Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
I sigh, forlorn. “Sorry. Gunnar wanted me to come to a pool party. He said the guys were super-hot.”
Maddox’s jaw ticks. “Do you want to go?”
I scoff. “No fucking way. The sexiest man I’ve ever seen just fondled his cock for me from three thousand miles away. I can’t touch him tonight. I probably can’t touch him ever. But he’s the one I want to talk to.”
Maddox smiles, dipping his face again, that shyness peeking through. “Same here,” he says, all honey-smooth. But then he clears his throat. The softness in his mouth is gone, the dreaminess in his eyes replaced by numbers and data. “Let me tell you about the meeting,” he says.
Right. The reason for the call in the first place.
“I’m all ears,” I say. He slips into super-agent mode and outlines the possible terms of the deal, which involve lots of yummy zeros that excite me, but I’m also cautious. Don’t want to get ahead of myself. “I like.”
“Priyam is a big fan of yours. He loves how you dress, but he also likes that you have a mix of looks and wear a range of brands. And I might have leaned into the bow tie thing.”
I arch a curious brow. “Do tell.”
“Priyam’s big on bow ties. Wants to make them a thing. I suggested you do a video series on how to tie one,” he says, sounding pleased with himself.
And he should since he’s a fucking genius. “Because no one knows how!”
“Exactly.”
But I don’t want to disappoint a potential partner. “Does Priyam know I’m not a bow-tie-or-die guy? It’s just something I break out for fun now and then.”
“It’s all good. Don’t worry. Bespoke has cufflinks, belts, regular ties, bow ties, shirts, slacks—anything and everything. It’s just a good angle to play.”
“And you came up with it,” I say in admiration.
Like I needed another reason to like him. Maddox’s big brain is one more thing that turns me on. I’m glad we’re on opposite coasts right now. If we were in the same room…
You almost jerked off together on the phone. If you were in the same room, you’d fuck.
I force my mind back to the current subject of the deal. “So, what’s the holdup?”
Maddox gives a reassuring grin. “No holdup. He’s just one of those guys who takes his time. Likes to get to know his business partners.”
The deal is so close I can taste it. I want to do whatever I can to help Maddox seal it up. “Then what’s next? A pool party for Priyam? Feel free to send me an invitation.”
“Do you play golf?”
I scoff. “I’m a pro athlete. Course I do.”
“But are you any good at it?” he presses.
My eyes widen in outrage. “You doubt me?”
He shrugs in a challenge. “Not every ballplayer can handle every stick.”
“Oh, I can handle it. And I can’t wait to show you.”
He nibbles on the corner of those delicious lips but stays on track. “Good. Priyam has business in the U.S. during the next few weeks. He’s coming to San Francisco in a few days, then goes to New York. We can play a round with him before your game against the Devils on Wednesday evening,” he says. “I’ll fly up.”
My heart takes off at a sprint. I get to see Maddox soon. I count down the days until our—
Ah, hell. Was my head really going there? It’s not a fucking date. It’s golf with my agent and my prospective big money sponsor.
“I’ll be there,” I say, trying to keep my focus on the game. I’m here for business, not pleasure.
“Good,” Maddox says. “My parents are in the area, so I’m going to see them later that night.”
“They live there?”
He shakes his head. “No. But they have a case they’re working on in San Francisco. So they’ll be there doing some pro-bono work for a firm.”
“Are you close with them?” I ask.
“Not really. But they don’t always agree with my career choices.”
I jerk my head back. “Do they hate sports? Does not compute.”
Maddox laughs, shaking his head. “They’re die-hard Cougars fans, actually.”
I hiss. “Blasphemy.”
“Well, I do love all baseball teams. All sports teams, in fact.”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re a pan-sports-ual, but you told me the truth about your baseball love,” I joke.
“And you’re keeping that between us.”
“Mad, everything between us is just between us,” I say. But I want to know how on earth his parents could not like his career. “Do your folks not know how badass an agent you are?”
He smiles, and I fucking love when he gets slightly bashful. “They were corporate attorneys. I learned golf because my dad wanted me to be able to do business with billionaires and CEOs on the course, like he did. Then when I was in college, he was corporate counsel for a media king. This man owned networks, e-commerce sites, and a sports team. My father helped him expand his business worldwide. But a few years into my dad’s work for him, allegations came out that the man hit his wife. My father felt responsible, I suppose. He saw the light, so to speak, and decided he would never work for someone like that again. He and my mother left corporate law to become family law attorneys, working with underprivileged women and children. They wish I were a family law attorney too, rather than a sports and entertainment lawyer. They said that’s not why they sent me to undergrad.”