Page 28 of Hard to Hold

I’m in a world that feels so out of control. My every movement is calculated, planned by someone else, and the consequences of every action determined before I even act.

Public perception managed.

Does anyone know how hard that is for someone like me who’s fine at following the instructions every coach and manager football has thrown at me, but living my life outside of football? That’s been mine and mine alone. Do they realize every part of me wants to rebel against this order?

But then there’s her—Lennox. A rival agent to my own. A bad decision. A complication I shouldn’t risk.

An itch I suddenly have.

Shit.

I chuckle. What is it they say about itches? They need to be scratched.

Since when do I care about perception or what’s deemed right?

Isn’t that partially what got me into this mess?

Isn’t that why I know I shouldn’t touch her?

Then again, she looks like a woman you can have uncomplicated sex with. Who can deal with two people crossing paths without ongoing expectations.

So maybe, good sex with a gorgeous woman won’t hurt anyone at all.

CHAPTER TEN

LENNOX

“SO IT’S SIGNED,” I SAY as I push the employment contract across the desk toward Cannon and his slight smirk. “Now are you going to tell me what more I’ve just agreed to? I assure you I read the fine print and noticed its mention of two main goals, yet you seem to have only mentioned one.”

“Don’t sound so enthusiastic. This isn’t a prison sentence, Lennox.” He chuckles as he taps the papers on the table to square their edges before setting them to the side.

But his comment hits home. There are job duties with vague descriptions that he’s simply explained away as legalese that’s not pertinent to me specifically.

And yet, the longer he sits across from me with that cat ate the canary grin, the more I think I may have just made a mistake.

I force a swallow. “Cannon?” I prompt. “Details.”

“A woman who’s assertive. I like that.”

I ignore the comment and the flirty wink he gives after it, covering it with a tight smile. “It’s necessary in my line of work. The contract states I have to make players happy, win them over. I took the bait and signed, now you do your job and give me details. That’s how this is going to work.” I add on a saccharine-sweet smile to the end of my words.

He grunts crudely and I internally cringe, thinking of Dekker’s warning about his reputation.

“Your job is to make players happy. The first part of that is what we talked about—contracts, benefits, determining what they’re looking for. The second part is that I want you to make one player in particular especially happy so he decides to leave his current club and come play for the MLS.”

And the other shoe drops.

“I’m not following you.” I huff out a sigh because clearly I am following him, but choose to play dumb so he’s forced to spell it out for me. It’s never wise to assume.

“That comment alone tells me you are.”

I lift my eyebrows in response, my mind immediately homing in on the especially happy bit of his comment. Maybe after coming off Finn’s bullshit the other night, I’m sensitive to any implication that I use sex or my looks to win over clients, but I swear to God, that’s what Cannon is implying. “I’m afraid to ask what you’re asking of me.”

“I want you to recruit a player for us.”

“Just one?” I ask as he nods.

“We’ll get to that.” He leans back in his chair and studies me for a beat. “I want you to use all of your skills, persuasion, and knowledge to convince said player that moving to our league is a decision worth considering.”