Winning Streak (20 page)

Jacey stared at her for a long, uncomfortable moment. It was hard to decipher the emotions in her eyes, but none of them were happy. “I haven't spoken to him, but I left a message on his voicemail Sunday night. I suspended him for this week while I figured out what to do long-term.”

Madden had messed up, but no one deserved to lose everything at once. “You haven't heard from him at all?”

Jacey's reserve cracked, and her voice betrayed it. “You probably think I'm cold or that I don't care about my brother. I love Madden. I've spent my life making sure he's okay. After our mother died, our father married his work. For a long time, it was Madden and me against the world. But he made a lot of promises he didn't keep. He became the boy who cried, ‘It's different this time.' I kept believing him, and for a while that was fine. But it's not just me anymore. It's killing me to make these decisions.”

The room shifted, and Saralynn leaned against the door. It wasn't hard to see how Jacey had come to feel the way she did. But more than ever, her heart ached for Madden. She had no doubt he'd been trying his best, and while she'd questioned a lot of things, his good heart had never been one of them. “I don't blame you for feeling that way. Everybody makes mistakes, and maybe he's made more than most, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't in the same boat. Maybe he's still growing, but he
has
grown. He's facing consequences, and he's getting better. That has to be worth something. He deserves one more chance.”

A little of the sadness left Jacey's eyes, and a small, shaky smile tugged at her mouth. “From you or me?”

“I can only speak for myself, but yeah, he deserves more from me. And I'm starting to think
I
deserve more from me.” Saying it lifted an enormous load she'd been bearing the whole week. It felt good. It felt right. “Sorry. That probably didn't make sense.”

“I think I got it. You know, Madden does have some good instincts. He was right about you.”

“What do you mean?”

“He never told you?”

Curiosity sparked along with an anxious twinge. Saralynn shook her head. “Told me what?”

Jacey's smile took a firmer hold. “That is so Madden. We all liked you as an intern. You were hardworking and dedicated, and your idea for the Sinners' interactive mobile app showed true innovation and ambition. But when the spot for head of PR opened up, I had a list of candidates much more experienced. Madden campaigned hard for you, said he saw potential. I was on the fence, but he convinced me. I'm glad he did.”

“Thank you, but I don't get it. Why wouldn't he tell me that?”

“My guess? He didn't want you to feel like you owed him anything.”

A hundred other questions percolated. She couldn't decide what to ask first.

“I can only speculate. Whatever else you want to know, you should ask him.”

“Okay. I will.” She opened the door but paused. “He loves you. More than anything.”

A new rush of tears gathered at the corners of Jacey's eyes. Her mouth pressed into a straight line as she fought them, and she nodded.

Saralynn eased out the door and closed it with a long exhale. If anyone understood the power of a second chance, she did.

Saturday, April 5th

Madden watched TV in the living room, a pizza on his lap and a can of A&W in his hand. After the meeting Wednesday night, he'd taken a couple days to himself. He hadn't completely hermited it, but a few trips to the grocery store and a couple interactions with delivery people had been the extent of his social interaction. Surprisingly, he felt a little better. The step back allowed for perspective.

When the doorbell rang, he put the TV on mute. Strange. He hadn't ordered anything else. Maybe Cole had come back to get the rest of his stuff. A rock formed in his abdomen as he navigated a path through the foyer. But it wasn't Cole. Saralynn stood on the front step in a clingy T-shirt, hot pink sweatpants that only reached her shins, and purple sneakers. Her big, dark eyes were uncertain and something else. His heart contracted with a painful hitch. God, he wanted to pull her close and never let go. But that wasn't up to him.

“Hey.” She didn't say anything else. She didn't run away, either.

“Do you want to come in?”

“If that's okay.”

“Yeah, please.” He opened the door wider and waited until she'd climbed over a few boxes before closing it behind her. Hope flickered against his better judgment. She kept on walking into the living room and moved the pizza box aside to sit on the couch, so he followed.

“Embracing the bachelor life?” Her light teasing buoyed that hope, but he pushed it down.

“Not so much. It's not as grand as it seems. T-shirt and sweats is a good look on you. Very sexy.” Not that he was a fashion template in nothing but basketball shorts. And truthfully, she could make a paper bag sexy.

She smiled, but it wavered. “I'm sorry—”

“No,
I'm
sorry—”

She touched a finger to his lips, effectively cutting him off and raising the crackling tension between them that sometimes hid in the background but always existed just below the surface. “I'm embarrassed to admit this, but apologies are kind of a new thing for me, so if I could just get it out all at once?”

He nodded.

“Thanks. I'm sorry about Sunday. I'm sorry that I ran away at the first challenge. I'm not defending what you did, but I think breaking up was more about me than you. I've never stuck around long enough in a relationship for a problem to even come up, let alone long enough to get through one. I've been working on me for the past year, and I realized that sticking with you through this wouldn't be a regression. Walking away from you would.”

“Are you saying you want to be with me to break a pattern?”

“
No
. You are the reason I want to break my pattern. Let's be honest. I'm kind of stubborn.”

A snort escaped before he could stop it, and for a second, it looked like she was going to hit him, but then she laughed.

“Yeah. Okay, really stubborn. The point is, no one can derail me but me. What I was really afraid of—what I
am
really afraid of—is letting someone in. But losing you scares me more.”

So many emotions thrummed inside, he couldn't identify them all. “Losing you scares me, too.” He leaned in, and she met him halfway. After the past week, the gentle brush of her lips almost broke him. He tentatively slid closer, and she cupped his face in her hands. The tenderness in that gesture almost brought him to tears. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. A current of desire pulsed through him. He slid his hands through her hair, every atom in his body charged with light and need. When he could think beyond the urge to touch her, he broke away just enough to look in her eyes. “I'll do anything to earn your trust back.”

