ROMANCE: SPORTS ROMANCE: Bad Boys of Sports: A Complete Collection (Alpha Male, Football, Hockey Secret Baby Romance) (Contemporary Sports Romance) (7 page)

“It was nice,” Janie said, a faraway look in her eyes.

“You’re blushing,” Alyssa grinned.

“Am I?”

“Uh-huh,” she laughed, linking her arms with Janie’s. “So… are you going to call him?”

Janie thought about it.  “I don’t think so.  I kind of like that it was casual and sweet. I guess I want to leave the memory of the night as it was. And to be honest, I’m not sure I’m ready to start dating again. I just want some alone time, you know?”

“Geez, Janie.  Of course you can’t jump into another boring relationship with the guy you hooked up with on your first night single. I meant, are you going to call him for, you know, like a booty call.”

“Oh.” Janie wanted to change the subject. “What about you? Did you and Rich…? You know.”

Alyssa seemed to pause before she grinned, and said, “Nah, I wasn’t feeling it.”

***

Rich kissed his daughter on the head, setting a plate of eggs in front of her. She yawned and looked up at him, giving him a sleepy smile and a “Good morning, daddy.”

“Morning, princess,” he said, pulling out a seat for himself at the table. He sipped his coffee while she drank some orange juice from a plastic cup.

“Daddy, are we going to the zoo today?”

Rich smiled in spite of himself. “Didn’t we just do that yesterday?”

“No?”

Rich laughed. “Then there’s your answer.” She scowled down at her plate, stiffly crossing her arms in a dramatic huff. “I told you, sweetheart,” he said, clearly amused. “Today daddy has to go to work. That’s why we played yesterday.”

“It isn’t fair,” she complained.

“I know,” he agreed. “But tomorrow I don’t have practice or a game so that we can do something after school, okay?”

She seemed to think about it before giving a firm nod, finally uncrossing her arms to finish her eggs. “We can go to the zoo again?”

“I suppose. Why don’t you ever want to play at the park?” he asked, jerking his head toward the back patio. “The zoo is thirty minutes away.”

“The elephants dad,” she said simply.  “They need me.”

“Are you a guardian for the elephants?” he asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes.

She looked at him with a blank face. “Maybe.”

He laughed.

“Daddy, you didn’t see the clips of the poor elephants that died because poochers in Africa.”

“You mean poachers, sweetie.”

“I have to help them, daddy.”

“And how are you going to do that at the zoo?”

“Well I stand directly in front of the elephants, then I lift my right hand, like this,” she demonstrated. “Then with one eye closing–this isn’t a wink, daddy–I pray for help from heaven.”

“Why do you have to do all that? Why can’t you just pray without the wink or the hand?”

“Because it’s not special enough. This way, I catch heaven’s attention, you see?”

Richard smiled and kissed his daughter on the top her head.

“I promise we can go next time, my elephant guardian princess.”

He left for the arena an hour later, waving goodbye to Maddie as he drove away. He waved back at Helen, her daytime nanny, but Maria would be her nanny tonight while he would be skating with the wind at tonight’s game.  His schedule was so unpredictable sometimes that he had to employ multiple full-time nannies to look after Maddie.  One that came Monday through Friday during the day, one for the weeknight evenings, and one for the weekends and emergencies.  He wished he could have a family member like his mom to look after her from time to time, but he hasn’t been successful convincing his parents to move to LA from Toronto yet. 

He let his mind wander as he drove to the ice rink where they practiced. He thought about the last goal he made, the new suit he wanted to buy, and, most of all, the club he visited last night. Rich couldn’t stop thinking about that woman. Not Alyssa, the hot model that looks too much like Leanne, and acts like her too–never mind what he’d done with her in the bathroom that night. No, it was her friend he couldn’t get out of his mind.

