23. Bristol

Chapter 23

Bristol

I paused on the sidewalk, staring up at the office building in downtown Indianapolis that housed the Indy Sports Review.

Being a smaller publication, only covering sports, they required little office space with most correspondents in the field, traveling with their assigned teams. As a result, the Indy Sports Review offices only took up half of one floor for editorial and marketing staff.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath through my nose, letting it out from my mouth. I could do this. I was a big girl. I was doing the professional thing, disclosing a relationship that could be seen as a conflict of interest to my superiors and willing to deal with the consequences. That had to count for something, right?

As I pushed through the revolving glass doors, my heels clicked on the polished floor in time with my heartbeat. It likely wouldn't settle until after my meeting with my editor, and maybe not even then—the outcome was still uncertain.

Thankfully, the elevator was empty, and I leaned against the back wall, pressing a hand against my queasy belly .

Was I really doing this again? Risking it all for a man? Had I learned nothing?

Maddox is different. You know he is.

I clung to that thought as the ding signaled my destination. Stepping out, I turned to the right and pushed through the glass door to an office full of gray cubicles. One side of the space had offices with doors, and a conference room was visible on the other.

I hadn't been here since my interview. There hadn't been much need as I submitted my articles electronically each day. I was grateful that I had the opportunity to be in the field; this place was kinda depressing.

"Miss Cooper!" my editor, Barry, shouted from where he stood in the open doorway to his office near the back.

Tipping my chin in recognition, I walked to where he waited, offering, "Bristol is fine."

He gave me a tight smile. "We'll leave it at Miss Cooper for now, shall we? Can never be too careful when a female subordinate is involved."

I cringed, well aware that sexual harassment was prevalent in a male-dominated field such as sports reporting. With a greeting like that, this meeting should be fun.

Barry gestured for me to precede him into the office but left the door open when following me inside.

Jeez, he's being really careful. Does he have a personal history of taking advantage of women?

My skin crawled at the thought. Shaking off the bad vibes, I sat in the seat opposite his desk, placing my purse across my lap.

Leaning back in his desk chair, Barry asked bluntly, "Are you pregnant?"

Pretty sure my jaw hit the floor, but I managed to shake my head. "No."

"Hmm." He tapped the chipped, wood-print vinyl lining the top of his desk. "Usually, that's why the ladies request an in-person meeting. To quit because they're starting a family. So, now I'm intrigued, Miss Cooper. What brings you here today?"

I swallowed, and my knee bounced, betraying my nervousness.

When I remained silent, Barry checked his watch pointedly. "I'm sure we both have better things to do today than stare at each other.".

"I came to disclose that I'm involved in a relationship with Maddox Sterling."

Barry's bushy eyebrows shot up high on his forehead. "As in . . ."

Was he really going to make me say it?

"As in, the head coach of the Indy Speed."

Instead of reprimanding me—telling me all the reasons why a relationship between someone I interviewed and reported on for a living was wrong—a sinister grin appeared on his ruddy face.

"Look at you. I have to say, I'm impressed. Though I shouldn't be surprised, a young thing like you catching the eye of an older man."

And there it is. The door is open, but that doesn't stop him from being a pig.

"Excuse me?" My tone was sharp, my voice raising in volume.

Barry seemed to remember himself and wiped the salacious smirk off his face before clearing his throat. "Right. Well, I'll admit I knew you'd have off-the-clock access to the team, but this exceeds my wildest expectations. I hired you because we needed a woman on the sports staff after the last one left"—he made a gesture in front of his own gut to indicate a pregnant belly—"and your connection to Braxton Slate was too good to pass up. Plus, we know the players can't resist a cute girl and would likely give you the best interviews. But this goes beyond. A relationship with the new head coach? You'll have the inside scoop."

I bit back a retort as he admitted to openly ignoring my qualifications when hiring me. I knew my looks had played a factor in beating out more experienced candidates—I wasn't stupid; even though it wasn't right, that's how the world worked—but to hear that he expected me to abuse my friendship with Braxton made me feel gross. Even worse, he assumed I would get privileged information from Maddox in the form of pillow talk.

Not gonna happen.

It was time to set this creep straight.

Crossing my legs, I lifted my chin. "If you think I have any intention of exploiting my relationships, with either players or staff, you are sorely mistaken. I pride myself in maintaining journalistic integrity, and I feel like my articles to this point have proven that. I'm not willing to compromise that, even if it's at the expense of my current position with the Indy Sports Review."

Barry huffed out a laugh, and the tiniest flicker of respect entered his eyes. "I may have misjudged you, Miss Cooper."

I did a little victory dance inside my mind for having stood my ground and come out on the other side alive—at least, that's how it seemed.

I stood, making it clear that I had nothing left to say. But I was nothing if not professional, so I asked, "Is there anything else?"

"No. Keep up the good work, Miss Cooper."

