by Elsa Kurt
“Congratulations, Barry! I can’t tell you how many times Kyle talked to me about you. It’s awesome seeing you wear your gold coat,” Brendan says as they shake hands.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate you guys coming in for the ceremony.”
“You’re part of the Cougar family. We support our family,” Brendan says, and we all chuckle at his imitation of Granddaddy. Words Granddaddy drilled into all of us. It didn’t matter if it was a player, janitor, or the front office staff. We are a family, and as a family, we will be there for each other.
“Go on, enjoy your night!” I tell Barry and he kisses my cheek before being pulled aside by a fan in the crowd.
Shoulder to shoulder we stand, watching as new members of the Hall of Fame beam with excitement. “Is it always like this? All this energy flowing around?”
“I can only speak of the one time I came, and yeah, it was just like this then,” Brendan says before lowering his voice. “You’re killing me in that dress. Please tell me we’re the only ones going home tonight.”
My nipples pucker at his words. “We are, but Pamela will be in the cabin with us.”
Brendan groans and I laugh. His mouth opens and shuts as a man addresses him.
“Hey, Brendan! I didn’t realize you’d be here tonight.”
“Clint! I didn’t expect to see you here either. How are you?” Brendan asks and shakes the man’s hands.
He looks between us and I spot a flash of curiosity before it disappears.
“Clint Jackson, I’d like to introduce you to Kylie Courier, Kyle’s granddaughter.”
Clint offers his hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Courier.” A shadow of emotion crosses his face as he lowers his voice. “I was very sorry to hear about your grandfather. I’m not sure you know, but Kyle and my father were good friends.”
“Thank you, it’s nice meeting you too, Mr. Jackson.”
“Please, call me Clint.”
“I met Clint through Kyle, and we’ve met up a few times in Charleston. His company is CC Construction. They’re the ones renovating the Indigo Tower downtown.”
“Oh okay, that’s the one they wanted to demolish!”
“Yeah. Clint’s brilliant when it comes to renovations, so I’m sure this one will be worth a private tour when it’s done.”
“Sure, it will be a bit of time though.” Clint shrugs and Brendan winks before giving me his I told you so expression.
Clint looks between us, taking me in a second longer before a smirk lights his face. “I’m sorry to cut this short, but I was on my way out when I spotted you. I didn’t want to leave without saying hello. I plan on watching a game next time I’m down there for work, so I’ll be sure to reach out.”
“Give me a call and we can grab drinks too,” Brendan says as we exchange a quick goodbye. We watch Clint disappear into the crowd and Brendan whispers, “I don’t think we were fooling him.”
“You caught that too?” I chuckle.
“He’s an observant man, that’s for sure.”
We watch the gathering in silence, my skin itching with the need to touch this man. “Would it look bad if I left now?”
“Kyle left right about now for his hotel room, so he was ready for a round of golf in the morning. You already said your goodbyes to Barry, so I think we can leave. Plus, a lot of people are starting to slip out for the other events.”
“Great. I’ll text the pilot.”
Chapter 14
Brendan
I can only attribute the bounce in my step to the beauty whose bed I left this morning. I’ve put in our order and I’m edgy, ready to get back to Kylie before she sees I’m gone. Looking around the café, I spot Kylie’s bright blue eyes on a magazine cover.
Kylie Courier and Clint Jackson:
A billionaire match made in heaven?
I grab the magazine and look closer. The picture was taken at an angle, effectively cutting me out. Clint’s leaning in and holding her hand and I try to remember what was said in the moment. I know I should put it down, but a knot of jealousy forms in the pit of my stomach. Clint’s a good-looking man and understands what it’s like to be filthy rich, I don’t. The image shows me how attractive of a couple they would make, and I flip to the single page article that’s highlighted on the tabloids cover.
