Head Over Heels

by Crystal B. Bright

  Thane didn’t care who could see his dick. As soon as he saw five small incisions held together with surgical tape across his stomach he cursed. He plopped his head back on the pillow.

  “So this is the lesson here.” Gunnar put his hand on Thane’s shoulder. “Stop holding things in. Let everything out.”

  “Yeah, that’s always been your problem.” Gideon shook his head.

  “That and being a sickly kid, right? Isn’t that what you’ve always said about me?” Thane glared at his older brother.

  “Yeah. You were. Every week, Mom was taking you to see a doctor or a specialist. It surprised me that you even went into baseball. I thought you would have gone with the whole clothing design thing.” Gideon ruffled Thane’s hair.

  Not wanting his touch, Thane pushed his hand away from him. “Where’s my—” Thane didn’t know what he should call Kari.

  Did she qualify as a girlfriend now? He hadn’t signed on with her as an agent, but that didn’t seem to matter to her. She’d handled his business regardless. Hell, why hadn’t he signed on with her?

  Before Thane could finish his question, his hospital room door opened. The person who walked in pulled back the curtain. Thane blinked as soon as he saw his current agent, Alec. Although he talked to the man often, he hadn’t seen him in over a year.

  The short timeframe hadn’t been kind to him. His now all-white hair stood over his head like the man had slept on the roughest flight over from California. Unlike a lot of agents, Alec wore an old-school track suit, complete with thick white lines down the sleeves and the sides of the pants. His purple-rimmed glasses covered half his face.

  “You look like shit, kid.” Alec patted Thane on his shoulder. “If I wasn’t already retiring, you would push me there.” He looked up at Gunnar and Gideon. “Christ, how did your mother do it? Raise a family of champions.”

  Thane didn’t want to talk about his brothers. Or maybe his problem had to do with being lumped together with them in the same category.

  “How did you get back here?” Gunnar pointed to Alec.

  Alec snickered as he adjusted his glasses. “Nothing is off-limits for a man like me.” He held Thane’s hand like a nurturing father. “I told them I needed to see my number one client.” He gazed down at Thane. “Client for now. Boy, news gets out about my retirement and the freaks come out of the woodworks.”

  “I don’t think talking about business right now is the best thing.” Gideon shook his head.

  “Probably right, but it has to be done.” Alec raised his hand in the air, showing off a stack of paperwork. “With your forced time off, you’ll have time to read over these.” He placed the papers on the raised tray by Thane’s bed. “It’s the contract to dissolve my representation.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Gunnar ran his hand over his head. “He just had surgery, and you’re talking business.”

  Alec shrugged. “It’s the way of the world. Real life doesn’t stop because you want it to.” He faced Thane. “The other contract is for that agent I was telling you about.”

  “I haven’t met him yet.” Thane learned from his mother that if you do business with someone, you should be able to look that person in the eye, especially before signing a contract.

  “You don’t need to. He’s handling your money.” Alec laughed. “I’m trying to save you a headache. I was contacted by Frank Milliner with the Winning Edge Agency.”

  Thane recognized Kari’s agency’s name. He perked up at hearing it. “What did he say?”

  “Thane, don’t worry about any of that now.” Gideon made his way to the other side of the bed where Alec stood. “You need to rest and get yourself better.”

  “Yeah, you need to do that. But whatever you do, don’t sign with that agency.” Alec shook his head and grimaced.

  “Why is that?” Thane stared at Alec.

  “The owner said he was sending over someone you wouldn’t be able to resist. I think they’re trying to get you with some groupies or worse, a hooker or something. That guy always seemed shady to me.”

  “Is that where your girl works?” Gideon tapped Thane’s leg.

  Thane didn’t answer. He had to process all this information. His heart told him that Kari had been more than bait from an unscrupulous sports agency. She hadn’t pushed for a relationship or physical contact. That had been all him. None of this could be true of Kari, his woman, his savior.

