Page 79 of Double Fault

I fear I might be falling for my boss.

CHAPTER 22

NOAH

I collapse on the ground,heart pounding and air sawing in and out of my lungs.

The five-set final match against Aksel Christensen was the most grueling I’ve had since the tour started.

And I won.

I fucking won. Hands covering my face, I let the tears escape. I can’t help it. For weeks now, winning a final has felt like an impossibility. But I did it.Wedid it. Any win is a big deal for me as I claw my way back up, but a grand slam win? I’m going to be riding this high for a while.

The clay sticks to my skin as I pick myself up and meet Aksel at the net to shake hands. He’s young, only nineteen, but he’s one of the most promising newcomers the game has seen in a while.

After shaking hands with the umpire, I throw my hands into the air, and in response, the crowd cheers. I kiss my fingers and throw them to the sky. I don’t even care that every camera is catching the tears that continue to leak from my eyes.

This meanseverythingto me.

Security guides me into the stands where Sabrina and Maddie are waiting with my coaching team. Fans and otherpeople from the industry tug on me as I go, yelling their congratulations and asking for pictures.

I just want to get to my people.

When I finally reach them, security holds the crowd at bay.

Fisher greets me first, pulling me into a rib-cracking hug. “I knew you could do it.”

His words are accompanied by tears that threaten to fall down his own face. His belief in me means more to me than I’ll ever let him know. If I did, he’d never let me live it down. I move down the line, accepting handshakes and back slaps from my other coaches, until I finally stop in front of Sabrina and Maddie.

The woman I can’t stop thinking about is wearing a blue and white dress, with her signature black boots. I have to hold myself back from looping my arms around her waist and kissing her.

Her smile is soft, her words too, as she says, “I’m so happy for you.” Clearly, she’s oblivious to the monster raging inside me. The one who wants to shove her against a wall and kiss her. Ease that skirt up her thighs.

Distraction comes in the form of my daughter.

“Here you go, Daddy. I knew you could do it!”

That sweet voice is simultaneously a bucket of ice-cold water poured over my head and a balm to my soul.

I take the sticker from her.

“Thanks, Maddie.” I pick her up, missing the days when she was tiny. Soon, I won’t be able to do this anymore.

After I plaster a loud, sloppy kiss on her cheek, pulling a giggle from her, she squirms out of my arms, and I’m escorted back down to the court for the trophy ceremony.

The ceremony and the interviews pass in a blur. It’s like it’s my first big win all over again. All I can do is ride the high and hope my answers don’t get me in trouble with my PR team because my brain isn’t with me.

It’s late by the time I finally make it back to the hotel. I had events to attend afterward, and I can’t deny the constant praise and congratulations weren’t a massive boost to my ego. I only hope I can keep the wins coming. For so much more than just a ranking or the high of a win. I want to keep winning because I love this sport and I want to be successful at it.

When I step off the elevator, I’m more than a little surprised to find Sabrina in the hall.

She clutches an ice bucket to her chest, dark eyes wide in surprise. “Hi.”

At the sight of her, it’s as if my mind and body have been taken over by an unseen being. All my worries and reservations fly out the window, and I grab her face between my hands. A small squeak leaves her mouth as I press mine to hers. It’s just as good, if not better, than our first kiss.

She melts beneath my touch, the ice bucket slipping from her hands and clattering to the floor between us, sending ice skittering in every direction. I pick her up easily, and she immediately winds her legs around my waist.

She’s so small and warm and perfect.

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