Page 27 of Wicked Player

"I think Mr. Bryant has other, more interesting things on this mind tonight, dear, than continuing to talk about this weekend's game."

Kassy winked at me.

"I can assure you, sir, we are more than prepared for the match on Sunday against Nashville." I flashed Kassy a grateful smile silently thanking her for saving my butt. Wouldn’t exactly do to have the owner of my team, the man partially responsible for signing my checks and ensuring I have a job next season, to think I was blowing him off.

Kassy placed her hand on her husband’s arm. "Come on honey, I'm sure Gage has other things and other people to see to this evening. Let’s go bore someone else to tears with your football knowledge."

He gave his wife an unhappy look, one with much more bark than bite. Kassy threw her head back and laughed, pulling him with her as she stepped away. “Enjoy your evening, Gage. Tonight is a huge success. You should be very proud of yourself and what you’ve accomplished.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Ah, and see, she has manners for everyone but her husband.” David rolled his eyes but easily wrapped his arm around his wife’s lower back. “And I’ll end this conversation with, she’s exactly right, and my wife usually is. You should be proud of what you’re doing. I know I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you, sir. And if you could go proclaim my awesomeness to my parents, that’d be great. I don’t believe they ever tire of hearing it as well.”

He tipped his head toward me, grinning widely. The Kempers knew my parents well, considering mine visited as often as they could and when they did come, they always insisted on seeing the Cumbers. “That we can surely do.” He turned to Kassy. “Unless my wife thinks that conversation would be boring as well.”

“Oh no. I always enjoy talking about Gage’s talents and awesomeness.”

They walked away, leaving me shaking my head. For owners of such a huge organization, as well as richer than rich, they were sweet and so down to earth, I often assumed they spent the days sitting around watching Netflix and sports, drinking American beers much like every other red-blooded American couple.

They’d both come from small towns, met in college, fell in love immediately, and were married right after college despite many objections due to their young age. Yet they’d now been married for forty years, had three grown kids and a slew of grandchildren. Every time I was in David’s office, he had a new family picture with more chubby infant or toddler faces included in the framed photo.

Yeah, they were good people. And I was honored to know them, even if they thought the same of me.

I waited until they were at my parents, David cordially placing his hand on my mom’s shoulder to get her attention, and then mine swung to the other side of the restaurant.

As I found Elizabeth, she was setting down another glass, still not drinking champagne. She nodded down at the couple she’d been speaking to and even from this distance, I was able to make out the words her lips were forming.

Excuse me.

She turned to leave, but it wasn’t her I focused on as she did. Connor Hopkins, the asshole reporter from earlier, who’d clearly upset her based on her body language and facial expression, was standing at one end of the bar, his eyes on her ass as she left the room.

He smirked, said something to the bartender, and was quickly handed two glasses of champagne.

That smirk of his made me move to follow him. He was closer to the exit, and I was stopped multiple times by people who wanted my attention, but I brushed them all off as politely as I could.

It wasn’t that Connor watched Elizabeth leave.

It wasn’t even that he had champagne in his hand, even though I’d noticed she’d only had one glass of champagne all night.

No, the thing that had me fighting against forcefully shoving people out of the way to get to him, wasn’t his actions, but the look in his eyes.

It was the look of a lineman right before the blitz. The one that said, “I’m going to fuck you up and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”

And any look like that in a man’s eyes directed toward a woman was never a good thing.

Ten

Elizabeth

Fresh air.

It wasn’t so much an urgent need to step outside after I used the restroom, but I was still hot and uncomfortable.

Good gracious. A night of even being in the room with Gage was too much for this girl to handle. Multiple times I’d caught his eyes on me. During his speech, he’d found me more than once, eyes pinning me to my seat every time he did with an intensity I’d only everfeltonce in my life.

Not seen, because when it happened, I’d been blindfolded.

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