Soon after Mr. Jackson’s departure from the Hall of Fame celebration, Ms. Courier slipped out of the festivities. An insider speculates this is not the first time the potential couple has met. Has Mr. Jackson captured Ms. Courier’s heart? Was this union orchestrated by the family’s patriarchs? One thing is for sure, they’d make gorgeous babies.
I toss the magazine on the rack and a few customers give me an annoyed cluck of disapproval at the noise. “Sorry,” I mumble and am grateful when I see my order is ready.
My peppiness from minutes ago is long gone. Logically, I know it’s just another tabloid and that she spent the night with me but…what if I’m not good enough for Kylie? I can’t shower her with gifts the same way Clint or any other rich man can. Sure, what I make with the Cougars is nothing to look down my nose at, but…
By the time I reach Kylie’s place, doubt is turning me inside out. I let myself in and head straight for the kitchen, noting the couch, rug, and other decorations for the first time. Inside the gleaming, stainless-steel kitchen is Kylie. The sight stops me in my tracks. She’s so damn beautiful. Her hair is pulled up into a messy bun and she’s wearing my dress shirt.
She looks up from her phone. “Hi! I was just about to text you. Where did you—oh, what’s that?” she asks, pointing to the bag in my hand.
“I grabbed us breakfast.” My voice sounds distant and I clear my throat, hoping she didn’t notice it. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Starving! You didn’t have to go out, I could have made us eggs,” she tells me and pads toward me.
My shirt moves with each step, teasing me with glimpses of her soft thighs. Thighs that had been wrapped around my waist only hours ago. She ignores the bag and drink holder with our coffee and slides her hands up my chest. Her lips are as soft and sweet as I remember them, but my damn head is fogged up with doubt.
“What’s wrong?” she asks when I barely kiss her back.
“Nothing. We should eat before the food gets cold.” A rich man would have a chef making them breakfast in bed. He wouldn’t be worrying about the food’s temperature not being right for his woman.
“If it gets cold, we can nuke it. That’s not a big deal. Brendan? Something’s wrong, please talk to me.” Kylie grabs the things from my hands and places them on the counter before linking her fingers with mine. “You’re scaring me…” she whispers when no words leave my mouth.
“Someone sold a picture of you and Clint to a magazine,” I blurt.
The soft skin between her eyes wrinkles. “From the Hall of Fame?” I nod, and she continues. “I see…I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but that means you should be in the picture too. Did they turn it into some headline about me being a slut because I’m with two men?”
“What?” I snap at the absurdity of her words. “No, they managed to take it at an angle where I’m not seen. They speculated that the patriarchs to the two billionaire families set you guys up. The picture looks rather intimate with Clint leaning into you.”
“Well, that’s just crazy. You were there. There was nothing intimate about Clint and me, and I just met him, for God’s sake.”
She’s not wrong at all, but the pit in my stomach doesn’t seem to be letting up. I was there and know that they met that night. Whoever took the picture is talented at churning a story. “Yeah…”
Kylie releases my hands and cups my face, forcing me to meet her eyes. “What’s this all about? This isn’t the first time they’ve come up with this kind of garbage and they’ve been after me ever since I took over the Cougars. Why is this bothering you now all of a sudden?”
I sigh, embarrassed over the feelings churning inside me. “I gue
ss I could see why they think Clint would be good for you.”
“What?” she yells and drops her hands to her waist.
“I—”
“Please explain to me why you think Clint would be good for me? What on earth makes you think a stranger would be good for me? Are you saying you don’t want to be with me?” she snaps, her face flushing with anger.
“I’m screwing this up,” I mutter to myself.
“Yeah, I can’t disagree with you. Answer me this…do you even care about me, Brendan?”
“Yes!” I tell her without any hesitation. I’m in love with her, something I’ve only recently begun to wrap my head around.
“Do you want to be with me?” she asks.
“Yes, but…”
“But?” she asks and crosses her arms, probably to stop herself from strangling me and my mixed signals.