  “Read over the terms.” Alec looked around. “You should be getting some flowers or something nice soon.”

  “You’re here. You couldn’t bother to bring them yourself?” Gideon cocked his head as he regarded Thane’s agent.

  Alec tapped his chest. “Bad ticker. I probably shouldn’t have made the plane trip over.” He smiled at Thane. “But as soon as I heard the news, I had to come here myself and see him.”

  It warmed Thane’s heart that at least Alec’s main motivation to see him had more to do with Thane’s wellbeing than business. His brothers stayed by his side, but the act felt more like familial obligation rather than genuinely caring for him. Or maybe his judgment had been clouded with hate for so long, he couldn’t tell the true difference. When he caught Alec glancing at his watch, his heartbeat slowed.

  “Got another meeting?” Thane’s voice sounded stronger the longer he stayed awake.

  Alec rubbed the back of his neck. For the first time since having the man as his agent, Thane noticed Alec’s face transforming into a ruddy color.

  Alec leaned down closer to Thane’s ear. “There’s a little get together happening down at the Oceanfront for, um, otters.”

  Thane felt his eyebrows rut together. Had he really come over here to look at animals?

  “Otters are young, thin, sleek men.” Alec stood up straight and gave Thane a knowing look.

  Thane nodded. “Okay. Your husband is here with you?”

  Alec took a couple of steps back to the door. “You can scan and e-mail me the paperwork whenever you’re ready. Nice seeing you, kid. Call me anytime.” He escaped before he could answer any questions.

  “That’s a strange dude.” Gideon shook his head. “But he got you a sweet deal.”

  “Is Kari here?” Thane reached for his remote.

  Gunnar shrugged. “Don’t know. She said she would stay here until she could see you.”

  “Wait. She was here and you refused to let her come in and see me?” Thane pressed the nurse’s call button.

  “She’s the reason you’re here. If she had told you about Jarrod—”

  Without apologies, Thane cut off Gideon. “No, I’m the reason I’m here. I’ve let things bother me and fester in my gut for far too long.”

  Orion came back in the room. As soon as he saw Gunnar and Gideon standing next to Thane’s bed, he beamed. “Hey, gentlemen.” He slapped palms with them both and pulled them each into a half hug before addressing Thane. “You rang?”

  “I’m really tired.” Thane glanced at his brothers. “They’re about to leave.”

  “Oh, so it’s like that?” Gunnar’s voice boomed.

  “You said that there was a woman last night in all red that was answering questions to reporters?”

  Orion nodded. “Yeah. I think she’s still out there.”

  Thane pulled his blanket up higher on his body. He glanced at Gunnar and Gideon. “Thanks for helping me last night and staying with me today. You two need to go home and get some sleep.” Then he turned to Orion. “If she’s here, will you get her for me?”

  “Unbelievable.” Gunnar shook his head and stormed out of the hospital room without a word to Thane.

  It didn’t surprise Thane that Gunnar had gotten angry about his decision. Gideon hugged Thane even after being politely booted from the room.

  “You need us, you call.” Gideon stood. “This changes nothing between us, understand?”

  Thane found it hard to embrace his brother. Eventually, he raised his arms and held
him. “Thanks for coming. I mean that, man.”

  “I know. Sometimes you have a funny way of showing it.” Gideon strolled out of the room.

  A couple of minutes later, the door opened again. From behind the curtain, Kari appeared. Her disheveled hair and wrinkled dress didn’t take away her beauty. As soon as her gaze connected to his, she wiped under her eyes and smiled.

  The smile nearly broke him.

  * * * *

  Kari didn’t care that she looked a mess the first time she got to see Thane. She promised Michael that she would see him before she came back to the hotel. It hurt her that Gunnar and Gideon had refused to let her see Thane. Even Eboni couldn’t get the big man to budge.

  As she stood next to his hospital bed seeing him with his eyes open, she felt a wave of relief wash over her body. She wanted him to smile at least, but she understood. He had surgery. Who would be happy about that?

