ROMANCE: SPORTS ROMANCE: Tight End (Bad Boy Football Romance) (New Adult Alpha Male Sports Romance)

by Carly White

  Kristy tried to get a job, any job and she started waitressing in a small 24-hour diner. It was admittedly her first real job and it was one of the worst days of her life. When she got home that evening, Kristy had ever been so depressed and she was starting to rethink the job with Ash. She didn’t even know if it was still on the table, but after a month of that life, she was ready for any kind of change.

  She swallowed her pride and found the number on her phone. She was surprised that it was his direct line and when his deep voice came on the other end, Kristy almost hung up. “Hi Ash? This is Kristy Carter.”

  “Ah Kristy, I didn’t know if I was going to hear from you or not. I take it you are ready to take the job?”

  “Yes, if it is still open.”

  “For you? Always.”

  There was a silence on her side. He was acting far too nice for her liking and she wondered why he was being so accommodating. “So when would you like me to start Sir?”

  “Don’t call me Sir. We grew up together. How about Monday morning around eight? Most days you will be home by five, but sometimes you will have to stay later.”

  “That’s fine. I appreciate the opportunity.”

  “No problem Kristy. It was good to hear from you. I’ve been waiting for your call ever since I heard you were back in town and looking.”

  She hung up and sighed to herself and to the air around her. There was no way that it would be as easy going as that conversation had gone. Ash had always been charming, until he wasn’t. It had been a while since she had seen him and she hoped that her father was right about him changing. At that point though, Kristy just needed a job, a real job and it seemed like it was the only one that was going to get her ahead. She grimaced at the idea of having to ever waitress again. She vowed that she would go work for her father before she’d let that happen.

  ***

  Kristy found herself nervous when she was getting ready for the work the next day. It wasn’t just any job or any boss. She had history with Ash, one that no one else knew about. He had crushed on her most of high school, but she had been in a relationship and not that impressed with the spoiled rich boy. That was how she saw him and Kristy still wondered if he hired her so he could get back at her for that. Ash had been mad for a long time after she turned down his romantic attempts. She hadn’t seen him since a few months into her first year of college. Almost six years later, she was going to him for a job. Thank goodness he didn’t know how desperate she was, Kristy reminded herself. It would be far worse if he knew how much of an upper hand he actually had.

  So she did what any smart woman would do. She put on a push up bra and red lipstick. Ash couldn’t think when she was dressed up and she hoped that part of him hadn’t changed. Satisfied with her reflection, she fluffed up her short red hair and sent a small prayer to the universe for a good day.

  When she got into the building, she realized how big it was. It was much bigger than it was a few years back. They had been busy.

  She gave her name to the pretty receptionist and she made a phone call. “Mr. Stiy will see you in his office.”

  The receptionist that had a name plague stating her name was Becky gave her a piece of paper with floor number. “You can’t miss his office on the top. It is the biggest one. Just put that code in when you are prompted at the elevator.”

  Kristy thanked her and did as she was instructed. The security measures seemed sound, more than Kristy had seen in similar companies. No one wanted people to be able to get to the top without permission. She mused on her way up 15 floors, what would he be like? Would he be any different than before?

  “Kristy!”

  Ash moved forward and hugged her surprised form. “Hey boss.”

  Her body was tense under his touch and Kristy pulled back when he finally released her. “Sorry. I just hadn’t seen you in forever. You look good.”

  “You too.”

  And heaven help her, he really did. Ash had filled out, though he still had the boyish face and the clashing blue eyes that she remembered from before. The biggest different was the look on his face. It was no longer one of a spoiled rich kid, but a man that was used to getting his way. He looked at her as if he already possessed her and it drove her mad. Looking down, she cursed her fair skin as she felt them reddening with the remembered feel of his arms around her.

  “So are you ready to get started?”

  He was all back to business and Kristy avoided his eyes as she nodded her head that she was. He had definitely changed and it was her that seemed to be having a harder time concentrating. “Good, follow me and I will show you to your office.”

  “Up here?”

  “Yes Kristy. We will be working together closely.” She looked up at him as they walked, her own legs trying to keep up with his long stride. “The company is having big issues with fines for non-compliance with all of the new EPA regulations. We are in desperate need of your expertise.”

  It made her smile and it sounded legit. She had been worried that he had hired her for revenge or something like that, but it was clear within an hour that it was not the case. With over three million in fines the first six months of the year, she knew that they were in need of some consulting. The problem was usually convincing companies to make changes before the fines hit, but she figured Stiy Enterprises was not going to have that hard of a time being convinced.

  Ash left her to her work and walked down the small hallway to his own office. There were two other offices, though Kristy did not know who occupied them. She spent most of her day in the office, only showing her head to grab her lunch bag out of the car. After she put the leftovers in the breakroom on her floor, she moved back to her office to get back to work. She had to have a report to him by the end of the day with her initial thoughts and assessments. It was already clear that some of the holding containers needed to be replaced and a few other areas of the factory looked to need fixing, just by the numbers. She expected to take a tour of the place the next day, so she could get eyes on the areas that seemed to be a concern.