She was Maddie’s teacher, he was sure of it. It was the same face, the same bright green eyes. He almost thought he was wrong, seeing her there at that club. She wasn’t the same put-together woman he’d seen at that parent-teacher conference, standing up in a room full of angry parents and defending his Maddie. All those snotty blowhards demanding “something be done” for what she told their kids–their ignorant, seven-year-olds–and the last thing he expected was for the teacher herself to cut them off.

“Maddison is a bright young girl, and she only shared what she knew with your children because they were wrong. I believe it started when your child, Mr. Davis, shared that babies came from trees, and she only sought to educate them and told them, very simply, that they are made from a mom and a dad. Nothing she said was nasty, or wrong, and quite honestly, she wouldn’t have kept talking about it, but your children wouldn’t stop asking.”

Yeah, Rich gave Maddie the talk, if you can even call it that. She’d been asking questions, mostly about her mom and why she didn’t have one, and he’d just wanted to assure her that yes, she did.  Leanne had left them when Maddie was just eighteen months old, so she was too young to remember.  It takes a mom to make a baby, so of course, she had to have one. It’s not as if he gave her details or anything, he just told her the simple stuff. And then these kids have to go bragging to their parents like they’ve got the nuclear war codes.

He didn’t think the teacher knew he was there, and thinking back, maybe he should’ve stayed afterward and thanked her. She deserved flowers if nothing else. Then she might’ve recognized him at the club, which would’ve been a refreshing and welcome way of being recognized instead of the usual “hockey star” attention he got.

***

Monday morning came faster for Janie than she wanted. She still hadn’t unpacked much, but at least she’d had the sense to take out some of her clothes and hang them up. The last thing she needed was for the kids to go home and talk about Miss Nelson’s wrinkly shirt.

The students were easy (they always were) and the first part of the day ended swiftly with the bell for recess. One by one they filed out the door with their lunch bags, some waving goodbye and others practically running away. She couldn’t blame them.

When the room was clear, she got up and closed the door behind them, breathing a sigh of relief. It was hard, being here in such a familiar place when everything else had changed. She’d left Andrew, moved out, moved in with a friend from college, and had a one-night stand. And here she was, from nine till three, sitting in the same classroom she’d had for five years, teaching the same kids she’d had since September. It was all the same, but different.

Janie could remember being in college. Back before Andrew, before she got stuck in a teaching job that was the only decent thing she could get with her English degree. Back then she was fearless and ready for anything. She had honestly believed she could be more and even
deserved
more. She had worked so hard, aced every class, attended every lecture. Yet here she was, teaching kids that weren’t hers, living in a rent-free situation like a teenager, and single again at twenty-seven years old.

Janie was tired of it–tired of the rules, of all the boundaries she couldn’t cross. Where had being “good” gotten her anyway? Apparently, being bad was the way to go, if Alyssa’s life was any indication. She was beautiful, enjoyed a successful decade of modeling, and was on the fast track to Hollywood. She had everything, and she’d broken every rule along the way.

A knock on the classroom door disrupted Janie’s thoughts. Standing, she crossed the room to the door, half expecting to find a student on the other side. Instead, the principle was there, holding a bouquet of red roses.

“Principle Sanders?” she asked, confused.

“Don’t worry, my dear,” the older man said, chuckling to himself. “They’re not from me. But they are from a very happy parent, one who has expressed thanks in the attached card.” He handed it off to her, and she caught the mass of roses in her arms. “He sent them to the office, but I wanted to bring them by myself, tell you to keep up the good work. Besides these lovely roses, he also sent quite the nice donation,” he winked. With a pat on the arm, Sanders turned around and marched back down the hallway. Janie watched him go, still confused, and reluctantly closed the door.

Flowers? For her? Andrew had never done anything so thoughtful. And these were sent to the office? The other teachers would be buzzing about it soon, there was no doubt about it. Janie put them on the desk, moving a few roses this way and that before she found the card. It was gold, with an elegant “Thank You” scrawled across the cover. She opened it up, and the inside read: “Thank you for your bravery at the last parent-teacher conference. Maddie has so few people to stand up for her, and I’m glad you’re on her side. From, Maddie’s dad.”

