5. Monroe
FIVE
MONROE
I LIKE MY MEN THE WAY I LIKE MY DOGS. WELL TRAINED.
The second Tommy walked away, I wrapped my hand around her upper arm and hauled her through a door marked “Utility.” My shoulders hunched, nearly brushing the stocked shelves lining the closet. Of all the places we could’ve ended up in, I had to go and choose a closet built for mice.
“What the hell was that about?” I asked, the door’s click echoing. My nerves were frayed, a live wire liable to spark with one wrong move. Years of playing and coaching under pressure didn’t do shit to help me handle this.
How the hell was I here again?
Graciella’s glossy lips pulled up in a smug smile. “I think what you meant to say was thank you.”
My laugh was sharp—bitter. “Thank you? What on earth would I be thanking you for?” I flinched back when she pushed the corner of my mouth up.
“Let’s at least try to smile while you complain.” Her coffee-colored eyes danced with mirth. “You could use the practice. And you’re thanking me for saving your ass from saying something stupid.”
Saved me? That’s what she thought she’d done?
“How could you have possibly known what I was about to say?”
“Because I know the look a man makes before he’s about to say something stupid. So. I. Stepped. In.” She punctuated each word with a bright green nail to my chest, poking hard enough my pec would probably have a Graciella’s-finger-sized bruise by morning.
“Please,” I scoffed, resisting the need to rub at the sting. No way I’d let her have that satisfaction. “That doesn’t make a lick of sense.”
Coppery tang filled my mouth. I’d bitten my tongue harder than intended to avoid sticking it out at her. What about this woman made me want to revert to middle school tactics? Because I also wanted to flip her the bird every time she shot me her cocky smirk.
“See.” Her finger circled my face, nearly taking out an eye. “You just did it. All of you men get this stupid look on your stupid faces before you say something—”
“Stupid,” I supplied, pinching the bridge of my nose. She needed to stop talking before I proved her point.
In for three, out for three.
Rhythmic breathing didn’t do a damned thing to lower my blood pressure.
“You need to fix this, Graciella.”
She had the balls to laugh. Full, throw-her-head-back laugh. “I did fix it, Monroe.”
She kept on talking, not giving a damn that I was barely listening. In fact, she might’ve been trying to yap me into submission, like some sort of manipulation strategy where she spoke so much I gave in to whatever she wanted. Great. I had a headache, and I was positive she was the cause.
I was a former pro athlete and a Stanley Cup-winning coach. I didn’t submit to five-foot-nothing women trying to tell me what to do…
When I tuned back in, she was still going on.
“Face it, you need me, Joshua Monroe.”
“Again, that’s not my name. And I don’t need you. So you’re going to go over to Tommy and—”
She cut the distance between us, bare arms brushing against my T-shirt.
“And what, Joshua? What do you want me to do for you?” she asked, canting her head. Her eyes dipped to my mouth for a split second, and my body reacted exactly the opposite of how I wanted.
“You’re going to go tell him we’re not working together,” I bit out.
Neither of us spoke for a few moments, locked in a test of wills. She let out a huff and turned on her heel. Victory simmered in my veins. I stood a little taller, embarrassingly proud I’d won.
“Fine, have it your way. I’ll go tell him you lied.”
Her words slapped me across the face.
“Oh no you don’t.” I wrapped my arm around her waist, hauling her back. “You are not tellin’ him that.”
I hadn’t accounted for her ass hitting my crotch, and I grunted for very different reasons. I angled my hips away before she got the wrong idea about why I’d brought her in this closet.
Of all the times my body decided to react, this was it?
“What the hell, Monr—”
The rest of her shout was cut off by my hand.
“You’re so much trouble, do you know that?” I hissed in her ear, trying to ignore the heat radiating off her, her citrusy shampoo tickling my nose. Tempting me to bury my face in her hair and take a deeper inhale.
She cooperated, other than what I was pretty sure was a muffled, “Fuck you.”
“If I let go, do you promise not to cause problems?” I whispered, entranced by the pulse pounding at her throat, so lost in thought my damp palm didn’t register until the second swipe.
“Ugh.” I yanked it away, spell broken. “Did you lick me? Twice? What are you, five?”
A neon finger was shoved in my face. “You’re the one causing trouble. I had it all worked out, Monroe. What’s your plan, huh? What are you going to tell Tommy when you walk into his office on Monday?”
Her questions were sledgehammers to my confidence.
“I—” The empty excuses lodged in my throat. What the hell was my plan?
“And what are you going to do about your other issue? You can get rid of me, but that still leaves you with your image.”
Something in my chest stirred at the flare of her nostrils and her heaving chest.
“Fine.” I pulled my hat off, running a hand through my hair. “We’ll keep up this lie.”
“Shake on it.” She extended her hand, dainty fingers covered in gold rings.
I stared at it, positive I’d regret this whole damn thing.
“A damn deal with the devil.” The tips of my fingers brushed her skin, but she pulled away.
“Ah, ah, ah. I changed my mind. Down on your knees.”
I barked out a laugh. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” She stepped close enough for me to make out the specks of caramel brown dotting her irises like little stars, jutting her chin. “On your knees, Monroe. Beg for my help.”
I swore those little stars turned to flames.
“I’m not getting on my knees.”
The smile she shot me had my heart crashing against my ribs. “I’d hurry. Your press junket starts soon.”
Fuck. She had me cornered.
I lowered, hating every second of it. Oh, how far I’d fallen in such a short span of time.
“Would you look at that? My favorite sight…a man on his knees.”
“Will you shake my hand now?” I bit out, ignoring how my dick twitched.
“That was pathetic. Have you never begged before?”
“Usually, they’re doing the begging...” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
She raked her eyes over my body, surprise lighting them. “Joshua Monroe. Who knew you had game under that grumpy exterior?”
Another twitch.
I was only reacting this way because I hadn’t had sex in a while. It had nothing to do with her. Any attractive woman running her eyes over me like that would have the same effect…
I cut off that line of thinking. “Would you focus? Are we doing this or not?”
She arched her brow, a smirk growing along with the tense silence. How were we going to work together when we butted heads at every step?
“You’re actin’ like a brat.”
“Funny, I was about to say the same thing about you.” She bent at the waist, glossy lips within inches of mine. “Tick tock, Coach.”
I ground my teeth at her condescending tone. Damn woman wasn’t letting up on the begging shit.
“Graciella, will you please help me?” I forced out through clenched teeth, sticking my hand out again. Pretty positive I cracked a molar. “Happy?”
“What a good boy.”
Blood flowed right to my cock with her croon. Pissed me off nearly as much as kneeling at her feet begging her for help with a problem I shouldn’t have to deal with.
The rough callouses of my palm scraped against her soft skin, fingers wrapping all the way around until they nearly touched my thumb. How could someone with such small hands have such a tight hold on my balls right now?
I was at her mercy, and I hated it.
I yanked her forward, and she let out a yelp. Holding her against my chest, I ignored how good she felt in my arms.“You are the most insufferable, hardheaded, stubborn woman I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. You better not screw me over. Understand?”
She swallowed, the long line of her neck bobbing. But the look of panic only lasted a second, replaced by a confident smile that set me on edge.
“Monroe, that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. I think we are going to work so well together.” And with that, she tapped my nose with her forefinger, like I was a damn dog.
Trouble. She was fucking trouble.