Page 39 of Fall to Me
Fifteen
River
I can’t deny that Ireallywant to sleep with my husband. Who wouldn’t want to with the foreplay he’s been dishing out since I moved in? When he trailed his fingers down my arm during training this morning, pressed his chest against my back, and spoke low into my ear . . . it set my blood on fire. No doubt it was another one of his games, and as long as he keeps playing, so will I.
“River.”
And that show I put on for him last night? I’m quite proud of myself for that. That’s what he gets. If I’m being honest, maybe fucking him isn’t theonlyway I want him. He acts like he cares for me and shows up when I need him. He lifts me up and encourages me. The more he’s kind to me, the more of his kindness I crave. What if none of that is real?
“River.”
And like he does every day when he’s in town and I’m about to leave for work, this morning, he had a cup of coffee in hand,ready for me. Along with another forehead kiss and well wishes for a good day.
A throat clears. “River.”
My eyes snap to Aspen. I blink, pushing all thoughts of Carter from my mind, then look at the screen in the front of the conference room to see where we’re at in this meeting. All eyes are on me. Heat blooms my cheeks.
“Sorry . . .” I trail off, silently begging Aspen with my eyes to swoop in and save me. “I was just thinking.”
“About your pitch?” Aspen asks, supplying me with a lifeline.
I nod. Obviously, she knows my mind was elsewhere. Clearing my throat, I flip through the pages of my notebook.
“I was watching other teams and what they do to elevate the experience for their fans and bring in more ticket sales. I didn’t only focus on professional hockey, but all sports, and above all, one of them stood out to me. The Lakers. When you think of the Lakers, what do you think of?”
I look around the room. “Anyone?”
Aspen speaks up first. “Kobe Bryant.”
I nod. Of course, he was a legend. “What else?”
“Laker Girls,” Trey chuckles.
Luke snaps his fingers before pointing at Trey. “That’s what I was going to say. The Laker Girls and Magic Johnson.”
I smile as a few other people chime in with the same.
“I’m not a huge basketball fan,” I admit. “But the Laker Girls are the first thing I think of when someone mentions the Lakers. What if we adopt something similar? What if we hire performers?”
When I finish explaining all the logistics, Aspen taps her pen against her notepad. “We do need more engagement with the crowd, and I bet we’d see an increase in ticket sales if we market it right. Plus, they can help with charity and communityoutreach, taking some of the slack off the players. Got a name for them?”
“Well, I was toying with some names that go with The Blaze . . . maybe The Heat? I’m still thinking on that.”
“Good job, River,” Aspen says to me, then turns to our PR manager, Teagan. “Can you and River work together on this?” she asks.
Teagan nods, then goes into more PR business. When the meeting wraps up, Aspen leans over and mutters in my ear, “We’re talking later.”
Oh no, I’m in trouble.
My stomach grumbles as we walk out of the conference room, but I ignore it. I have too many things to do today. Probably because I’m distracted by thoughts of a certain someone. I round the corner of my doorway, stepping into my office, and stop.
What’s that?
My heart stutters to a stop when I see a paper bag on my desk. I walk over and hesitate before picking it up. A scribbled note rests underneath the bag. My nerves settle, and I release a sigh of relief when I see Carter’s handwriting. I hate that I even have to worry about it, but up until I left for New York, Jaxon would stalk me and leave unwanted gifts for me. For a split second I was worried that he had found me.
Noticed you didn’t leave for lunch. Take a break.
Love,