Huh
. She’d expected a lot of backlash for that meeting, but none had ever come. And now she’s getting flowers?

Janie wondered if being good didn’t have its perks, too.

CHAPTER THREE

“Bravo! That was beautiful!”

Alyssa bowed to the claps from the casting director. She performed the scene perfectly if she did say so herself. “My dear,” the director implored. “If you wouldn’t mind coming closer?” he waved to the seat next to him.

She watched as he sent his assistant away and tried to hide her grin. She’d done it; she’d landed the role. Now they’d talk details and celebrate with champagne. She took the seat next to his with a barely-controlled calm.

“Tell me, my dear,” he began, leaning in toward her. Alyssa moved closer too, but stopped when he got a little too close–his hand lingered on her arm, and his breath in her ear. “Your experience is in modeling, but I do believe you have quite a natural talent in film. Have you ever done anything like this before?”

“Well, I’ve done a few commercials,” she tried, inching backward as he moved forward.

“Commercials?” he asked, falling back into his seat as if nothing had happened. “My goodness, this is a film, not a five-minute ad. I knew it, you are a natural.” The hand he hadn’t moved was rubbing circles on her arm. “I would love to get together and learn about your life in the modeling industry…” Alyssa’s eyes widened murderously as she felt him pull on her shirtsleeve, revealing a shoulder. “And find just where this raw talent has blossomed.”

“Director Fisher, I—”

“I know, I know,” he chuckled, patting her shoulder before withdrawing his hand. “You just finished a big scene and need a minute to relax. Here,” he pulled a business card from inside his coat pocket. “That has my personal number on it. Call me when you’re ready to chat, my dear.” With that, he turned his head to the assistant that’d been standing off to the side and said, “Send the next one in.”

***

Tuesday went by just as quickly as Monday. Alyssa and Janie had stayed in the night before–Janie, grading spelling tests and Alyssa, working on lines for that role she wanted. Apparently, she was just waiting for a callback at this point.

It wasn’t until Janie had been home for a few hours that Alyssa asked, “Want to go out tonight?”

“That depends,” Janie glanced at her friend. “Is it the same club?”

Alyssa laughed, “I promise this one is not nearly as deafening.”

It turned out to be more lounge than club. Sure, if Janie had any interest she could enter the dance floor through a set of double doors and be attacked by music, but she preferred the main room, a place that was slow and jazzy rather than loud and booming. Plus, the bar had normal drinks.

“I’m hoping to run into a friend here,” Alyssa admitted as they took a seat.

“Anyone I know?” Janie asked.

“No,” she shook her head. “It’s no one from college. It's the casting director from that audition I did. He wanted to talk with me further, so I told him he could meet me here.”

“That’s awesome!” Janie congratulated her friend. “Sounds like you’ve got the part!”

“I hope so,” Alyssa mumbled into her glass.

They chatted for another hour or two over drinks, but around midnight a man walked in, and Alyssa grabbed Janie’s arm. “That’s him,” she nodded at him. Janie turned to look and was surprised at what she saw. Rather than another of Alyssa’s glamorous friends, it was a short, pudgy old man with big glasses. He looked odd in this place of perfect people.

“Go say something,” Janie urged her. Alyssa nodded jerkily, and Janie added it up to nerves. Funny, she had thought Alyssa just didn’t get nervous anymore, not after all her modeling.

Before Alyssa could act, though, the man spotted them. “Ah, Alyssa!” he greeted her. Alyssa didn’t miss her cue–she jumped up and met his outstretched arms in a hug, though twisted away from it very quickly.

The man looked at Janie. “Is this your friend?” he asked, looking her up and down.

“Hello,” Janie said, “I’m—”

“Actually Director Fisher,” Alyssa cut in. “I was hoping we could talk in there,” she pointed to the double doors.

“Of course,” Smith smiled, wrapping his arm around her waist. “And please, call me Bruce.”

Janie watched them leave, a sick, twisted feeling knotting up in her stomach. Was Alyssa embarrassed of her?