  “Hey,” she said as she approached his bed.

  She leaned over to kiss him and he turned his head so that her lips landed on his cheek. His reaction sent a shiver through her body.

  “How are you feeling?” Kari stroked his hair. She liked feeling his silky tresses through her fingers.

  “Seen better days.” Thane exhaled. “How’s Michael?”

  As soon as Thane mentioned her son’s name, she replayed an image of her ex pushing him down. She shook her head.

  “He’ll be fine. Thank you for asking about him.” She smiled. “He asked about you. He didn’t want me coming back to the hotel until I saw you and talked to you.” She held Thane’s hand. “Thank you for allowing me to come back here. Your brothers are very protective.”

  Kari hoped that Thane understood what their actions meant. They looked out for him. It meant they loved him.

  She gently coasted her hand over the blanket that covered his midsection. She saw Thane twitch before he settled down.

  “I know,” she began. “Easy. Is this what you wanted to tell me down in North Carolina?”

  Instead of answering her question, he hit her with one of his own. “Did you see Alec Fogel?” He removed her hand from his stomach.

  The motion caused her body to go cold. “Um, yeah. I saw him walking through the lobby. Did you see him?”

  “Yes,” Thane answered flatly.

  “So they let him go through but not me.” She shook her head.

  “There’s a difference. He’s my agent. You’re not my agent, but you’re willing to do anything to represent me, right?” Thane glared at Kari.

  She took a step back. “I’ve been trying to secure your business for years. You know this.”

  “I know. I’m wondering how far you’re willing to go.”

  She cocked her head. “Where is all this coming from?”

  Thane took a deep breath before he positioned his head higher. “Alec said he got a call from a Frank Milliner. You know him?”

  Kari’s insides froze as she regarded Thane. She could only imagine what her boss had said about her and her efforts to get Thane to sign.

  When she didn’t immediately answer, Thane continued. “He said that Frank told him he sent his best agent to come after me for my business, and that this agent would do anything to sign me. I don’t want to believe that you would do anything and everything in your power to get me as a client.”

  She took a big step back. “You think I seduced you to make you sign? I’ve been after you since you started college. I knew your stats. I knew your worth on a team.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “If I remember correctly, you kissed me first.”

  Thane rested his hand on his stomach. “I was at my most vulnerable when I met you. Tell me you didn’t take advantage of that.”

  Her stomach lurched like she wanted to hurl the few contents she had in her belly. She hadn’t felt this bad with a man since being with Jarrod. For how gentlemanly he’d treated her and how wonderful he’d been with her son, she’d never thought she would hear these vile words from Thane.

  “I should have stuck to my rules. No athletes. No one younger. Never mix business with pleasure.” She jerked the curtain back. “Good luck with your recovery. Sorry we couldn’t do business together.”

  Kari ran from the room. Even in her heels, she felt like she barely touched the floor. Once she got outside, she remembered she didn’t have her car. Thankfully, a row of cabs sat in front of the hospital. She snagged one to get her back to the hotel.

  Along the way, Kari chewed on her lower lip to keep from screaming. How had she let herself get so involved? She remembered. Thane had charmed her. Never again.

  As soon as she arrived at her hotel, she took the stairs up to her room. As soon as she burst through the door, Michael tackled her.

  “Is Mr. Wells okay? What did Dad do to him? He’s been calling Reagan’s phone, but I told her not to answer.” Michael tugged on Kari’s dress.

  The dress. She couldn’t get out of it fast enough. Every stitch had been made with distrust and doubt.

  “Pack your bag, baby. We’re going back home.” She pulled her suitcase from the closet.

  “What’s going on?” Reagan came from the bedroom.

  “Mom says we’re leaving.” Michael pointed to Kari. “And she won’t tell me about Thane.”

  “Mr. Wells. What did I tell you about his name?” She knew she had raised her voice when she caught the fear in her child’s eyes.

