Not that they’ve ever worked on me, save for that one time.
Max’s megawatt smile is the kind that melts panties—and brains.
Buttoday, as my world crashes down around me, when he directs that smile at me, it only turns my insides to cement. Because if Max is here, I’m doomed.
Hart Strategic Management is doomed.
Max’s dark eyes steal my breath when they lock with mine. Looking at this man is like being trapped in the eye-of-the-hurricane and unable to move away.
Intense and infuriating all at once.
He holds my gaze for a few long beats, making my pulse race, a field mouse locked in the crosshairs of a predator circling high above…
And then he winks.
It’s that arrogant fucking wink that gets me moving again.
Chapter Two
Max
I knew Sutton would be pissed to see me here, crashing her meeting with the Bratt kid and his folks, but that fire in her eyes holds so much more than surprised anger. She can pretend to loathe me all she wants, turn me down every time I ask her out, but her eyes have never lied to me.
What I wouldn’t give to show her just how fuckinggoodwe could be together. We’ve been circling one another for years now, and the chemistry between us is off the charts. Not that she’d ever admit that to herself, stubborn little thing that she is. She’s made it quite clear—to me and anyone else with a pulse—that she doesn’t date within the industry. Even though injury took me out of the game years ago, she’s been adamant about her stance: once a player, always a player.
All that aside, though, Sutton Hart is a force to be reckoned with. She’s a fierce competitor in a game where all odds are stacked against her. In a profession where men like me dominate the field, she holds her own. It’s hot as hell to watch the woman work, but I can’t let her win this one.
This kid is mine, and I never lose.
She strides toward us on sky-high heels that make her legs look endless, and I shamelessly take a moment to drink her in. She has the kind of body made for bending and breaking, smooth skin that begs to be marked red by my palm until it’s dappled and glistening with sweat, supple curves that deserve to be explored and adored. Cheeks that should be flushed and warm to the touch from the racing blood in her veins, theadrenaline flowing as I push her past her comfort zone again and again.
She’s tough as nails, but I’d give anything to see her let go of that. Strong women make the best submissives. When they finally choose to let go, when they trust their Dominant enough to release that death grip they have on the reins,goddamnis it beautiful. That kind of submission is a gift that should not be taken for granted.
But this isn’t the time to entertain fantasies of Sutton Hart, so I push those thoughts aside.
Her smart pantsuit hugs her full hips, and her jacket is open over a prim ivory blouse that, though buttoned up to the neck, is just sheer enough to tease the lacy bra beneath. Even when she’s dressed for ball-busting and closing deals, Sutton Hart is the kind of woman who commands the room. It’s a quality that has carried her far in this business and something I hate to squash, but today’s not going to go in her favor. It’s just the way life plays out sometimes.
We can’tallbe winners.
She pushes the glass door open and strides into the hallway to meet us, anger rolling off of her in waves.
Stepping forward, the entire reason for this meeting, and coincidentally, this standoff, Emerson Bratt extends his hand toward her, and I get the pleasure of witnessing Sutton’s scowl morph into that knockout smile I rarely get to see. She turns it on full blast for the young man beside me, and a tiny spark of jealousy flares in my chest. It’s silly, I know, but I’d give anything to see that smile directed toward me.
“Ms. Hart, thank you for coming all the way out here, ma’am.”
She shakes his hand, wrapping both of hers around his affectionately. “Of course, Emerson. You know I don’t mind coming out here to see you.”
That’s right, I forgot she was frequently in the stands with his family at the Aggie home games. Smart move, I’ll give her that. But working this kid and his family for months isn’t what’s going to win her this client. She simply doesn’t have the numbers to beat me.
The kid is in highest demand, and currently being courted by more than two-dozen teams. He’s a sports agent’s wet dream and holds all the cards, but he needs someone with equal skin in the game. He needs Apex Athletics.
We’ve followed his career since high school, and I have no doubt Sutton has done the same. She knows what a player like this would mean for her career.
Unfortunately, so do I. No matter how big Apex gets, I don’t pass up players like Emerson Bratt.
The kid has amazing support, too, which makes our job a difficult one. With the Bratt family, education truly comes first, and now that he’s in his final year at A&M, he’s finally agreed to take meetings with agents and league reps. We’re in a time crunch, and he still hasn’t signed onto any agencies, but with the draft happening in just a short six-months’ time, it’s a mad dash to get this ball rolling.
If all goes as planned, which it will, after this meeting, I’ll have the go-ahead to begin making moves on the kid’s behalf.
