NextMoves (5 page)

The man could wear down a saint. She chomped down on the
skin of her cheek to suppress a grin from forming, not at all ready for this
door to open. “You don’t give up, do you?”

“No. I don’t. Have dinner with me next week. That’s a simple
enough place to start.” His smile sent her into seizures.

Her body screamed yes, her mind voted no, and her heart
toyed with maybe. “We both need to process this. Seeing each other’s been a
shock. It’d be foolish to rush into something. This town revolves around
business and sports so we’ll be tripping over each other. I need some time.”

“Okay, but I don’t give up and I know what I want.”

“I need to get back to the party.” Unable to process any
more, Jocelyn led him to the main reception area. Debbie swooped down on Jared
and dragged him off. Jocelyn stormed over to the bar but Brenda caught her
first. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you. It’s your dad. I put
him in the entrance waiting room.”

“Is he…”

Brenda nodded.

Jocelyn rushed to her father. His high blood pressure
created periodic bouts of confusion, which could spiral into full-blown panic
attacks.

Alan Wade sat on the bench in the building reception area,
his hand propping up his head, elbows resting on his thighs. She sat beside
him, putting a hand on his knee, the other on his shoulder. “Dad, it’s me,
Jocelyn. Take a few deep breaths. It’s going to be okay. You probably just
forgot to take your meds this morning.”

After she got her dad calmed down, the meds into him from
the extra bottle she always carried, she talked one of his friends into taking
him home. Jocelyn’s body collapsed, drained of all its energy. A relationship
with Jared Wyatt? Out of the question. She couldn’t handle more emotional
demands in her life and had to end his pursuit here and now.

Don Corcoran finished his speech with an invitation. “Jared
Wyatt, there you are. Why don’t you say a few words before we end the evening
with Jocelyn’s remarks?”

Surprised by the invitation, but never one to turn down an
opportunity, Jared glided onto the stage and made the podium his own. The hunt
to capture Jocelyn Wade started here. As this was her terrain, he needed to
hang back and learn the lay of the land before the real games began. “Thank you
for the trust you’ve all placed in me and I intend to see the Lions victorious
in the national championship. I also have additional plans you’ll hear about
once I settle in.” His sight zoomed onto his prey and he locked his gaze to
hers. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you better and now cede the stage
to our host, Chamber of Commerce president Jocelyn Wade.”

Passing her as he descended the stairs, his fingers brushed
her hip and ass. Her eyes flashed annoyance and something else. Yeah, she might
be fighting him but she was feeling him too. There were weapons to work with in
this game. He needed to dig.

At the podium, Jocelyn owned the stage and the audience as
easily as Jared had. The crowd hung on to her every word and she knew how to
play to them. Hunger pooled at the base of his spine.Memories of the
sweet taste of her lips and her light citrus scent had his dick standing at
attention. No, he was not going to let this go.

Don came up alongside him, just as Jocelyn scanned the
crowd, a wicked smile on her face. That look had his balls throbbing
mercilessly. It was the same tease after she mounted him, when she sucked the
caviar off her finger. She was planning something.

A hand slapped Jared on the back. “Watch for the curve
ball,” said Don.

“What do you mean?”

“Meet Madison’s ice queen. She sets the agenda for the town.
That expression means a surprise new agenda item’s coming our way. Since you’re
the new kid in the sandbox…”

“Ice queen?”

“Before she took command at the Chamber too many businesses
were failing, our young people moved to bigger cities to find jobs. We were
fast becoming a ghost town. Jocelyn turned it all around. That iron-lined
backbone of hers salvaged the business base and improved our schools. That
frozen stare has every man in the state scared to death of her and she seems to
like it that way.”

Jocelyn’s voice rose above their chatter. “I’m glad we kept
Health Corp open but that’s yesterday’s news. It’s time to plan for tomorrow
and we’re being too easy on our new athletic director.”

Don elbowed Jared in the ribs. “Warned you.”

Jared’s arms crossed his chest, his eyes narrowed, shoulders
stiffened as he waited to see what she would do.

“The Lions have always made us proud,” she said. “Last year
they lost to the Jaguars in a sudden-death match.” That grin of hers deepened,
her body stood taller and her teeth headed for the jugular. “Asking our new
athletic director to win the nationals is the least we can expect from him. I
ask him instead to bring home the girls’ high school soccer national
championship trophy as well.”

