He’d been more interested in trying to finagle a way to get her to do his homework.

Now she was going to be in the driver’s seat.

She stared out over the boxes, debating whether to unpack them.

She’d leave them, see how this assignment went. If it didn’t work out, if it didn’t light the fire under her after a few days, she’d call Chandler and tell him she was out.

But she’d give it a try. For her dad.

TWO

AFTER HER FLIGHT, HAVEN SAT IN THE BACK OF A TAXI bound for Trevor’s place outside St. Louis, equal parts nervous and excited. The rules Trevor had set down for this exposé were a little unorthodox, but whatever. If the network had agreed to it, she could live with it. For any other athlete, she’d have said hell no. But she’d known Trevor a long time. She knew how he felt about his privacy, and she knew he liked to call the shots.

She’d be staying on the grounds of his house here in St. Louis, at least while they were here. But when the camera crews showed up, they’d have to stay in a hotel. Trevor had to approve the filming segments, and he wanted some one-on-one time with Haven to discuss the parameters, especially as it related to his background.

She smiled as she took in the view of the St. Louis Gateway Arch as the car breezed along the highway. She’d seen the view of the stadium from the plane, and it reminded her of her dad bringing her up to see a Rivers baseball game. She and her mom had been so excited that summer they’d come up for a weekend of sightseeing and baseball. She’d been twelve, and they’d gone to Forest Park to visit the zoo, and then that night had gone to see the Rivers play baseball. They’d stayed in a hotel downtown near the stadium and had even gone out to dinner.

For a twelve-year-old, it had been an exciting time. The city had been lit up, and they’d even walked down along the riverfront before the game. It had been a perfect summer weekend, her first of many here. Haven had loved St. Louis. She was happy to be back here again, and surprised at how excited she was to get started on this assignment.

Now the car took them out of the city, away from the stadium and toward the county.

Not at all what she expected. For some reason she thought Trevor would live in a condo in the city near the stadium, not in a gated community with tall, tree-lined streets.

Her jaw dropped when the car pulled up the long drive to what had to be Trevor’s house.

This had to be wrong. It was like a freakin’ mansion, not at all where she expected him to live. The entire drive was thick with trees, the house a massive, gorgeous, two-story Colonial. The car stopped out front and the driver opened the door for her.

Trevor came out the front door wearing casual sweats and a sleeveless shirt, a big smile on his face.

“Hey, you’re here,” he said to Haven before turning toward the driver. “You can put those inside the front door. I’ll take it from there.”

“Yes, sir,” the driver said, taking Haven’s bags through the double white front doors.

Haven found herself unable to move. Instead, she gaped at the house, taking it all in, trying to reconcile this reality with her expectations.

“I thought you’d live in a condo.”

He laughed and laid his hand at the small of her back, propelling her inside. “Nah. I need my space. Besides, I don’t want to hear my neighbors arguing all night long. I like my privacy. Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Blinking to clear the fog away, she let him lead her. Inside, she was greeted by amazing Italian marble on the floor, and an expansive staircase leading to the second floor.

“Want the tour first, or would you rather I take your stuff to your room? There’s a separate wing to this place, so you’ll have plenty of privacy. You don’t need to worry about me infringing on your space.”

“Oh, a tour, definitely.” She couldn’t wait to see all this property had to offer.

“Sure.”

He took her into a formal living room. “I don’t spend a lot of time in here. It’s too stuffy. There’s a more relaxed, informal space I like better on the other side of the house.”

Next was a beautiful dining room.

“Where did you get all this furniture?” she asked, because there were beautiful antique tables and sideboards in the dining room.

“I don’t know. I have a person who helped furnish some of the rooms. I think she buys some of this stuff at auctions. I don’t use this room, either,” he said.

Haven reluctantly left the dining room, gawking at some of the artwork on the walls.

“I do spend time in here.”

She stopped and stared at the amazing kitchen with its dark wood cabinetry and stunning granite countertops. The island itself was a cook’s dream come true, and the six-burner chef’s stove made her want to drop everything and cook for about a week.

“This is amazing.”

He grinned. “Yeah, I like a good kitchen, too.” He turned to her. “While we’re in here, are you thirsty? Would you like something to drink?”