She stroked the back of his neck and nodded. “We can take it day by day.” She kissed him again, and whether she believed him or not, the intensity of that kiss said she was willing to give him a chance, and that was good enough for now. He slid his hands up her sides and rolled his thumbs along the bottom curves of her breasts.

Her breath caught, and she climbed into his lap and arched into him like she couldn't get close enough. He knew the feeling. There were so many things he wanted to tell her. Not just that he was sorry, but everything he was sorry for. Everything he'd learned. Her fingers dug into his hair, and her hips rocked against his. Words could wait.

The need to truly be with her, to connect on the most primal level, was overwhelming. He stood, taking her with him, then set her down and held out his hand, asking without asking if this was what she really wanted. She slid her fingers into his palm and nodded.

He led them up the marble staircase and down the hall to his room. Faded sunlight revealed a small pile of clothes on the floor, but at least there wasn't anything else too embarrassing, like cartons of takeout or spoiled milk containers.

She took him by the shoulders and pushed him down on the edge of the bed, then slowly peeled off her T-shirt, revealing a silky bra. The sweats came off even slower. She was teasing him, making him ache, but it was worth it. Her thumbs dug under the elastic of her thong, revealed the tattoo on her hip, and he was a goner.

• • •

Saralynn had never been so nervous in her life, but the raw want in Madden's eyes gave it an exciting edge. A little strip tease wasn't new, but this was the first time she was baring more than her skin. A little extra sway in her hips helped the sweatpants slide down, and she kicked them to the side. After unhooking her bra and letting it join the rest of her clothes, she stepped between his knees and tilted his head up for another kiss.

He gave it freely, his hunger and need making her knees weak. His hands skimmed her thighs and sides until his thumbs slid under the curves of her breasts. She moaned softly against his lips, and he took the cue, sliding backward on the bed until she could join him. As soon as she stretched out over him, aligning every exquisite pressure point with every one of his, he rolled them and shed his shorts.

After a few frantic seconds of finding a condom in the nightstand, he settled between her legs and took his time sliding home. Even though she'd been more than ready, he still didn't rush it. The sweet torture nearly did her in before they could start. A trembling whisper was the most she could manage. “Please … ”

He dipped his head and kissed her, closing the last distance between them. His slow, hard rhythm guaranteed she wouldn't last long, and she hooked her heels behind his knees, meeting every thrust. Every nerve in her body hummed with pleasure, but it went beyond that. He raised her arms above her head and laced his fingers through hers, holding them there. They were joined on every level, and she let him in.

He picked up the pace but held onto her hands, rocking into her with escalating speed and strength until he lost himself with a deep moan, taking her with him. The sensation was so strong, his fingers threaded with hers was the only thing keeping her from splintering into a thousand, glowing pieces. His hips rolled against hers gently as they rode out the aftershocks, and she gradually came back to earth.

It felt like she was floating above her body. With him, in this moment, nothing could touch them. He rolled so they were on their sides, but they remained connected. “I can't even—”

“I know.” She smiled and traced the lines of his face with her fingertips, over his cheekbone and down his strong jaw.

He kissed her nose. “I'm sorry for how I dealt with everything. That's not who I want to be.”

“Why didn't you ever tell me you got me my job?”

“I needed to know if you'd go out with me because you wanted to. Not because you felt obligated. I didn't vouch for you expecting anything other than a good employee. You already fulfilled that.”

She kissed him, soft and lingering. “You barely knew me when I applied.”

“I knew enough. You were driven and creative. You wanted it more than anyone else. I had no doubt you'd be the best for the position. And you have been.”

“I'd accuse you of sweet-talking, but we already had sex.”

“God's honest truth.”

“I believe you.” She nuzzled his chin.

“Now if I can just figure out how to make it up to Cole. He won't talk to me.”

“He'll talk to me. I know he's upset, and he has a right to be, but he's
Cole
.” No need to explain that. Dylan Cole was one of the genuinely nicest people she'd ever met. He had a big heart. And that kind of guy couldn't write off his best friend so easily. “It'll be okay.”

“What can I do for
you
?” He kissed her forehead.

She smiled and slid a hand down his chest. “I bet I can think of something.”

Monday, April 7th

While she didn't have every hour of his day figured out, Saralynn could count on Dylan Cole to be in one place without fail at nine forty-five on the morning of a home game. She caught Madden's eye through his office window on her way to the elevator and winked. He was on the phone but nodded, not looking as confident as she felt. No matter what, she would get them in the same room.

The fastest way to the ice was to take the elevator to the basement and go through the locker room, but that wasn't an option. Practice had just let out, and ninety-nine percent of the team would be getting naked and hitting the showers, her brother among them. She shuddered and hit the button for the main concourse. It was kind of creepy this early, completely abandoned with the concession stands unlit. Compared to the glowing rush and bustle it would become later, it felt sad.

She took a set of steps down through the seats. At least the empty rink was filled with bright light. And one last hockey player. Cole glided from center ice toward the goal, working on his puck control. He circled behind the net then fired it in backhand. That might not have been impressive on its own, but he'd done it with his eyes closed. Only when she clapped did he look up, sweat pouring down his face. She walked around the front row to the railing that lined the tunnel exit, and he skated off-ice to meet her on the other side of it.

“Hey. Somethin' I can do for you?”

“Actually, yes.”

“Why do I get the feeling it's a big favor?” He unhooked his helmet and took it off, tucking it under an arm. The dark spikes that weren't matted to his head poked up in different directions. He'd be downright adorable if it weren't for the hockey smell that could singe nose hairs.

“Because it might be the biggest.”

He tilted his head back as understanding dawned in his eyes. “I know you're trying to help, but I don't have anything else to say to him. I was gonna have Colly stop by his place and get the rest of my stuff.”