“You continue serving the community. You’ve made the Hurricanes a priority, following all the rules set forth.” This time Finch looked directly at me. He turned a page in the folder. “We are proposing the position of interim owner, meaning if you show good decision making and can help the Hurricanes move in the right direction and help with the salary cap and luxury tax, then we think you could be full owner by the time the season begins.” He closed the folder and adjusted his suit. The three men looked proud of themselves, which meant they were making a change for a reason none of us knew. A bad reason.
I looked at Madison as she sat stoically. I couldn’t help but be proud of her. Except for dumping me, she had made all the right moves in life, following in her father’s footsteps.
“You’ll also have decision making in all future signings and trades. We need to move salaries in the near future,” Finch said. “We’ll have a salary report on your desk in the morning. Along with our recommendations.”
Madison glanced at me, and I shot her a pensive. We both knew where this was going. The trustees couldn’t give two shits about last year’s championship. They wanted to move salaries and save a buck. I was the easiest target especially since they drafted the top Division One quarterback. It was a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league.
“That why Bryce is here?” Mike asked. His face was as red as a stop sign. He hated being blindsided because being blindsided was a show of disrespect. Mike represented some of the league’s highest-paid athletes. Generally speaking, nobody fucked with him or his clients.
“You were invited as a courtesy, Mike.” Finch sat back. “I’m sure you’ll be in the thick of things when trade talks begin.”
“You mean if,” Mike said. No, he meant when.
Finch shoved the folder into his briefcase. He turned his attention back to Madison. “Except for the trustees, every staff member and player now report directly to you. You’re the new sheriff in town.” Finch smirked in my direction, and then he and the other trustees left the room.
“The fuck just happened?” Mike asked. He looked at each of us and then turned his ire on Gus. “You knew this was coming.”
Gus raised his hands. “I didn’t know shit. And certainly didn’t know the team was about to be pulled out from under me.” He got up from the table and left the three of us in the room, closing the door hard. Gus wasn’t used to being railroaded.
“I had no idea, Bryce,” Madison said.
“Maybe, but now you’re the boss, aren’t you?”
Madison shook her head as she stood and left the room, no further argument to be heard. This was what the hell she was wanted.
“We just got screwed,” Mike said. “They better believe we’ll be asking for a nine-digit salary. And if those fuckers do trade you, we’ll still get the nine-digits.”
“It’ll be okay,” I lied.
Mike, still red, pushed away from the table. “Quit thinking with your dick, Bryce. That bitch is going to get you into trouble if not traded. Once you’re traded, bad shit starts to happen.”
I'd heard enough, and my anger began to seep from my pores as Mike started his tirade. I pushed from my chair and then threw it across the table, nearly knocking Mike to the floor. “The next time you call her a bitch will be the last time you represent me.”
Mike regained his composure and straightened his suit that wasn’t ruffled or out of place. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything,” he said and left the room.
The empty room was a stark representation of what life had been like since the day Madison walked away. The season was going to be a bitch to deal with.
I left the stadium and headed for the training facility, where a few of the players were working out on their own. They waved me over, but I waved them off, opting to hit the weight room, hoping to burn off some anger. I’d just been fucking ambushed by the trustees. They made their plan pretty clear to me, though I thought their intent was lost on Madison.
All dressed up and professional, Madison looked hot as hell. Hotter than she had even back in our college days. I laughed at myself when my crotch began to stir. I was a professional football player, rich, good-looking, and could have most any woman I wanted. Unfortunately, I now wanted the one I couldn’t have.
I loaded up the bench press barbell and laid on the bench. Looking up at the bar, all I could think about was having Madison back in bed. Then I remembered she was my new boss, and the likelihood of that ever happening again was nil. I pushed the barbell up and then knocked out twelve reps.
“My fucking boss,” I said and loaded the barbell with more weight. I needed to feel an aching burn in every muscle and joint in my body to swallow up the pain consumed in my heart. I looked at myself in the floor to ceiling mirrors lining the walls. “Dump me? Tell me what to do?” I laid down on the bench again and completed another twelve reps.
As much as I wanted to be with her, the Hurricanes were never going to be a two-sheriff town. One of us had to go, and I knew exactly what had to be done.
CHAPTER FIVE
Madison
“You are the new owner of the Hurricanes,” I said to myself in the mirror. All the dreaming, all the hard work. I’d earned my new position. “I won’t let you down, Dad.”
I left the restroom and headed down the hall to the owner’s suite, where I found Clarissa, Gus’ assistant, cleaning out his office. She sat a box on the small conference room table and glared at me. “He doesn’t deserve this,” she said. She threw her hip to one side and rested her hand there. My first problem child.
“I’m sorry, Clarissa. I know it’s bad timing, but it’s better to do it now than during the season. Gus will always have a job with the Hurricanes. I’ll make sure of that.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” she argued. “The board is just using you. They don’t want you to have the job. They figured you’d eventually file a suit. So, they said what the hell. Why not?”
