Going For It (Texas Titans #7) Read online

  “That’s not what I heard.” He gave her a lewd smile. “Isn’t Thomas your new boyfriend?”

  “Is that what this is about?” Kiara asked, deciding to lay her cards on the table. “You think you can use me to get to him? Sorry, not interested.” She pushed away from her desk, standing. “I appreciate you coming in today, but I—”

  “You think you know him.” Morin smirked. “You don’t know him at all.”

  She refused to let a man with an obvious axe to grind plant a seed of doubt in her mind. “My relationship with Blaise is none of your business.”

  “You’re right,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “And that’s not what I’m here to discuss, so let’s get back to business.”

  “I think we’ve concluded our business.”

  “Just give me a few more minutes of your time,” he said, gesturing toward her desk. “Please, don’t let your personal feelings about me color your decision about whether to take me on as a client.”

  Since Kiara had to admit that was exactly what she was doing, she rested her bottom on the corner of the desk in front of Morin and crossed her arms. “Fine, you tell me why you think this would be a good partnership.” She realized how absurd it was that she was asking a professional athlete at the top of his sport to convince her why she should take him on as a client instead of making the pitch about why Mitchell’s was the agency he should choose.

  “You’re smart. You’re hungry.” He smirked when she raised a questioning eyebrow. “You’re not the only one who’s done their homework, Miss Wagner. I know all about your professional record. You represent twelve athletes, all at the top of their game. You’ve negotiated more than one hundred twenty million in contracts this year alone, and they all gave you a glowing recommendation.”

  “You spoke to my clients about me?” she asked, trying to conceal her outrage. “I think that was pretty presumptuous, given the fact this is our first meeting and you asked to meet with me, not the other way around.”

  He met her glare with one of his own. “My career is the most important thing in my life. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect it. When I found out my last agent had screwed me over, I knew it was time to find someone I could trust.”

  Kiara was tempted to ask him what had happened with his previous agent, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to get any more invested in his situation. She decided she couldn’t make this decision on the spur of the moment. “I’ll need some time.” Even though it might cause a rift with Blaise, she couldn’t deny working with Morin would be an incredible opportunity to make inroads in a very lucrative sport. “Could we meet again tomorrow?”

  “Of course.” He stood to shake her hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

  As Kiara watched him leave, she had to admit he’d been more conciliatory than she’d expected. With the exception of that one comment about Blaise, he’d been focused on the business at hand the entire time. But could she trust him?

  “Hey,” Sabrina said, poking her head in the door. “I ran into Casey Morin in the hall. Why didn’t you tell me we’re trying to sign him?”

  Kiara claimed the seat behind her desk. She was glad to see Sabrina—she could use her advice. “Actually, he called me yesterday and asked to meet with me. He wants me to represent him.”

  “How cool is that?” Sabrina said, sitting across from Kiara and absently rubbing her baby bump. “He’s the freakin’ heavyweight champ. In the boxing world, it doesn’t get any bigger.”

  “I know, but…” Kiara was almost ashamed to admit her personal feelings were at play, but since Sabrina was her best friend as well as her boss, she knew she would understand. “He and Blaise have a lot of history.”

  “I know all about their history.” Sabrina slipped off her high heels and wrinkled her nose as she wiggled her toes. “God, my feet are swelling already. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to wear these.”

  Kiara tapped her palm against the desk. “We can go shoe shopping later. Right now I need to decide what to do about Morin. I don’t want to compromise my relationship with Blaise, but I can’t deny representing Morin would be a great opportunity.”

  “Sounds like things with Blaise are getting pretty serious,” Sabrina said, smiling.

  “We slept together last night,” Kiara whispered even though the door was closed.

  “Oh my God, finally! I thought you were going to make the poor guy wait forever.”

  “I just wanted to make sure he was serious about me.” Kiara felt defensive and a little ridiculous that she’d made him work so hard to prove himself. He was clearly as into her as she was into him. “You know better than anyone that I have a lousy track record with guys like Blaise.”

