“During the presentation, the marketing director described you as — and I'm quoting — 'athletic, handsome, no girlfriend, very marketable as a single athlete.'“
Logan puts his wine glass down. “They said that?”
“They don't know about us, Logan. As far as everyone in that room is concerned, I'm the Renegades' legal counsel reviewing a standard endorsement deal. And the player in question happens to be single, and that's a selling point.”
“That's bullshit.”
“That's marketing. And it's also my problem because I'm negotiating contract terms for my boyfriend's endorsement deal, and nobody knows he's my boyfriend. That's a conflict of interest. A serious one.”
He's quiet for a moment. “What happens if someone finds out?”
“My credibility at the firm is gone. The partnership track is gone. Mabel trusted me with this account, and I've been compromised from the start.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I need to transfer your file. Hand your specific endorsement deal to another associate. I can keep the rest of the Renegades account — the team-level sponsorships, the compliance work, everything else — but your individual contracts need to be handled by someone who isn't sleeping with you.”
“How do you do that without telling them about us?”
“I’ll tell Mabel I have a personal connection to a player on the account. I don't have to give her details. I just need to explain that there's a potential conflict and I'm removing myself from that specific file to protect the firm's integrity.”
“Will she respect that?”
“Mabel respects honesty more than anything. If I go to her proactively, it shows I'm protecting the firm. If she finds out on her own, it looks like I was hiding something.”
He reaches across the island and takes my hand. “Then do it. Talk to Mabel. Transfer the file. Whatever you need to do to protect your career.”
“It might raise questions.”
“Let it raise questions. Your career matters more than keeping our relationship secret from your boss.”
“You realize this is the beginning of it going public. Once Mabel knows, it's only a matter of time before the firm knows. And once the firm knows, the Renegades organization knows.”
“Good. I'm done hiding.”
I look at our hands on the counter. His fingers laced through mine. His thumb rubs small circles on my knuckle. “I'll talk to Mabel tomorrow.”
“Good.”
“She's going to ask questions.”
“Let her.”
“She's going to look at me differently.”
“She's going to look at you like a lawyer who identified a conflict and handled it professionally. That's what good lawyers do.”
I squeeze his hand. “When did you get so smart?”
He grins. “I've been taking notes from you.”
We finish the pasta and the wine. He washes the dishes while I dry them, the same routine we've settled into. He stays the night. When we make love, it’s slow and sweet.
Logan handles me like I’m fragile. He lays me down on the bed and undresses me piece by piece, kissing every inch of skin he uncovers. His mouth moves from my throat to my collarbone to the space between my breasts.
“I've got you,” he murmurs against my stomach.
He takes his time with me. His tongue circles my nipples until I'm arching into him. His mouth between my legs is patient and thorough, building me up slowly. He doesn't rush. He staysthere until I come apart under his mouth, my body shaking, my hand in his hair.