I walked behind the large cherry desk and sat in the leather chair my father had sat in when he owned the Hurricanes. He loved the chair and the view of downtown Orlando. For eleven years he sat there. Death took him too soon. It was my turn, and then eventually, it would be William’s.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Clarissa. I promise…”
“It’s too late for promises,” she said. Her voice was full of venom as she shot daggers in my direction. She grabbed the box and spun on her heels, stomping out of the office.
I took a deep breath and looked around the vast space. One whole wall held ten large monitors. My father had the system installed last year to keep an eye on things around the stadium and training facility. He didn’t like impeding on people’s privacy, but in a day and age where everyone wanted to sue everyone else, he needed to know what went on with the team and players while they were on Hurricane property. He’d also had an app put on his phone that allowed him to access the security cameras remotely, while he played golf. I needed the same app.
Dad was never a believer in placing all his eggs in one basket. So, before he died, he gave me his computer login. He told me he’d discussed the need to keep his login and all his rights with the IT guy. He paid the guy a bonus to keep his mouth shut until the time his daughter or son ran the team. That time was now.
I logged in with Dad’s credentials and clicked on the security icon. The screens sprang to life.
But before I started nosing around the stadium and training facility, I had a promise to keep. I dialed May Nells’ number.
“Hey, May, it’s Madison. You’ve been reassigned.”
May laughed. “Are you kidding? They making me the water girl?”
I laughed at May’s dramatics, but she never deserved to be demoted, and I would keep my word in reassigning her to her previous position. “Not at all. The board has finally made the decision to grant my father’s wishes, and I’ve officially stepped into the role of owner. Keeping my promise, you’ve been reassigned to your previous position. Can you sta
rt in the morning?”
“Of course. Thank you, Madison.” She sighed then said, “Forgive me for being brazen, but what exactly is the board up to? I’m a bit skeptical of their brash decision-making.”
“Please, speak freely. Let’s meet in the morning to discuss some things. To be honest, it’s hard to tell what plans they have.”
“Sure, does nine am work in your schedule?” she asked, ever hopeful.
“Perfectly.”
“I’ll bring coffee. And this terrible stuff Gus has on order.”
“Mmmm, put that on the list of topics up for discussion tomorrow, May. Tomorrow at nine. Thanks, May.”
When I ended the call with May, eager to enjoy my new corner office and scenery of the Orlando skyline that came with it. I looked out over the city, the blazing summer sun illuminating a heated gaze against the windows of the massive buildings. Sighing to myself, I turned my attention to the monitors and started flipping through the security camera feeds. The locker room was empty. A few staff were out on the training field. They were painting numbers on the turf. I then flipped over to the weight room and stopped. I zoomed on the player lying on the bench, pushing up weight like child’s play.
I moved from the desk and closed the office door. Back at the desk, I zoomed closer to see the man … Bryce. He’d removed his shirt, and every time the weight came down to his chest, he would then push back, his hips rising, his cock pressing against his shorts. His chest muscles flexed, and I melted into the chair. The man had everything a woman could ever want. I shook my head. I had walked away from it, and it wasn’t smart to look back.
Why I even thought it, I had no idea. Maybe because it had been so long. Or maybe because I was still madly in love with him. I closed the shades and then let my fingers find their way into my panties. Watching Bryce, I remembered all our times together in college. Making love to him in the dorm, in the locker room, even on the field in the middle of the night. There were times when his touch was like a feather; other times, he used his strong hands to put me in my place, to claim me as his, to claim my body as his possession. He knew how to make love to me in gentle, slow ways. How to take his time and explore every inch of my body. But then he was never afraid to bend me over the couch or the table and fuck me like it was our last day on earth. He was an expert at knowing when to do what.
He stood and watched himself in the mirror. Flexing his chest muscles, he gushed with vanity, his ego growing with every second he stood there. I liked that. Liked his confidence. His cockiness. The way that when he walked into a room, everyone’s attention fell on him. Hell, he’d demanded their sultry gazes, passive flirting, and bashful smiles all with one look. I’d always felt safe with the man, like he could keep all the evil in the world at bay.
The knock on the office door made me jerk my hand away, and I suddenly sat up as Clarissa entered. I smoothed out my skirt, and if she hadn’t known what I was doing by my nervousness, she certainly figured it out when she looked at the screen and saw Bryce flexing. Even her face lit up when she saw him.
“Yes, Clarissa?” I asked. My heart pounded uncontrollably. Bryce looked up at the security camera. He knew. Somehow, he knew I was watching him. He winked, a sinful smirk tipping the corner of his lips, and his cockiness made my pussy tingle. I clicked off the monitors and steadied my nerves.
“I forgot Gus’ pictures.” She approached the desk, and right before she grabbed the picture frame sitting on the desk I looked down. The picture showed Gus’ family with Dad and all of us. “It’s a shame,” Clarissa said.
I had no doubt I would see Clarissa again. And no doubt she’d try slithering her way back into the main suite of offices. On Monday, I would make sure Gus was properly situated. I needed to keep him on my good side.
I turned the monitors back on after she left the office, and to my disappointment, Bryce was gone. I flipped through several screens and landed on the First Aid room where Bryce sat on a table, shirtless, while one of the young female physical therapists rubbed his knee. The two talked and laughed while she worked. The woman moved her hands up his leg and massaged his thigh. She grabbed a tube from a case on her belt and squeezed out a clear liquid onto Bryce’s skin.
