a glimpse of Malcolm leaving out of a side door. Their eyes locked briefly, his so cold she shivered. Then he pivoted and strode out of the room without a backward glance.
She refocused her attention on the men in front of her and assured them she would be meeting with all of them as soon as she set up her schedule. Finally, they dispersed, except for one. He had to be at least six eight, and by his size, she guessed he might be a linebacker. He had dark skin and equally dark eyes.
He gave her a shy smile. “Ms. Emerson, I’m Darren Butler.” He stuck out his hand.
His large hand engulfed her small one. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Um... I know you’re still working on your schedule, but if possible, can you give me one of your earliest appointments?”
The sincerity in his eyes tugged at Lauren. “Is there something specific you want to discuss?”
Darren glanced around, seemingly uncomfortable. “Yeah, but not here.”
“I’ll probably start having meetings by the end of the week. Can it wait until then?”
He nodded.
“I’ll make sure to put you at the top of my list.”
Relief flooded his face. “Thank you. I’ll see you then.” He inclined his head and made his way to the exit.
She hoped it wasn’t anything serious, healthwise, and made a mental note to schedule Darren as one of her first appointments.
“You handled yourself well, Ms. Emerson.”
Lauren turned at the sound of the GM’s voice. “Thank you, Mr. Green.”
“Have you had a chance to see your office?”
“Not yet.” It had taken her a minute to find her way around the massive facility when she arrived earlier. By the time she’d somewhat figured out the layout, the meeting had been ready to start.
He smiled. “Then come on. Let me show you your new digs.”
She returned his smile. They walked down a series of hallways, their footsteps echoing on the highly polished marble floors. He pointed out the locker room, weight room, training room, hot and cold spas, a few other meeting rooms, and a door that led to the practice field.
Mr. Green stopped at the dining hall. “Training camp doesn’t start until next month, but the chef will be here later this week to meet with you. Nigel is a great guy to work with.”
“I’m looking forward to working with him.” She really wanted to ask what had happened to the previous nutritionist, since these positions weren’t readily available, but kept the question to herself. Lauren surveyed the room. It was far from the cafeteria-style area with long tables and hard, narrow benches she had envisioned. It resembled an upscale restaurant—dark wood tables for four and six with matching cushioned chairs and half a dozen buffet stations.
They continued the tour until he stopped and opened a door. “Wow,” she said softly when he gestured her into a spacious office easily three times the size of the one she’d had at the hospital. She walked across the plush carpeting to a huge mahogany desk on one side of the room that had an oversize chair tucked neatly behind it. Behind her, a half wall of windows overlooked a beautiful grassy area and walking trail. A small conference table took up space on the opposite side of the room.
“There should be information on all the players from last year in that file cabinet, and I’m sure you’ll find some on the computer, as well.”
Lauren glanced over to where he gestured.
“But, this is your show now, so you can set up a system that works best for you. It may take a few weeks for the players to get on board.” He smiled. “Or maybe not, judging from the way they cornered you earlier.”
She felt her cheeks warm.
“I’ll leave you to settle in. If you need anything, let my assistant know.”
“Thank you, I will.”
Mr. Green gave her one last smile and departed.
Alone, her thoughts went back to his previous comment. Lauren had never had that much male attention in her life, even from the last man she’d dated. That relationship had ended six months ago. Her ex had been all for them climbing the corporate ladder together—as long as he stayed a rung above hers. He hadn’t been happy when her salary topped his by a thousand dollars a year, and their easygoing, idyllic romance turned agitated and contentious. In the end, she tossed his ring and assurances of forever back and walked away, much like she’d done with the promise ring Malcolm had given her. She thought she had loved Jeffrey, but the moment she’d locked eyes with Malcolm, every memory and emotion she’d kept buried sprang to life. She realized she wasn’t over Malcolm. Not by a long shot.
* * *
As soon as Malcolm parked his motorcycle in the garage, his cell buzzed. Without looking, he knew he’d see Morgan’s name on the display. His stripped off his riding gloves, dug into his pocket for the phone and smiled. “What’s up, sis?” He pressed the button to lower the door and entered the house through the garage.
“That’s what I want to know, so I’ll be over in an hour.” Morgan hung up.
He released a deep sigh. He and Morgan always had that twin thing where they could sense when the other was bothered or upset. Based on his morning, he suspected she’d felt his emotional turmoil. He’d never expected to see Lauren again, especially since she moved to Arizona years ago for what she’d called a “better opportunity.” Now he would be forced to see her damn near every day. To make matters worse, she looked even better than he remembered. As he’d noted during the meeting, the beautiful girl he had been in love with had grown into an even more beautiful woman. The curves he used to enjoy caressing were fuller and...
Malcolm cursed under his breath and ran a hand over his head. He stilled, remembering that he’d cut his hair a week ago, replacing the locs he had sported for over a decade with a scalp-hugging style that would take time to get used to. He climbed the stairs, took the short hallway to his bedroom, dropped his duffel on a bench at the foot of his bed and stepped out onto the balcony overlooking his large backyard. The June temperatures had warmed, and in anticipation of the annual barbecue he held for his teammates before the new season started, he had pulled out the deck and lawn furniture. He would need to cut the grass, but otherwise, the yard was ready for entertaining.
His thoughts shifted back to Lauren. He had to figure out a way to get out of any consultation with her. Malcolm’s diet was just fine and his weight perfect, so he had no real need to see her. And that’s what he would tell her. He glanced down at his watch. Knowing that his sister would be arriving soon and that she’d most likely want to eat, he headed down to the kitchen to prepare a late lunch.
Morgan rang his doorbell just as he removed the chicken breasts from the stove-top grill. He placed them on a plate and went to let her in.
“Hey,” Morgan said. “Something smells good.”
Malcolm chuckled and kissed her temple. “Come on in. I knew you’d want to eat.”
She followed him to the kitchen and took a seat at the table. “Hey,
