Damn it. It had taken weeks to convince the editor to even consider showcasing the team. They desperately needed the exposure. But with this woman, she'd likely lose what little respect she'd managed to gain from them.
Sloan cleared his throat. "If we can agree to some boundaries, I'm sure we can find seven men who would be willing to pose."
"There are boundaries in place." Silver hugged herself to stifle the urge to hug Sloan. When had he turned into a decent guy? "Only Scott and Sebastian have agreed to nude shots. And those must be tasteful. The other men will take off their shirts. Whether they're okay posing in boxers or not is up to them."
"Of course." Scarlet straightened her skirt and visually stripped each and every player. She spent the longest time staring at Landon. "I must use the goaltender, of course. Can I do you, Mr. Bower? I mean—"
"Stop talking before I strangle you with your cheep ass extensions." Silver gouged her palms with her nails and let ice seep into her tone. "I can see you came here thinking this team wasn't well known enough for you to bother approaching with some fucking class. But my team reached the playoffs last year and they've earned some goddamn respect. Maybe you've hit a dry spell and you can't help throwing yourself at every available male. There's obviously at least one man." She cast a dirty look at Scott. "Whose standards are low enough to accept your blatant offer. My other players are either family men or just not that desperate. If they agree, you may take pictures of them. Try more and I'll have you charged with sexual harassment."
Scarlet rolled her eyes. "Oh, please."
"You really are as dumb as you look." Silver inched closer to Scarlet and spoke low enough so only she could hear. "You have no idea what kinds of connections I have." She took her phone out of her purse and held it up. "One phone call and I could ruin your magazine."
It was a bluff. If she could actually bury the magazine, she wouldn't be dealing with this woman at all. But the woman didn't seem bright enough to figure that out.
"Should I assume you're not making that phone call?" Scarlet asked, glancing nervously at Silver's phone as it buzzed.
"Are you capable of doing your job?" Silver checked her phone. The building contractor. She let voicemail pick up. One thing at a time. "With your clothes on, Miss Patterson?"
Scarlet sneered. "Yes. I can do that, Miss Delgado."
"You can 'do me' first." Scott called out, breaking the tension in the room.
All the men laughed.
"Well, since that's settled, I've got to get back to the office." Silver bit the edge of her lip and glanced at Sloan. Do I dare ask? "Can you take it from here, Captain?"
"Yes." Sloan's lips curved slightly. "And thank you for looking out for the team's interests, Silver. I appreciate that."
Wow. A thank you? Silver stared at Sloan as he held a finger up for Scarlet to wait and gestured for the team to join him. Hell, maybe he wasn't half bad after all. And she'd never seen Oriana so happy—her sister glowed every time she glanced his way. Maybe it was about time to admit he was good for her sister.
A heavy hand dropped on her shoulder and she swallowed as Landon spoke low in her ear. "Why am I only hearing about this photo shoot now?"
"I forgot. Kinda." The last time she'd gone over the list, they hadn't been speaking. But that wasn't why she'd automatically skipped his name and started considering alternates. She just couldn't see him stripping for a camera. Hadn't wanted to ask. "There was so much going on—"
"I won't do this if you're not comfortable with it."
"That wouldn't be fair, would it? I mean . . . ." She glanced at her sister who eyed Scarlet like the woman might pounce on one of her men. "I didn't think twice before asking Oriana to help me get Sloan in on it."
"Did you think it would bother her?"
"No. Not really."
"So, as I said." His fingers loosened on her shoulder and he sighed. "I need to know if it bothers you."
It did, a little. But knowing that he wouldn't do it if she asked him not to helped. And she had to be professional about this. Women would swoon when they saw his picture. They'd buy his jersey and watch games just to see him.
Besides, they would never have anything more than the pictures. This man was off the market.
She just had to make sure little Miss Bimbo with the camera didn't forget.
Landon swung Silver around to face him. "Listen to me, mignonne. You don't have to trust her. You have to trust me. Do you?"
As long as you don't have a cane in your hand . . . ? She nodded.