Alyssa led Pat Fisher through the doors to the dance floor, their arms linked. She wanted to get him away from Janie but still keep him in a room of people in case he became bold like during her audition. Even now, his arm around her made her skin crawl. She hated herself for calling him, but she needed this–needed his connections and this opportunity. And if all it took was some time with him, so be it. She just hoped she was wrong when she worried he might want more than a conversation.

They found a couch in the back that wasn’t occupied, and they fell onto it. Alyssa immediately put some distance between them, but Bruce spread out like he owned the place, taking up what little room she had given herself.

“So tell me, my dear,” he began, his hand sweeping up the coach to land near her head. His fingers curled in the wayward strands of her platinum hair. “Why did you call?”

Alyssa gulped. She didn’t know if she should be tactful or blunt here.

“You want the role, don’t you?” he asked, tugging on her hair.

“Of course, I do,” she said, desperate.

He smiled. “Good.”

He launched himself at her. His hand was fully in her hair now, his nails digging into the roots and grabbing her to keep her in place as he kissed her. He was rough, his kisses all teeth, and Alyssa realized she couldn’t do this.

She pushed against him, using his surprise to jump up and take a step back. She wiped her mouth, panting, staring at him.

She couldn’t do this, but she needed to do
something
.

“You didn’t think it’d be that easy?” she asked, attempting a smirk. She inwardly sagged in relief when he smiled back.

“I don’t get enough challenge in this business,” he chirped, relaxing against the couch cushions. “Make me work for it,” he dared, licking his lips.

Alyssa raised an eyebrow in return.

Flipping her hair, she started dancing, rocking to the music and outlining her curves with the palms of her hands. She kept moving, thinking of any way that didn’t end with her back on that couch with him. She glanced around, bending low to hide her face. She spotted a speaker a few feet away, and if that didn’t get the gears turning.

Doing a smooth dance toward it, she clung to the side of it, using it as a stripper pole. It was a giant box of a thing that vibrated along with the song, so she couldn’t exactly swing her legs up, but she could still grind against it. She did it for a few minutes, watching Bruce nod along to the music until the song hit its chorus and she climbed on top of it.

People cheered when they realized what she was doing, and she used it as fuel to keep moving. She started dancing dirty, popping her ass and swinging her hips, making obscene insinuations with her hands and her thighs. She was feeling it, relief keeping a smile on her face as she thought, “It’s working! It’s working!” But as she surveyed the crowd again, her heart fell when she saw the one face she hadn’t expected.

Rich Henry was in the crowd, and he looked disgusted.

***

Rich had put Maddie to bed at eight and did what he usually did–he went to a club.  That’s what his teammates always wanted to do anyway, at least the single ones.  Since he was single too, he didn’t have much of a reason to object.  He was a father and wasn’t all about that life, but he had to admit it. It did help him unwind, and it was only nights like these when the pressure was off, and he could just have a drink and chat up a girl.

He spotted Alyssa when he’d had enough for one night and was heading for the exit. This place wasn’t his type of club, and if he was going to drink comfortably, then he needed to find a new one. It was the screams of encouragement that made him look up at the speaker, and it was with a shake of his head that he looked away. The lengths these girls were willing to go.

Rich burst through the double doors, both his arms outstretched, and almost hit Maddie’s teacher square in the face.

“Oh my god—I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” He gently touched her elbow to steady her.

“I’m fine,” Janie waved him off, blushing. It was that handsome guy from the other night. “I was actually about to head in there to join my friend. Did you see her? Alyssa?”

Rich frowned. “She’s, uh, she seems a little busy right now,” he said, and easily crowded Janie back to the bar. “Did you two come together?”

“Well, she said she’s meeting a friend,” Janie admitted. “So she left me at the bar. I don’t know if she’s coming back. It’s one of those ‘anything goes’ nights, I guess.”

“If you don’t mind,” Rich took a seat, hopeful as she shyly took the one next to his. “I’ll keep you company until she does.”

