Love on the Highlight Reel (Connecticut Kings Book 2) (17 page)

“You packed up your bag, right? Didn’t leave anything important?”

I lifted an eyebrow. “The bag is right here in my hand. You
just
looked at me, Cole.”

“Right. Well we should probably get moving. Thirty minutes to get to the hangar. The team sent the jet, so we can avoid the airport.”

“Understood.” I nodded, but didn’t follow her to the door. “How do I look?” I asked.

She glanced back from where she was standing at the counter, digging through her purse. “You know you look good.”

“So that’s why you’re so flustered?” I teased, dropping the bag to approach her. Before she could duck away, I had my arms around her waist, pulling her back against me. She whined as I pressed my lips to her neck.

“Jordan,
please
,” she whimpered, but made no move to get away as I sucked her skin.

“Please what?” I asked, cupping her between the legs.

She didn’t get a chance to answer.

A knock sounded at the door, and she suddenly sprang away from me, smoothing her clothes and hair. We both let out deep breaths, but hers was shaky as she moved to the door without looking back at me.

Shaking my head, I picked up my bag and put it on the counter as I ran through a mental check of what all I had with me, and if I’d put it in my bag or not.

“Dadd—I mean, Eli?! What are you doing here?”

If it wasn’t for me knowing what had just been happening, I wouldn’t have been able to tell that she was nervous. Her voice was calm and professional – except for that moment when she first opened the door, she didn’t even seem surprised to see him.

She stepped back so Eli could enter. Mentally, I checked myself. There was no way he’d just randomly shown up in New Orleans to see Nicki. He was here for
me.

“Well, we had to get the jet down here anyway, and you know I have a soft spot in my heart for this city. Figured I’d make the trip down. Have a little talk with Mr. Johnson.”

Shit.

I knew this was about the fight, but why did I feel like he’d caught me on somebody’s couch with his daughter?

Elijah Richardson was a tall man – damn near my height, and just as wide. He was close to his NFL shape. If he decided to kick my ass– I definitely would want to, if I owned a team and one of my players had done what I just spent the night doing to his daughter– I might actually have a slight problem.

But Eli wasn’t like that – or hadn’t been. He’d been thrilled about me and Nicki together back then. Heartbroken when we broke up, and thrilled all over again when I joined the Kings. That was then, though. And this was now.

Who knew if things were different?

“Are you flying back with us?” Nicki asked, sounding a bit too happy at the prospect. This was just the excuse she needed to avoid a conversation with me.

Eli nodded. “That’s the plan.”

“Well let’s go then!”

I suppressed a smile.

She was happy as hell to get a reprieve from the talk we needed to have, and I was anxious as hell about the one I was about to have with her father.

“I would have punched his ass too,” Eli said conspiratorially, leaning toward me from his seat across from me on the jet. Nicki was further up, taking phone call after phone call while I listened to her father. “That’s just between me and you though.”

I nodded, and looked right at him, so he wouldn’t think I wasn’t paying attention. “Of course.”

“You’re a good kid, Jordan.  You know I watch you guys, right? You, Bailey, Sanchez… every one of you that I see myself mirrored in, in some way. And I’m watching you make your mistakes, watching you learn and grow from them. Sanchez still has a lot of time. Bailey turned his shit around, and look where he is now. But you… I have to admit I was worried about you, son.”

I grinned at the term of endearment. Eli called everybody on the team “son”, but
I’d
gotten that title back when we met through Nicki.

“The women, the partying… the fighting… not a good look for someone who wants to have a long career in football. You know as well as I do, the world has an obsession with imaginary morals in the NFL, while you’re worshipped for the same sins. But I’m here to tell you – it’s temporary. You only get respected for that for a little while. Eventually you have start getting them to talk about the
good
things you want associated with your name.”

“I understand that, sir.”

Eli chuckled. “I know you do. Chloe McKenna only works with people who are serious about what they’re doing. Have you talked to her about this yet?”

“No sir. We’re supposed to talk when I get back to Connecticut, before the press conference.”

“Good,” Eli nodded. “That means she’s working. If she’d called you already, it would be to fire you. She’s going to handle the media for you, and you’ll be just fine.”

I cringed. “That’s the media. What about the NFL?”

Eli clasped his hands together, giving a hard sigh as he sat back. “Well, you did fight a man on live TV, well after the game was over. As justified as many of us feel like you are, we can’t let it go unchecked. I’ve gotten enough flack for “favoritism” as it is.”

“So what I am I looking at here?”

“A fine. And a one game suspension.”

