The Boss’s Secret Baby

by Charlize Starr

  I watched him on the field, and I knew instantly that he was not on top of his game. I regretted ever telling him that there would come a time when he wouldn’t win. Of course, I wanted him to win. I was in love with him. I didn’t hate him. My anger was towards the world, not him.

  We hadn’t spoken to each other in over ten days since I had stormed out of his house. He had stayed away, which could only mean one thing: he was glad I was gone.

  I noticed the cameras, the paparazzi present as always. They were clicking away, churning up new stories about how a heartbroken Erica Lee had come to the game to watch Kyle Murphy on the field, even after he had thrown her out of his house. I didn’t care anymore. The damage was done. My public life was over. I would have to find a job somewhere as a shop assistant, maybe in my old town. Maybe I could move back in with my dad. He had taken the news of my pregnancy surprisingly well. That was the best option for me now. And this was my last chance of seeing Kyle in person again. Even if it was only from the sidelines.

  His lithe athletic body moved like the wind. He was tackled, but he soldiered through. It was easy to see that he was still the apple of everyone’s eye. None of these stories had truly changed their affection for their hero. He was still able to charm his way out of all this.

  I clapped as the crowd cheered, a smile on my face. I was genuinely happy to see him on the field. He wasn’t himself, granted, but he was doing his best. He was doing what he was good at and those were the genes that my child would have as well. Kyle Murphy’s genes.

  They won. I hadn’t expected them to win, and they had come close to losing, but Kyle saved the day again. His last kick was perfect, it arched through the air and he made it, serving his team with a magnificent victory yet again. When they carried him on their shoulders, he was close to the bleachers. I could see him clearly. The way his chest rose and fell with the excitement, the look on his face. He was surprised they had won, he was in shock that he had been able to do it all. I wondered if he blamed me for his under-performance.

  I waited for a few more minutes, watching the team cheer, clap and wave. I adjusted the sunglasses on my face and stood up when they started to walk back in towards the locker room. It was time for me to leave. I had seen what I had come here to see. This would be my last memory of Kyle, in person, at least. I was glad they had won the game.

  I weaved through the cheering crowds and made my way out. The crowd was thick and I was pushed around a bit, but I placed my hand on my belly protectively and managed to squeeze my way through.

  “Erica!” I heard a voice behind me. When I turned around, I could see Lewis’ head bobbing up in the sea of people. He was waving to me, scorn on his face. I stopped in my tracks as he pushed people out of the way to reach me. “What are you doing here?” he asked when he had managed to come closer. He had to scream over the heads of thousands of fans.

  I was still being pushed by the outgoing crowd, and I tried to hold my place. “I came to watch the game,” I said. I could sense the hostility emanating from Lewis. He wasn’t smiling, he wasn’t happy to see me.

  “The media got wind that you were attending. They saw you at the seats,” he said, coming even closer now.

  “Yes, I saw the cameras. I wasn’t here for them,” I stated, folding my arms. My shoulders were still being jerked by everyone who pushed against me.

  “I find that hard to believe. Are you going to make some kind of statement?” Lewis asked. He came ever closer and I felt some of his spittle land on my face. Did he really hate me, or was he just being protective of his client?

  “No, Lewis, I am not here to make any statement. I had just come to watch the game and now I’m going,” I said and I was going to turn, but he stopped me.

  “You really shouldn’t be doing things like this. We need to put the relationship to rest. You shouldn’t be wagging the media’s tongue again. You know how it is, you’re a journalist,” Lewis lectured and I tightened my lips. It was insulting to have to hear this from him. I didn’t want to have to explain to Lewis, of all people, that I was in love with Kyle.

  “I was a journalist, and don’t worry Lewis. You won’t be seeing me around anymore. I’m leaving the city,” I said and I was about to turn again, but he stopped me again, this time by placing a hand on my arm.

  “Glad to hear it. But before you go, Kyle wants to have a word with you. He heard you were here,” Lewis said and then turned to go, expecting me to follow him.

  Chapter Eighteen - Kyle

  She was in a light floral dress, and I thought I could detect a slight baby bump on her already. Her hair was glossy, golden, and parted on the side. She had big sunglasses on, covering her eyes. Her lips were pink. This was the mother of my child, and I was delighted to see her.

  I had asked Lewis to bring her to the back room, behind the locker rooms, so we could have our privacy. And she didn’t look happy to be brought there. There was discomfort on her face, and I immediately regretted asking her to come here. I didn’t want her to think that she was being forced into doing something she didn’t want to do.

  “Hello, Erica,” I said, folding my arms. I was leaning against the table that was in the middle of the small stock room. There was one light bulb hanging from the ceiling between us.

  “Hello, Kyle,” she said, keeping her distance from me. Lewis shut the door behind him, and I let out a huge breath.

  “Thank you for coming to the game,” I said, trying to force a smile on my face.

  “You won, again,” she said, still unsmiling.

  “Despite your prediction,” I said jokingly as she slowly pulled the glasses off her face. Her eyes were dark today, a deep rich blue.

  “I didn’t wish you ill,” she said.