  Kristy was actually feeling better about everything when she started to gather up her things at five. She had not seen Ash most of the day, as he was in and out of the office all day. She couldn’t help her mind going back to the handsome man that she had turned down. He of course, did not look anything like he had then. Kristy suspected that she would have dropped her boyfriend in a heartbeat if he had looked like that back in the day.

  “Kristy. Would you like to go out for dinner? On the company dime so we can go over the report.”

  “Sure, of course.”

  “You don’t mind staying a little longer?”

  “No, not at all. I didn’t have any plans anyways.”

  Kristy didn’t have any plans. Her roommate Ashlea was working that evening to get some extra money and the only plans she had made were to eat a Lean Cuisine and then watch a movie. Anything sounded better than that.

  “I’m surprised a pretty girl like you doesn’t have any plans, though if I remember right, you always did like a little spontaneity in your life.”

  Chapter 3

  The restaurant was one that she had went to before, though it was hardly something she could afford, at least not until her first check. Her parent’s had always footed the bill when she had eaten at Disma’s before. Kristy ordered what she always got and he surprisingly ordered the same. “I didn’t know you like swordfish.”

  “From here? It’s the best.”

  She couldn’t have agreed more. Kristy spent the twenty minutes till the food arrived going over the report. He hardly looked at any of the figures she put in front of him. His eyes were on her and it was impossible for her not to notice. Kristy ignored the flush in her face and the throbbing between her legs. Instead she focused on the numbers and silently wished the damn waitress would come back with the food, anything to distract her from his visual dominance.

  “You are very beautiful Kristy. I forgot how much you talk though
.”

  “Excuse me?”

  He put his finger to her lips. “Shh.”

  She was just trying to fill in the awkward space and was more than a little peeved at what he had just said. He had basically told her to shut up and it infuriated her. Kristy moved back and it was about that time that the meal arrived. If she hadn’t been eating ramen noodles for the last month, she would have walked out on him. But it looked good enough that waiting for it to be wrapped so she could go, seemed like too much sacrifice.

  Ash refilled her glass twice with a blush wine. Kristy didn’t say a word the rest of the meal and they were leaving before she spoke again. It was only because he had asked her a direct question. “One extreme to the next with you still, huh? I really am surprised you even called me. Did your dad make you?”

  “He can’t make me do anything, no one can.” She was not going to bring up his manipulation by cutting her off. Ash didn’t need to know it and one of the worst things that could happen to a rich kid, was to be cut off by their parents. Poverty was a real fear for most. That Kristy could only do it for a month before she sold out was still a sore subject in her mind. The last thing she needed was Ash to rub it in.

  “Well, you’re definitely hard headed still. I like that no one has broken your spirit yet.”

  Kristy just gave him an icy stare and got in next to him. He drove a very fast car and when he drove her back to the office, he let her feel how fast it could go. She ended up with a death grip on his forearm as he went around sharp curves. They were not going back to the office and she asked him where they were going.

  “Do you remember that cemetery we used to go to up here?”

  Kristy looked out the window and realized exactly where they were. “Yes, but don’t tell me we are going there.”

  “No, but I live up here now. I thought you would like a proper drink before I take you home.”

  “It’s not really necessary. I have beer at home.”

  “Why do I not see you drinking beer?”

  “Because you were always such a snob?”

  Ash grinned and the boy she had once known showed through. He still had mischief in his eyes when he looked at her. “I was hoping the years had softened your tongue.”

  “You like that I am unbroken, yet do not like the curves of my tongue. You are quite a strange employer.”

  “Is that all I am to you? A man that writes the checks?”

  “Well I am sure you don’t even actually sign them, but we can go with that. You are also the boy that would hide under my brother’s bed to look underneath my skirt.”

  “Yes, those white panties. I still remember them. I think you gave me a granny panty fetish for the longest time.”

  She giggled. It was hard to be outraged when he was so funny sometimes. Thoughts went to her mind that were naughty and made her own eyes light up with mischief. “So do you wear them or?”

  “Vicious as ever. A drink?”

  “Fine, but just one.”

  ***

  One turned into two and then three. She was a bit beyond tipsy and while he was making her some coffee to sober up, Kristy fell asleep on his couch. He watched her for a time from the doorframe and then moved towards her. Lifting her up, he put her into a spare bedroom and though he wanted to stay and wake her up when she was all warm and willing, he walked out with only a little regret.

  When Kristy woke up in the middle of the night, she was confused for a few minutes to where she actually was. Then the night before started to come back, the drinking and she looked over next to her. She was beyond relief that he was not next to her. Slipping out, she walked a few blocks till she found a payphone to call a cab. She was going to have to spend the last of her money to get back to work to get her car, but it was worth it if she didn’t have to make the walk of shame the next morning at work. The fact that she didn’t even get the fun part of it, made her wonder if the signals she had picked up were wrong.

