“No rumors and I’m not giving you details. Just get everything ready and find out where the fuck that prick is. I’m catching up with Shelby for lunch and then I’m going after Cantrell.”

  I hang up on Drake before he can dig any further. I don’t want him implicated in any way with this.

  Same with Oakley.

  “Those pictures can’t be linked back to you, can they?”

  “No. But even if they can, I’m not worried about it.”

  “How can you not be worried?” I grab her shoulders. “This could fuck up the franchise.”

  “No. That’s a done deal and the Rogues organization employed the PI to investigate a number of individuals we’re looking at employing. From the Zamboni driver to the window washers, everyone will or has been looked into.”

  “Wow. Okay, I see how that could be okay. You were looking at me, and Kristina is linked to⁠—”

  “Not anymore.”

  “Not for a while but it does seem logical as to how you might have come about having these in your possession.”

  “Now they’re in yours and you need to use them to your advantage.”

  “First I need to tell Shelby I’m leaving New York.”

  “Will that be a problem? I know she recently finished college. Will she come with you?”

  I shake my head. “No. She already has a job. Although this move will give me the upper hand in getting her to move into my apartment. Without me living there, she’s more likely to say yes.”

  “She’s an independent girl.”

  “Yes. Our parents’ deaths have a lot to do with that, I think.”

  “I don’t know, I think maybe you’re both cut from the same cloth and go after what you want on your own merit.”

  “The fact she won’t use my name to get in the door at the Knights’ head office is in the report?”

  I’d tried to convince Shelby to work for the Knights. Mischa had offered when she found out Shel was studying PR, but my sister doesn’t want a job because of who her brother is, she wants one because she’s good.

  “No. But from what I’ve read about both of you, and what I’ve learned in the last twenty-four hours about you, makes me believe you would want to help her.”

  “I did. Do. Do the Rogues need anyone in the PR department?”

  Oakley laughs and I want to kiss the sound from her lips.

  So I do.

  And as much as I try to keep it tame, the way we combust every time we come together can’t be controlled.

  Within seconds I’m taking us both to the floor. We’re already naked and this area of the suite has plush carpet but I roll us so I’m on the bottom.

  Against her lips I say, “You’re on top. Do your worst.”

  “You mean my best?” She nips my lip. Slides her tongue over the small sting.

  “I think we’ve proven the only thing we are together is the best,” I murmur as I trail my mouth along her jawline.

  She stops, pulls back, and looks at me. “Together we’re the best.”

  I eye her, wondering what it is she’s working on in her head. I don’t have to wait long for her brain to tie all the strings and deliver her conclusion.

  “We’re going public.”

  “What?” I sit up, Oakley straddling my lap.

  “Hear me out. We met at the photo shoot. Yesterday. We got together for dinner last night. Will again tonight.”

  “Okay.” I’m not sure where she’s going with this line of thinking, but I give her the chance to sort through it more.

  Honestly, I don’t care how this all goes down as long as it’s the least amount of damage to her and the Rogues.

  To distract us both, I run my tongue over one peaked nipple. The shiver that shakes her makes me smile and I open my mouth around the taut bud and suck hard.

  Her back arches, her flesh pressing deeper into my mouth, and I greedily suck it down.

  It takes little effort from either of us for me to get inside her. A little wiggling, a shift up then down and I’m balls deep in snug wet heat.

  “Fuck. So tight. So wet,” I growl over her skin as I move to her other breast.

  “I’m tight because you’re big.”

  I can’t help the laugh that breaks free. “Just what every guy wants to hear.”

  “I speak only the truth.”

  “Why are you speaking at all, woman? Ride me.” I give her ass a slap and the next thing I know I’m flat on my back, her palms pressing into my chest, and she’s riding me like the prize-winning jockey at the Kentucky Derby.

  I fuck up into her as best I can but she’s driving this ride. And what a ride it is.

  It has sweat dripping from both of us. And I’m sure my ass is going to have rug burn but I don’t care. I’ll take the pain as a badge of honor that this woman knows she’s safe with me to let herself go.

  Safe to take what she wants and needs and⁠—

  “Fuck!”

  Her pussy locks down on my cock in a painful grip that sucks my orgasm right out of me.

  I’m gasping for air, my fingers digging into the flesh of her ass while I hold on. To her. To my sanity.

  This woman.

  I’ve never experienced anything like this. I’m burning from the inside out and the outside in, and I never want it to stop.

  Oakley

  The second the suite door closes behind Walker, I head for the bedroom.

  I need to shower and get dressed.

  It’s not like I’m worried about Nat or Blake seeing me in a robe, but I want to show them whatever is happening between me and Walker will not affect the businesswoman.

  I don’t think they’ll be a hard sell when it comes to mine and Walker’s personal relationship but I’d still prefer to show them there isn’t going to be a problem before they can question it.

  My phone beeps. Glancing at the screen I see a message from Walker.

  Haven’t been gone a minute and I miss you.