  “Don’t pigeon-hole him like that. You’re not being fair. How would you feel if he made assumptions about you because of the way you look?”

  Kiara knew her friend was right. They’d had to overcome a lot of sexism to be taken seriously in the old boys’ club, so she of all people should know better than to stereotype. “You’re right, I was wrong. But you know I’ve been screwed over. I don’t want to go into this blind.”

  “I get that, but you can’t be so guarded that you give up a chance with a great guy just because of what he used to do for a living.”

  “I’m not sure boxing is so firmly in his past,” Kiara said, thinking of the sparring match she’d interrupted last night. She was uneasy every time she thought about the blow he’d taken, the one she’d inadvertently caused by interrupting him.

  “What do you mean? I thought the doctors said he was done? He’s not thinking of fighting again, is he?” Sabrina looked alarmed. “If he is, I might have to kick his ass myself.”

  Sabrina and Blaise had become close in recent months, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Most of Sabrina’s friends were men, but Kiara was ashamed to admit she felt kind of uncomfortable with their friendship. She needed to know Sabrina had her back, and she worried Sabrina’s affection for Blaise might color her opinion.

  “No, but he’s training a bunch of boxers, and I’m not sure I’m okay with that.” Kiara laughed, feeling self-conscious. “Would you listen to me? I sound like his mother instead of his girlfriend.”

  Sabrina grinned. “His girlfriend, huh? When did we decide to label this thing?”

  “I don’t know that we have.” Kiara shifted, wishing she’d never brought it up. “I just… oh, never mind. Let’s get back to Morin. What do you think I should do about him?”

  “That’s a no-brainer. You have to represent him.”

  “Are you speaking as my boss now?” Kiara felt a modicum of relief that Sabrina seemed to be taking the decision out of her hands. Blaise could hardly blame her for following a direct order from her superior. Sabrina normally gave Kiara a lot of leniency about the clients she represented, but this seemed to be one of the odd times she dug her heels in and played the boss card.

  “Damn right I am.” Sabrina’s tone softened when she said, “Aside from yours truly, you’re the best agent Mitchell’s has.” She laughed when Kiara rolled her eyes. “Seriously, now that I’m cutting back a bit because of the babies, I need you to step up. Think you can do that?”

  The last thing Kiara wanted was to add to Sabrina’s stress with a wedding to plan and two babies to nurture, but she wasn’t accustomed to rolling over, either. “You know I work my ass off. Sixty, seventy hours a week, not to mention the travel and—”

  “That’s why you made a cool half mil last year, because you do work so hard. You said you wanted to buy a house next year. Taking on Morin would practically guarantee you could.”

  “True.” Kiara had been saving up to buy a house in cash to avoid being in debt.

  “Blaise will understand,” Sabrina assured her. “He’s a reasonable man. Just tell him it’s strictly business. And if Morin does anything to make you uncomfortable, he can look elsewhere for representation.”

  “You
really mean that?” Kiara was touched that Sabrina would turn away that kind of revenue for her sake.

  “Of course I do,” she said, sounding exasperated. “You’re like a sister to me. Morin is just a client. There are plenty more where he came from, but friends, those are hard to come by.”

  Chapter Four

  Kiara was packing up for the day when Blaise texted to tell her he’d stop by the office to pick her up for dinner instead of meeting her at High Rollers, as they’d planned.

  “Hey, beautiful. I’m glad I caught you before you left.”

  Kiara was speechless when she looked up to see her ex standing in the doorway with a bouquet of white roses. “Uh, Eli, what are you doing here? I told you I couldn’t see you tonight.” Or any other night, for that matter.

  “I know, but I needed to see you. There were things I wanted to say to you that night in my hotel room, but you left so quickly I didn’t get a chance.”

  “And I told you why I had to leave.” Kiara offered a tight smile when he placed the flowers on her desk. “I’m involved with someone. I never should have gone up to your room.”

