Page 45 of King of Pain (Damaged Hearts #1)

ONE YEAR AFTER

Anthony

The hum of keyboards, muffled conversations, and the occasional burst of laughter fill the sleek offices of Dootson, Rivera & Huerta, one of the top sports talent agencies in the country. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretch across the wall behind me, offering a stunning view of downtown Phoenix.

I have an entire cubicle to myself—a rare luxury in this agency—courtesy of the added workload that comes with being Meg Evers' First Assistant. Meg is the agency’s most formidable force, a powerhouse who commands respect and delivers results.

She’s exactly the kind of agent I aspire to be, and landing this role in just six months was no small feat.

Coach and Meg go way back. He helped broker my internship, but I worked my ass off for a permanent position and this promotion.

Or maybe I just buried myself in work to avoid thinking about a certain tall, thick, tattooed man who may as well be a ghost.

Right now, I’m pouring over the marketing and promotions sections of a sponsor contract for Jason Ciccone, a pro baseball rookie pitcher who’s about to start his first year with Atlanta.

His talent has the entire league watching, and sponsors are clawing for him.

I chew on the end of my pen, scanning the promotional requirements, when an unhelpful thought creeps in.

The man is hot as fuck.

I sigh and shake my head. Please don’t let Meg have me sit in today. I’ll sound like a fumbling idiot.

“Pacini!” a familiar voice calls out.

“Oh God, here we go,” I mumble.

Jen comes striding into my cubicle like she owns the place, her black pantsuit perfectly tailored, her red pumps clicking against the floor. Her hair is swept up, no longer held together by random pencils but by elegant pins.

“Didn’t you hear me calling your name?” she asks, arching a brow.

I look up at her and smirk. “Yes, but I was hoping it was just indigestion from the breakfast burrito I had this morning.”

Jen laughs and points at me. “You’re rude. Funny, but rude.”

I eye the bags she’s holding, recognizing them from my favorite sushi spot downtown. It’s past one o’clock, and the burrito was at six this morning.

“Whatcha got there?” I ask slyly.

“Oh, now you want my company?”

I shrug. “Meh. You can just leave the sushi.”

She scoffs and playfully smacks me upside the head. “I thought I’d bring you lunch since you never leave this desk. I don’t see you as much anymore now that we’re grownups.”

She pulls a chair over, slides it next to mine, and starts unpacking the food. She hands me chopsticks, and we spread everything out to share.

“Yeah, well, you know I have goals for my own agency,” I say between bites. “I have to bust my ass and work my way up.”

Jen hums knowingly. “And it keeps you distracted.”

I point at her with my chopsticks. “That too.”

My phone buzzes and I glance down.

Butters: Hey, just confirming you're coming to the game Sunday. I have your name down for two people at the VIP entrance.

Jen raises a curious brow.

“It's Butters. Wants to know if we’re still going to the game.”

Jen grins. “Of course we are. It’s the playoffs. I still can’t believe we know a quarterback in the pros.”

“And a running back,” I remind her.

She smirks. “Speaking of Beau—don’t forget we have his and Lexi’s wedding the first weekend in March. Have I mentioned I’m the Maid of Honor?”

I sigh. “Like a hundred times.”

She grins. “Well, a Maid of Honor needs a hot date. So, unless you find one yourself, you’re on gay bestie duty.”

I groan. “Nope. No wedding date of my own.”

Her expression softens. “How’s that going? It’s been a year, Anthony. You only get one turn at being a young fledgling gay. You should be living it up. I still can’t believe you’ve never kissed anyone.”

“Will you keep your voice down? That’s not something I want people knowing. Besides, I’m trying.”

Jen scoffs. “Really? Are you really trying?”

“Yes. I even have a date tonight.”

She perks up. “Ooh. With whom, pray tell?”

I shrug. “Some guy from the app. Matt or something, I don’t know.”

“Wow, you sound thrilled.”

“I’m not not thrilled. Just… we’ll see.”

Jen studies me. “Why haven’t you kissed anyone yet? You were literally a split second away from your first kiss. Don’t you want to experience that?”

“Don’t remind me.”

I exhale deeply and meet her eyes. “I try, Jen. I go on these dates, and I try to give them a fair shake. I ask about their passions, their dreams, their goals. It’s always just…

gray.I had something once—someone who felt like the entire spectrum of color, vibrant and alive in the palm of my hand.

He was a burst of light, something electric, something more.

And then he vanished. Now everyone else pales in comparison.

He wrecked me, and he never even kissed me.

I can’t kiss just anybody after that. It was always supposed to be him . ”

Jen drops her chopsticks. “Jesus. Seriously, how are you single? That was beautiful, Anthony.”

I shrug and she rubs my back gently. “It’ll happen for you. You’re too good. Just don’t be afraid to open yourself up to possibilities.”

I sigh. “Yeah, that’s what my therapist says too.”