  I can’t stop a smile from stretching my lips. I’m opening the message to reply when another one comes in.

  It’s too much, right?

  Followed by another.

  It’s weird to feel this attached so quickly.

  I hurry my reply because I don’t want him to feel like he’s the only one in this.

  Same. No. Yes, but I’m with you.

  I think about our conversation for a second.

  Everything we’ve said is true. I do miss him, it doesn’t feel like it’s too much, and yes, I’m one hundred percent in this with him.

  It’s scary how connected I feel, how comfortable I feel with that connection while still being a little scared of it.

  Even with how new this thing is with Walker, I’m more invested than I ever have been with a man.

  Toss in the fact I’m going to be working closely with him to prove the world wrong about a typically male-dominated profession and I—we—have every right to be scared.

  I’m not backing away though. I can’t. Not after last night.

  Or this morning.

  If he hadn’t come here, hadn’t been as unable to deny our chemistry as I was, then maybe.

  Maybe I could back away and let the Rogues take center stage.

  Except my gut tells me we’ll work better if we pursue both.

  And yes, I mean we. We both have to be in this for it to work. I’m confident Walker is. I know I am.

  Everything I learned about him from the PI report only solidifies my opinion of him. He’s dedicated, doesn’t buckle under pressure or responsibility, and is not afraid to handle a change of direction.

  He might have had some concerns about his career—or the change to it—but the way he stood up and took care of his sister after their parents died tells me he’s more than capable of making this shift from player to coach.

  Heading to see Shelby. Gannon too. I won’t mention the details, but I’ll tell them about a job taking me out of New York.

  I smile at Walker’s latest text. He’s made it clear, numerous times, he’ll be telling his sister, and he promised me Gannon could be trusted.

  I wanted to tell him I knew Gannon was trustworthy but then I’d have to reveal he’s one of the players on our list. As much as I want Walker diving into his role, he still has to sign a contract.

  And I want him to concentrate on extricating himself from the Knights.

  Jerry Cantrell is going to be a problem. I have a connection I can use, one that might nudge Cantrell in the right direction, but I’m not ready to use it.

  Walker has the pictures. He can use those to push Cantrell. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll step in, and as Walker’s girlfriend and future boss I will do that, even if it is blurring the lines between personal and professional.

  Which reminds me I need to move it so I can get the call with Nat and Blake happening. We’ll need to brainstorm my plan, check dates, see what we can line up and what won’t.

  As I rush through my shower, my mind rolls. I’m running through my travel for the last few months, seeing if I can remember how many times I’ve been in New York.

  I’m sure there are several that would match Walker’s location. I need Trevor to send me the last twelve months of my movements so I can compare it to Walker’s.

  I need to make that request to my assistant over the phone. I don’t want a trail someone could stumble upon to derail my plan.

  Of course, I have to let the girls know what I’m planning. Cami should be involved too but I know she’ll object and tell me to do whatever.

  As much as I love that woman, her lack of interest in the day to day running of either of our businesses is frustrating. She’s happy to just hand over money and let us do whatever with it.

  In her words, ‘why should I get involved when you three know what you’re doing and do it so well’, and she’s not wrong.

  Nat, Blake and I have been the driving force behind Rogue sportswear and now we’re spearheading the Rogues hockey franchise.

  Out of the shower, I debate which suit to wear. I want something that screams I’m in control even if I can be—have been—out of control in front of my best friends before.

  The three women who make up the rest of KAW have always had my back. As I’ve had theirs. We’ve stood side by side and faced all the challenges that have come our way.

  And to think, it all started on a wine-fueled night in a tiny apartment where the four of us were lamenting the stigma we faced for being ‘trust-fund’ babies.

  Blake had been the only one without that hanging around her neck, but she’d had different loads to bear. Being the only daughter of a hockey god playing a sport typically male dominated comes with its own dramas and difficulties.

  I laugh when I remember Cami thrusting her glass in the air, wine sloshing over the sides and screaming at the top of her lungs, “Fuck them all! We’re kick-ass women and we’ll prove it!”

  We’ve never revealed where we got the name for our company. And we don’t intend to. Well, maybe we will when we’re in our seventies and we’ve finished taking on the world.

  Reaching for my blood red skirt, I pair it with a gold silk blouse and a blue blazer. Staring at my reflection, I ponder the color combo.

  And the more I look, the more I think I’ve found our team colors. Snapping a pic with my phone, I send it to all three of my best friends with a question.

  Rogues team colors?

  Nat is the first to reply.

  Yes!

  Then Blake.

  Maybe tone the red down a little

  I wait for Cami’s opinion. And laugh at myself when I realize she won’t bother replying because it’s a business decision and she’s determined to stay out of those.

  You look good. Glowing. Did you get laid?

  I stand, mouth agape, rereading Cami’s text. Scrolling back up the thread I stare at the picture.

  Holy shit.

  She’s right. I’m kind of glowing.

  I could blame it on the lighting or the outfit or even the pleasure of signing the contract with the NHL but I know that’s all a lie.

