A Perfect Strategy

by Anna Sugden

  They were about to break for lunch when Callum’s cell rang.

  He glanced at the caller ID. “I’m sorry, I have to take this. It’s Jim Scartelli.”

  As Callum exchanged pleasantries with the owner, that familiar chill slithered down Scott’s neck. The presentiment worsened when Hardshaw’s face paled.

  “I see. Thank you for letting me know. Yes, I’ll be there.” Callum ended the call and stared at his cell for several moments before looking at Scott, his expression a little bleak.

  “Is something wrong?” Even though it was obvious, Scott sensed his boss needed prodding to be able to speak.

  “The team has been sold. There will be an announcement tomorrow, but the Scartellis wanted to give me a heads-up.” Callum swore. “I knew they were considering a sale—I helped with due diligence for potential buyers—but I had no idea things had moved so quickly. I thought we had more time.”

  “How will that affect us?”

  “That’s up to our new owner. Mr. Antonelli may want his own people in charge. I’ll have my work cut out convincing him I’m the right man for the job.”

  And if Antonelli didn’t want Callum, he wouldn’t want his management team either. “You built the Cats into a Cup-winning team, despite a bargain-basement budget. Our new owner has to respect that.”

  “I hope so, but the Scartellis’ lack of investment has tied my hands with marketing and business development for a long time and it shows. I could be the easy sacrifice.” Hardshaw sighed heavily. “Anyway, we’ll find out more soon enough. Antonelli and his posse are flying in this evening and they expect to meet us right away.” He gave Scott an apologetic look. “Looks like you’re going to have a trial by fire.”

  What could he say? “It’s an interesting first day, for sure.” Scott shrugged, as if it was no problem to him. But he couldn’t shake that sense of foreboding.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  WITH THE PRECISION of the Secret Service escorting the president, the three limos that had ferried Marty Antonelli’s people from Teterboro Airport pulled up outside the Ice Cats headquarters.

  Scott smiled when several of the well-dressed men emerging from the cars appeared to wilt as they encountered the notorious New Jersey humidity. He’d take any edge he could get for the upcoming meeting. Not that he expected to play anything but a minor part. Still, he was damned if he’d let them mess with his team.

  “They look set for action,” he said as Callum joined him by his office window.

  “We will be, too. How free are you this weekend?”

  “No plans. Why?” Glancing at his boss, Scott was intrigued by his buoyant expression.

  “Good.” Callum slapped him on the back. “I’ve decided to be proactive. I figure with all the media hoopla, we have until Monday before Mr. Antonelli gets down to serious business and I plan to use that time wisely. We’re meeting with the department heads at my place so we can pull together our vision for how the organization should move forward. I want us to walk into Monday’s meeting prepared to knock them on their asses.”

  “You’re talking my language. I’ve always preferred to take the battle to my opponents.”

  Scott turned to the window. His smile faded as a pair of gorgeous, tanned legs in beige spiked-heel shoes emerged from the middle limo.

  His body reacted instantly, recognizing who the legs belonged to even before Sapphie straightened and his brain caught up.

  What’s she... The question had barely begun to form before memories of their last morning together flashed and things clicked into place. He remembered the client she’d had to rush away for had been called Marty, but Scott hadn’t made the connection with the new owner. Guess he now knew why it had been so urgent.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off Sapphie as she shrugged a red jacket over her red-and-white dress. She stood out like a colorful flower in the midst of the dark suits of her colleagues. His gaze followed her hungrily as she led the others toward the building, where she disappeared from his sight.

  She’d be coming up here. She’d be in all the meetings.

  Crap. This wasn’t how he’d expected to run into her again. He wasn’t ready.

  Scott had hardly gotten his mind around that uncomfortable fact when Callum’s assistant informed them that their guests were waiting in Reception.

  “Please get the management team to the boardroom. Scott and I will go greet Mr. Antonelli and his people.” Callum turned to him. “Ready to face the enemy?”

  No wasn’t an acceptable response. Especially when driven by purely personal reasons. But Scott had never backed down from a challenge and he wasn’t about to start now. Just as he had on so many nights before a clash with a tough opponent, Scott put on his game face. “Always.”

  * * *

  “OF COURSE I KNOW our former captain.”

  Sapphie’s smile felt overbright as she shook Scotty’s hand. “Nice to see you again.”

  There—the perfect mix of good manners and enthusiasm. If anyone noticed an edge to her words or the color that crept into her cheeks from the touch of his skin against hers, they’d assume it was fan-girl awkwardness. Not that she was shocked at coming face-to-face with the man with whom she’d spent a glorious weekend burning up the sheets. God, was that really less than a week ago?

  They certainly wouldn’t see her frustration, that she was so jittery, while Scotty looked calm. But then, he was probably used to dealing with starstruck fans.

  “Nice to see you, too.” His deep voice sent a tremor through her, reminding her body of the sexy things he’d murmured in her ear.

  Despite all the hard work preparing for this trip, she hadn’t been able to get Scotty out of her head. If she was honest, she’d admit that she’d hoped they’d bump into each other at some point. At a fund-raiser or a meet and greet. In a few weeks, maybe a month or two.