The crowd, stunned into silence for only a moment, broke
into thunderous applause.

“She set you up good. Go up there and answer her.” Don
didn’t have to say it twice. No one handed him an agenda in his territory. She
overstepped and he was going to enjoy the payback.

At the podium he flashed his anger at Jocelyn but he was all
smiles when he faced the audience. “Looks like I’ve been invited back.” He
pushed his hair off his face, giving himself a minute to pull his thoughts
together. ”Y’all should know that I never back away from a challenge and I play
to win. Developing additional champion teams has always been my plan and I’ve
already rehired Ted Farber to coach the Lions. Before I agree to manage the new
girls’ team, Ms. Wade, I have my own conditions.”

Her glare shot ice bullets and her body stiffened in what he
could only interpret as repressed rage. She didn’t like his comeback. Good.

“Oh, and what would that be?” Her voice was frigidly polite.

“You commit to supporting it. The Chamber will raise as much
money for the girls’ team as the boys’ and pack the home bleachers with as many
fans.”
Check.

“Fair enough. I’m happy to commit to that.” Her shoulders
relaxed.

“And I expect you, Ms. Wade, to be seated in the front row,
cheering the loudest at every game. You’re going to be my full partner in this
endeavor.”
Checkmate.

Her chest contracted so hard he thought he’d have to remind
her to exhale.

“Upset, Jocelyn?” His voice pitched so only she could hear.

“This isn’t over,” she whispered back, the scowl in her tone
clear enough to send a weaker man scurrying into the corner.

“You’ve got that right. I’m only getting started. The town’s
waiting. What’s your answer?”

”Okay, you’ve got a deal, Mr. Wyatt, and we’ll expect you to
present your plan for the double victory at the fall Chamber Dinner. Welcome to
Madison.”

After a ceremonial shaking of hands to play to the crowd,
Jared guided her off the podium. “There’s never a dull moment with you, Jocelyn
Wade. We’re going to talk. Now.” His demeanor made it clear he would brook no
dissent.

“My office. This way.”

They rode the elevator to her office in complete silence.
Once inside, they settled into opposing camps, weapons loaded.

”Never. Hand. Me. An. Agenda. Next time, I’ll toss you over
my lap and spank you in front of the crowd.” Even consumed by rage, that image
alone had his cock tightening in raw hunger.

“A threat? In my town? We play by my rules here. Get used
it.” Her shoulders squared, chin firm, she blasted power at him. He ignored it.

“Unlike everyone else in this town, I’m not afraid of you,
babe.” He moved over her, purposely looking down at her, channeling all his
control through his eyes—a stance that usually had opponents quaking in their
boots. Not her.

“Intimidation? It’s not working…darlin’.”

Grasping her upper arms, he pulled her against him so the
hardness of his erection stroked across her mons until she shuddered against
him. “It’s working just fine, darlin’. Stop pushing me away. You want this
every damn bit as much as I do.”

“That was a fluke, a momentary weakness. I don’t do
relationships.” Her face, smooth and hard as marble, denied any emotions
.

Oh she’s good, but not good enough.
“That ice-queen
act may scare off the men around here but I know the hellion underneath. And I
like her, claws and all.” One hand lifted her face toward him. The red wine on
her breath mingled with her rose-lime scent as he licked her lower lip. “I know
how to touch you, babe, to make you beg for it and you know I can make you
scream. Play power games with me, you’ll lose. I don’t let up, ever.”

“Neither do I,” Jocelyn spat, a glint of darkness clouding
her eyes the only hint that she was struggling to keep her will in check.

Tightening his hold, fingers furrowed into the soft flesh of
her biceps to keep her close. “I’ve already outmaneuvered you tonight.”

“Overconfident so early in the game? Bad move. I lost a
round, not the match.” She glared at him, those brown-black eyes had liquid
silver shooting through his veins. He wanted to be pounding the hell out of her
on the desk in the corner.

“God, you make me so hot.” He nibbled her chin and cupped
her ass to him to let her feel the strength of his hunger.

“Changing battle tactics? Not working.” Her hands on his
chest, she pushed back.

“Sure it is. You’re as ramped up as I am.” His hand snaked
up under her jacket, his thumb flicked at the bullet-hard nipple. “Right now
you’re imagining how you want me to take you. I like the desk, but maybe you’d
prefer it against the wall? Hard and wild, just like you like it.” Desire
widened her eyes.

