ShouldveKnownBetter
Read ShouldveKnownBetter Online
Authors: Cassandra Carr
Should’ve Known Better
by
Cassandra Carr
****
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
SHOULD’VE KNOWN BETTER © 2013 by Cassandra Carr
Published by Twenty or Less Press. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or Twenty or Less Press.
Contact Information:
Visit us at twentyorlesspress.com
Book Cover Design by Selestiele Designs
Image of Scott Nova COPYRIGHT Regal Rebel Photography
Trademark Acknowledgments
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
NHL and Stanley Cup: National Hockey League
Cornell University: Cornell University Educational Corp.
GQ: Advance Magazine Publishers Inc.
AHL: American Hockey League
Honda Civic: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Ford: Ford Motor Company
Kodak: Eastman Kodak Company
Kyle and
South Park
: Comedy Partners Viacom International Inc
Tim Bits: T.H.D. Donut (Delaware), Inc.
University of Rochester: University of Rochester Education Corp
NHLPA: National Hockey League Players’ Association
Lexus:
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha TA Toyota Motor Corp
“November Rain”and “Welcome to the Jungle” : Guns N’ Roses
iPod and iTunes: Apple Inc. Corp.
“We are the Champions” and “Another One Bites the Dust”: Queen
“Enter Sandman”: Metallica
“Eye of the Tiger”: Survivor
Tupperware: Dart Industries
Hustler:
LFP IP, LLC
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Table of Contents
About Cassandra Carr
****
Praise for Cassandra Carr
~*~
Talk to Me
“
Ms. Carr wove the sexual tension and interludes so seamlessly into the story that they were not just delicious but also necessary.… Readers will easily relate to the theme and be cheering the characters on as they discover love in a place neither thought they would.
”
~The Romance Reviews
~*~
Collision (Buckin’ Bull Riders, Book 2)
“
I was hooked into this story from the beginning and didn't want to put it down.… This book engaged my emotions throughout as I wanted to laugh, cry, and even got mad at the characters.
”
~The Romance Studio
~*~
Momentum (Buckin’ Bull Riders, Book 3)
“
I absolutely love this series and this book is a great addition to it, even though I couldn’t figure out how Ms. Carr was going to make me fall in love with an Italian cowboy, she not only did but did it well.
”
~Night Owl Reviews
~*~
Master Class
“
The writing was fresh and fun and I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Ms. Carr did not drag out the story, you knew and understood what all the characters were feeling and thinking without it being over-done. It was a story that was perfectly written and perfectly told.
”
~Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
~*~
See the Light
“
I became emotionally invested through the author’s eyes as I read page after page, cheering for the happy ending that I so desperately wanted.
”
~The Jeep Diva
~*~
Service Ace (Close Contact
anthology
)
“
Fun short and sexy sports tale, with some sports lingo but mostly all the hot intensity. Cassandra Carr never seems to disappoint me!
”
~For the Love of Reading
~*~
Loaded Question
“
Ms. Carr did a phenomenal job of bringing these characters to life in a very short story and giving the reader a heat level that is scorching while never compromising the plot or message of the story.
”
~Sizzling Hot Book Review
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Dedication
To my mother, who urged me to send this to publishers way back in 2008
To Scott, for being a kick-ass cover model and a friend
To Noelle, for creating a great cover to honor the book of my heart
and
Most of all to Michele, for believing in the story and making it the best it could be
****
Should’ve Known Better
Chapter One
Sarah Jenkins scooted to the edge of the SUV’s driver seat as she stared at the hulking home of the NHL’s Buffalo Storm. The August sunshine was only partially to blame for the bead of sweat running down the side of her neck. After wiping her damp palms on her skirt, she slid out of the car and hit the alarm remote. Turning, she bounced off a hard object and stumbled backward from the force of the impact with an involuntary grunt.
The immoveable object was a man, and what a man he was. He had a body like granite, with chiseled features, and was casually attired in shorts and a T-shirt clinging for dear life to his arms and chest. The guy could’ve been a sculpture.
Yum.
“Are you all right?”
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears due to the fight or flight reaction from their collision paired with the pure, inexplicable rush of lust he evoked. “I’m, um…” Sarah cleared her throat.
Talk, you idiot.
“I’m fine.”
Her cheeks flamed as she ducked her head. Was this what scientists meant when they said women were attracted to men they sensed had the strongest DNA? Between his killer body, light green eyes, and sexily tousled head of hair, he looked like he’d just jumped out of a cologne ad in GQ. As far as she could see, his DNA was damn near perfect.
