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“Come in!”
Walking inside, I brace myself for the professional demeanor I anticipate receiving from her. And sure enough, she sits poised behind her desk with her hands clasped in front of her, smiling as we make eye contact.
“Good morning, Mr. Taylor.”
I arch a brow at her as I close the door. Apparently, she’s in a better mood today—a pretending-like-nothing-happened-between-us mood, it appears. “Good morning, Miss Klein.”
Her face falls for a moment when she realizes I’m alone. “Um, where is Mr. Nelson?”
“He’ll be here late. He didn’t tell you?”
She flashes me a tight-lipped smile, her expression full of irritation. It’s the type of look that warns me to sleep with one eye open if I’m around her for any length of time. “No, he did not.”
“Well, he mentioned it to me when we spoke last night. It’s fine. I’m sure you and I can find something to talk about in the meantime.” I cross her office and take a seat in one of the gray chairs across from her desk, reminding myself to behave while fighting the instinct to take in every detail about her. “So how are you this morning?”
“Great. Fantastic. Busy,” she answers while shifting papers around her desk, avoiding my eyes.
“You forgot beautiful.”
That makes her head pop up. “Maddox...”
“So tell me what you have in mind for the team for the next few months.” I cut her off, not wanting to hear a lecture from her this early into our meeting. But I just couldn’t help being reeled in by how stunning she looks today.
The long locks I remember having wrapped around my fingers are shining in the light coming through the windows, the slight tint of red more apparent now in the sun. Her hazel eyes are wide and framed by dark lashes that stand out against her tan skin. Her lips are full and a perfect pink with a freckle just above her top lip at the corner—a freckle my eyes instantly gravitate toward. Just staring at her mouth is reminding me of what those lips felt like pressed up against mine and wrapped around my cock.
Fuck, Maddox. Focus.
“I’d like to hear your ideas and see if they’re in line with what Liam wants. That was one thing he asked me to do before he arrives, so I’m just following instructions,” I continue, shrugging while smiling at her. “If anything sounds like it might be a bad idea, I can at least warn you before he arrives.”
She licks her lips, sits up straighter in her chair, and clasps her hands again. “Okay, then. We can discuss that.” Suddenly, she reaches for a pen and begins to tap it against the papers in front of her, glancing down at her list before lifting her eyes back to me. “First, I plan on being at the practice fields this week to get some pictures and clips of the players working out together and training. I know not every player will be there, but showing the team in the off-season will be a good place to start proving to the public that you are getting along well with your new teammates. It will also help build excitement for the upcoming season.”
“I like it, and I think Liam will, too.”
“Great. Next, I’ve spoken with the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital to do a visit with their patients. We can bring in some kind of activity for the players to do with the kids, take pictures—and make donations, of course.”
“I did something similar in New Orleans, and it was always a great time.”
“Perfect. I have another event at the end of May I’m still waiting on confirmation for. It’s for one of the no-kill animal shelters in the area. They hold a fundraising event that’s quite popular with the community and would be great for positive exposure. One of my best friends works for a magazine that is a sponsor every year, so I think it will be easy to get into. I’m just waiting to hear back from their rep.”
“You’ve been a busy woman since last Friday,” I tease, but I’m impressed. Charles was right to give this job to Penelope, and I think Liam will be pleased with the direction she’s suggesting. Charities and community businesses are the types of entities we need to reach out to in hopes of gaining support back. We need to meet the citizens of Los Angeles, the men and women that keep the town moving and prospering, and show them they have our support and that we’re proud to be a part of this area.
“Yes, I have. But so far, that’s all I’ve got, aside from normal game-related press and a few articles lined up with interviews of several key players, such as yourself. I will also be attending the draft in Vegas and managing press while I’m there. And there are quite a few organizations I’m still waiting to hear back from, but by Wednesday, I should have a few more events lined up.”
“I think Liam will be happy with your ideas so far. And I’m sure the team will be, too.”
“I’ve already been in contact with Kathy at the training facility at Cal Lutheran University, and we will be using one of the conference rooms big enough to fit everyone so I can present our game plan.”
Suddenly, the reality of over fifty men plus the coaching staff meeting Penelope has my pulse racing again—because I know exactly what they’re going to be thinking when they see her. It’s probably going to be along the lines of what I thought when I saw her for the first time.
That night at Loft 24 was so fucking unexpected. It was one of the only moments in my professional career that I allowed myself to act impulsively, especially after I vowed a few years into my collegiate career to be extremely selective about any woman I enjoyed physical activities with. Normally, I’ve got my head on straight, keep my personal life close to the vest, and never let a woman derail me. One time was enough—who needs to deal with that shit twice in their life?
But the second I saw Penelope walk through the club, I was captivated. Not only was she gorgeous, but after eavesdropping on her conversation with that intern and talking to her myself, I knew she was different. She is smart and sarcastic. Beautiful and bossy. Bold and unapologetically herself. And the fact that she basically didn’t bat an eye in my direction made me want to know her even more.
For me in particular, looks only carry a woman so far. I want a woman who can challenge me, who doesn’t just want to talk to me because of who I am and what I do for a living. Someone who can hold my attention.
And that’s exactly what Penelope did that night, what she is still doing now.
“Have you ever been in a room with that many football players at one time?” I ask, watching for her reaction.