  “Then why did you?” Before Kiara had a chance to respond, he said, “I’ll tell you why. It’s because you’re still attracted to me. You can deny it all you want, but I know you too well. We spent two years together at Harvard. That was probably your longest running relationship.”

  She wanted to deny it, but he was right. “But it ended for a reason. You wanted to stay in Boston and start your business, and I wanted to move here and join Mitchell’s. I’d say we both made the right decision.”

  “Sweetheart, timing is everything.” He came around to her side of the desk and perched his lithe body on the corner as he reached for her hand. “The timing wasn’t right then. It is now. I come to Arlington at least once, sometimes twice a month on business. You said you have a client in Boston who brings you to town at least once a month. We could make this work. I know we could.”

  Kiara withdrew her hand. “You’re not hearing me, Eli. I’m seeing someone else.”

  He rolled his eyes. “A boxer. Really? You’re a Harvard graduate, for crying out loud. Your I.Q. rivals mine. You can honestly tell me you’d be happy spending your life with a boxer?”

  The way he said boxer raised Kiara’s ire. She’d forgotten what a pompous jackass he could be. “Not that it’s any of your business, but we’re not talking about spending our lives together. We’re just having fun.” Ugh, she hadn’t meant to minimize her relationship with Blaise. “I mean we’re just figuring things out.” That didn’t sound much better.

  “So if you’re not committed to him, why can’t we see each other?” He crossed his arms, drawing the expensive fabric of his black suit jacket tighter across his broad shoulders. His prematurely graying hair suited him, accentuating his dark skin and light eyes, but Kiara refused to allow herself to dwell on his physical appeal.

  “I didn’t say I’m not committed to him.” She stood, hoping to put some distance between them.

  He gripped her waist before she could sneak past. “Then you’re sleeping with him?”

  “Damn it,” she said, flushing. “You have no right to ask me that!”

  “It’s okay, you don’t have to answer.” He parted his legs, drawing her closer.

  She planted a hand on his chest to keep distance between them, but she didn’t want to be dramatic by trying to wriggle out of his arms. “And I don’t intend to. Do I ask you who you’re sleeping with?”

  “You can,” he said, licking his lips as his gaze traveled to her mouth.

  If he even thinks about kissing me, I’ll smack him. “I’m not interested.”

  “No one,” he said, answering a question she’d never asked. “Do you know why?”

  “Ask me if I care.”

  Eli chuckled, shaking his head. “Because of you. I haven’t been able to get you out of my head since we met up in Philadelphia. That kiss reminded me of how good we were together. Do you remember how hot it was? You were the best lover I’d ever had. You still hold that title.”

  Time must have dimmed his memory. Compared to what she’d shared with Blaise last night, sex with Eli was lukewarm at best. “Nice to know, but we need to leave our relationship where it belongs—in the past.”

  “Is it the sex?” he asked, tipping back his head. “Is that why you’re with him?”

  She gasped, unable to believe his audacity. “My sex life is not up for discussion. I thought I made that clear.”

  “Good sex can’t be the basis for a solid relationship, Kiara. You know that.” He laughed. “What could you possibly have in common with that idiot? His eyes would probably glaze over if you tried talking to him about arbitrage or derivatives. We speak the same language, honey. We understand each other. We’re not just compatible in bed, but out of bed too.”

  She pursed her lips, glaring at him. “You don’t know anything about my relationship with Blaise. How dare you assume that just because he’s a former boxer, he’s stupid. He’s not.”

  “Really?” Eli smiled. “He barely graduated high school. Did you know that?”

  Blaise had confided in Kiara that he’d had trouble in school, and since she could tell it was a sore spot, she hadn’t pushed for more information. “So what?” She peeled Eli’s hands off her waist and stepped back. “Some of the most successful people in the world didn’t finish high school. And some of the dimmest people I know graduated from Ivy League schools.” She raised her hand, gesturing to him. “Case in point.”