“Oh, okay,” she said, looking into the crowd to act as natural as she could.

“You don’t have to be so nervous,” he said, cracking a smile. “Not all of Alyssa’s friends are movie stars and models. I’m just a humble sports guy, myself.”

Janie smiled.  “Yeah, you’re just a regular Joe, right?”  She turned to look directly at his face. She’d read that humans are attracted to symmetrical faces naturally, but wow, the nurses must’ve taken a ruler to him at birth because he was perfect. Big eyes, dark lashes, perfect eyebrows, deep voice… He probably manscaped, she supposed, and subconsciously glanced at his crotch.
Really
? she asked herself.
Do I have to be so obvious?

He laughed. “You sound like my daughter. I don’t know how sarcasm comes so naturally to her. Guess teaching kids rubs off on you, huh?”

He could tell by the way she paused that he’d said the wrong thing. “My daughter’s in your class,” he blurted.

Janie blinked. “You have a child?”

Rich nodded. “Maddie. She’s the one who was telling everyone where babies come from.”

Janie stared at him, then seemed to relax. “Maddie,” she repeated, and there was an adoration in her voice that did weird things to Rich’s heart. “She’s so smart. She’s my favorite student.” She seemed to think for a moment, then asked, “You’re Richard Henry?”

He nodded. “She speaks very highly of you, Ms. Nelson.”

“Oh please, it’s Janie,” she snickered. “It feels weird to be called ‘Ms. Nelson’ here at a club.  It’s just unnatural.”

“Janie it is, then,” Rich smiled, relieved that she seemed to be warming up to him. “So, does the ‘Ms.’ mean you’re single?”

“I, well, yes,” Janie said, unsure of where this was going. “Are you?”

“I am.” Rich leaned closer. “Did you get my flowers?”

If Janie was blushing before, her face was on fire now. She knew the tips of her ears must be bright red. “Yes, it was a very sweet gesture,” she looked away from his face. “I don’t get a lot of thanks as a teacher.”

“But you still like it? Teaching, I mean?”

“It’s fun,” she nodded, still avoiding his eyes. “The kids are great, even the rotten ones. It’s why I teach first grade. They haven’t had the time to develop an attitude yet.” She glanced at him, but he was all smiles and laughter. He had his head resting on a fist, elbow propped up on the bar. He should look less attractive, relaxed with his cheek scrunched up like that, but it just made him look even better. She could picture him mowing a yard, or watching a movie. Being normal, and not so tall, dark, and handsome.

He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, maybe ask why she was staring at him, so she cleared her throat and spoke first. “I hated school. High school, I mean. I was reading children’s book when everyone else was going to parties.”

“Children’s books?” he asked, his furrowed brow causing a crease on his forehead.

“Harry Potter,” Janie admitted. “Plus I was just a big old nerd anyway. I had my little Gameboy, and my books, and I was happy. I even trick-or-treated until I was eighteen.”

Rich’s smile was so big it reached his eyes. He wondered if he was giving himself away, if his laugh was too much or his smile too real. He liked this woman, this Janie Nelson. She was just so genuine. “I was never that cool in high school, either.”

“You?” she scoffed. “You definitely were one of the cool kids, don’t even try to deny it.”

Rich shook his head softly but didn’t try to correct her. He was a mess in high school, what with his acne and bad hair that his parents never made him cut (or wash).  All he ever did was play hockey.  No, he bloomed in college when he started noticing how the other guys kept themselves to get the girls. It helped that his hockey career had already started to take off by then too.  But high school…it was just a bad memory at this point.

Miracle of miracles, Alyssa spotted Rich at the bar. He hadn’t left, just went to a different room. Maybe he was jealous when he saw her dancing and needed time to cool off?

“Alyssa?” Janie spotted her first, but it made Rich turn around. She saw a smile fall from his face.

“Hey,” she huffed, a little out of breath. “I got the part! I mean, I think I did. I kind of just bailed on him, but I’m pretty sure he liked what he saw.” She winked at Rich.