I shove my hand in my hair and blow out a breath of frustration. “But I don’t deserve you, Kylie. You deserve—”
“Don’t you dare tell me what I deserve, Brendan Knight. You don’t get to make that decision for me. I do!” she snaps. I open my mouth to speak but she continues. “All my damn life people have told me what to do. What is appropriate and what a lady behaves like. My father and granddaddy always telling me what is best. I love them, but no one gets to tell me or my heart what I deserve. Not them, not some trashy magazine, and certainly not you.”
Tears spill from her eyes and I feel a knife in my heart. I’ve caused her this pain, no one else. Me. I step forward, needing to hold her, but she raises a hand and stops me.
“Does it really bother you that much that I make so much money?” she whispers, her shoulders beginning to shake with emotion.
I’m an asshole. “No. I’ve never cared about how much you make.”
“But suddenly you think Clint would be better for me because we are worth a similar figure.”
I hear how stupid I sound. “Look, the article made me doubt if I was good enough for you. There are things that you would have in common with Clint and not me. You would make an attractive couple. He could give you things—”
“And there it is again…”
“What?”
“Money. Brendan, I don’t know if you noticed this, but I’m not a woman who wants a lot. If I want it, I’ve never asked a man for it. I don’t need you or any man to give me things. I need you to be my friend and lover…my everything.” The last she whispers, more to herself than me, and I ignore her attempts at stopping me from nearing her.
“You’re right, and I’m stupid. If you still want me, even after my self-doubt, I want to be your everything. I didn’t mean to hurt you with my moment of insecurity,” I whisper, and run my thumb along her jaw.
“I won’t have this conversation again. Are you fine with the differences in our bank accounts? Will your resentment five years down the road cause you to say enough is enough and walk out on me?”
I press my lips to her forehead and breathe her in. Pulling back, I meet her eyes. “I’ve fallen in love with you, not your bank account.” Her eyes round as she gasps, but I continue. “I’m very sorry for hurting you. I don’t have the right to tell you what you deserve, and neither does anyone else. Will you please forgive me?”
“You love me?”
I nod. “I do. Every quirky, sweet, and kind thing about you. You’re a passionate woman in and out of bed. You make me feel like I can do anything.”
“I love you too!” Her smile is brilliant, and my chest expands.
My lips crush hers. Tongues tangle as we infuse our kiss with every ounce of love we feel within us. When I pull back, my heart pounds furiously against my ribs. The dazed expression on her face mixed with her thoroughly kissed lips fills me with more joy than I can imagine. “I’m really sorry I doubted us.”
“You own all of me, Brendan. Please be gentle with my heart. I’m sure a lot more will be said about us in those magazines, especially after we choose to out ourselves. We’re in this together.”
Chapter 15
Kylie
It’s been a week since Brendan expressed his doubt in being “good enough” for me. Every time I wonder how he could even consider it Vicky drops a magazine on my desk. Another day, another headline about my love life.
Kylie and Clint: Trouble in Paradise?
Why Can’t This Cougar Keep a Man?
Who Can Tame This Cougar?
After a quick peek at the latest headline, I sit back. “Why do you keep bringing me these?”
“This would all stop if you and Brendan went out on a proper date,” Vicky states with a pointed look.
I freeze and force a neutral expression. “Me and Brendan? What on earth are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about all the stolen glances, the late-night sessions in your offices, the extra time you spend with him, just to mention a few things.”
Shit. I nod slowly and look behind her at the closed door. “Does anyone—”
“That I know of, no one else has noticed. At least they haven’t mentioned it to me. Maybe a few others who work up here might realize that something is different, but not the others.”
Closing my eyes, I suck in a deep breath. “What makes you think they’ll let it go once we make it public?”
Vicky laughs, and I meet her amused eyes. “Oh, I’m sure they’ll hit you full force, but eventually they’ll get bored and move on to the next scandal.”
“Next scandal?” I snap. Is that how she sees what is between Brendan and me? Are we another scandal to entertain the gossip mongrels?
