The Marriage Ultimatum (Contemporary Romance)

by Christine Glover

  Ahead, the sliding glass doors opened to reveal an orderly standing behind a wheelchair with Ryder in it. Her throat tightened. The crash had spared the mountain bike champion major injury, but a small row of stitches crossed the bottom left side of his strong jawline. Still, nothing could detract from his sexy athletic build, which his crisp white dress shirt and torn jeans emphasized to perfection.

  Ignoring the flashes of cameras, the questions shouted by the reporters, she squared her shoulders and pushed through the throng toward the one man who held the key to her professional future.

  He moved to stand. “Where’s your dad?”

  “Recuperating from a mild heart attack at our estate in Palm Springs.” She placed her hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “Don’t move, and keep your mouth shut until we leave.” She squeezed his muscles, and forced him to remain seated.

  A tic jumped in his temple, and his electric blue eyes locked onto hers. “You sure you can change reality?” Ryder asked. “Tiffany’s dead. Eric’s quit the cycling team. My coach is threatening to drop me, and the negative publicity is bringing every chick I’ve dated to the tabloid talk show circuit to grab their fifteen seconds of fame. I don’t want to lose my career, but this shit isn’t going to be easy to fix.”

  Though the midday California sun white washed the hospital’s facade and heated the concrete she stood on, a sudden rush of cold filled her to the core. The hairs on the back of her neck raised. She didn’t like the starkness in his voice.

  “You’re our top sports client. This is a setback…”

  “A terrible accident that left someone dead isn’t a minor setback, Addie.”

  The use of her former nickname sent a thousand tingles through her skin and warmed her more than she dared to admit. It also resurrected other memories she’d rather not revisit. She pursed her lips and willed her mind to regain control over the current hormonal chorus of whoopees inside her. “I answer to Addison now. I’m the best in my field, and I will fix this situation to our mutual benefit,” she said, tightening her grip on his oh-so powerful shoulder. “So be quiet, and let me do all the talking. Got it?”

  * * *

  “The toxicology report is negative. You didn’t have a drop of alcohol in your system.” Addison crossed her office’s plush carpet and gave Ryder the file that held the police department’s accident report. “You like speed, and you’ve got an Olympic gold record for women revolving in and out of your bedroom. But Tiffany Langston? She’s—was—married to one of your best friends. I don’t buy what the press is saying.”

  Ryder tossed the folder onto Addison’s desk, then stared through the glass windows that overlooked the Los Angeles skyline. Haze muted the atmosphere, but the endless modern buildings stood in stark relief against the bright June day. Tunneling his fingers through his hair, he took in the vista of the San Gabriel mountains rising in the distance. Pale brown earth and random tufts of yellow grass and sage created a quilt of land he seriously wished he was racing across right now.

  Instead he was in an air conditioned office trying to figure out how to save his career with the one person he’d never expected to work with again. Addie—correction Addison—his former tutor. He’d really liked her spirit and had been drawn to her empathetic nature. Hell, he’d been half in love with her, but too afraid to admit the truth. He’d screwed that up royally. The college girl who had hugged him with enthusiasm when he’d aced his economics final had changed a great deal from that sweet, uber smart, nerd.

  Pinching the bridge of his nose, and closing his eyes, Ryder tried damn hard to erase the memory of the last time he’d seen Addison. But even now he could hear the shocked gasp, the whimper of a cry after he’d bullshitted the rest of his team about why he’d been nice to Fattie Addie. He’d lied to save face, and had hurt her deeply. Regret couldn’t begin to explain the internal punch to the gut he’d absorbed while pretending he didn’t care, or that he wasn’t attracted to his tutor.

  Instead, he’d let his ego drive his mouth and had been a prick of epic proportions toward someone he’d genuinely liked. She’d been cute then, but now? Man, oh man, she was fucking hot. Her power suit accentuated the curves of her hips and slim waist and no amount of layering could hide the swell of her full breasts. Mile high stilettos added to her statuesque height and her once short-cropped hair had grown into long, gorgeous blonde waves, which she tamed into a professional, smart style.

  “You’re right.” Ryder turned away from the view to hold her gaze. “There’s more to the story.”

  She crossed her arms and the fabric of her designer cut jacket stretched tight across her cleavage. “Spit it out.” She arched a perfectly shaped brow when she caught his glance drop lower. “We don’t have time to waste.”

  Ryder swallowed hard. “Tiffany had issues. She got drunk at the Beragio after Eric went home to check on their boys. Started making plays on the other guys—I got her out before the paparazzi caught her giving lap dances and acting like a stripper.”

  “Good.” Addison dropped her arms to her sides and the tiny line between her eyebrows disappeared. “Witnesses will help corroborate the counterattack I’ve planned.”

  “No way.” Ryder closed the distance between them to stand toe-to-toe with her. “Eric doesn’t need to know about this shit. His sons lost their mother. I won’t drag his family through the mud.”