  Kristy got back to the office just before it started to lighten up and she drove back to her apartment. There was not a lot of time to sleep, so she set her alarm for a couple of hours later and was feeling a little better when she woke up in her own bedroom. Going downstairs, Ashlea was already up.

  “Where were you at last night, you hussy?”

  “I went out with Ash and then had a drink at his house.”

  Ignoring the look on her face, Kristy grabbed a cup and poured herself some coffee. She was slightly headachy from the drinking and it reminded her why she had given up wine as a drink. “So wasn’t this the guy you didn’t like? Isn’t this guy the reason you got cut-off in the first place?”

  Kristy paused. It kind of was, but it was more her own fault for being so stubborn. She could recognize it in herself, but she was unable to stop it. “Not really. Just rebellion mainly, but he wasn’t near as bad as I remembered him being.”

  She chuckled a little and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. She was already dressed for a jog and Kristy was still dragging ass trying to get enough caffeine in her to function.

  “You want to go running with me? I am going around the river today.”

  “Hell no. I will be lucky if I make it into work on time. I just want to go back to bed.”

  Ashlea shook her head and headed out, bouncing much like her personality. Sometimes it made Kristy sick and she nursed her cup of coffee, trying to ignore her roommate’s chipper demeanour. Some people were just morning people and some were not.

  Chapter 4

  “Where did you go last night? I made you breakfast and you were already gone.”

  Kristy looked up from the paperwork strewn across her desk. “Yeah sorry about falling asleep like that. I don’t know what was wrong with me.”

  “You had too many glasses of wine.”

  “Ugh, don’t remind me. What was it?”

  “What was what?”

  “Breakfast?”

  “Crepes and strawberries.”

  “Mmm, I bet they were good.”

  “Better than you have ever tried.”

  Kristy smiled and went back to her paperwork. She was going to ignore his innuendo and keep herself from going crazy with the saucy scenes that played in her head. He was too handsome for his own good and while she had worried about him aggravating her, it turned out that instead he kept her in a state of arousal and she didn’t know how long the tension between them would last.

  “Do you want some?”

  She looked up, her green eyes meeting his. “What?”

  “Some crepes.”

  “You brought them in?”

  “Yes. I thought you might be hungry.”

  She thanked him as he went back to his office and brought them to her. They were wrapped and she had to admit they were good. She told him so after she took a bite and his eyes watched the small white fleck of cream cheese that teased him from her bottom lip. Ash moved to wipe it away, brushing his finger against the corner of her mouth. Kristy stopped with the touch and grabbed a tissue to make sure it was gone. “Thanks.”

  Kristy found herself wondering why he was being so nice to her. What did he want from her, just the obvious?

  ***

  Her phone rang after Ash left her office. She had sold a bracelet to get her phone turned back on and it was Scott calling her. She almost didn’t answer, but the way Ash made her feel, there was a lot of built up need and her body was driving her wild.

  “Hey Scott.”

  “Dam Kristy that is all you have to say to me is hey? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for over a month.”

  “Sorry my phone was off. I figured you had found someone else by now.”

  “You really think that I could just forget about everything we had?”

  “Well it was good sex.”

  “What are you doing tonight?”

  “I don’t know. I work until five and don’t have much planned after that.”

  “Well come over here. I got that new chick flick we were su
pposed to go see in theatres.”

  “Sunny in the rain?”

  “Yeah, that’s the one. Come by and we can chill and do those good things that I have been missing so much.”

  She didn’t need long to decide. It wasn’t romantic, but he never was. Some men just weren’t and Kristy didn’t particularly need it. She liked a man that knew what he wanted and let it be known so there was no confusion. Kind of like Ash, but it couldn’t be Ash because of who he was and the fact that she worked for him. The very idea that she went from Scott to underneath Ash in her mind so quickly, made her pause. Why was she thinking about him so much?

  Kristy took her lunch and got waxed instead of getting anything in her stomach. The crepes helped tide her over, but she was practically starving by the end of the day. Getting ready to leave, Ash popped up and invited her out for dinner.

  “I have a date Ash. You didn’t need to go over anything, did you?”

  He moved closer, close enough that her body started to respond to his closeness. Her chest tightened and her breathing became a little more rapid.

  “I just wanted to go out. I thought you said last night that you didn’t have a boyfriend?”

  “Well I used to.”

  “Ah, the ex-boyfriend bootie call. You know they say to never go back.”

  “Who says that?”

  “Everyone.”

  “Well choices are slim nowadays and a girl got to do, what a girl got to do.”

  “I see.”

  He didn’t like her answer and she could see it on her face. “I need you to stay after for a while then. The estimates for the new storage containments need to be updated from the information I faxed you early. I will be meeting with the project engineer in the morning with details.”

  As disappointed as she was, Kristy did not like the job any less. He had told her before that she would have to stay over sometimes, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise. “Sure boss, no problem.”