“Everyone shut the fuck up. McKallen is almost here.” Coach levels a glare at the rowdier units of our team before continuing. “I know it might be hard to not show your whole arse today, but I’m warning you to be on your best behaviour, or?—”
“We’ll have to run laps till we spew?” Connor scoffs. “Might want to brush up on your threats, Coach. I mean, what’s this new guy going to do? Fire us before the season even starts?”
“Shemight.”
My head whips to the side at the sound of atoofamiliar voice. Raspy and bold and unbelievably sexy when gasping out a moan.
It can’t be. No fucking way.
She pushes through a sea of men congregating by the door, blocking her path as if they can barricade her from stepping into this role. My head is having a hard time grasping what it’s seeing as I take her in, once, then twice. I blink to make sure it’s really her standing here in front of me—us. She strides into the conference room, her razor sharp heels clacking against the floor until she comes to stop at the center of the room. She stands tall in front of us, a white chiffon blouse tucked into a pencil skirt that hugs her hips, and her nearly black hair slicked into a low ponytail at the base of her skull.
Formidable is the first word that comes to mind. Devastatingly beautiful is the second.
She looks around as a low hum runs through the room. Her unique eyes—a golden brown with one large spot of blue in her right iris—run around the conference room, weighing us all. The eyes that lit with fire as she put that drunk in his place, the same eyes that teased me while weplayed darts, the eyes that stared back at me in the mirror as she shattered around me in a pub bathroom not even a week ago.
They settle on me now, and I hold my breath, waiting for the match to strike. But they move past me as quickly as they came, no recognition, no shocking inhale of breath to see me here, nothing.
Surely she hasn’t forgotten?
Insecurity roars through me. The night with her at The King’s Swan was the best night I had in a long time. Talking to her, laughing at her sharp sarcasm, flirting with her the whole night until we tumbled into the loo, pawing at each other’s clothes—it was the singular hottest experience of my life, and she doesn’t remember it? How could she not remember it?
“Gentleman, this is—” Coach starts before he’s interrupted by her outstretched hand.
She looks at him without a stitch of warmth on her face. It’s hard to connect her to the person I spent my night with. “May I?” she asks.
Coach takes it in stride as he steps back and crosses his arms, yielding the floor to the hurricane standing before us.
“My name is Jade McKallen. The only things you need to know about me are that I own the sixty percent majority of this team, and that I’ll do anything in my power to make it successful. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the team, my door is open. Does anyone have questions they’d like to ask now?”
Yeah, I do. How do you not remember me?
Connor pipes up, and I groan. “Do you even know anything about rugby, or is this a gift from your rich daddy?” I want to smack the condescending smirk off his face.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I grit out.
“What? It’s a fair question. She’s a woman and she’sAmerican.” He shrugs, leaning back in his chair.
“It’s fine,” she addresses me, and I think surely, this iswhen a flare of realisation will occur, but she doesn’t even look at me as she angles her body towards Connor, crossing lithe arms over her chest. “Misogyny aside, your concerns are valid. However, it would be an unwise investment on my end to spendmillionson a sport I don’t understand, and a team I don’t see potential in.” Her eyes flick over the room again. “I don’t take this position lightly and my plans to support the team and staff are vast.Everyonein this room is here because they love rugby, and together, we’ll make sure the league knows we’re to be feared.”
Formidable. Strong. Badass.
She looks to Ballard, and he steps forward again. “Alright, that’s that. Time to get out on the pitch.”
Everyone stands at once, and I can’t stop looking at Jade, willing her to look back at me to let me know I’m not crazy, that our night together wasn’t a dream I conjured. But she doesn’t spare me a second glance as she heads out of the conference room.
“Tieran.” I tear my gaze away from Jade’s retreating form. “Hang back. I need a word.”
Cavan and Myles skirt around me towards the door, both giving me looks that read,good luckanddead man walking. I flip them both off as they abandon me in my hour of need.
“Yes, Coach?”
“Last year went a bit tits up.” He stares at me, unyielding.
Shame makes my face flame. “Yes, sir.”
“Are you over it, or do I need to prepare myself for another rough season?”
I feel like now is the appropriate time to enact a fake it till you make it mentality, because something tells me Coach won’t accept the real answer. I don’t know if I’m over the issues I had last year. In my head, it doesn’t feel like they’ve gone away. It feels like they’ve made camp on my shoulders with no intention to leave. I’ll only know for sure once I’m out on the pitch.
