He’s quiet the majority of the time, absorbing everything with the same brooding intensity I’ve become accustomed to with him.
I finish with my pitch for the first big charity event to launch the foundation. As I go over the details I was able to tentatively organize yesterday, I see the interest glinting in his indigo blue eyes. “I’ve already secured commitments from ten Revolution players and ten Kings players, who have all generously agreed to be auctioned off if I’m able to move forward.”
“Kings players too? Really?” Max places his pen down, seemingly intrigued. “You were able to get twenty professional athletes to agree to be auctioned off less than two months from now? You found a night that worked for everyone and a venue? All on this short of notice?” He seems astonished.
And I can’t tell if that’s a good thing or not.
“You seem surprised.” I try to make it seem like it was easy, but the truth is, I worked on this all day, and it wasn’t until Dixon pissed me off that I was able to get him to agree to be in the auction and to help me recruit the others. The Revolution players were easy enough. They know me. I might not have worked for the team for long, but this arena is my home. I’ve been around enough over the years that none of the guys I reached out to would dare say no.
“Not surprised, Daphne.” He closes his folio and crosses his arms over his chest. “Impressed. And maybe a little annoyed.”
“Annoyed?” What the hell? My stomach rolls, wondering what I could have done wrong. “Why annoyed?”
He stands and rounds his desk. “Because I was just getting used to you as an assistant, and now I’m going to have to find a new one to take your place once you get this up and running.”
“Oh my God.” My hands fly up to my mouth, trying to hold back my excitement. “Does that mean...?” I don’t want to finish the question. What if I’m wrong?
He leans back, resting against his desk, and his hands grip the edge. Only inches separate him and the chair I’m sitting in. Heat pools deep in my belly, remembering just how those hands felt on my body before I can shove those inconvenient thoughts back into the box where they belong while we’re in this building. No matter how much I want to blur those lines.
A vein in his jaw ticks before his lips tip up in a crooked smile. “It means I think it’s time to Start A Revolution.”
I don’t think. I just react. Jumping up from my chair, I throw my arms around him.
Max catches me with ease, his strong arms circling my back.
We’ve been here before, but not like this.
The last time I hugged Max in this office, I didn’t know what he felt like inside me.
He holds me tightly to him momentarily, then lowers his face to my hair. His erection grows hard and thick between us until he places me back down on my feet, his hands gently holding my shoulders. “I can’t let you go from your position just yet though. So, you’re going to have to do double duty for a while. I need you here while we get everyone on the same page. I’m assigning you an intern to help you for now. I want you to consider what staff you’re going to need to get started and send it to me. We’ll see what we can do.”
“Sure. Absolutely. I’ll do whatever we need.” I can’t believe my dream is about to be a reality, and my dad isn’t even here to see it.
Turns out, I didn’t need him or his pull with the organization to make it happen after all. And I can’t hold back a bittersweet smile when I realize I did this all on my own. Not because I wanted to, although I did.
But because I had to.
I don’t have a family anymore.
They’re all gone.