"That's my girl." He grinned and put his arm around her shoulders. "I'll go after Demyan. I want to get this over with."
Ignoring Scarlet's breathless thanks, Landon pulled Silver from the player's lounge, into the locker room, and slammed her against the wall. He ravished her mouth, sucking, biting, thrusting with his tongue. Then he slid her up the wall with one arm around her waist and slipped his hand under her skirt.
"I didn't touch another woman while we weren't speaking. I didn't want anyone else." He bit her throat as he slid his fingers into her panties. "I don't want anyone else. And don't you fucking forget it."
His fingers pushed into her and she gasped. "Landon! We're at work!"
He chuckled, stroking her clit with his thumb as he pumped his fingers in and out, faster and faster. "Like I give a shit."
"Someone could come in—"
"You're right." He took his fingers from her and held her when her knees gave out. "So how about after the photo shoot, we go somewhere where we won't be interrupted."
Uck, I should have kept my mouth shut. Her insides throbbed and the heat he'd stroked simmered. She glared at him. "That was mean."
He kissed her nose. "But you still love me, don't you?"
"If I didn't, I'd make you eat your nuts." She stiffened as the door opened, and groaned when Sloan appeared. "I've got to go."
Landon moved away from her, shielding her as she fixed her skirt.
"Bower, I think you and I should have a talk about what's appropriate in the locker room," Sloan said.
"Stuff it, Callahan. I've seen Mason groping Oriana in the hallway." Landon blocked her escape and gave her another slow, deep kiss. His forehead pressed against hers, he whispered. "I'll meet you in your office after practice. Around two."
All she could do was nod. And make a quick getaway.
Two o'clock couldn't come soon enough.
* * * *
Landon checked his watch and rolled his eyes. He'd gotten in two hours of practice before Callahan suggested he go check if Demyan was finished. But the freakin' door to the office that Scarlet had set up for the shoot was locked. And no one answered when he knocked.
What a fucking waste of time. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. If Silver didn't need this photo spread to prove she could get the team more attention . . . but she did. At that was the only reason he'd agree to it. Whatever Silver said, he could tell she didn't want him doing this. But she was torn between jealousy—which Scarlet hadn't helped with—and her dedication to the team. She could deal with her jealousy. Failure with what her father had entrusted to her was another matter entirely.
Carter shuffled down the hall and Landon ground his teeth as he saw how miserable the kid looked. That bitch had made him feel even more insecure about his scars.
"Callahan agreed to do the shoot." Landon didn't phrase it as a question. Carter had said he'd do it if the captain would. He wouldn't be here otherwise.
"Everyone did. Perron's right. Silver's trying to get the team out there, you know?" Carter leaned his shoulder on the wall and hid the damaged side of his face against it. "And like that chick said . . . they can take pictures of my good side."
Bitterness scalded Landon's guts. 'That chick' had no goddamn class. "If they're going to shoot your good side, you better show off that scar. All the greats have them. You got that playing the game, man. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Bite me, okay?"
Carter scowled. "You're still pretty."
"Hey, a black eye won't improve your looks. I'm not fucking pretty."
"People don't take one look at you and look away fast, like they don't want to offend you." Carter's hand shook as he brought it up to his lips. "You know the last puck bunny that came on to me was afraid to kiss me? She offered to suck my cock, but she cringed whenever my lips came anywhere near hers. That's just messed up."
"They get over it." Callahan strode towards them, his lips curled in a sneer. "You're a hot shot and you're worth some decent cash already. They still come after me, and look at my face."
"You're the captain. And you're worth ten times what I am." Carter stared down at his worn sneakers. "Besides, you've got Oriana. If I had a woman like that." His lips twisted. "Or like Silver, I wouldn't be . . . ."
"Kid, you've got to stop fucking puck bunnies and strippers." Callahan slapped Carter's shoulder. "Find a woman at the club. Richter has some quality subs, and all they want is a good man to top them. Demyan's been bragging about the two he had this weekend."
