Game of Temptation

sketball. Acoustic panels covered the windowless walls and swallowed sound until even a whisper came out flat. T

e a conversation this sensitive didn't need that glare. The recessed lights at half brightness threw long

bottles of electrolyte water from the mini-fridge, and l

acoustic door swung open

g of sweat around the collar of his faded black training shirt. He wore a backward cap with his dark curls escaping, an

off a water bottle, drained half of it in one pull, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His

d. "I told him if lawyers walked into this facility, the locker room

rms, his shirt stretching across

sm and slid the pag

eal. It was five terms I'd drafted in my car that

lowly, del

t stays at either private residence. No shared transpo

licit, verifiable professional purpose. All tactical and film review se

imited to staged, calculated interactions required for pub

ia, teammates, coaching staff, or family members. All narrat

the sounding of the final buzzer of the championship game or postse

rk touched the corner of his mouth. He lifted his head,

one," he s

t miss a

ed to catch feelings, Vale. Isn't that sta

fessionally, and practically,

. We're not characters in a paperback romance. I don

me like a defensive scheme he

you can flip a switch and turn yourself

eps me employ

ng keeping your shoe deal from e

te a laugh and tapped the paper with on

ou heard it in

ward until his elbows hit the table, cu

want the exact words you signed six years ago. The ones

mor, but Kai has spent his whole adult life reading tiny tells on the court: an opponent's shi

eement and scrolled to the fourth section. I didn't need t

n active client under contract with Apex Sports Management constitutes a severe breach of fiduciary responsibility. Such conduct shall result in immediate summary termination fo

m was suffocating. This time Kai didn't

ey don't just fire you. They take everything y

es

le's office and pitched this

r pennies, I look like an incompetent handler who lost control of her primary asset. My roster gets gutted, I get relegated to

th softened into something close to respect. He picked up th

ale," he murmured. "Let's

then signed his full, sprawling signature across the bott

for the cameras. We play the happy couple for the sponsors. But when I step on that hardwood, the circus stops. If this fake relationship creates a dist

d without hesitation. "Tha

lever, he looked back over his shoulder. "The gala is tomorrow night, Vale.

e that actually matches

nlocked the door and vanished down the concrete corridor, leaving me alone in the dim