  Michael blinked and retreated from her.

  She had to calm herself down, for herself and her son. “Go get your suitcase, please.” She tried to smile but it felt wrong.

  Michael crept to the bedroom to the other closet.

  Reagan took that time to approach Kari. “What the hell happened? You were gone all night. Is Thane going to be okay?”

  Kari slammed her clothes into the open case. “I don’t want to talk about him or his brothers again.”

  “Oh, okay.” Reagan held her hands up. “You’re the boss.”

  Kari pulled off her shoes and threw them in the case on top of her tousled clothing. “That’s something else I’ll need to take care of when we get back home.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Where I work.” Kari had to make some drastic changes.

  Chapter 22

  “You can’t do this to me,” Jean said with a slight French whine in his tone. “You know what I like.”

  Kari sat at her desk in her cubicle for the last time. She crossed her legs. “You don’t have to leave me. Come with me.” She smiled. “I’m branching off on my own. I’d still like to represent you.”

  The fight with Thane had one great result. She strengthened her backbone. Never would she fall for a man against her type. On top of all that, she would wait until Michael married and had children of his own before she even thought about a relationship.

  She regretted getting Michael involved in her personal drama. He deserved to have a happy childhood. She owed him a normal upbringing. Then again, when would she get her happily-ever-after ending?

  “You will give me the same representation as before? No changes?” Jean asked.

  “No changes. What do you say? Take a chance with me?” Kari glanced up and saw Chelsi signaling her. She hadn’t forgotten about her meeting with Frank.

  “A chance? Leaving Winning Edge is a risk?” Now worry laced the tennis pro’s voice.

  “Staying in a den of snakes is a risk.” She stood. “I’m a sure thing. I’ll send over a termination contract and a new one to be solely represented by me.”

  “Okay. I’ll read over it carefully.”

  “Good. Do it with your attorney. I look forward to hearing from you soon and working with you.” Kari disconnected the call to end on a strong note.

  If Jean signed the contract, he would be her one and only client. She had to start somewhere.

  Before heading into Frank’s office, she scanned her desk area to make sure everything had been packed. Kar
i wanted to leave nothing behind.

  On a large head of steam, she sauntered to Frank’s office. She kept her face straight and stoic.

  “Have a seat.” Frank pointed to a chair in front of his desk.

  “No, thank you. I won’t be here that long.” She pulled out her phone and forwarded an e-mail she had written and ready to go. “I’m quitting.”

  Kari heard a ping from his phone signaling that he had received her message.

  “You know when I said that you may not have a job if you didn’t secure Thane Wells, I wasn’t really serious. It was just to light a fire under you.” Frank typed something on his laptop and stared at the screen before he regarded Kari.

  “A fire has been lit under me, but it wasn’t your veiled threat.” She put her fists to her hips and felt like a superhero. “Did you really tell Alec Fogel that I was sent to Thane to seduce him into joining our agency?”

  Frank laughed. “He is a true gossip.”

  “So you did say it.” She nodded and paced next to a chair.

  “As a joke. I never thought he would take me seriously.” He stood from his desk.

  “And if you feel comfortable making a joke about my professionalism and performance, then I guess you don’t take me or my work seriously either.” She held her hand up to him. “Good-bye.”

  He regarded her for a moment. “You’re joking, right? You can’t leave.”

  “I can, and I am.” She took a determined step toward his desk. “I’ve worked hard to make a good reputation for myself. I can’t imagine you giving the same story about one of your male agents if he was trying to secure a female athlete.”

  Frank went to the office door and closed it. When he faced Kari again, he wore a monstrous scowl.

  “You ungrateful bitch.”

  Kari refused to be swayed from her position. She matched him stare for stare.

  Frank continued. “I gave you a chance when you were getting your ass thrown out in the street.” He marched to her. “And let’s not be pious here. The fact of the matter is that you did fuck him.”

  She blinked and hated herself for reacting. She shouldn’t have let her former boss see her crack.