  “You have an obligation to this agency to maintain your contracts with your sponsors. They’re threatening to drop you.”

  “That’s bullshit,” Ryder said. “I make one mistake and they want to drop me? I can’t lose the sponsorships, or my spot on the Olympic team.” Everything he’d worked toward remained in jeopardy, but he didn’t want to hurt Eric and his family with the truth.

  “Exactly. That’s why you have to let me use this information.”

  Her nostrils flared, and the pulse in the hollow of her throat fluttered wildly. Interesting. More than frost flowed through her veins. “The accident wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t insisted on taking her home,” Ryder said. “So maybe I am partly to blame.”

  “You were trying to protect her family from a scandal. Ironic considering you’re the one embroiled in a public relations nightmare as a result.”

  Ryder paused, took in the worry he heard in her voice. And the slight hint of understanding accompanying it. They’d been friends once and he’d discovered that she had an empathetic heart—she deserved to hear the entire truth even if he wouldn’t let her use it. He’d hoped she’d see the bigger picture even though she exuded more frost than icebergs floating in the Arctic Ocean.

  “I didn’t know Tiffany had the hots for me when I pulled her away from one of the other guys.” Ryder inhaled a deep breath, and Addison’s feminine floral perfume teased his senses. Somewhere beneath the cool professional exterior, he had to believe his Addie still existed. But then, he’d blown their friendship and he couldn’t be sure. She was here to do her job. And despite the tell-tale signs of physical attraction, nothing special existed between them anymore. Not after what he’d done. “We were rounding the corner before the turn off to their place in Malibu when she groped me.”

  Addison nibbled her lower lip, and that tiny line between her brows returned. “Go on.”

  “I pushed her off, but she got wicked crazy. Tried to grab my dick a second time. When I shook her off, she jerked the steering wheel. I lost control of the car. Now Eric’s a widower and his sons don’t have a mother.”

  “You’re not to blame for her actions. With witnesses and the toxicology report I can neutralize the negative press within twenty-four hours.”

  “I won’t let them suffer more than they already have—find another way to save my butt, Addison.” Ryder shoved his hands into his pockets. He’d made a lot of dumb ass mistakes in his life, including the shit that had landed him years earlier at Saddle Creek Ranch for juvenile delinquents. He’d learned then to live by rules he refused to break, even though one particular rule nig
gled at the far reaches of his brain, making him cringe inwardly. “You said you were the best. Prove it.”

  Reforming the Heartbreaker

  Also by Christine Glover

  Sweetbriar Springs’ Series

  The Movie Star’s Red Hot Holiday Fling

  The Maverick’s Red Hot Reunion

  The Marine’s Red Hot Homecoming

  Stand Alone

  The Tycoon’s Red Hot Marriage Merger

  Hollywood Heartbreakers’ Series

  Reforming the Heartbreaker: A Hollywood Heartbreaker Novella

  These Hollywood Heartbreakers Releasing Soon!

  April 2017

  Tempting the Heartbreaker: Sabrina & Rafe’s Story Book 1

  May 2017

  Seducing the Heartbreaker: Fiona & Jax’s Story Book 2

  June 2017

  Resisting the Heartbreaker: Samantha & Trevor’s Story Book 3

  About the Author

  Christine Glover is the author of tantalizing, sensual, emotional contemporary romances. Born in the Netherlands, Christine moved to Canada where she spent her formative years. Then she married her Texan Alpha Physicist, moved to the United States where she has lived both south and north of the Mason Dixon line. Now Christine resides in Alabama with her husband, one entertaining cat and FaceTimes her daughter whenever she gets a chance. She enjoys finding the silly in the serious, making wine out of sour grapes, and giving people giggle fits along with heartfelt hugs. When she’s not writing, you can find her traveling the world, cooking gourmet food, and desperately seeking a corkscrew.

  For more information

  @cjglover63

  ChristineGloverAuthor

  www.christineglover.com

  christinegloverauthor@gmail.com

  Acknowledgments

  Many thanks to my fabulous critique partners, Carmen Falcone and Pam Mantovani. They helped me get through one of the toughest revisions ever with advice, last minute brainstorming sessions, and lots of virtual hugs.

  Much appreciation goes to my editor Jayne Wolfe for pointing out a few more ways to make this story shine. And also a shout out to Anne Victory for her OOPS! detector final copy and proof edit. Y’all rock!

  A big super Wow! She did it again to Jaycee Delorenzo from Sweet N’ Spicy designs for creating such a beautiful cover for this novel.

  Always got to thank my fabulous readers, especially my street team Passionettes!! Y’all are the best and your support means the world to me.

  Smooches to my husband and hero, Chuck. He is a rock star in the support department. I wish every person had a hero like him. Super hugs to the Career Girl, Mallory! Love you to the moon and back again!