“Kylie…Brendan works for you. They’ll latch onto that and probably make digs at him for being a gold digger. They’ll question how long you two have been together after they do the math on how long it’s been since Kyle died.
I nod. “I see…” I know she’s right. It’s one of the reasons I’ve wanted to keep our relationship private.
“For what it’s worth, I think you two make an attractive couple. I’m actually surprised it took this long for you guys to see how great you’d be together.”
“You do?”
She nods. “Yes, I do. Brendan is a good man, he’s loyal, kind, and has a brilliant mind. Kyle loved him very much, and I’ll admit that he once let it slip how much he wished you would find a man like Brendan.”
Sitting forward, I place my elbows on the desk and cover my face. Emotion clogs my throat at her words. Don’t cry, Kylie!
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
Raising my hand, I stop her words and push to my feet. “Thank you for sharing that with me.” I walk to the water pitcher in the corner and pour myself a glass. After a drink, I turn toward Vicky. “Can I ask you to not mention this to anyone?”
Vicky walks over and places her hand on my arm. “No one will learn of it from me. I only mentioned it because I see how much the headlines bother you both. It’s ultimately your decision, but if I were you, I’d take the control back. If you need me, I’ll be at my desk.” Vicky squeezes my arm and dismisses herself.
I return to my desk and glimpse at each magazine cover before tossing the stack in the trash. One thing Vicky said I’m certain about, whether Brendan and I decide to step out as a couple is in our control. For now, we’ve made the decision to enjoy our privacy, and that’s what I plan to continue doing.
The next month flies by in a blur as the preseason games begin and last-minute player trades occur across the league. I’ve become more comfortable in my new role as the owner of the Cougars, and I’m doing everything I can to make Granddaddy proud.
During the day, I’ve fallen into a new routine that includes seeing Brendan in the mornings, usually after we leave separately for the stadium. My nights are spent in Brendan’s arms, either at his place or mine. We’ve become closer, learning how similar our humor and outlook on life is.
Brendan has thoroughly invaded the personal space of my mind and heart. This relationship no longer scares me like it used to, but rat
her the idea of not having him in my life leaves me feeling empty. We hold the power to hurt each other, and what a terrifying power it is.
The doorbell draws me from my thoughts and I pull up my hair into a ponytail. I’ve been home all of twenty minutes, long enough to change into sweatpants and a razorback top. Looking through the peephole, I smile and open the door.
“Hi baby,” Brendan says, and steps into my home. He kicks the door shut behind him and tosses his bag aside.
“Hi.” One word, an easy one at that, and yet it comes out breathless at the mere sight of him.
“Come here,” he mutters, and butterflies take flight in my belly.
Brendan wraps his arms around my waist and I melt into him. A shiver runs down my spine when his tongue finds mine. Our hands glide over each other, caressing and touching in a way we can’t express during the day. All the worries of my day slip away, leaving my soul bare to Brendan.
I’m not sure how much time has gone by when he pulls back and presses his forehead to mine, our breaths ragged with need. “God, I’ve wanted to kiss you like that since you walked out of my place this morning.”
“I like it when you kiss me like that.”
“Do you like it enough to do it in public?” he whispers.
After a brief kiss, I sigh, and I grab his hand. We walk farther into the house, neither speaking as the tension around us rises.
“Vicky knows,” I blurt and sneak a peek at Brendan from the corner of my eye, gauging his reaction.
He nods slowly. “I figured as much.”
“You did?” I ask.
Brendan sits and pulls me into his lap. “I did, but I didn’t want to ask her on the off chance I was wrong. She’s a smart woman and has an eye for the small details. What does she think about us?”
He listens as I retell the morning in my office with Vicky a month ago. When I finish, he stares off into the distance. I’m tempted to ask what he thinks, but I’ve come to learn his expressions better than I know my own. Thankfully he doesn’t make me wait long.