“I don’t do relationships,” she whispered, pain crackled in
her voice as she struggled to suppress a moan from escaping.

“So you keep selling, but I’m not buying.” He found his
advantage and he pushed it. “Mark my words. I’m going to fuck you again, here
in this office. It’ll be so damn good my name will be echoing through these
hallways, you’ll be screaming it so loud. And then I’ll make love to you, kiss
and stroke until you’re purring in my arms and begging for more.”

Distance, she needed distance. Liquid heat drenched her silk
panties, she flamed so hot. Jared in full alpha was a sight to behold. The
sandalwood scent tickled her nose, drumming up memories of that mouth licking
her to bliss, those talented fingers… Damn.

“No, Jared. It’s not going to happen.”

“Yes, it is.” The steel in his voice was unmistakable. “I’m
going to win, Jocelyn, because you want me to. I can smell the lust in your
pores.” Warm breath on her neck fanned the flame engulfing her spine, traveling
at breakneck speed to her womb.

Somehow she ripped free of his touch, those fingers still
stroking her breast. It took every ounce of her control to not pull him in the
corner and strip him bare
.
She had to get away. Instead of pissing him
off and sending him packing with her gambit, she got more Jared. Time to
regroup and figure out next steps, this was not over yet. Not by a long shot.

“Don’t bet on it. We’re done here.” Her voice cracked, but
she pulled it together to strut out of the office to the elevator and didn’t
look back. Jared could find his own way out.

She’s going to drive me insane
, Jared thought even as
he admired her long-legged stride, the curve of her tight ass bunching against
her skirt as she walked away.
What the hell happened here tonight?
He’d
been thrilled to learn Jocelyn lived here. Instead of welcoming him, she’d
ducked behind a brick wall of an attitude and wasn’t coming out without a
fight.

At least she was a worthy competitor. Although he’d won
tonight, she’d revealed her strengths. Sharp, quick-witted, she thought beyond
the obvious, to what came next. The boys’ team was in peak condition. The town
needed to take sports to the next level—additional championship teams. No one
else had realized that. His adrenaline spiked at the thought of a good fight.
His battle with Jocelyn Wade was going to be a doozy.

Summer merged into fall. The aroma of newly fallen leaves
spiced the air. Kylie started high school. True to her promise, Jocelyn
developed a plan to raise money for the girls’ soccer team. Daily life settled
into routine, the nights unraveled into madness.

Images of ice-blue eyes darkened with desire, tight
abdominal muscles that rippled underneath her fingers and clenched rock-hard
when he came, that musky, male smell, the heat of his mouth on her skin had her
buzzing the vibrator nightly. Tonight felt worse than usual. The new dildo
she’d snagged in desperation just couldn’t give her what she needed—the
ferocity Jared gave in spades. When the clock inched over to 5:00 a.m., she
woke Kylie and dragged her out for a longer run, hoping a demanding workout
could cure what ailed her.

Dressed in shorts and tank tops in deference to the Indian
summer lingering over Madison, Jocelyn and Kylie jogged to the high school
track for their morning run. After they had two miles under their belts,
another runner sprinted alongside them.

“Morning, ladies,” said Jared with a smile. “I haven’t seen
you here before.”

“Damn,” Jocelyn said under her breath. Not the way she
wanted to start the day.“We usually run later. Jared Wyatt, this is my
daughter Kylie. Kyles, Mr. Wyatt is the new athletic director and coach of the
girls’ soccer team.”

Kylie smiled shyly and then looked at the ground, increasing
her pace to inch a few steps ahead of the adults.

“Nice to see you out of a business suit. No pocket for your
phone either,” Jared said.

“I work hard. I’m not all about work. There’s a difference.”
She sped up to Kylie, unwilling to get caught in the battle of the snarks
before breakfast. It only took seconds for Jared to reach them.

Teeth gritted, Jocelyn ran around the track neck and neck
with Kylie and Jared. When he accidently bumped her thigh, she flinched and
stumbled on the toe of her sneaker. Propelled forward, she hurled her shoulders
back, bent her knees and tightened her thigh muscles, regaining her balance
enough to prevent her from sprawling to the ground. She snarled a warning to
dissuade anyone from asking how she was doing.

Several laps later, Jared broke the silence. “Kylie, you’re
a superb runner but you’re holding back. If it’s okay with your mom, I’d like
you to run the next couple of miles with me setting the pace. Your track team
performance is impressive but I want to see what you can really do.”