“I’m good for now. How about we finish the tour first?”

“Sure. There’s an eat-in area in the next room, a lot more informal than the dining room.”

“Oh, yes. I see what you mean.” There was a big table and a fireplace, and white-framed windows with shutters in this room. Haven felt instantly relaxed in this room, much less like she’d have to dress up to eat in there. “It feels comfortable here.”

“Exactly. And the sunroom is next to this room.”

“Oh, wow.” The sunroom was huge, with screened floor-to-ceiling windows and white wood floors. The light was incredible in this room, and the furnishings were casual and bright, with lots of pillows for comfort. “I love this room.” She could write in here, or just relax with a cup of coffee in the morning. She walked to the edge of the sunroom, which overlooked one amazing backyard and pool. She looked past the pool and all she could see were thick, tall trees. The wooded area was amazing.

“How much acreage do you have?”

“Four acres. Like I said, I don’t like having neighbors I can hear.”

“I’d say you’re good to go, then.”

He directed her toward the back of the house. “There’s an exercise room back here, along with a spa and a sauna. And then this door leads out to the pool deck.”

Haven was amazed by all the equipment. “You have an entire gym in here.”

“Yeah. It’s handy, especially during the off-season, if I need to have my trainer over for workouts.”

She turned to face him. “You have an off-season?”

He laughed. “A few weeks here and there. Come on, we’ll head on over to the other wing.”

As they passed the staircase, she stopped him. “What’s upstairs?”

“My bedroom.” He gave her a grin. “Want to see it?”

“Actually, I do.”

He seemed to hesitate. “I think housekeeping staff is in there right now cleaning. So maybe another time?”

“Oh. Sure.”

“Come on.”

He walked her across a long hallway to another section of the house.

“This is your wing. Like I said, you’ll have plenty of privacy here. There are four bedrooms here, and an office. You can use the office whenever you need to, and choose whatever bedroom you want. Each one has its own bathroom.”

She wandered into each of the bedrooms, all of them bigger than her apartment in New York City. She chose one with mocha walls and a beautiful bed, plus an oversized bathroom that just felt perfect to her. Plus, her bedroom had a view of the pool and the acreage out back.

“This one will definitely do.”

“Great. I’ll go get your bags and bring them up.”

“I’ll help you.”

They did it all in one trip. “I’ll just unpack and change clothes,” she said after Trevor set down her bags.

“Okay. Are you hungry? I’ll get us some dinner ordered.”

“Ordered?”

“I have someone on staff here who cooks. Salmon or steak tonight? Unless you’re vegetarian. Hammond makes kickass tofu stir-fry, too.”

“I’m not vegetarian, and either sounds great to me.”

“Okay. See you downstairs.”

After he shut the door, she shook her head. Not only was she living in a huge house, he had people to help him take care of it.

Did he even live alone, or were there other people here?

A girlfriend, maybe? She hadn’t even asked.

He’d been so polite, too. Not at all like his typical teasing ways. He hadn’t seemed like himself, which was . . . odd.

Haven shrugged it off and chalked it up to maybe Trevor treating her differently because he was doing an interview with her. It wasn’t like before, when she was just Bill Briscoe’s daughter, and he could laugh and tease with her. Though she certainly wouldn’t care either way. She knew when to get into professional mode, and right now she was just . . . Haven. She hoped he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable around her. That was the last thing she needed. She felt uncomfortable enough in her own skin these days.

She took a look around, pretty damned impressed with what she saw. The house was huge, the furnishings expensive but tasteful. He’d obviously put some care and effort into this place, unlike a lot of guys who might just buy a condo and get a couch and a TV and not care. It was clear that he cared, that this place meant something to him.

Trevor had certainly come a long way. Much further than she’d expected. He had a chef, and people to clean his house. He’d certainly surprised the hell out of her. She had no idea he was doing so well for himself. He’d always seemed so laid back. A blue-jeans-and-T-shirt kind of guy. She’d just never given much thought to his salary, though she knew he made a lot of money playing both baseball and football. And he had all those endorsement deals, too. He was a popular athlete, both on the field and off.