Turning on my heel, I left his tiny office feeling like I was walking on air.

Knowing my job wouldn't be affected was a huge first step. And there was only one person I wanted to share the news with.

It was torture trying to make it through the workday. All I wanted was a minute alone with Maddox .

I couldn't keep my eyes off him—looking sexy in his Speed-branded tracksuit—throughout practice, knowing we were free and clear to pursue whatever was brewing between us. The dull ache between my thighs wouldn't let up, and I shifted restlessly in the hard plastic seat of the practice rink.

My pussy knew the dry spell would be ending tonight. It had been just about three months since Maddox and I met for the first time at Pipes before the season began, and that's how long she'd been craving action that wasn't of the silicone variety.

When the team left the ice and we moved onto the interview portion of the afternoon, Maddox was quick to pick up on my distress, arching an eyebrow in my direction in the press room when I couldn't make my body settle. I gave him a subtle shake of my head, but I was struggling to keep my arousal contained.

As soon as we were dismissed and given approval to access the locker room to talk to the players, I begged Alyssa to cover for me. Then, I sweet-talked my way into gaining access to the executive floor by making a security guard extremely uncomfortable by telling him that I'd gotten my period and didn't have any supplies on hand, but a female staff member said there were feminine hygiene products available in their bathrooms on that floor.

It worked like a charm. He started to sweat as I explained in vivid detail how messy it could get if I didn't take care of the situation immediately and swiped his card at the dedicated bank of elevators to get rid of me as quickly as possible.

Pressing the button for the fifth floor, I bit my lip. He was going to be so surprised to see me. I only hoped it was happy surprised and not what-the-fuck-are-you-doing-up-here-are-you-crazy surprised.

The elevator door slid open, and I checked the hallway to make sure an important member of the management staff didn't spot me as I slipped into Maddox's office. The coast was clear, so I tiptoed as stealthily as possible in heels until I reached his door.

I knocked, my body practically vibrating in anticipation.

"It's open," his deep, masculine voice called through the thick wood.

Turning the doorknob, I pushed inside, latching the door behind me. His attention was on the computer screen, eyes moving rapidly, which told me he was watching the film—the only thing I couldn't discern from my position was if it featured the Speed or one of their upcoming opponents.

"What can I do for you?" Maddox didn't bother to look up.

Biting my lip to stifle a giggle, I silently waited for him to discover that the two of us were alone in his office.

He let out an annoyed sigh, lifting his eyes over the top of the monitor. When he caught sight of me, those beautiful green gems widened, and he stood.

Heat curled through my body as his burning gaze scanned my appearance from head to toe. I was dressed in a plain white blouse and black pencil skirt—basic professional attire, but form-fitting enough to show off my curves.

The air in the room grew thick as we continued to stare at each other wordlessly. Three months of sexual tension were coming to a head, and we both knew it was going to be explosive.

"Hey." The single word came out as a breathy pant, my heart racing.

Maddox swallowed as I stepped closer, rounding the edge of his desk and perching on the edge next to his computer screens.

When he remained silent, I reached up to stroke the skin of his jaw, already rough with stubble after his morning shave. "Is this a bad time? "

His eyes slid closed, and his lips turned up as he shook his head. "No." He cleared his throat when the word came out gruff. "It's just I've never understood the appeal of pornos set in an office until you walked in."

My hand slid higher into his styled hair. "Hmm. Are you having inappropriate thoughts about the young reporter, Coach Sterling?"

Maddox's chest vibrated with the force of his growl as those brilliant green eyes snapped open. I gasped, stunned by the intensity of arousal swirling in his gaze.

"Who knows you're up here?" he asked.

I peeked back toward his door. "Only a security guard. And trust me, he won't be making eye contact with me anytime soon. I think we're good."

A dark eyebrow arched high on his forehead. "I'm almost afraid to ask."

Yeah, I wasn't going to kill the mood by divulging my excuse to access this restricted floor. "Doesn't matter how I got up here. It only matters that I did."

Smirking, Maddox dipped his head to graze against the sensitive skin behind my ear. "Hmm. What is it that brings you to my office, Miss Cooper?"

I tightened my grip on his hair as he trailed a path of hot kisses down my neck before flicking open the top two buttons of my blouse and skimming the swells of my breasts.

"I went to visit my editor this morning," I rasped as he tweaked a nipple through the fabric of my shirt and bra.

Head snapping up, Maddox searched my face. "And?"

Huffing out a wry laugh, I said, "Let's see. The meeting started with him assuming I was pregnant and there to quit." Maddox made a choking sound, and I rolled my eyes. "I'm not, but it's good to know where your head's at."

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Just wasn't expecting that. "

"Right." I blew out a breath, looking toward the ceiling.

"Shit," Maddox cursed softly. "I'm fucking this all up again."