Jocelyn hesitated, concern flip-flopping in her belly. She
might crave Jared but she didn’t trust him.

“Mom, can I?” Kylie’s voice oozed eagerness.

“Go ahead, baby girl.” Suspicions of Jared aside, supporting
Kylie’s running ambitions was second nature to her. In sneakers was the one
place her daughter felt at home. Her heart was close to bursting as she watched
Kylie maintain Jared’s pace, cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling, owning the smile
flashing across her face. And Jared’s butt, truly God’s gift to women.

After polishing off the additional three miles in record
time, Jared led Kylie through a series of short sprints in the middle of the
field. Worry dug a pit in her stomach. From what she’d seen, Jared manipulated
opportunities as well as she did, moving pieces around to meet goals and beat
opponents. Would he use Kylie as a pawn in this game of his?

She was going to find out, and headed over, asking Kylie to
do a cool-down lap while she spoke with Mr. Wyatt.

Hands on hips, she squared her shoulders and got up in his
face. “Jared, whatever’s going on between us, my daughter’s off-limits.”

Stretching into full height, he looked down at her. “I don’t
use children, Jocelyn.” He stepped toward her so their bodies touched. “I’m the
high school athletic director and Kylie is a high school athlete. My world, my
rules. Never question my sports decisions or my ethics again.” The hard set of
his chin hinted at the cold rage within him.

Shuffling back a few steps did nothing to help her escape
that damn sexy smell of his, still strong even after the workout, and the
things his nearness did to her body. “I do not intend to interfere in high
school sports. It’s you I don’t trust. If my daughter is hurt in any way, I
will run you out of this town so fast, Jared Wyatt, it’ll make your head spin.”

“Bring it on, baby. You’re out of practice. You’re not used
to fighting someone who hits back.”

“Arrogance is most men’s undoing. I’ve used this fact to my
advantage more times than I can count. Goodbye, Jared.” Waving Kylie to join
her, she jogged a cool-down lap home to calm the pulse racing out of control
that was not from the workout.

* * * * *

Len Reynolds called Jocelyn at work. Kylie had an incident
at school.

Not again, she thought, en route to the high school. In the
elementary and middle schools, Jocelyn waged war to upgrade the schools’ ability
to teach children with ADHD and other special needs. With her wide-ranging
business and personal networks in town, she also grabbed leadership roles in
the PTA, on the school board, local charities, to channel resources to the
schools to make it happen. It looked as if she’d be starting all over again now
that Kylie had entered high school. Parked in the school lot, she steeled
herself for the battle to come—one she was long tired of fighting.

“Hey, baby girl,” Jocelyn said to a glum-faced Kylie, slouched
in a rickety wooden seat in the waiting room. After kissing the top of her
daughter’s dyed black hair, she maneuvered into an equally wobbly seat next to
her.

“Mom, do you have to call me that here?”

“Check the attitude, Kylie, but I take your point. I’ll
watch my use of it.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Relief flooded her voice.

“Afternoon, Ellen,” Jocelyn greeted Len’s Secretary, a guard
dog of a woman with a perpetual growl glued to her face. Ellen was splayed
across an oversized wooden desk shielding the entrance to the principal’s inner
sanctum and looked ready to pounce. ”I want to thank you for the carrot cake.
It was delicious. How’s Ned’s new job going?”

Ellen’s mug re-formed into a smile. “Fantastic, Ms. Wade.
The cake was the least we could do. We can’t thank you enough for referring
him. Len will just be a minute.”

The intercom sounded. “The superintendent can see you now.
Head on in,” Ellen said.

Hand in hand they entered the office to find two men, heads
bent together as if in mid-secret. Len looked up after the door clicked. His
grizzled hair was slicked back with too much mousse. “Jocelyn, I know you’ve
met our new athletic director. I’d like him to participate in this meeting.”

“Jocelyn, Kylie,” Jared said, eyes warm.

Her lips thinned to a frown, her hands took root on her
hips. “Why would you want the athletic director in a private meeting about my
daughter’s classroom behavior?”

Len pinched his forehead. “Trust me on this, Jocelyn. He
offers something to the discussion.”

“Talk fast, Len.” She motioned her daughter to take a seat
but remained standing.

“Kylie disrupted her math class.”

