Page 104 of The Play

“Uh, yeah,” Deacon said. “You think I’m routinely in the habit of seducing my bosses? Even when I knew them from when I was younger and stupider and had crushes I didn’t know what to do with? Yeah, sure when you showed up in March, wanting to buy the Condors, I thought, huh, what a nice coincidence for me. Maybe I’ll finally put these thoughts about you that wouldn’t ever leave me alone out of my head. But then I got to know you, know how you are, how you act, how you treat people with respect and expect respect in return. How you don’t just flounce around like God’s greatest gift to the economy, and it was so easy to love you. Even when I thought I couldn’t have you. And then I find out about this winery, and how you helped them. You help everyone, and it’s so . . .so . . .”

As Deacon trailed off, Grant set his fork down. Slowly. Deliberately. His heart swelling in his chest.

There was only one person in his life who’d ever really, truly seen him. And he loved her like a sister. His platonic wife, he’d always called Darcy.

But this was more, this was someone he loved, who really saw him.

Saw all of him, and not only didn’t resent him for it, but loved him because of it.

“Deac,” he said quietly, “kiss me.”

And Deacon leaned over and did exactly that.

Chapter 15

“I think the cameras spent half the game panning to you,” Nicole said as they exited the owner’s suite after the game against the Raiders.

“Did they?” Grant wanted to pretend ignorance, because how could he tell when a camera, a hundred feet away, was turning his direction?

But of course they had.

Probably every single time Deacon had made a play.

Probably every single time Deacon was on the field.

Even though the Condors had won today, and in fact had led for almost all four quarters, Grant had spent most of the game frustrated and annoyed.

Nicole had been reluctant to tell him what social media was saying or what the media coverage looked like, but since it was her job to monitor those things, he’d insisted she keep him informed.

Would he feel any different if it had happened and he just hadn’t known about it? Grant didn’t know. But he wasn’t the kind of man, or the kind of CEO, who thought it was okay to just stick his head in the sand.

“You know they did,” Nicole said. She’d been trying to make light of it, but they both knew that the only reason everyone had been so wild to talk about Grant was the email, and the rumors.

Everyone was looking for even the slightest hint on his face that he was in love with Deacon. Or even just fucking him. Either one. Grant wasn’t sure they even cared which it was, only that it was salacious and juicy and they could fill up a hell of a lot of on-air hours talking about it.

“It’s fine, they were just all very excited about the possibility that you’re not just a brilliant robot but a man with actual emotions. It’ll pass,” Darcy soothed as they entered the elevator that would take them to the ground floor with the VIP garage and also the locker room. They were headed to the former, not the latter. There was no way Nicole was going to allow him anywhere near the locker room, not after the email.

Darcy was trying to put a positive spin on it, and Nicole was trying to make light of it. With the two of them, Grant didn’t even need a diagram to tell him how bad it was.

The elevator dinged open on the ground floor, and the moment the doors opened, Grant flinched.

There was a literal wall of sound and motion and people in front of them. All holding cameras. All shouting questions, all a variation on the same theme: was he involved with Deacon Harris?

Nic stuck a hand out, both keeping the elevator doors from closing again and also attempting to quiet the media rabble. “Enough!” she shouted over the noise. “Let’s let Mr. Green pass, please.”

Nobody moved.

He had security, of course, but he’d never needed security to keep him safe at his own goddamn stadium. In fact, he rarely needed them at all. He looked unassuming, and lots of people didn’t even recognize him on sight—which was something Grant had very much enjoyed, up until this moment.

He exchanged glances with Nicole. There was no way, even if he called them now, that even the general building security would arrive in time. And if they did magically transport down here, their appearance would only add to the frenzy.

The last thing they needed was a whole round of media stories about the mob scene involving the new Condors’ owner.

He held up his own hand and wasn’t surprised that the noise quieted somewhat. Everyone thought he was going to say something, and nobody wanted to miss it.

More fool them.

He plunged into the chaos, hand clasped firmly in Darcy’s as he pulled her, Nicole leading the way through the mass, towards the door.

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