For someone who has never taken a day off, I’d kill for one.
“Dogan with the Grizzlies is entering free agency soon. Put out some feelers to see who would be interested in signing him. Need that by the end of the day.”
I barely stifle a whimper as a cramp rolls through my abdomen. “Be back in thirty.”
He hangs up and leaves me alone to deal with my pain. When I made the decision to walk instead of drive earlier, it seemed like a great idea. Plus, I knew Sarabeth would be proud of my post-meal walk. Feeling the wind in my hair and all that jazz seemed nice, but now I’m dealing with the consequences of my actions.
The snail crawling on the sidewalk beside me is moving faster than I am. Only two miles until I’m—
“Agent Shay?”
Mother. Fucker.
I didn’t think it was possible for today to get any worse.
And when did I stop hating that nickname?
The pain in my stomach fades slightly when the lips I kissed a week ago curve into a smile. Like a coward, I’ve been avoiding Cade, but we both know why. I broke a rule and kissed the man I can’t have.
Behind him, an Audi blares its horn, but he pays them no mind. “Need a ride?”
I study the hill in front of me. It’s either walk in excruciating pain or get a ride from the one person I shouldn’t be alone with. But I’m not in the mood to play with the human body.
“Sure. To the office, please,” I say. Cade leans over to manually unlock the passenger door, and I can’t help but laugh. “It’s beenyears.When are you going to get the locks fixed?”
“If I fix something on Betsy, another thing breaks, so I’m stuck with funky locks.” Worry creases his brow. “Are you sure about going to the office? You don’t look so good.”
“Gee.” I click on my seatbelt. “Thanks.”
A low laugh slips out as he studies me. “You know that’s not what I meant, Shay. As always, you’re beautiful.” He pauses long enough to make my cheeks heat, but when he continues, I straighten. “You were walking like you were hurting. Let me take you home.”
Ignoring the way my pain sharpens at being acknowledged, I point in the direction of Permian. “No. Bad PCOS day. Nothing I can’t handle.”
The impatient honks shift into unrelenting wails as Cade continues to sit idly in the road. “Have you eaten today? What are you drinking?”
“Yes, and spearmint tea. You need to drive before you get rear-ended.”
His brow wrinkles. “I thought you hated tea.” As if we’re not blocking the road, he turns to search through his backseat. “I don’t care about them. I care aboutyou. Want some dark chocolate chips?”
Like a dog trained to a bell, my mouth salivates. “You have some?”
A plastic bag drops onto my lap, and once he’s buckled, he finally pushes the car into drive and waves politely at the asshole behind him. “I stopped by the grocery store earlier. They’re not frozen, but eat as many as you want. I read online that dark chocolate can reduce inflammation in people with PCOS.”
My eyes fly to him. Sarabeth loves dark chocolate being part of my daily routine for that reason.
I should ask why he was researching PCOS, but I can’t handle hearing his answer.
“Thank you,” I whisper. Then, in an unladylike fashion, I shove a handful into my mouth and moan. Manners be damned. “This is what I needed. Now I’m ready to get this damn promotion.”
“Promotion? You’re up for a promotion?”
Closing the bag, I nod. “An internal one, but yeah. Me against all the other junior agents. All I have to do is submit a letter of intent to my supervisor, along with my personnel file.”
“If that’s the case, you’re definitely going to get it.”
His certainty buoys my response. “I hope so. Part of me is scared to apply, which is probably why I haven’t started my letter of intent.”
Working with athletes is all I want to do, but being a woman in this business is like running through a field of landmines. One wrong step could end my career. Being romantically linked to a player, especially one who’s my client, might ruin everything for me. Which is why I have to stay focused.