“Who’s her teacher?” Her fingers furrowed into her hips.

“Calvin Reed, although I’m not sure how relevant that is.”

She bit her lower lip to slow the anger threatening to
consume her. “Rambling Reed. Of course that’s relevant. Calvin couldn’t stay on
topic when I was in high school. He’s not an appropriate teacher for any teen
with a challenged attention span. You will have her moved to another math
class. Now I ask again, why’s Jared here?”

“Jared wasn’t hired to coach boys’ soccer. He specializes in
coaching ADHD and other special-needs kids on team sports, which as you know
can be particularly difficult.” Attention-challenged youth struggled with team
sports and required specially trained coaches, who could be hard to find. It’s
one of the reasons Jocelyn encouraged her daughter to run, it fit her better.

Her eyes narrowed as she studied Jared’s face, his features
impassive. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of this revelation. If it weren’t
Jared, she’d probably be hugging Len in gratitude right now.

“I’m starting with the girls’ soccer team and I want Kylie
to join. She has the makings of a champion center forward.”

“What?” That came from left field. Was this for real? Her
eyes shot venom. She wanted Jared to know just how suspicious she was of this
maneuver.

“Why are we talking about sports? The issue on the table is
academics—a teacher who can’t hold the attention of an average kid assigned to
teach a kid who struggles to pay attention.”

“It’s not an either-or situation,” Len said. “Jared’s
programs are one strategy we’re implementing. I also have training scheduled
for the teachers on management techniques for dealing with attention-challenged
teens. In the meantime I will change Kylie’s math class.”

“Go on.” Jocelyn leaned back against the wall and waited.
This sounded promising.

“But Kylie has to work on her skills as well. Acting out is
not an acceptable coping mechanism, no matter who her teacher—or her
mother—is.” Len’s voice strained a little. “Jared’s strategies have
demonstrated measurable academic and behavioral improvements. I’m going to
insist that Kylie engage with this sports program.”

“You are going to insist, Len, with me? I don’t think so.”
Jocelyn frowned at both of them.

“Jocelyn,” Jared said, lowering his voice to draw their
attention. “I have reports from my work in past schools showing the kids’
advancements.” He pulled a folder from the bag nestled at the foot of his
chair. “Here. Feel free to distribute it as you see fit. Turning to Kylie, he
looked her straight in her eyes and smiled. “The kids have a lot of fun too.”

“Mom, I’m okay with it. I don’t mind trying soccer.”

One surprise after another. Her daughter had never expressed
interest in team sports before. “Really? You sure about this?”

Kylie nodded.

Running her fingers through her hair, Jocelyn stole a moment
to collect her thoughts. A breath escaped, releasing a wad of anger that had
been lodged in her lungs since Len phoned. This might be good. Maybe she
wouldn’t have to fight this one out. Jared’s presence threw her reasoning off.
If it weren’t him making the offer, she’d have jumped at the opportunity, not
have Kylie goad her into it.

“Well, Len, I’m impressed. I came expecting a fight. Thank
you, I don’t think I could stomach another battle. Let me know how I can help.”
For the first time in a long time, hope bubbled in her heart and soothed her
jangled nerves. Maybe she wouldn’t have to carry this alone.

Gathering her things to leave, Jocelyn glanced at Jared. “I
can’t seem to get away from you, can I?”

His grin had victory written all over it.

In the hallway, Jocelyn faced her daughter. “Tell me,
sweetheart, where’d the sudden interest in soccer come from?”

“I like Coach Wyatt, Mom. He looks me straight in the eye
and treats me like I matter. Most teachers seem a little afraid of me.”

In a Grinch moment, that ray of hope in Jocelyn’s chest grew
ten times larger. Yes, this really might be a good thing. “Just don’t feel
obligated to continue if it doesn’t feel right.”

“Sure, Mom, but I really want to try this. I love track and
running, but they’re yours. I want something that’s mine.” Kylie kicked at a
crack in the yellowing tile floor.

She lifted her daughter’s chin and drew her face closer. “I
couldn’t be more proud of you, sweetheart.” Her heart burst with tenderness for
her daughter, growing up before her eyes, and for Jared. An expert on
special-needs kids and sports, a coach who gained the trust of her cowering
daughter in record time, and the only man in the whole damn state not quaking
in fear of her, who sent her libido into spasms with a glance. His web was
tightening around her and she didn’t seem to mind.