a client’s chair.
    Trevor looked somewhere to her left as he nodded in her general direction.
    Luke didn’t return to his seat. Instead, he folded his arms and leaned against the wall near her. She was used to celebrities, but Luke Archer was beyond that—he was a living legend in New York. She couldn’t help slanting a quick sidelong glance to take in the breadth of his shoulders under the pale blue T-shirt and the swell of his thigh muscles under well-worn jeans. He exuded a coiled energy that must explode on the playing field. It certainly made her breath come a little faster.
    “Miranda, I am concerned about a complaint from Mr. Archer that you would not accommodate his request last night,” Orin said, his voice oozing with false courtesy.
    Trevor shifted so the leather chair creaked. Miranda dragged her attention away from Luke. “I