“Then neither is that contract.”
“I’m sorry? That’s personal!” she snapped.
“And you asking me to uproot my entire life to move to the United States isn’t?”
Her teeth clicked as she closed her mouth.
As much as she loved her job, it wasn’t helping her heal. She’d been here a year ago when that asshole made her choose between her job or his love, and she’d rightfully chosen herself. Except she hadn’t really followed through.
She was thinner, paler, and unhappy. The light in her eyes had dimmed, and even her small snaps of temper lacked the fire she’d had last year. She needed someone to push her out of her little workplace comfort zone.
“Sign the contract, Axel, and let me go home.”
“No.” Because neither of those options appealed to me, and they wouldn’t help her, either.
I walked in from practice the next day to find Langley in downward facing dog. Aka, here’s my ass, isn’t it lovely?
She had a truly amazing ass. Hell, everything on the woman was perfect from her head to her toes. What could have possibly been so great about her ex’s job that he was willing to lose her for it? Careers came and went. The love of a woman like Langley? That’s the shit you held onto at night when you were both old and crinkle-eyed.
“You’re home!” She popped up to stand, her ponytail swishing behind her.
“I am,” I admitted, then stalked to Lukas’ ultra-modern kitchen for the coldest bottle of water I could find. I was mid-chug when she walked in, braced her hands on the counter and then jumped so she sat on the hard granite surface.
Her sports bra did the impossible, lifting and curving around her breasts. Weren’t those things supposed to flatten her out and keep my dick limp?
Not a limp dick in sight, that was for sure.
She stretched, drawing my eyes to the toned muscles of her stomach, gently lined, but not overly muscular. Langley was soft in every place that screamed to be touched.
I needed to keep my damned hands to myself.
“So are you dating yet?” I asked, coming to stand next to her.
She raised a flirtatious eyebrow. “You know that could be seen as sexual harassment.”
“What you’re wearing is sexual harassment,” I muttered.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she ended up rolling them. “No, I’m not dating. Not going to date. Ever. The only person I’m dating is myself, because then if I let myself down, I’ll know exactly who to blame.”
Our eyes locked, sending my pulse skittering faster than any blue line drills could have.
“You think that sounds stupid, don’t you?” she asked, her brown eyes so close I could make out the flecks of gold in them.
“I think it sounds lonely.”
She sucked in her breath. “Lonely is better than heartbroken.”
“Loved is better than heartbroken. You know how you get back to loved? You date.”
“Well, I’m going to skip that phase in my next relationship. It’s exhausting. I’ll just jump into marriage or something. Besides, what would you know about dating?” she challenged.
“I date plenty,” I answered with a grin, leaning forward on my palm and invading her personal space.
Her eyes widened, her pupils flaring in an awareness she couldn’t hide, just like that little jump in the pulse at her neck. She could play that she was immune, but she wasn’t. She leaned farther away from me, only to bring back that damned envelope. “So you know how your first offer was for ten million?”
“Yes.” Now I leaned back, putting some distance between us.
“Add a zero.”
My brow puckered. “I’m sorry?”
“It’s an eight-year, hundred-million-dollar contract.” Her eyes danced like she’d handed me the holy grail.
“Not signing it.” I took my water bottle and headed for the shower.
“Axel!”
I turned because the sound of my name on her lips sounded so incredibly sweet.
“I got you a fifteen million dollar signing bonus. You’ll be one of the highest paid players in the entire league.” This time her eyes held a sheen of desperation that I downright hated.
“Let me make this clear, Langley. I might be the one person in your entire life who doesn’t give a shit about money. I make enough now to be happy. My brother is here. My team is here. My camp is here. There is nothing in that envelope I want.”
“Okay, then what do you want?” she asked as I walked out the door.
“I already told you!” I shouted back as I headed for my room. Let her stew on that one for a while.
The next day I swam laps in the lane pool that ran alongside Lukas’ house. I’d already had practice this morning, then skated with the kids, and was now actively avoiding the contract waiting for me in the kitchen.
Sure, it was a ton of money. But when was the last time money made anyone truly happy? My parents had been happy with next to nothing. I’d raised Tage on a meager salary until I got bumped to a higher one, and we’d done just fine. Yeah, I liked my new Rover, but it wasn’t like I needed it. Luxury items didn’t do it for me.
What I wanted was Langley. Admitting that didn’t bother me. Knowing it would never happen? That bothered the shit out of me. She’d walk out of this house without a contract, and I’d only see her when I went to visit Lukas. Even then it would be chance encounters at the rink or a party or some other bullshit.
It wasn’t even about sex—not that I wouldn’t sell my soul for a night where I could put my hands on her. A night where I could show her what it felt like to be with someone who worshipped her. Someone who knew exactly how to make her body sing without making her cry the next day.
She’d actually been engaged to that dick. She’d agreed to be his wife, to spend the rest of her life with him. Someone who couldn’t see past the end of his own erection to notice the incredible, driven woman who had chosen him. Instead, he’d thrown her away over a job.
Wait...was I doing the same thing? I reached the end of the lane and came up for air, resting my forearms along the cool stone of the pool’s edge. If I signed that stupid contract, then I’d live in South Carolina, close enough to see her often.
But I knew in the marrow of my bones that she still wouldn’t give me a chance if I lived there. She wasn’t going to give anyone a chance, not with how tight she had her heart locked up.
“Hey, Axel, I was getting ready to make some lunch. Did you want anything?”
Think of the Devil.
“Thank you, but no,” I answered, looking out over the bay.
“You okay?” she asked, walking around the pool to where I stood.
“Yeah,” I lied. The thing about Langley being here for three days was that I realized just how many more days I wanted. Days she wasn’t going to give me.
She dipped her bare foot into the water. “That’s nice,” she noted, then sat at the edge of the pool, knee-to-toes in the water while her thighs rose soft and bare to her jean shorts.
Langley was exquisite when dressed for work. She was class and sophistication and beauty. But, l liked her in this better. Soft and touchable. Home.