ROMANCE: SPORTS ROMANCE: The Playmaker (Bad Boy College Football Romance) (New Adult College Alpha Male Sports Romance)

by Carly White

  Aria tried to stay positive, hoping that she would catch the postman before he delivered for the day. By the time she got outside of her small apartment that she shared with a friend, she caught him at the mailbox. Aria was going to take the encounter as a sign and that seemed to lift her spirits. Waving to the elderly carrier, she walked back up the stairs to her second story apartment and started to get dressed for work. Even if she got an internship, she would still have to work a full-time job on the side and the very idea of how little sleep she was going to get, made her get dressed a little slower than usual.

  Aria paid her bills and most of her tuition working at a small bar on the bad side of town that most people stayed away from. It was frequented by bikers and thugs, but it didn’t much bother Aria. The men were surprisingly protective of the one who had control of the liquor and she had never had much of a problem, beyond the occasionally drunk proposal.

  She sighed in the mirror looking at her ‘uniform.’ It was really more like she imagined a hooker would wear. The skirt was black and super short, as well as a top that had too low of a neckline and begged for more attention than anyone every really wanted. She fixed her long blonde hair into a mass of curls on top of her head and she wiped a little makeup onto her face. She was already running late, so she jumped in her car and drove across town to Mickey’s Pub. Mickey was long dead and gone, but his son was just as enthusiastic about drinking and the bar had never been more popular.

  Pulling up at last, she locked her door and headed into the loud building. The parking lot was already filling up and she sighed to herself. It was going to be a long night. Aria waved to a few people that she knew as regulars and went behind the bar.

  “You’re late.”

  “I know, sorry.”

  “Oh I don’t care, but you know James is on a rampage, so fair warning.”

  Aria groaned and thanked her for the info. Her boss was usually nice, but he had his moments. Aria thought that his insane aggravation had more to do with his wife’s constant nagging to quit smoking. If he was on a rampage, there was a good chance that he was trying to quit again. It just added to the day and Aria tried her best to duck out when he came to the front, but eventually he motioned her over.

  “You were late Aria.”

  “Sorry boss.” Aria learned a long time ago that giving a reason was like an excuse. It did no good, so she usually skipped that part. It also, usually shut him up as a bonus as well.

  “Well you need to pay more attention to the clock Aria.” He turned around and stormed off, angry that she hadn’t given him a reason to be mad. Ashlea smiled at her and nodded.

  “I don’t know how the hell you do it. It is like calming the beast.”

  Aria turned to the man in front of her and stopped. He was not a regular and she had not seen him around. “What can I do for you Sir?”

  He stared at her for several heartbeats before he asked for a Scotch and soda. Aria started making the drink and when she looked up into the back glass of the bar, she saw his eyes on her. There was something dangerous about him that set her radar up. Handing him the glass, he gave her a hundred and she went to the register to get him some change.

  Counting it back to him, he set it on the bar and walked away. Aria looked at the ninety-two dollar tip and thought it was a joke for a moment. When he didn’t turn back, she noticed the way his suit was cut perfectly and how much he stuck out in the bar. The man did not belong there. He seemed higher than the lowly place that catered to the blue-collared working men.

  Aria thought about him a couple of times throughout the last couple of hours they were open. She also caught her eyes searching for him, but she did not see the dark-haired man again. He had slipped her mind by the time she was counting her tips, but then she remembered him again. It was not unusual to get large tips from men, but usually not that big. Aria wondered who he was and where he was from.

  Chapter 2

  “I left you a sticky note on the fridge about a call from last night. Did you get it?”

  Aria squints her eyes to the sun streaming into her room through the blinds. Her roommate was staring down at her in the no-nonsense way she had come to be used to. “No I didn’t Candace. Do you remember what it was about?”

  She could barely think and though her roommate seemed to be happiest at six in the morning, Aria was usually going to bed about that time. It worked well for the two because they never seen each other much, which seemed to help with the harmony of the household. They were also both single that helped to keep the awkward moments out of their relationship. The two women weren’t really the best of friends, but they got along good enough to live together.

  “I think it was about an internship, I forgot the company though.” Aria jumped up and was running into the kitchen to check the name and number on the fridge. She did not recognize the name of the company in the beginning, but she figured that she must have forgotten some, as many applications as she had put in. Her day seemed brighter and as she wiped the sleep from her eyes, she found her phone in her large purse after a few minutes of searching and called the number.

  A woman answered the phone and she repeated the name on the card. When she gave the lady her name, she was put on hold and waited for what seemed like forever.

  “Yes Miss. Blaine. I would like you to come in for an interview. I think you would be perfect for an interning job. I will need an assistant for the summer and I did not know if you were still available.”

  Aria’s heart soared and she was close to kicking her feet in happiness. That was the call she had been waiting for and though she didn’t remember the company, she decided she would do an internet search before the interview. “Sounds great. What time were you thinking?”

  “I will need someone to start immediately, so how about you come down later this afternoon, say two?”