  I nodded my head. “I know, of course. It was only a joke.”

  “And I also didn’t mean to cause a scene. I just wanted to watch the game. I had the ticket,” she continued. I continued nodding my head.

  “Of course. You should come to all the games, by all means. You’re a sports journalist after all.” I tried to laugh again, but she wasn’t joining me.

  “I don’t know why people keep calling me that. I used to be a sports journalist. I’m not one anymore.” She looked away from me, but she didn’t look sad. She looked sure of herself, as confident as ever. I wanted to hold her, I wanted her to let it all out.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked and she jerked her head to look at me.

  “With the child you mean?”

  “With my child, yes.”

  “I feel fine.” She waved the sunglasses in her hand, and I stared at her. I wanted her to tell me the truth.

  “Can I see the baby when it’s born?” I asked, I knew I had to tread carefully.

  “I didn’t think you wanted to,” she said, looking keenly back at me.

  “Of course I want to. It’s my child. It’s our child, Erica.” I took a few steps towards her, and I was glad to find that she didn’t move away.

  “But it was a mistake.”

  “A happy mistake. I’m going to be a father. That feels great and I want to be a part of its life.” I took a few more steps towards her.

  “I was planning on leaving the city, going back to my hometown,” she said, still looking at me.

  “For a while? Not for very long, I hope. I don’t want to live far away from my child.” I didn’t know what else to say. My heart was breaking to hear that she had planned to go away. Ten days apart had been enough for me to know that I couldn’t live without her.

  “I need my family’s support.”

  “But you have mine.”

  “Lewis asked me to stay away.”

  “Lewis is an asshole,” I blurted out, and I saw the smile in her eyes. It encouraged me to edge closer to her. “He has no idea how I feel about you.”

  Erica was silent, but she was asking the question with her eyes. How do you feel about me?

  “That relationship may have been fake, Erica, but my feelings fo
r you are not. I think I’m in love with you,” I said. The lightbulb above us was swinging. Her face was lit and then not lit, lit and then not lit. I thought I saw a smile spreading across her face, but I couldn’t be sure yet.

  “Kyle, how can this be possible?” she asked, and I reached for her hand.

  “I don’t know Erica, but it’s not impossible either,” I said. She let me hold her hand.

  “No, I mean, how can this be possible? I thought I was the only one who was feeling this way. I’ve missed you, Kyle,” she said and she was in my arms in the next second. Her face was on my shoulder and I was stroking her hair.

  My heart was beating fast, the warmth of her body was enough to make me happy. I was smiling.

  “Why did you stay away from me for so long?” I asked her. She remained on my chest, her hair spread over my shoulders.

  “Because I didn’t think you wanted me. I thought you were happy to see me go. I couldn’t imagine that you would want a baby.” Erica was speaking softly as I held her close to me.

  “That’s crazy talk. All I’ve done since I first saw you in that hallway after that first game is think about you. I’ve wanted your body, and now I want your soul,” I said and I felt her smile against my jersey.

  We were both silent for several minutes, enjoying the warmth of each other’s body.

  “What about that photograph? The one in your locker room?” Erica asked suddenly.

  “I never found out who did it. Must have been one of my teammates. But it doesn’t matter anymore. We would never have been together if it wasn’t for that photograph,” I said, stroking her hair. She smiled at me and nodded.

  Chapter Nineteen - Erica

  The press had been primed, they had all lined up outside the stadium waiting for us to make an appearance. Lewis had grudgingly arranged for it.

  Kyle was holding my hand tightly as we made our way out. My heart was pounding against my chest. I had never done something like this before. All my career, I had been on the other side. I had been the one asking questions.

  Kyle was still in his winning jersey and he had a bright smile on his face as we made our way to the front. The cameras flashed. He was a natural. “Good evening everybody. I just wanted to make an official statement and put all the gossip to rest, once and for all,” Kyle began. The cameras continued to flash as he spoke loudly, but the murmur had died down. Everybody was waiting with bated breath to hear him.

  Kyle Murphy had just won another game: he was the star of the show, also the hottest most eligible bachelor in the country, and now he was making a statement holding the hand of a girl who he had supposedly thrown out of his house only a few days ago.

  “No, I will not be taking any questions.” He shot down someone from the crowd of journalists who had said something. “The truth is that Erica and I met here, in this stadium, after one of our games. We met and we fell in love. That was almost instantaneous. We have been together since then, and it is none of anybody’s business what goes on in our personal lives.”

  The cameras flashed again. I was standing beside him and he was still holding my hand.

  “We are very much in love, we have always been together, and little fights and arguments are a part of every relationship. I did not throw her out of my apartment. She chose to leave of her own accord to take a break. And now we are together again.” Kyle looked at me, and I smiled at him. He hadn’t told me what he had planned on saying, but I was glad he was saying it all. Nearly everything he was saying was true.

  “I would also ask the media to exercise caution in their dealings with our relationship. We are expecting a child, and we do not want the paparazzi hounding our personal space and private lives.” He ended it on that note and turned to me. I wasn’t expecting him to kiss me, but he did. Right on the lips, in front of everybody.