  Not now. Not today.

  What was he doing here? Thankfully, before she could find a way to ask without giving herself away, Marty did it for her.

  “As nice as it is to meet one of my all-time favorite players, we weren’t expecting any media at this meeting.”

  “Scotty isn’t with the network any longer.” Callum explained the former captain’s new role as AGM. “We’re excited to have him.”

  Her gaze shot up to meet Scotty’s.

  The serious, steady look in those blue eyes confirmed the news. “This is my first day on the job.”

  “Excellent.” Marty laughed and clapped Scotty on the back. “Smart move. I always thought you were wasted in the booth.”

  As her boss and the Cats’ GM talked about how good it would be to have someone of Scotty’s experience, Sapphie managed to clear her throat and force out some words.

  “Congratulations. Welcome aboard.”

  “Thanks.” The corner of his mouth quirked. “It’s been...interesting, so far.”

  “For sure.” Cursing herself for not being able to come up with a better response, Sapphie dropped her gaze to her jacket and picked off an imaginary thread.

  “Shall we head upstairs so you can meet the rest of the team?” Callum suggested, holding the elevator door open.

  Sapphie held back, waiting for the second car, thinking Scotty might go with the first group. Unfortunately, he had the same idea and they ended up standing next to each other. Although there was plenty of space between them, she was ridiculously aware of how close he was.

  In the boardroom it was easy to move away from Scotty as she was introduced to the other members of the Cats’ senior management group. While people took their seats, her stomach tightened as she waited to see where Scotty would end up.

  “Sapphire, come and sit beside me.” Marty stood at the head of the table and indicated her place at his right hand. He put Callum on his left with Scotty a
longside him.

  Which meant she and Scotty were practically opposite each other. Wishing she had some papers to fiddle with, she busied herself pouring glasses of sparkling water for those close to her.

  Once everyone was seated—Marty’s people on the right, the Ice Cats’ on the left—Hardshaw stood. “Welcome, Mr. Antonelli and your team, to New Jersey.” He pointed to the painting of the famous hockey trophy on the far wall. “And to the headquarters of the reigning Stanley Cup champions.”

  Everyone whooped and clapped.

  “We look forward to a bright and prosperous future for our organization as part of your group. We—” Callum waved his hand toward the Ice Cats’ management “—and all the hardworking people in our departments are committed one hundred percent to giving you our best.”

  Once the applause had quieted, Marty rose, thanked Callum, then gave his usual spiel, reassuring the people around the table that he wasn’t there to do a hatchet job. He emphasized that he was a fan and wanted continued success for the team. “I want the Ice Cats to be a dynasty. Winning the Cup every year is almost impossible, but alternate years would be perfectly acceptable.”

  Everyone laughed.

  Marty grew serious. “I also want my teams to be well run and profitable. We all know, I’m sure, there is plenty of room for improvement on that score.”

  Nods and murmurs of agreement came from across the table.

  “However, I assure you that it will be business as usual until I have a complete picture of what is required for this organization. I’m a great believer in talking to people at all levels and in all departments before making any decisions.” He indicated the men and women on his left. “You know the strengths and weaknesses of this business better than anybody. My team has a lot of experience in making businesses perform at the level I want them to. Together, we will fix what doesn’t work and, more important, leave alone what does. Together, we will create a winning team in the front office as well as on the ice.”

  As Marty continued with his speech, Sapphie sneaked a peek at Scotty. Though his body was angled to appear as though he was listening to Marty, his gaze clashed with hers.

  For a moment, she was startled to see a flash of heat in his unguarded eyes. Maybe he wasn’t as unmoved by their meeting as he seemed. That gave her a boost of confidence, and for the first time since setting foot in the Ice Cats’ building, her tension eased. She sent him a half smile before turning her attention to Marty.

  “Let’s go around the table and introduce ourselves. Then we’ll break and head to my club for drinks and dinner so that we can get to know each other. Tomorrow we’ll have a press conference and announce the sale to the media. Beginning Monday, we roll up our sleeves and the hard work starts.” He paused, then grinned. “Well, it will for you. I’m afraid my attention is required elsewhere. There are definite perks to being the owner, other than the best seats for a home game.”

  This time, the laughter had a definite edge. Everyone in the room was aware of how important the coming weeks would be and what was at stake. No matter how jovial and avuncular Marty Antonelli seemed, his reputation preceded him. His standards were exacting. He did not suffer fools or incompetence. His decision, once made, was final.

  Marty laid his hand on her shoulder. “You all know who I am, so I’ll hand you over to my right-hand gal. Sapphire will keep you on your toes. She certainly keeps me on mine.”

  Sapphie was conscious of all the eyes on her. Not exactly true. Just one pair of blue eyes. A pair of serious, slightly damning but oh-so-sexy blue eyes.

  She licked her dry lips and explained who she was. “Like Marty, I’m a longtime fan.” She smiled. “Back-to-back Cups works for me.”

  Most in the room smiled, too. She wouldn’t let the one man who didn’t get to her.

