Well, you’re about to be on top of me, aren’t you?” Liam said.
“I— I’m sorry?” Audrey choked out, going scarlet.
“In charge, like,” he said with a wink. “You know, you’ve been hired as my babysitter, pure and bloody simple. That’s what that whole meeting was about, if you didn’t figure it out.”
Audrey bit her lip, then blew out a breath. “You know who I am.”
Liam gave her an odd look. “Are you checking to see if I’m mental?”
“Be serious for a second. You remember me or not?”
“Drunk birthday girl, ‘bout a year past?” he asked, arching a brow. “That what you mean, love?”
“Yes.” Audrey crossed her arms, feeling annoyed.
He stuck his hand in his pocket and produced, of all things, two sticks of Airheads sour taffy. He offered one to Audrey. “Like a lick, sweetheart?”
“Don’t call me that,” she said, pulling a face. “And keep your voice down, I don’t need anyone hearing that and getting the wrong impression.”
Liam shrugged and peeled one of the wrappers open, shoving the whole bright blue wad in his mouth. That didn’t stop him from goading Audrey, of course. Why should a mouth full of candy stop the beginnings of sexual harassment?
“It’s just fucking candy.” He eyed her for a long second. “Do you know what I think? I think, darling, you’re afraid they’ll get just the right impression. And you didn’t mind my dirty talk the last time I saw you, did you?”
Audrey glared at him. “If you think you’re going to use that against me, think again. It’s written in your contract, no fraternization with employees.”
His brows lifted, like he was surprised she thought him the type to blackmail.
“I didn’t mean a thing by it, Audrey, I swear it.” He paused for a second. “That’s a pretty name, Audrey.”
She couldn’t stop her blush, but she didn’t like his flattery.
“Thanks,” she said, like he’d just handed her a bag of dog shit.
“Right!” Liam said, stretching and looking around. When he lifted his arms, his dress shirt rode up and came free from his jeans, showing an expanse of perfectly sculpted, tattooed stomach. “I guess we’re due at practice then, Ginger.”
“My name isn’t Ginger,” Audrey snapped.
“I like the name Ginger.” He turned and started to walk toward the front doors, apparently leaving with or without her.
“Wait, what about Jack? I drove him here,” she said. “And three seconds ago, you said you liked Audrey!”
“Ah, yeah. I do like Audrey, I just like Ginger better. A nickname, like. Leave your keys with the secretary, Ginger. Your brother’s got loads more business here. You’re riding with me.”
Mouth open, Audrey looked back and forth between his quickly-receding back and the conference room, where her brother was probably signing away half his life just to play for Atlanta Unified.
“Audrey, hurry up!” Liam barked as he pushed out the glass front door.
He surprised her, just the tiniest bit, by holding it open for her. Waiting…
With a worried sigh, she dragged her keys out of her purse and flung them at the receptionist, with instructions to give them to Jack.
Then she turned, squared her shoulders, and rushed out to begin her new job.
2
Liam
“ L iam , what in the FUCK!!” Coach Marten Havershom screamed, going red in the face. “That’s the third bloody pass you’ve missed in the last hour. Get your FUCKING head in the game, lad!”
Liam didn’t mind Havershom’s foul mouth. He’d gotten used to it to it playing for Manchester United, where Havershom was a defensive coach. Having him here in Atlanta felt like having an ally.
Well, when Liam was focused and playing at the top of his game. Today… not so much. There was a certain ginger lass in the stands that kept distracting him…
Honestly, though. Who could blame him? Audrey Cross was too bloody hot for her own good.
Normally when he got worked up over a girl, he just fucked her and then
“I— I’m sorry?” Audrey choked out, going scarlet.
“In charge, like,” he said with a wink. “You know, you’ve been hired as my babysitter, pure and bloody simple. That’s what that whole meeting was about, if you didn’t figure it out.”
Audrey bit her lip, then blew out a breath. “You know who I am.”
Liam gave her an odd look. “Are you checking to see if I’m mental?”
“Be serious for a second. You remember me or not?”
“Drunk birthday girl, ‘bout a year past?” he asked, arching a brow. “That what you mean, love?”
“Yes.” Audrey crossed her arms, feeling annoyed.
He stuck his hand in his pocket and produced, of all things, two sticks of Airheads sour taffy. He offered one to Audrey. “Like a lick, sweetheart?”
“Don’t call me that,” she said, pulling a face. “And keep your voice down, I don’t need anyone hearing that and getting the wrong impression.”
Liam shrugged and peeled one of the wrappers open, shoving the whole bright blue wad in his mouth. That didn’t stop him from goading Audrey, of course. Why should a mouth full of candy stop the beginnings of sexual harassment?
“It’s just fucking candy.” He eyed her for a long second. “Do you know what I think? I think, darling, you’re afraid they’ll get just the right impression. And you didn’t mind my dirty talk the last time I saw you, did you?”
Audrey glared at him. “If you think you’re going to use that against me, think again. It’s written in your contract, no fraternization with employees.”
His brows lifted, like he was surprised she thought him the type to blackmail.
“I didn’t mean a thing by it, Audrey, I swear it.” He paused for a second. “That’s a pretty name, Audrey.”
She couldn’t stop her blush, but she didn’t like his flattery.
“Thanks,” she said, like he’d just handed her a bag of dog shit.
“Right!” Liam said, stretching and looking around. When he lifted his arms, his dress shirt rode up and came free from his jeans, showing an expanse of perfectly sculpted, tattooed stomach. “I guess we’re due at practice then, Ginger.”
“My name isn’t Ginger,” Audrey snapped.
“I like the name Ginger.” He turned and started to walk toward the front doors, apparently leaving with or without her.
“Wait, what about Jack? I drove him here,” she said. “And three seconds ago, you said you liked Audrey!”
“Ah, yeah. I do like Audrey, I just like Ginger better. A nickname, like. Leave your keys with the secretary, Ginger. Your brother’s got loads more business here. You’re riding with me.”
Mouth open, Audrey looked back and forth between his quickly-receding back and the conference room, where her brother was probably signing away half his life just to play for Atlanta Unified.
“Audrey, hurry up!” Liam barked as he pushed out the glass front door.
He surprised her, just the tiniest bit, by holding it open for her. Waiting…
With a worried sigh, she dragged her keys out of her purse and flung them at the receptionist, with instructions to give them to Jack.
Then she turned, squared her shoulders, and rushed out to begin her new job.
2
Liam
“ L iam , what in the FUCK!!” Coach Marten Havershom screamed, going red in the face. “That’s the third bloody pass you’ve missed in the last hour. Get your FUCKING head in the game, lad!”
Liam didn’t mind Havershom’s foul mouth. He’d gotten used to it to it playing for Manchester United, where Havershom was a defensive coach. Having him here in Atlanta felt like having an ally.
Well, when Liam was focused and playing at the top of his game. Today… not so much. There was a certain ginger lass in the stands that kept distracting him…
Honestly, though. Who could blame him? Audrey Cross was too bloody hot for her own good.
Normally when he got worked up over a girl, he just fucked her and then
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