Page 91 of The Secret Play

Another text followed.

I’ll take the heat. Please, just let me be the bad guy.

Email after email carried the same message, his pleas growing more desperate. I’d missed them because Megan demanded I close my laptop. I’d missed the calls and texts because my phone was dead. They spelled out his plan. He didn’t want me to bear the weight of public scrutiny, not when it could be turned on him instead. Doing that would have cost him everything important to him, and he knew it, and still, that was what he wanted me to do.

Tears pricked my eyes as I stared at the screen. He would ruin himself to save me.

My heart stuttered in my chest. I set my phone down and inhaled deeply, trying to steady myself. My hands moved almost without thought as I slipped out of my clothes, leaving me in just my undergarments. I draped my jacket over the back of his chair and perched on the desk, waiting. I was both aroused and overwhelmed. Knowing he’d leave everything behind for me…it was his ultimate sacrifice. I was glad he didn’t have to do it, but the fact he was willing to do so was enough.

The sound of two voices outside the door pulled me from my thoughts. The door was almost soundproof, which meant they were close. I froze. Casey was coming. But he wasn’t alone.

Hide!

Panicking, I darted to the storage closet, easing the door shut as the office door opened. The closet was stuffed, so I had to hold perfectly still, or I’d knock into something and expose my nearly naked presence.

I watched through the slats of the closet door as Casey entered, followed by an older man I didn’t quite recognize. He carried himself with authority, and the way Casey straightened when he spoke made it clear this man was in charge. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him.

“You know why I’m here,” the man said, calm but firm.

Casey nodded, his jaw tightening. “I figured you’d come by.”

The older man crossed his arms. “You’ve always put the team first. So what’s changed?”

Casey’s expression softened, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Everything.”

“Go on,” the man said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“You read the article that came out today, didn’t you, Matthew?”

Matthew… Matthew Edwards. The owner. Oh hell. I’m about to watch Casey get fired.

It was all but impossible to remain in the closet. I wanted to run out there and demand he keep his job. But a half-naked woman is not exactly the best negotiator. Or maybe she could be. But I wouldn’t do that until I knew it was coming.

The old man stood taller, haughtier. “I read it. There were some interesting details, including that the woman who bore your child is a player’s sister. You know the rules, Casey. I am well within my rights to fire you, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

Casey took a deep breath. “I am. So go ahead and fire me if you want, but either way, I’m marrying that woman.”

I loved hearing that out of him.

“Is it really so easy for you to throw away everything you’ve built with my team? Your ethics, the rules?—”

“I’ve always lived by those rules. Until I couldn’t.”

The old man sighed. “I always thought of you as the most ethical person I knew, the dullest, the most oatmeal-and-bran kind of man in the world. You actually got my players eating healthy. Healthier than any other team in the league, even in the offseason. You’ve always been a stand-up guy. Dependable. Loyal. Boring. And a woman was enough to get you to break the rules?”

“She’s more than just some woman. She’s everything to me. Gemma is clever, strong, determined, everything I could ever ask for,” he said as he smiled. “And I’ve got a daughter with her. Winnie. She’s amazing—smart, funny, full of energy. And she’s got her mother’s kindness.”

The older man’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “I see.”

Casey paused, his gaze distant momentarily before turning back to the older man. “As much as I love this team and this career, they don’t compare to my real family. Nothing could.”

Tears streamed down my face as I listened, his words hitting me like a tidal wave. My chest ached, and every part of me needed to go to him. I clamped a hand over my mouth, fighting the urge to sniffle as his declaration sank in. It was one thing for a man to say nice things to your face. But to say them under these circumstances meant more.

Matthew studied Casey for a long moment before nodding slowly. “That’s what I needed to hear.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m happy for you, Casey. Your priorities are finally in order.”

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