“
Suspension
?” I said as I jumped up, louder than intended, causing Nicki to glance up and narrow her eyes at me from her seat. I didn’t know why I was surprised – I had somewhat expected it. But after the way the conversation seemed to be going, it caught me off guard.

“Yes.” Eli shook his head as I sat down. “We can’t set the precedent that this is okay. One game, and then you’re back on the field. Okay?”

Not like I have a choice.

I shrugged. “Gotta accept the repercussions of my actions.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

“Excuse me, guys?” We looked up to see Nicki standing over us, phone in her hand. “Whenever you’re done, I need to run through a few talking points with Jordan, just so that you’re already briefed when you see Chloe. Is that okay?”

I made sure to make eye contact with her before I answered. “Anything you need.”

Her eyes bored into mine for a second before she averted her gaze, nodding at her father before she turned to go back to her seat.

“You know she looks out for you, right?” Eli asked, his words spoken deliberately, as if he was being careful of the ones he chose. “Advocates for you, won’t let anybody speak ill of you when she’s around. Very protective.”

I swallowed hard as I scanned his face, searching for the hidden question in his words. “Yeah… Nicole is very good at her job.”

Eli grinned. “Of course. Good at her job.” He was quiet for several moments, then said, “You know, I really hate that you kids never did work out your differences back in college. Doesn’t always work out though, does it?”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“Ah, well,” Eli shrugged. “I guess I should just be happy now that you two are able to maintain professionalism while working together in such a close manner. Don’t have to worry about any trouble.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Eli… are you warning me to stay away from your daughter?”

Eli’s head jerked back, in genuine surprise. “
Should
I be?”

“No sir, not at all,” I said, with confidence. If things went
my
way, I wouldn’t be a regret in Nicki’s life. I’d be a high point, and there wasn’t any need to warn against that.

“
How is Jordan feeling about being free after his arrest in New Orleans, after the Kings’ game against the Saints?
”

Chloe gave what I was quickly learning to be her signature smirk. “He’s feeling like anyone would – free. Next question? You, right there. Gray jacket.”

“Jordan Johnson has a long history of fighting, on and off the field, enough that it’s considered normal behavior for him. Is the NFL really the place for a person with a propensity towards violence?”

“Are you seriously asking me if a sport where men run around in protective armor and slam each other to the ground for custody of the inflated flesh of an animal is a place for a “violent” person? You can’t be. Next question, blue sweater.”

“
Some people are saying that—
”

“Is it “
some people
”, or is it you?”

The man asking the question turned almost as red as his hair as he sputtered. “W-well, me-me, I guess.”

“Then be clear. What is your query?”

“Does Jordan’s release from jail, and the dropping of all charges, send the message that professional athletes are above the law?”

“Absolutely not. Jordan Johnson and the Connecticut Kings have the utmost respect for the law and its officers and agencies, but NOPD was out of bounds with this arrest. Adrenaline and emotions were high, directly after a football game. The players have argued, fought, everything, because it is considered a normal part of the event, and they are
still
on the field. We break them up, we give them a fine, and we move on. No one is
arrested
. These things are handled efficiently by the NFL. There was no need for NOPD to get involved.”

“So why do you think they did?”

“No comment, next question. Moustache, what’s your question?”

I just stood back, not saying anything while Chloe fielded questions from the reporters. She was my publicist – she had the answers, and it was a unanimous decision that they were best delivered by her.

It saved me from potentially cursing somebody out.

Margo and Nicki were off to the side, observing. I forced myself not to look in their direction, even though I was curious. The moment Nicki and I walked into the room together for a briefing, Margo had looked back and forth between us, and then let her mouth spread into a grin that hadn’t left her face.

How much does she know?

What, if anything, had Nicki said to her friends about me? Would they be on my side, or would they lead her away from rekindling something with me? I was much more interested in
that
than this press conference.

“If I can ask a question directly of Jordan, was it a deliberate decision to have all of your interests handed over to a team of women? Your new manager and publicist, your liaison with the front office of the Kings. All women. What’s the story behind that?”

“Why does there have to be a story behind it?” I said, forgetting to look to Chloe for confirmation before I spoke. “There’s no deep, profound meaning to it.  The
people
around me know their sh—stuff. Bottom line. Next question?”

“Outside of your criminal charges, which have since been dropped, what repercussions are you facing for your actions at last night’s game?”

“I have to pay a fine, and unfortunately, I won’t be playing in our next game.”

“Last night was a tough game, with your team still being in transition. Trent Bailey just came back to the starting line-up, and now you’re out for the next game. Do you feel like you’re letting your team down?”