  She agreed and wrote down the address that he gave her. There was something so familiar about the way the man sounded, but she figured it was just her. Aria hung up lighter and before she could take a breath, she was already worried about what she would wear.

  Aria looked the company up and though it was not clear what they did or sold, they were tied to several government contracts. She was more confused than when she had started, but at least it was a rather large, reputable company. Even their financial records were sealed, so whatever they did seemed to be important enough to try to hide it. Her interest was piqued and she still could not figure out why she didn’t remember applying to such a large company. They were high on the Fortune 500 companies list and the man in charge was worth billions. Her roommate had written Will on the post-it note, but Aria figured it was just a coincidence. There was no way that William Cain, billionaire entrepreneur was calling her phone for an interview. It just wasn’t possible and he sure wouldn’t have answered to set up the appointment.

  “All well, I guess I have put in way too many applications.” She sighed and went to her closet, trying to decide if she wanted to go for sexy or conservative. By the sound of the voice on the phone and the fact that it was a man, made her take the semi-sexy route, as far as she could for a job interview anyways.

  Pulling out a tight black pencil skirt and a button up for the day, Aria jumped in the shower and was out on her way in no time. She had a few things to pick up at school that she had forgotten and then she had a couple of hours before their meeting. The few hours were spent worried and nervous, hoping that she got the internship, especially so close to the end of term.

  When it was finally time to go in, she had been outside of the building for fifteen minutes. Looking at the gold lettering on the elevator chart, she found Will’s name and pushed the elevator to the top floor. Her heart pounded in her chest and the elevator seemed to move slower than normal. It was that or her heightened awareness came from being so much in need of some good news. If Aria didn’t get the job, she did not know what she was going to do. Aria started to wonder if she should just go home for the summer an
d find a couple jobs for tuition in the fall.

  Aria tried to shut her mind off when she heard the ding from the stainless steel speaker. The doors opened and she walked forward. There was a secretary in her seat and then a few rooms with an empty table in front of one with a computer on top, as well as a couple of phones.

  She gave the older woman her name and sat down to wait. Aria ran her fingers through her hair and pulled the hem down on the bottom of her skirt when she caught the disapproving look from the secretary. She felt uncomfortable and almost wished that she would have worn something different. She did not have much time to think though, because the woman was prompting her to go in the office.

  “He is ready to see you now Aria. Good luck.”

  Aria found her last comment strange, but she stepped forward and opened the heavy wooden door. There was a glass window pane in the door, but it was muddled and she could not see in. Her hands trembled slightly on the door knob when she pushed it opened fully. There was a moment of recognition and then she stopped in the doorway.

  “So we meet again.”

  Will smiled and gestured towards the chair in front of him. She sat down. “Thanks for that tip last night. I guess I get to eat another week.” She was partially joking.

  “I doubt that it is that dire. I have seen your grades and how skilled you are at your marketing projects. I think you are perfect for a new campaign we are in the middle of.”

  “For an internship?”

  “Yes, well it’s really more a job, so you wouldn’t have to work both places. Your salary here should be more than enough to drop your bartending job.”

  Of course it sounded perfect to Aria, but there was something off. She still had that nagging feeling in her gut that she had not applied, but she didn’t want to seem flaky and ask. Aria told herself that she would check when she got home.

  “Do you have any questions for me?”

  “Me? No. Um, when do you want me to start?”

  “Tomorrow morning will be fine. We have checked you out thoroughly, so I feel like I already know you and want to welcome you to the company.”

  Aria stood up as he did. She shook his hand, ignoring the electric shock when they their fingers brushed against each other. The she was walking out of the office in a daze. She said goodbye to the secretary and the woman gave her a sympathetic look. Aria rode the elevator down and drove back to her apartment. She booted up her computer and looked down the list of applied internships and found what she suspected. Aria had not applied to Cain Industries.

  Chapter 3

  Will watched the woman leave and smiled to himself. It had been some time since he had been so moved by a woman and he had never expected it to be at a seedy bar. As soon as he saw Aria from a distance, he knew he had to have her. Like most everything else in his life, Will got what he wanted all of the time and he wanted her.

  It had not been hard to find out about her, just by sending a name to one of his contacts. The report he got back an hour later, was exactly what he needed to know. Everyone had a weakness and she seemed to have several. It made it all easier for him and Will liked simplistic encounters. There was a question of her fiery disposition, but more than easy, he liked a bit of a challenge. He wasn’t sure which way it would go, but he couldn’t wait for the next day to find out.

  ***

  Aria had stayed up an extra hour that night, researching the company and more importantly the CEO William Cain. His name was prevalent in searches and it appeared that the press was much more worried about his love life, than his billion-dollar business. He had seemed familiar because she had read a few of the stories, interviews from ex-girlfriends that claimed he had some rather strange likes in the bedroom. Aria had giggled at it months ago when she had read it, however the idea of working for the man made it seem more sinister.

