Page 28 of Ice Wolf
“You already asked me that. I know enough.”
“If you do, then you’re know it was taking a shot in hopes of making a goal. There are no three pointers in hockey. That’s in basketball.”
Well, crap on a cracker. There was nothing more awkward than trying to make a point with a man who was a consummate player. “I was just testing you.” At least I rallied, remaining right where I was with a smile on my face.
He was the one forced to pull away and if I didn’t know better, I’d say I’d managed to fluster him. Good for me.
“Why don’t you go on with your list because I can tell you’re dying to tell me all the things I’ve done wrong.”
My father prided himself in never having lost a client or met one he hadn’t been able to help. I’d heard his stories, some keeping the entire family in stitches, but he’d managed to revive extinct careers. He’d done so by immersing himself in the client’s life, hours of training on everything from how to talk with the media to learning to dress like a true professional. He’d boosted social media, adding millions of followers.
Every aspect of the client’s image had been restructured, fulfilling an image the public wanted. In the end, the clients had rewarded him with praise and referrals.
I’d gleaned everything I could from the man especially during college. I’d even written my thesis on an imaginary difficult client and how I would manage to salvage their reputation.
I’d gotten an A.
The imaginary person I’d used seemed a lot like Saint.
That might be the only way I could get through this.
“I’d think we’ve gone over enough for tonight, Mr. Masters. I need your list of scheduled appointments including dinners with family and friends, games both here and away, and also a written idea of your expectations along with logins and passwords from every social media account. I’ll do my best to accommodate you by allowing you to attend as many functions as possible while promoting your image. No longer will you just pop out to a corner bar. That’s a thing of the past. No talking to media. Tomorrow we’ll go over your attire and I’ll make suggestions.”
“You don’t want to come to my house and check for yourself?”
“No, thank you. I don’t need to see your personal space.”
He shook his head and offered a military salute. “What else, Sergeant?”
“There’s a rarely used track I know of. We can head there late morning and I’ll run a couple tests for endurance. We might as well get started with a bang.”
“Bang,” he teased, using his fingers as a pretend weapon. When he brought the finger barrel to his lips, blowing across the tip, I offered a stern look.
“And what about playtime?”
“You mean with the team? I know you need to practice.”
“No, Lily flower. With you.” I don’t know how, but his grin was even wider. “I can’t wait to kiss your lush lips again. Delightful.”
Don’t do it. Do not blush.
Shit. I did. I could feel the tingles, crawling up my neck like a wild animal. A blipping image of him as a werewolf popped into my mind.
Damn it.Ignore him. He’s trying to get under your skin.
“We’ll go out to a late lunch so we can be seen together as a couple. Somewhere popular. Then we’ll figure it out from there.”
“I like the sound of being a couple.”
Was he taking a deep whiff? Yes, he was. And was that a growl?
The man was growling at me, a low and husky sound that made me want to… My body started thrumming, tickling sensations reaching my toes all over again. Now I was the one who had to take a deep breath.
“Delicious idea,” he stated almost like a command in a deep, throaty voice that threatened to make me swoon.
And if the man licked his lips one more time, I was going to rip them from his mouth.
“Shit. I can’t. I have practice tomorrow at one. How about dinner?”