  “However, I also want the organization to be financially sound.” She kept her tone upbeat. “I’m aware that those two objectives can seem at odds. My role is to facilitate and to challenge all of you so that you can achieve what is required on both fronts.”

  It was gratifying to see the positive response to her words. Callum and Scotty remained unmoved, but she was determined to win at least one of them over before she was done.

  “Although I’m contracted by Antonelli Holdings, I am independent. I have no hidden agenda and my job is to ensure the Ice Cats continue to run smoothly while profitability improves. The next few months are your chance to have input into the plans for the future. Speak up. Negotiate and fight for what you believe in. I promise to make sure Antonelli Holdings listens.”

  Callum touched his steepled fingers to his lips and nodded.

  She took the small victory, despite the inscrutable expression of the man next to him, and handed the meeting over to Marty’s chief financial officer.

  As the introductions continued, she kept glancing at Scotty. He listened intently to what everyone had to say but didn’t relax. When it was his turn to speak, he kept it short.

  “You all know my playing bio. And this Cup ring—” he held up his right hand to show off the knuckle-duster bearing the diamond-encrusted Ice Cats logo “—says everything about my commitment to the team.”

  Sapphie squeezed her knees together to stop the tingling feeling that his grin induced.

  “What you may not know is that I have a business degree, which I intend to put to good use. If I didn’t believe in our general manager, I wouldn’t have signed up to work with him. Just as I did on the ice, I intend to defend this team and make sure we’re a force to be reckoned with.”

  It sounded like the battle lines had been drawn. As his gaze met hers, she got the feeling the line in the sand was at her feet.

  The meeting broke up a short time later. She didn’t have another opportunity to interact with Scotty, as Marty wanted to leave. In the limo on the way to their hotel he was busy making phone calls—to his wife, then his personal assistant in LA—so Sapphie was able to think about what had happened and try to figure out how she felt about working with Scotty.

  Ordinarily, she didn’t face this kind of problem, because she deliberately kept her business and personal lives separate. This time, though, those two had collided in spectacular fashion.

  Not quite true, she told herself. There wasn’t a personal side to the situation. Nor would there be. She’d made it perfectly clear when she and Scotty had parted on the weekend, and his attitude toward her today said he’d moved on.

  She had to admit she was a little disappointed there was no chance of rekindling anything with him—at least not in the foreseeable future.

  Perhaps that was a good thing. Given her reaction to him during the meeting, she’d be smart to avoid breaking her self-imposed rule about relationships.

  Still, she wouldn’t have said no to another weekend.

  Not to be. And that was fine. Really.

  Yet, as she entered the function room in Marty’s club a short while later, she was frustrated that her gaze searched the milling people by the bar and homed in on Scotty. She was only slightly mollified to see his eyes zero in on her. Their gazes met and held for a moment; then he looked away. Too damn easily.

  Although Sapphie’s attention shifted to Callum and Marty as they joined her, it didn’t stop her from knowing where Scotty was as he moved around the room chatting. The sooner dinner was over, the better. At least she’d have the weekend to shore up her defenses before the meetings began on Monday.

  Her relief when dinner was announced was short-lived. Marty practically dragged Scotty over to sit beside Sapphie. “I have a good feeling about you working together. It will be a marriage made in heaven.”

  Marty’s enthusiasm for pushing them together mortified her. She hoped Scotty didn’t think she was behind it.

  Fortunately, the dapper little man on her other side—apparently the Ice Cats’ dir
ector of community projects—had some entertaining stories.

  After Marty’s champagne toast to a successful partnership, everyone settled down to their food.

  Sapphie could hardly eat a bite. She was too aware of the man to her right. She could feel the heat emanating from his thigh so close to her leg. Her skin prickled when his elbow brushed against hers. The deep rumble of his voice as he talked with Antonelli’s director of marketing resonated in her midriff, right below her ribs.

  Scotty didn’t seem to have the same problem. While she moved the salad around her plate, he ate heartily.

  Her conversation with the director of community projects reached a natural conclusion by the time the entrées were served. As he engaged with the person on the other side of him, Sapphie had no choice but to turn to Scotty. Unfortunately, she couldn’t think of a witty opening gambit.

  “So it appears we’ll be working together,” he said.

  Sapphie took a large sip of champagne, then said brightly, “It’s a funny old world. Congratulations again on your new role. The Cats are lucky to have you in the front office. Your experience will be invaluable.”

  Stop jabbering at the man! She took another sip, to keep her mouth occupied.

  “Thanks.”

  Silence stretched between them awkwardly, at least on her part.

  She rushed to fill the gap. “What made you switch from color-commentating?” Stuffing a piece of shrimp into her mouth to prevent any inane babbling, she tried to make her expression politely interested.

  “It switched away from me. Then this opportunity came up and it appealed, so here I am. Time will tell if I made the right choice. Especially under the circumstances.”

  “I’m sure it will turn out to be the perfect decision,” she said, deliberately taking his words at face value. “This is a good time to join. You’ll influence some important decisions and help determine the necessary organizational changes for the future.”