"It's fine." I was used to it by now. Lowering my gaze, I refused to meet his eye.

"No, it's not." He gripped my chin, turning my face until I had a view of the regret etched on his. "I don't want you to jump to any conclusions in your mind. So, I'll be totally honest with you. You caught me off guard, that's all. I'm not opposed to the idea of kids, especially with you." My heart caught in my throat as he pressed on. "But what I really want is a chance for us to explore our feelings, to test out what a life together could look like, without the added pressure of an unexpected addition. I don't want anything between us to feel forced or rushed because of a perceived obligation toward one another."

Oh, wow. Was this how grown-ups talked? If so, I needed more of this in my life.

"Now," Maddox said gently, sliding his hand to the side of my neck. "Tell me what happened in your meeting."

I blinked at him for a full minute before my mind was finally able to push his words aside and recall the details from my talk with Barry earlier.

"He got excited over the prospect of an ‘inside scoop' with us being together." Every muscle in Maddox's body tensed, but I quickly set his mind at ease. "But I set him straight and told him where to shove his job if he expected me to exploit my personal relationships within the team."

Rearing back, a flicker of surprise flashed through his eyes before pride replaced it. "How did he take it?"

A victorious grin crept onto my face. "Believe it or not, I think I earned a little bit of respect from the guy."

"So . . . you still have a job?" Maddox hedged.

I shrugged. "For now. "

"That's amazing. Look at my girl standing her ground, taking no prisoners."

My girl. Two simple words had my pulse accelerating.

"Getting ahead of yourself, aren't you?" I teased. "That's a pretty serious claiming statement you just made."

He flashed me that deliciously cocky smirk. "Are you going to pretend you haven't been mine since the first night I took you home?"

My head tilted, and I raised an eyebrow. "If memory serves, I took you home."

"Semantics." His nose teased the side of mine.

"You sure you still want me, now that it's no longer forbidden ? That was part of the thrill, wasn't it?" I had to be sure because I was dangerously close to falling for him, and my fragile heart wouldn't survive another break so soon after the last one.

A low chuckle reached my ears before he gripped my hand, bringing it to the front of his track pants, where they were tented by his erection. With his hand over mine, we palmed his length as he rasped, "Does this feel like I don't want you?"

"Mmm." I curled my fingers around him, relishing the sound of his throaty groan.

His hands gripped my waist, and I squealed when he lifted me without warning. Setting my feet on the floor, he spun me around, forcing my chest onto his desk until my cheek rested against the cool wood surface.

Maddox's weight pressed into my back, and his lips grazed the shell of my ear. "I answered your question, so I think it's only fair you answer mine." He paused, his heavy breathing the only sound in the room. "Think you can be quiet, love? These walls might not be thin, but they're no match for the sound of your screams when you come."

My breathing hitched, and I nodded wordlessly .

"Good girl," Maddox praised, and the dull ache between my legs became an insistent throbbing, desperate for relief.

He moved behind me, skimming a hand down my back, over my ass, and along the outside of my leg until he reached my ankle.

"You know, I've been wondering for months about these stockings."

What? He has?

"Every time you walked past, I pictured them as a different type—pantyhose, thigh-highs, perhaps the kind attached to a garter belt. It drove me insane not knowing. Today, I'm finally going to find out."

Tapping the inside of my ankles, he indicated that he wanted me to spread my legs. Thankfully, the pencil skirt I wore was a stretchy material, and I was able to force my feet to stand shoulder-width apart.

Maddox hummed his satisfaction at my obedience before sliding one hand up the inside of my calf, pausing at my knee to tease the inside of the joint with his thumb. He was drawing out the anticipation. I wasn't sure if it was for himself or for me, but it was working—I was on fucking fire, my hips grinding against the edge of his desk.

His fingers continued their upward trek, only an inch away from where he would discover that I wore lace-edged thigh-highs, when there was a knock on the door. I gasped, and Maddox stood suddenly behind me.

"Yeah?" Maddox's husky voice addressed whoever awaited on the other side.

"Maddox, you have a minute?"

Fuck. I knew that voice. It belonged to Jared McCall, the Speed's general manager.

It was one thing to come clean to my editor, quite another to be caught alone with Maddox in his office by his boss. There would be blowback on Maddox since I wasn't supposed to have access to this floor.

Lifting my head, I frantically searched for somewhere to hide .

With a regretful expression, Maddox gestured for the only place available—beneath his desk.

I sank to my knees as he mouthed, I'm sorry, and I backed up until I was completely concealed in the dark alcove. Maddox sat in his desk chair and rolled it close to where I was crouched, his dick still standing proud right in front of my face.

Don't even think about it.

My conscience knew it was a bad idea, but in my aroused state, my body was calling the shots and up for the risk.

"Come in."

The minute Maddox invited McCall into his office was the same one I pulled down the waistband of his pants and freed his cock.