  “One last thing, as you can all guess by now. I am officially taken,” he said and pulled me away, and then leaned in to kiss me on the cheek again.

  “All that wasn’t necessary, Kyle,” I whispered to him. He squeezed my hand, warm in his.

  “Of course it was. I had to announce it to the world,” he said.

  *****

  THE END

  Basketball Daddy

  Description

  He’s every woman’s dream. And he’s making me an offer I can’t refuse

  Tamsin Clarkson has got her lucky break. She’s the journalist who is chosen to interview the winning team in the NBA semi-finals. This is exactly the boost she needs for her career.

  Finding herself in the locker room after the game, she is confronted with superstar and notorious bad boy Crosby Jones. She’s supposed to interview him, but it’s a little difficult to concentrate when he’s in the shower... right in front of her.

  He agrees to give her an exclusive feature article that she could never have imagined in her wildest dreams, but only if she gives him what he wants first: herself.

  Tamsin agrees to the deal, but soon has to face the consequences: a surprise pregnancy.

  She doesn’t tell him about it and breaks off all contact because she’s convinced that he doesn’t want the baby. Or is there a chance that he does?

  Tamsin can’t afford to make another mistake—especially since she’s still dealing with Adam, her creepy one night stand who won’t stop texting her.

  Adam is harmless though, right?

  Chapter One

  Tamsin was afraid she’d break a nail at the rate at which she was twisting her fingers from nervousness. Whatever happened, she had to be calm, she knew that. It was her first time on an assignment like this one, where she actually got to interview a team after the game in their locker room. The worst thing she could do was appear nervous and mess it up.

  She was standing at the door of the locker room, waiting for the team to come back in. The loud cheers from the stadium made it evident that the fans were not ready for the team to leave yet after their win. That was okay, Tamsin could wait. The longer they took to return, the more time she would have to soothe her nerves.

  The phone in her bag vibrated and she felt it move against her thigh. Tamsin pulled it out irritably. She didn’t need any more distractions.

  Ver R U? answr nw

  She couldn’t believe Adam had actually got himself a new number, since she’d blocked his old one. He couldn’t even write a complete sentence without dropping all the vowels. Tamsin rolled her eyes, as annoyed with herself as she was with him. What had she been thinking? Why had she agreed to a one-night stand with a random guy she met at a bar?

  She deleted the text, dropped the phone back into her bag and leaned against the doorway.

  The cheering from the crowd grew louder. This victory meant the team had made it to the semi-finals. Tamsin went from screwing up her fingers to biting her nails. She could feel the vibration of the floor as the team made its way back in.

  Ever since she was a little girl, all she had wanted was to be a sports journalist, to cover NBA games and meet some of her favorite players, and it was happening now. This was her chance.

  The team appeared at the end of the corridor. The guys were in their red and black jerseys, with their manager, coach and other supporters behind them. High fives were flying around, and she could see the sweat dripping down their hair, down their temples, soaking their jerseys. To Tamsin, they looked like warriors, like heroes, and they were making their way towards her.

  That was when she saw him for the first time in real life. Crosby Jones. The guy had been an inspiration to her and many others. At the tender age of eighteen, Crosby had entered the NBA, having been scouted in college, and had become a national star in no time.

  Now, six years later, he was a veteran but still going strong. Tamsin couldn’t help but smile at them. They were approaching her in a huddle, and she stood frozen at the spot.

  “Are you Tamsin Clarkson?” somebody asked her, but she remained staring at the guys, following their every movement with bewildered eyes. Her drea
m had come true.

  “Excuse me, miss. Are you Tamsin Clarkson?” The voice interrupted her thoughts again and she turned to find the manager of the team standing there with his arms crossed, glaring at her.

  “Uhh…yes, I am.” She was fumbling with her words, still trying to get her bearings and shake herself out of the daze.

  “Yes. I was told you’d be here. We don’t have much time for you, Miss Clarkson. Just a quick interview with the coach and a few of the players will have to do.” He started to walk into the locker room and Tamsin followed him, fumbling with her notebook and pen in her bag.

  “Of course. I was promised an exclusive with Crosby Jones as well,” she said, still nervous as hell.

  “Crosby doesn’t have time, Miss Clarkson. The coach will have to do for now.” He turned to her with an icy smile as he navigated his way through the people in the locker room. She wasn’t really paying much attention to what he had to say. All she could do was look around her in awe.

  “Time for what?” someone asked and Tamsin jerked her head to look at Crosby standing in front of his locker. His shirt was off, and he was standing with his hands planted on his hips. Tamsin could feel her cheeks grow warm. She had never thought she would ever meet him in person, and here he was in his full bare glory.

  Crosby towered over her by at least a foot, his pale skin was tanned and the muscles on his bare chest and arms were flexed. As he looked at her with curiosity in his eyes, she could see that his green eyes sparkled. Strands of his blond, shining hair fell over his eyes as he examined her. Sweat glistened on his forehead and his bare torso. Tamsin could feel her belly flop. He was the hottest guy she had ever set her eyes on. No wonder he had the reputation he had, of making women drop their panties with just one look.