Bryce put his hands behind his head and leaned back, a shitty grin on his face. I didn’t need to zoom in to see his crotch growing. Again, he looked up at the camera as if he knew I was watching. The man was impossible. It was time to go home and dream of him and all the things he could do to me.
***
I pulled into the driveway next to the shiny Audi. William and his mother sat on my front porch, reading a book. As soon as William saw me, he came running.
“What’s up, spud?” I asked when he jumped into my arms. I held him on my hip and gave him kisses. His mother always dressed him like a choir boy, and I wondered if he ever got to go outside and play in the dirt or got to run around and sweat like a normal child.
“Mom said I could spend the night,” he said with a pleading smile I couldn’t turn down.
Joan, William’s mother, and my now ex-stepmother, joined us. “Hope you don’t mind,” she said. “I thought about a regular sitter, but then he begged to come over here.”
Of course I didn’t mind. What I did mind, however, was that ever since my father had died, all Joan cared about was spending the money he left her and dumping William at my doorstep whenever she wanted. I loved my little brother and had assured my father I would take care of him. My father knew Joan would not. And Joan was the reason every employee except for Bryce had to sign a form saying they agreed to not fraternize with other employees. Basically, my father had caught her fucking one of the defensive linemen at the beginning of last season. The lineman was traded to another team, and Joan was essentially cut off from the Hurricanes. She got a settlement from Dad, but rumor had it she was about out of money, thus the reason William would not have ownership of the team until he damned well proved himself. He was only five, after all, so the Hurricanes would be in my capable hands for the foreseeable future.
“I don’t mind at all. Little spud and I will head down to Dairy Queen and get us some ice cream,” I said. I laid more kisses on William’s chubby cheeks, and he laughed.
“He really shouldn’t have sugar this late,” Joan said as she walked away to her car.
“Tell Mommy bye,” I said as William and I made faces behind her back, laughing with each other. Joan pulled away from the curb without a passing glance.
William looked at me and smiled. “Can we get ice cream now?”
“Of course we can.” I wink.
“What if I join you?” Bryce approached from his car parked at the curb. He had showered and wore khaki shorts and a nice polo. His dark hair glistened, and his eyes shimmered. If William had not been there, I was sure we would have ended up in bed. “This your little brother?”
“No, my kid I never told you about. Surely you didn’t think you were the last?” I smiled, but Bryce didn’t.
“You’re so funny, Maddie.” William laughed, his toothy smile on full display.
Bryce ignored my comment and squeezed William’s cheek. “I know what you need.” He ran back to his car and grabbed a football from his trunk. “Put him down. Let’s see what he’s got.”
Unfortunately, I knew what he had. A mother who never allowed him to be a kid. I let William down, and Bryce tossed him the football. William caught the ball and then proceeded to run across the yard. He spiked the ball and then jumped up and down.
“He’s got some talent,” Bryce said. “Might be coming after my job someday.”
“He’s five, Bryce. And what are you doing here?”
William threw the football back to Bryce, and Bryce intentionally missed. He dropped to the ground, and William immediately jumped him, Bryce avoiding my question.
I watched them play for nearly a half-hour while I sat on the porch. Kids who met Bryce were no different than the adults who met him. They loved him. At our age, Bryce and I
should have had at least one kid by now. The two of us together. He was a super guy, and the current situation had been my fault. If he played for another team, none of this would matter. We could be together. We could even be William’s parents. For the right price, Joan would walk away from him.
Bryce and William joined me on the porch, and then the three of us went inside.
Bryce opened the refrigerator and looked up at me. “Almond milk. The kid needs dairy. Only way he’ll get to be six-three.” He then proceeded to go through my cabinets and the pantry, where he found chocolate syrup. He made William a chocolate almond milk, and the three of us sat at the kitchen table, but not before I grabbed a bottle of wine and a glass.
“Cute kid,” Bryce said. “He’s five?” He rubbed William’s head.
Yeah, I knew what he was thinking. If we had stayed together, we probably would have a son about William’s age and probably another in the baby oven.
“Yes, he’s five.” I stroked William’s chin. “Love him bunches.”
Bryce watched me as William drank. He wanted to talk but wouldn’t in front of William.
“Can we watch Disney?” William asked.
I swore never to sit a child in front of the television as a babysitter, but I knew Joan did exactly that. In the near future, I would try to break William of the habit. “Sure,” I said. “Come on.”
William and Bryce followed me into the living room, and I found Disney on the TV. William sat on the floor despite my urging him to sit between Bryce and me on the couch. It took exactly two seconds for him to become enamored with the show.
Bryce put his hand on the cushion between us. I struggled to keep from placing my hand on his.
“I really don’t know how to handle this,” I said. “Do I want this relationship? Of course I do. But you have to know there’s no way I’m giving up the Hurricanes. It’s important to both William and me. It’s his future, not just mine.”
“Then change the rules, Mads,” Bryce said as if it were a simple task. “You’re the boss now.” He pulled his hand back.
Inheritance Goals: A Sports Romance Page 4