It was hard to miss the long, thorough once-over he was giving her, leaving her hot and feverish—a reaction she couldn’t attribute purely to the blazing heat or her frazzled nerves. Their gazes collided and he stared at her with a glimmer of male interest.
She wasn’t sure why he’d be interested in her. He was gorgeous, and she was, well, a nerd, for want of a better word.
Her attention was drawn to full lips that would’ve looked feminine on other men, but there was nothing feminine or soft about this man. Hard, sinewy muscles stretched over his arms, legs, and torso, but despite his size, he was leanly muscled rather than bulky. He reminded her of a panther readying to strike, and her breathing kicked up another notch.
Sarah shook her head to clear it. She had a new job to focus on right now and that was the only thing that was important. It had to be. She couldn’t afford to screw this chance up.
“After you.” He stepped back and motioned for her to pass.
His voice had a hint of an accent.
French-Canadian, perhaps?
It rolled over her like a gentle breeze. What woman could resist an accent like that?
“Thank you. And I’m sorry about running into you.”
“I’m not.” He gave a one-sided, incredibly hot smile.
She needed to get into the building before she did something stupid like offer herself to him as a human buffet. The man turned and walked away and Sarah cursed her shaky legs as she headed into the arena, which also housed the Storm’s front office, where she’d be meeting with Jon Duncan, the team’s head coach, and Keith Calhoun, the general manager.
After spending years honing her skills in mathematical analysis as a postdoctoral fellow in Cornell’s Center for Applied Mathematics, or CAM for short, she’d landed her dream job as a competitive analysis consultant for the Storm, a team she’d followed for years. The position combined her loves of hockey and math to provide the absolute perfect fit for her.
The only problem? The NHL, not the team, had hired her to give the impression they were making an effort to help keep the Storm afloat while the organization searched for a new buyer. The previous ones had just been convicted of embezzlement and tax evasion.
Nibbling at her nails, she exited the elevator then glanced around for a moment to get her bearings before approaching the double set of glass doors etched with the Storm logo, a hurricane with the team’s name being swept up in it. Now that she was here and thrust into Keith’s and Jon’s faces whether they liked it or not, she had to prove her worth.
Karen, Keith’s secretary, showed Sarah into his office. It was spacious and well-appointed with a big mahogany desk standing sentry in front of a wall of windows. A small conference table surrounded by six chairs sat to the side.
Standing and extending his hand, Keith said, “You must be Sarah. Nice to meet you in person. This is Jon.”
She shook his hand then turned her attention to Jon, who also stood. He nodded but didn’t offer a smile. He was a stocky man with a barrel chest and intimidating as hell. She’d seen some of his press conferences and he didn’t mince words. If she did her job well, hopefully she’d never incur his wrath.
Keith motioned toward the leather-bound guest chair. “Have a seat.”
She did, sinking into the buttery leather.
Oh man, it’s more comfortable than my bed.
If she wasn’t so nervous, she’d definitely enjoy the luxurious piece of furniture more, but even with her stomach doing flip-flops, she still had to resist the urge to run her fingers along the arms of the chair. Forcing herself to sit up straight, she folded her hands in her lap.
Jon and Keith sat, and Jon twisted to face her. “As you can imagine, even after our phone conversation, I’m way past skeptical about what you can bring to the table. We already have a video analysis consultant to study our competition. However,” he glanced at Keith, “it doesn’t appear we have a choice but to work together, so we might as well try not to get in each other’s way.”
She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. “I don’t blame you for being skeptical, but I think my background in math will nicely supplement your current video analysis work.”
“How so?” Keith asked.
Sarah focused her attention on him. She’d explained all this already on the phone, but was happy to do it again if that’s what they wanted. These two men held the key to her future and keeping them happy was her top priority. At least Keith didn’t seem as overtly hostile, but rather he looked at her as if she were an exotic animal that might bite at any moment.
This won’t be easy.
“Well, for starters, my work in applied mathematics taught me not only critical thinking skills, but also how to use things like probability theory and geometry to give a team an edge. I should note that although some things may seem small and insignificant, they’re not. I think they’re the key to taking your team to the next level.”
“How so? We already have all the stats, so how would your analysis be different?”
Jon hadn’t said another word. With any luck the man’s eyes weren’t glazing over in boredom, but she was too afraid to check.