  It’s Walker.

  It’s all the great, incredible, fantastic sex.

  It’s the thought of seeing him tonight.

  I can’t keep this feeling in. There’s no way I’ll be able to pretend there’s nothing between me and Walker.

  And that thought just confirms what I’ve spent the morning rolling around my head.

  We need to go public with our relationship before we announce the Rogues franchise or the coaching staff.

  Luckily we have a few weeks before the team announcement and a few more weeks after that before we’ll announce the coaches.

  Call in five. Cami, you aren’t getting out of this one. I NEED you on it!

  With that directive sent, I head out to where my laptop is set up and get it powered on. I need to make a quick call to Trevor first.

  He answers on the first ring. “Yo, boss lady.”

  “I need you to send me my complete calendar going back twelve months. Personal and business.”

  “Okay.” I can hear him tapping away. “Can I ask why?”

  “Yes, but you can’t write it down anywhere or tell anyone else.”

  “My lips are always sealed when it comes to you.”

  “See if you can get me Walker Alcott’s whereabouts for the same time.”

  “On it. Although that might be a bit trickier to come by without leaving a trace or a rumor.”

  “Pull what you can from the PI report, and I’ll get the rest.”

  “Anything else? Do you need me to confirm your flight out tomorrow?”

  “Shit. No. Cancel that—wait. No. Leave it as is for now. I’ll let you know later today but I might stay longer than planned. Actually, I might need you to come up here…”

  “I’ll pack a bag just in case.”

  “Thanks, Trevor. You’re invaluable.”

  “You pay me to be invaluable.”

  “I do, but it’s not so you are, it’s because you are.”

  “Oh, flattery will get you everywhere.”

  I laugh. “I don’t need flattery for that.”

  “No. You don’t. But enough of this sentimental crap, back to work. You’ve got a world to take over.”

  “I do. I’ll check in later and let you know what to do about the flight.”

  “Did you know you’ve been in New York every month in the last year?” he asks. “Hmm… I didn’t realize it had been that many times.”

  “I needed to be in their faces to pull this off.”

  “You didn’t, but I get why you think you did.”

  I glance at my laptop and see Nat has sent the link for the call. “Gotta go, got a KAW powwow happening in one.”

  “Later.” Trevor hangs up before I can and I’m switching my phone to silent and clicking through to the call at the same time.

  “Hel—”

  “I fucked Walker,” the words fly out of my mouth before I think them. Dammit. I wanted to ease them into this.

  “Okay…” Nat eyes me with her usual probing gaze. “Does this mean we’re back to square one on the head coach front?”

  “No. He said yes to that, but he’s got some things to sort out before he can sign.”

  “And you and he hooked up?” asks Blake.

  “Yes. No.” I rub my forehead. “It’s more than that.”

  “Why am I here for this?” Cami asks as she pops up on my screen.

  “You missed the best bit!” Blake laughs.

  “What bit? I know she signed the contract with the league, I know we’re going ahead with the Rogues.”

  “Yes, but your comment about her glow was spot on,” Nat adds.

  “Oh? You got laid?” Cami gives me a slow clap. “About damn time.”

  “Hey! It hasn’t been that long. And I’ve been busy with better things.”

  “Anything that puts a glow like that on your face is the best thing.” Cami sighs. “I wish I could find me some glow.”

  “You’d need a guy for that.” Blake frowns, “I could do with a guy for that too.”

  “I have a guy and let me tell you, there’s none of that there.”

  I have to bite my tongue at the mention of Nat’s husband. He’s a leech. One that she continues to put up with. I’m almost at my patience’s end when it comes to that man.

  We all are.

  A number of times over the years, he’s tried to derail Nat’s success. I’m sure he’s going to prove a pain in the ass once he finds out about the Rogues. I still don’t know how she’s managed to keep it from him.

  “Okay. So here’s the plan. I’m getting the info together but we’re going to go public with our relationship. We’ll make it look as though we’ve been seeing each other for a few months, maybe a year, although that might be hard with his ex and his injury so it might be best to place our timeline to just after he took the hit.”

  “No one would believe you weren’t by his side when he ended up in the hospital,” Blake adds. “I’d definitely go with getting together after that.”

  “All right. I’m having dinner with him tonight and we’ll go over both our movements for the last twelve months to see when we were in the same place.”

  “You’ve been up there a lot,” Cami says. “You could easily have been spending time with him.”

  “Exactly. Now the other problem is that Cantrell is up to something. I’m not sure of the exact details but I’ve given Walker those pictures to remove Kristina from his life, and they’ll work just as well for Cantrell.”

  “Is it a contract clause?” Nat asks. I can see she’s madly tapping away on her keyboard.

  “I think so. He was set to announce his retirement today but from what he said that’s on hold until he meets with Cantrell,” I explain. “He also needs to tell his sister and he’ll be telling Gannon Byrd at the same time.”

  “You didn’t tell him we’re looking at Byrd, did you?” Blake asks.

 

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