"Demyan knows shit about being a Dom and he can still top a sub." Carter glanced up at Landon, then made a face. "I . . . well you know what happened. The subs are fucking scared of me."
"Of you?" Callahan eyed Landon. "What happened?"
Landon shook his head. "That's for him to tell you."
Carter let out a sharp laugh and dropped his head back. "I'm surprised you don't know. I slapped Silver. She asked me to, but it doesn't matter. I let her top me. I went back once and . . . shit, I had to leave. Everyone knows."
"Come with me on Friday." Sloan rolled his shoulder and grinned. "I'll find you someone."
"Thanks, Captain, but I'm good." Carter glared at the door. "What the fuck is Demyan doing anyway? Is it going to take this long for all of us?"
Sloan snorted and reached out to pound on the door. "Make it quick, Miss Patterson, or you'll be three players short. I need to get my men back on the ice where they belong."
Seconds later, Demyan emerged, zipping his pants and grinning like a fool. He smirked at Landon. "Your turn. Enjoy."
Landon left the men in the hall and stepped into the office. Scarlet spun around to face him, holding a tissue to her lips.
"I need you to take your clothes off." She moved towards him, her gaze eating over his body like she could chew his clothes off with that alone.
He pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside. "That's all you're getting, Miss Patterson. Tell me where you want me."
"Honestly." She licked her lips and smoothed her hands over her breasts. Her shirt was undone and her bra was on the desk behind her. "Right here is good."
Sleazy and pathetic. Even if he didn't have a woman like Silver, he wouldn't be interested.
"Pick up your damn camera."
He went to the faux stone wall, faced her, and put his hands on his hips.
She scurried to grab her camera and blinded him with the flash.
Chapter Thirty-One
A colorful sight greeted Silver as she stepped into her office. Candy rosebuds in red, pink, and yellow, rock candy lilacs, jujube tulips, and her very favorite, cake pops covered in chocolate sprinkles. The huge, tasty bouquet sat in the center of her desk, brightening the whole room which otherwise seemed grey and gloomy as the weather outside. She spotted a man in a well tailored suit standing by the window and her face broke into a huge smile.
"Dean, this is . . . ." Not like you at all. So far he hadn't been big on gifts, and whatever he got for her, he gave her in person. Actually, that man wasn't big enough to be Dean. "Who are you and what are you doing in my office?"
The man's shoulders hunched forward slightly, but he didn't answer.
"You have five second to give me a fucking name before I call security."
He turned slowly, his handsome face shadowed and lined with exhaustion. "So if I give you a name, does that mean you won't kick me out?"
"Asher." She slammed her fist on the edge of her desk and tried not to wince as pain ricocheted up her arm. "You need to leave. Right now."
"Silver, please just hear me out." He nodded towards the bouquet. "That's got to get me at least a few minutes of your time."
Her hand convulsed as she fought the urge to throw the damn thing at him. But she wouldn't waste good candy. She sneered as she stalked across the room. "A few minutes? You mean like the amount of time it would have taken you to tell me you and Cedric were getting married? To break up with me like I wasn't just an inconvenience you had to get rid of?"
Asher cringed and nodded. "I admit, I could have handled that better."
"Ya think?"
"You weren't happy with us. And Cedric was miserable." He hung his head and raked his fingers through his hair. "I had no business getting involved with you, but I liked the glamorous lifestyle. I never made any secret of that. I thought we were both getting what we wanted. You, a man who'd never ask you to commit, and me, connections I never could have gotten on my own. I got in the habit of treating it like a business and that was just messed up. I did—I do—care about you. Just not half as much as you deserve. And I'm sorry."
"Why are you telling me this now?" Silver hugged herself, hating that she wanted to believe he'd actually cared. Looking back made her feel sick. All the times he'd fucked her had been like a payment for what she'd given him. It made her feel like a worn rag a man used to jerk off in. "You've moved on and so have I. This might have meant something the next day, but it's too late for me to give a shit about how sorry you are."
