“I know that if you come on the road with me, it’ll only inconvenience you.” He looks around the office. “You have your business, and it was insensitive of me to suggest you could drop everything just to tag along with me.”
Huh, this is interesting. “Joran seems to think I should do just that.”
“Joran would sell his firstborn to make sure my game is on point.” I open my mouth, but Aiden raises his hand. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s fine.” I got that impression when Joran was more than willing to let me throw wine at his client in order to make sure he got what he needed.
“Not really, but that’s between you two.” Aiden meets my gaze then glances away.
“Yeah, it is.”
There’s no way I can tell Aiden I’m not really into Joran. I wasn’t even going to go on our date yesterday, but I knew I had to get behind the scenes and Joran could get me in. After he pushed me at Aiden, he’s not really someone I want to be involved with. I want to be someone’s number one and not so easily cast aside or pushed away. But I have the sense that if I break things off with Joran, Aiden might try a little harder to win me. With my shaky willpower, I’d eventually end up on his back porch like every other puck bunny in history.
“Anyway, let’s go through this,” he says. “As you may or may not know, I own social media accounts in my name, but I do nothing with them. Signing up was a way for me to make sure people knew any accounts posting as me were fake. I hate everything to do with social media, but Maksim said you lost Maverick Sanders as a client?”
I want to bury my head in my hands right now. “Let me just stop you right there. You do not need to be his replacement.”
“Then you’ll travel with me to all my games through the rest of the year for nothing?”
When he puts it that way, he does have a point. He must see something cross my face because he smiles and nods as though he’s right.
He passes the folder across the desk. “These are my usernames and passwords. The only thing I ask is that you keep my family out of it. Don’t friend any of them and don’t mention any of them.”
I accept the folder and open it, seeing a list of his family’s accounts at the bottom. In big bold letters, it says DO NOT CONTACT OR FRIEND. This is obviously serious to him.
My forehead creases and I look up at him. “You don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable.”
He sits back and rests his ankle on his knee. “You’re helping me, I’m helping you. I’ll pay you whatever Maverick was, and if you want me to be your spokesperson, done.” He nods toward the brochure on the corner of my desk, Maverick’s face plastered all over it.
I blow out a breath and think about what this means—the kind of involvement we’ll have in each other’s life if I agree to this. But how can I say no when I do need someone big like Aiden Drake on my client list now that Maverick is off?
“I don’t know what to say.” Truly, I don’t. It feels as though this is huge for him. Going from no social media to handing it over to someone he barely knows takes a lot of trust.
“Just say I’ve got a better mug than Maverick.” He winks and stands. “I’m kidding. There’s nothing to say.”
When he’s standing, he feels so tall. I can only imagine what it’s like when he has his skates on. He’s probably like a tree. That thought makes me want to climb him.
“Turn the page and you’ll find your itinerary of planes, hotels, and tickets to all the games. I included two in case you want to bring Tedi with you so the two of you can work. My practice schedule is listed in there. Other than that, I’m at your disposal. All I ask is that you’re there early for each game so I don’t have to chase you down.”
I suck in a deep breath then let it out. “Okay.”
He nods, a small amount of fear lacing through his dark eyes. “Thanks for doing this, Saige. I know it might seem crazy, but I’m desperate to keep this streak going.”
“You’re welcome, and I’ll try to make the social media stuff as painless as I can.”
He laughs and steps back. “There’s nothing painless about social media, but I trust you. See you in Philly.”
Then he turns and walks toward the door. I admire his ass until Tedi barrels through the door and Aiden steps back, only to have her spill her coffee all over him.
“Fuck,” he says, backing up and pulling the shirt off his skin. “That’s hot.”
Tedi looks him over. “I agree.”
Aiden tears off his sweatshirt, then grips the collar of his T-shirt and pulls it over his head, leaving him bare-chested in the middle of my office. Holy shit, the man is cut. And he has tattoos from his shoulders to his elbows.
“Is this the new dress code? Because I’m game.” Tedi puts down her cup and pretends like she’s going to undress.
“Tedi,” I say, standing and rounding my desk.
The closer I get to him, the closer I am to licking his chest. Screw chocolate sauce, caffeine-filled abs like his is my new wet dream.
“I’m sorry,” Tedi says, but her eyes can’t stop focusing on the way his jeans are hung low, showing us the treasure trail leading to a place I’m pretty sure neither of us would object to seeing.
“It’s okay.” He waves out the T-shirt, but it’s no use. He tucks it in the back pocket of his jeans, puts his sweatshirt back on, and zips it up.
I’m not sure if it’s Tedi, or me who makes a whining noise now that he’s covered up again.
“Are you sure? I can wash it,” Tedi offers. “Along with my panties now.”
Aiden rolls his eyes and smirks at Tedi. “Don’t tell me you want to work your way through the Fury lineup. Is that on your fuck-it bucket list?”
She gives him an annoyed look and shakes her head in teenage girl fashion. “Tweetie is enough to handle.”
“That’s just because you haven’t had me.” He winks and laughs good-naturedly.
I hate that his occasional arrogance turns me on. But what I hate even more is him flirting with Tedi.
“Okay, Tedi, let Aiden leave.”
Tedi leans forward. “She’s just jealous because she’s got Joran. He probably answers phone calls mid-orgasm.”
I stare at her blankly as she laughs with Aiden. Although she could be right, I have no idea because I have no interest in sleeping with Joran.
“Bye.” I wave to Aiden.
“Thanks again. See you soon.” Aiden walks out of the office.
Once the door is shut behind him, my head falls forward. I envision what I could actually do with a man like that if he was mine. Or even better, what a man like that would do to me.
“Jealousy looks good on you.” Tedi points at me and drops her coffee in the trash can.
“Why would I be jealous?”
“You got all flushed when I flirted with Aiden.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I might as well bite the bullet with Tedi now. “And by the way, we’ll be traveling a little bit.”
“For what?” she asks.
“Because Aiden Drake is our new spokesperson. In exchange, I have to throw white wine on him before every game.”