  He smirked. “Fine, I insulted your boyfriend, and you’re pissed at me. I get it.”

  “It’s time for you to go. Blaise is stopping by to pick me up in a few minutes, and you wouldn’t want to make the mistake of running into him, trust me.”

  “Is that what turns you on now? Brawn instead of brains?” He pushed off her desk. “Must be a phase you’re going through. When you realize you two having nothing in common, which you will, you know where to find me.”

  ***

  It took everything in Blaise not to bust into Kiara’s office and put that smug bastard in his place, but he stood rooted to the spot, listening. She was defending him and their relationship, sort of, but not with enough vehemence to convince him she wasn’t questioning whether her ex was right about him. How could he blame her? Blaise had been questioning whether he was good enough for her every damn day since they’d met. Her ex was just bringing to light Blaise’s deepest insecurities and forcing Kiara to analyze them. He couldn’t help but wonder if she’d feel differently about him now that Eli had planted the seed.

  “Can I help you, sir?”

  Blaise turned to see a silver-haired woman in a no-nonsense navy business suit and sensible shoes walk in. She took a seat behind the desk in the reception area, leading Blaise to assume she was Kiara’s assistant. “Um no, thank you.”

  Now that he’d been ousted, he had no choice but to make his presence known. Since Kiara’s office door was already half-open, he didn’t bother knocking. “Hey, baby. You ready to go?” His gaze swung to Eli’s before he closed the door. “I could pretend I didn’t know you had company, but why bother? We all know I heard every goddamn word you said.”

  Kiara gaped at Blaise before shooting Eli an uneasy look. “Uh, Blaise, this is—”

  “I know who he is.” Blaise crossed his arms, drawing attention to his massive biceps and the tattoos decorating his forearms. If the power to intimidate was the only tool he had, he intended to use it. “The guy who thinks he stands a chance of taking you away from me.”

  Eli swallowed, looking visibly nervous. “I should probably be going.”

  Blaise stepped into his path when he tried to make his way to the door. “I don’t think so, man. Not until you and I have a little chat.”

  “Uh, babe?” Kiara rushed toward Blaise. “Just let him go. I made it clear where things stand. Eli won’t be bothering me again.”

  “See, guys like this don’t l
ike taking no for an answer,” Blaise said, planting two fingers on Eli’s chest to push him back a step. Blaise had six inches and fifty pounds on the guy, so he didn’t intend to challenge him physically. He just wanted to make his point in a way Eli would never forget. “You have to explain things to them in terms they’ll understand.”

  Eli squared his shoulders. “I, uh, do understand. Kiara’s with you now.”

  Blaise glanced over Kiara’s shoulder at the flowers on her desk. “Yet you brought her flowers. See, I have a real problem with another guy bringin’ my girl flowers.”

  “Won’t happen again.”

  “You’re right it won’t.” Blaise leaned in closer. “’Cause if it does, I won’t be so forgiving next time. You got me?”

  “Y-yeah.” He bobbed his head like one of those cheap plastic figurines. “I got it.”

  “Good.” Blaise stepped out of his path, gesturing toward the door. “Now get out of here before I change my mind.”

  Kiara waited until Eli had slammed the door behind him before she reached for Blaise. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea he was coming here. I told him I couldn’t see him. He knew about us.” She shrugged. “I guess he thought he could change my mind if he saw me in person.”

  “And did he change your mind?” Blaise asked, wrapping his arms around her waist. He saw anger flash in her eyes, but he had to know if she was having second thoughts about him after the points her ex-boyfriend made.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Are you having second thoughts about me? Or us?” He still didn’t know what had happened with Morin, but he suspected she wouldn’t be in his arms right now if she knew their whole sordid history.

  “Of course not. Why would you ask me that?”

  “You told him we weren’t serious, that we’re just having fun. Is that really how you see it?”

  She winced and looked away. “I’m sorry you heard that. I shouldn’t have said it. It just sort of came out when he pressed me about our relationship.”