  But Aria needed an internship or a job and as far as the company went, it would be great on her resume for the future, as well as valuable in an experience sense. She knew long before she stopped weighing the pros and cons, that she would be there bright and early the next day. No matter what, she figured she could at least deal for the next 3 months and see what happened after that. It was a risk, but Aria needed to get her foot in the door somewhere.

  When she got dressed for work the next day, Aria set aside the more modest pant suit that she had planned to wear and for some reason, decided on something tighter and shorter. Unconsciously she was already taking the magazine to heart and she was unable to stop herself from putting on the darker red lips stick and the taller heels that made her legs seemed to go on for miles.

  Riding the elevator to the 12th floor did not seem as menacing and even knowing who the CEO was and amidst all his tawdry laundry, Aria decided that she was just going to make it work. A little flirting would not be hard with such a handsome man.

  “Good morning. My name is Aria.” Aria walked up the older woman and stuck her hand out. They were going to working close together and she wanted to make a good impression. The secretary introduced herself as Shirley and they talked for a few minutes about college, which Shirley had went to in her own youth. It was when Will walked in from the elevator that both women stopped talking and Aria turned around to greet him.

  “Morning Sir.”

  He grunted and had her follow him into the second office on the floor. “This is your office. We are connected from that door.” Will pointed to a wooden door on the side wall behind her desk. The large office was a far cry from the chair outside that she had been expecting and she had a moment of giddiness come over her. She had never had an office before, let alone one with a view.

  “Thank you. It is lovely.”

  Another sound and he rubbed his eyes. “Talk to Shirley about the morning routine, you will have to be here a half an hour earlier to get it all done.”

  He turned and walked off. She was left stunned by his abruptness and moreover his dismissal. Aria shrugged after a moment and decided that he was just not a morning person. There was a small kitchen area with a coffee pot and before she went back to the front, she started a pot going, the smell making her feel better. She poured a cup as it drizzled in the pot and put some cream and sugar packs on the side of the small saucer.

  Aria knocked and then entered without waiting for an answer. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Will, her hand almost dropping the hot cup. “Sorry, um I thought you might need some coffee for your disposition. I can come back.”

  Her eyes darted over the bare expanse of his chest for a moment, before she looked down at the black liquid slight sloshing in the cup from her nervous shake. She had not expected to see him like that and she certainly hadn’t expected such hard lines. Aria could not un-see the image and she knew it would haunt her.

  “Just set it down. I am just changing Aria. No need to be so prudish.”

  Aria bristled at the word and moved towards him. She set the coffee down and asked how he liked it. “It is current dark and bitter, so it might be just how you like it.”

  She wanted to bite her tongue for her remark, but his own about her being a prude still stung. Aria waited for him to answer, her eyes watching his chest being covered as he buttoned his shirt. She got to his face about the time that his own hands reached his neck. “Well?”

  “Black is fine. I didn’t realize you were so clever.”

  “Ah well I thought that is why you hired me, though I can’t seem to remember applying.” Aria grabbed the tie out of his hands. “Here, allow me.”

  She went behind him and looped it around his neck and then started to tie it. Aria was too aware of the hard back that her breasts swayed against as she moved. She heard a hiss from him and she liked the sound. While she tried to think that she did it as his assistance, in truth she just wanted to touch him after seeing how hard his chest was. Touching him was just as good as seeing him.

  “There. I will be back after I have spoken to Shirley. I hope your morning gets better Sir.”

  Aria
walked from around him and left the office without looking back. She didn’t have to see his front to know that he was hard and she didn’t have to see his dark eyes to know that they were burning into her backside.

  Chapter 4

  Aria did not see Will again until right before lunch. Shirley was a slow talker and the woman apparently was happy to have another female up on the floor to talk to. It was an informative conversation for Aria, who learned much about her new employer, as well as the company. Though, Aria was much more concerned with Will than contracts for machinery that she would never see.

  Her job seemed to involve tending to the CEO, more than actually doing anything that pertained to the company. She was to make him coffee, take out his dry cleaning, as well as coordinate his house staff. Aria several times thought of the wasted years in college for the gopher position, but she reminded herself of the company and how it would look on her CV.

  “So do you have any questions? I am about to go to lunch.”

  “No Ma’am, thank you.”

  “Would you like to join me? There is a cute little bistro across town that I usually go to. They have the best French onion soup.”

  Aria smiled back at her, though her ears were still ringing for the two hour conversation where she had gotten in few words. “Thank you, maybe tomorrow. I have a few errands to run this afternoon.”

  Shirley waved and got onto the elevator. Aria went back to her office and sat down in her chair, rubbing her head. There were several minutes of quiet before she was interrupted by a noise behind her. She started when the door opened and Will popped his head through.

  “I thought you had errands.”

  Aria smiled sheepishly. “I am ordering out. I will order you something as well. It is a waste of time to rush out and fight the crowds.”

  She turned in her chair and he towered over her. It was hard to deny where her face aligned on his body, or the look in his eyes. “So, Shirley gave me the run down, though she didn’t mention anything about a marketing project.”