Jen gives me a warm smile. “I’m glad you stuck with therapy. I can see the difference in you. It’s like this buried confidence started blooming. I’m proud of you, friend.”

I bump her shoulder gently in thanks, the weight of her words settling in my chest.

Then the elevator dings.

I look toward the hallway just as the doors slide open—and there’s Meg, stepping out.

With Jason Ciccone right behind her.

“Oh crap, they’re here.”

Jen’s head swivels. “What? Who?”

“Meg. And the hot pro baseball pitcher. And they’re coming right for us.”

Jen whispers, “Interesting.”

I barely manage to shove the last of our lunch into the trash and straighten myself before Meg and Jason are nearing.

Meg leads the way, her stride purposeful, the kind of walk that demands attention.

Power and confidence exude from her tall, athletic frame as she commands the space.

The pinstriped suit she wears is sharp, tailored to perfection, and the white Jimmy Choos only add to the overall effect.

Her jet-black hair is pulled back into a sleek ponytail, no-nonsense but elegant, just like her.

I pop up from my seat as she reaches me. “Afternoon, Meg.”

Meg smiles and nods. “Anthony, this is Jason Ciccone. As you’re aware, Jason is our newest star athlete.

” My gaze shifts to the man standing next to my boss and I quickly wipe my palms on my pants.

“Jason, Anthony Pacini is my First Assistant, well on his way to Jr. Agent.

He's been working your file since before you signed. You can come to him with anything you need.”

Jason takes my hand, his grip firm, controlled. His gaze sweeps over me, slow and assessing, like he's cataloging every inch. I try not to squirm under the weight of it.

“Good to meet you, Anthony. I look forward to coming to you with all my needs. Will you be joining us in the conference room?” His voice is smooth, deep and confident.

I swallow quickly, my throat suddenly dry. “Nice to meet you too, Jas... uh, sir. Yes, I'll be there if Meg needs me to.”

Jason’s mouth quirks in amusement. “Please, call me Jason.” His heated gaze lingers, making my stomach twist in a way I absolutely will not acknowledge.

I feel an elbow jab my side. “Yeah, uh, sorry—this is Jennifer Clark. Jen is Jr. Counsel over at Bowen, Saxon & Finley. She's also my best friend, and we were just finishing up here.”

“Meg Evers. Nice to meet you, Jen.” She extends a firm handshake, her gaze direct and assessing.

“BSF is not an easy firm to get in with. You must be very talented to have caught their attention. If you ever want to think about working exclusively with professional athlete clients, my door is open for that conversation.”

For the first time perhaps ever, Jen is nearly speechless. She stumbles over her words. “Thank-thank you. I'll keep that in mind.”

Meg gives a satisfied nod, then turns back to me. “I'm giving Jason the grand tour, then we'll be discussing a few things before we get to sponsor contracts. I'll buzz you when we start diving in.”

I nod quickly. “Sounds great. Legal sent over their redlines and I’ve completed the M&P review. I'll bring the summaries.”

With that, Meg and Jason move on, heading toward the offices in the back. The moment they’re out of earshot, Jen drops into a chair, eyes wide.

“Holy shit.”

“Yeah.”

She exhales sharply. “First of all, my eyes didn’t even know where to look. They’re both hotter than the sun. Secondly, that man wants to do very dirty things to you.”

I feel the heat rush to my face instantly. “Shut it.”

Jen gapes at me, then grins. “Oh my God, are you blushing?”

“Go back to work.”

She just laughs, and I sink back into my chair, pressing my palms against my eyes.

Jen heads back to work and I prepare the summary for Jason’s contract on my tablet to present when they call me in.

Hours later, I’m finishing the last edits that came out of the meeting with Jason.

I run my hand through my hair and glance at my phone.

5:07 p.m.—time to pick up my Guinness and continue work at home.

My date had cancelled earlier in the day, which was a relief.

Saved me from being the one to cancel. I wasn’t feeling it.

Leaning back in my chair, I think about the meeting. It went well. Meg seemed pleased with my Marketing and PR review, as well as my ideas for the campaigns. Jason, on the other hand, had been… distractingly flirtatious.

“You have great ideas,” he’d said. “I'd like to take you to lunch soon and talk about them further, if Meg doesn't mind.”

Meg had smiled encouragingly. “Please do, it will be great experience for Anthony.”

I’d agreed—what else was I supposed to do in front of Meg? Now I have to follow through, and I know Jason is going to flirt with me the whole time.

If he’s queer, is he out? Did he confide in Meg? He was so brazen in front of her. If he’s closeted, that’s something I should know while working his account.

Shaking my head, I grab my bag, and head down the elevators to the parking garage.

I click unlock on the key fob to my new cobalt blue electric sedan—the first expense I allowed myself since my promotion.

Well, that and my new apartment. I slide into the driver’s seat, start the engine, and pull out of the garage.

Time to pick up Little G from doggy daycare before grabbing some food and heading home to finish some work.