He shook his head and reached down to pick up the briefcase sitting by his feet. "Sorry wouldn't have meant anything no matter when I said it. I wanted to call you, or see you, but I had to have something to offer to earn your forgiveness."
"The candy?" She laughed bitterly. "If you think that makes up for anything—"
"No, the candy was just to . . . break the ice, I guess. I thought that would be enough for you to at least listen. I've worked my ass off getting what I really thought would make a difference." He approached the desk, keeping a wide berth from her, and opened the briefcase. "I know it probably doesn't mean much, but I've been looking out for you. I found out that the investors that paid to rig games tried to approach you once, but they haven't come back and I figured they wouldn't just give up. So I thought, maybe, if I could dig into it a little, and get you something you could use to protect yourself against them, you'd consider forgiving me."
Her brow shot up. "And you did this pro bono? Asher, I know you better than that. Someone else must be paying you or you wouldn't bother."
"I swear on my life, I got this just for you. I've been working shit jobs just to cover the rent over the past few weeks. Cedric's been doing the same. We're barely managing." He made a face. "You didn't notice I'm wearing a last season suit? I'm handling divorce cases for god's sakes! And not even big ones. My last three cases didn't make me enough to buy new shoes!"
Ah, so that's it. Maybe Asher did want her forgiveness, but as always, he had another agenda. "You're looking for a job."
"Well . . . ." He had the grace to look away. "I wouldn't turn one down."
He hadn't changed. But then again, this was the man she'd . . . kinda loved because he was exactly what everyone thought she was. And he'd never judged her. When she'd met him, she really needed that. For old time's sakes, she'd hear him out.
"I'm not making any promises." She jerked her chin at his briefcase. "But show me what you've got."
He pulled out a file, flipped it open, and picked up an envelope. Withdrawing several pictures, he laid them out on the desk.
Her eyes went wide. Jami, Dean's daughter, was in all of them. With her boyfriend . . . Ford, yes, that was his name. They were kissing, smoking joints, drinking. But Silver had done all of that at Jami's age. These weren't candid shots of nefarious activities, they were pictures of a fairly normal eighteen year old girl.
"Why are you showing me this?" She gathered the pho
tos and stuffed them in the envelope. She felt like she was spying on the kid, and no matter how nasty the girl had been last time she'd seen her, she'd respect her privacy. "I'm not going to rat her out to her dad if that's what you're thinking."
"Do you recognize the man in the photo?" Asher took the envelope and pulled out one photo. "Ford Kingsley."
"I met him once."
"Kingsley, Silver! Please tell me you've read up on those dirty investors that screwed the team last year!"
She shrugged. The fat representative had gone away. She hadn't really thought much more about it. "They approached me once, but Dean scared them off."
"I doubt that. Kingsley Enterprises has their hands in just about everything. Ford is the only heir." He groaned when Silver gave him a blank look. "Think about it! It's no coincidence that he's dating the daughter of the Dartmouth Cobra's GM. You wouldn't cooperate, so he's going to use her. I bet even Mr. Richter would forget the integrity of the game to keep his daughter safe. Do you know she's been practically living with Ford? She's a kid in lust and he'll fuck with her to get what he wants. Which is games his family can make money from."
"That fucking piece of shit." Silver pictured Jami, so much like her at that age, defying Daddy to get her freedom. Only Dean wasn't trying to keep her in a gilded cage to protect his image. As hard as it was on him, he let her live her own life and did his best to support her. And in return, she'd put him in a position that jeopardized everything he'd worked for. But she wasn't to blame. "Where is this bar Ford works at? I guess his Daddy owns it?"
"He does. And I know exactly where it is. He's there now." Asher took in a noisy breath. "I figured you'd want to go talk to him, but you've got to be smart about this. Get something you can use on him. Get him to spell out what he wants you to do."
"And I'm assuming this conversation will be recorded? So we can use it against him in court?"
"Sexy and smart." Asher grinned. "If you weren't a chick, I've had told Cedric to suck it up. I seriously love that you've got brains in that blond head of yours."
Defensive Zone (The Dartmouth Cobras #2) Page 36