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“Yes. The singing. That’s what swung it.”
Before I had chance to make a sound, he lifted me in the air by my waist and spun me around.
A breathless laugh escaped me. “What are you doing? Put me down.”
“You won’t regret it. I swear it. We’re going to the top, Miri Forster. You and me. All the way to the top.”
He set me on my feet. My lips felt swollen from his kiss. A sudden awkwardness came over me. What the hell was I doing? I couldn’t be kissing him if I was serious about this job. This wasn’t me. This had to stop before it got out of hand. We’d both been drinking. We could put it down to a moment of madness.
I walked to the door. He grabbed my wrist, pulling me back to him. “Where are you going? I’m not done with you.”
“Don’t you want to tell people the news?”
His gaze roved over my face. “They can wait.”
I pulled my wrist free from his grip. “This stops now. If I’m joining your team, then let’s do things right. I don’t want people to think I got this job based on anything other than my talent.”
He frowned. “It is based on your talent.”
I straightened my dress. “But what will it look like? I need to make a good impression. I don’t want to be gossiped about straight off the bat. We keep things professional.”
His mouth tightened. “Is that what you want? Nothing more?”
No. I wanted to feel his lips on mine again. I wanted him to lift me back onto the desk and take me right here in this office, but that was a terrible decision, and I’d always been sensible. I had to continue to be sensible no matter how much this man made my heart pound.
I pasted a smile onto my face. “Yes. We keep things professional. That’s what I want.”
Chapter 20
Gabe
Aweekpassedina blur of fitness tests and training sessions. I watched Miri from the sidelines. The team had welcomed her with open arms. This was a boost for us all of us. It was a bright Saturday morning in December when she played her first match for us. Even Mother came to watch the occasion.
“You got the player you wanted?” Mother cast an unimpressed eye over the pitch.
“Yes.”
I hadn’t taken my eyes off Miri Forster for the entire match. Ever since we’d kissed, I couldn’t get her out of my head.
Mother frowned. “Ruby tells me you’ve been doing a good job. Has the team moved up yet to the women’s special league …?”
“The Women’s Super League, and no. This is their first match with Miri.”
“It all takes a long time, doesn’t it?” A little wrinkle appeared under her eye. “I’m hearing some positive things about you, and I’m also hearing some not-so-positive things, darling.”
“Oh?”
“Apparently, you’ve formed a … friendship with a stripper.”
My shoulders tensed, but I made no reply. How could she know I’d been to that strip club? Wonderful. Someone had ratted me out to my mother.
“Don’t you think the tabloids would love a story like that?”
“I just wanted a quiet drink somewhere. It’s one of Dad’s old clubs.”
She pressed her lips together. I turned my attention back to the match. One of the opposition players tripped Miri over, sending her flying.
I flew to the sideline. “Penalty!”
