Page 78 of On Merit Alone

“It’s amazing what you’ve done since your injury. Others can stand to learn from you,” he went on. “You didn’t let that little old knee get you down. I’m a huge fan of your hard work.”

“Thanks,” Ira said again. His eyes narrowed so low that, for a second, I thought that was all he was going to say again . Which would be a pointed display of rudeness, and very unlike Ira. But then he finally said, “You must be a huge fan of Mer too. Nobody works harder than her out there.”

Rob couldn’t quite hide the disdain on his face and he grunted. “Yeah, well. Some have to work harder than others to keep up, I suppose. ”

“Mer’s on her way to all the best of categories,” Ira went on. “Best in the league, top scorer of all time, most game wins, most points in a single game, MVP… she’s a shoo-in for the hall of fame already, and her career has barely just begun. Can’t be mad at that.”

God bless him for trying to use the positive spin I’d taught him in this fucked up situation. He was so perfect. Our company, however, was not. It was clear he didn't see it our way.

“No,” Rob said. “I suppose you can’t.”

“Then why are you?” he asked.

“Ira!” I hissed. I grabbed his arm and tried to pull him away, but he wouldn’t budge. “I’m sorry, Rob, I don’t think he meant anything by that?—”

“No, Merit,” Ira said, his voice hard, but his demeanor still calm as he looked at the man in front of him. “I mean every word that comes out of my mouth. I want to know why every word out of his is against you.”

Before us, Rob was sputtering, taking a step back in defense. He looked from me to Ira to me again, his scowl growing deep. “Oh, for god’s sake. You’re screwing him, aren’t you?”

Ira advanced immediately. On instinct, I moved between them, putting myself face-to-face with Ira, my hands on his shoulders.

“Hey,” I hissed. “That’s my GM. My boss, remember? You’re way out of line.”

Fire lit his eyes. He looked as if I wasn’t in front of him right now, he would be on top of Rob, tearing him apart. Without removing his eyes from the man behind us, he growled, “Not my GM.”

“No, but this is not the Stone Age. This is your place of work too. Don’t go throwing what you have away for something as trivial as my feelings.”

This brought his eyes down to me, his expression weighed down with questions and disbelief. “Your feelings mean everything, Six. You do . And he is the one who is way out of line. You understand that?”

“We can talk about this later,” I said, my eyes traveling sideways to an eavesdropping Rob.

Ira’s jaw set, his face working into a mixture of a scowl and a pout and I felt my heart ache in satisfaction and in fear that he was willing to fight for me without thinking of the consequences. But I couldn’t let him do that.

Turning back to my GM, I smiled weakly, not feeling the diplomatic approach even though I knew I should try.

“If that’s all for tonight, Rob, I think we’re going to call it.

If you still have rising concerns about…

all that we discussed, I think we should meet together with Ryan and figure this out. ”

Rob scoffed, his hand finding his pockets. “Not much I can do about you now. You weaseled your way into a real superstar’s bed. I’m going to be crucified if I break you two up.”

I took in a sharp breath, finally taking the man in front of me in. I barely controlled a sneer.

“You were going to trade me?” I swallowed hard. “Regardless of how well I did, you were going to get rid of me for someone peppier?”

Rob ignored the words, though, staring up at the two of us in disgust. He shook his head. “Your panties must be made of gold to convince King to?—”

“I’m going to bury him,” I heard Ira say from behind me, and again he was charging. I tried to stand before him again, but he gently set me aside and continued on his way. In front of us, Rob backed away, stumbling.

“Ira!” I called, stern and serious. I never imagined ever having to yell at him, but he was being irrational and crazy. My tone was enough to slow him as he glanced over his shoulder at me. So I kept my voice hard and commanding as I said, “Locker room, now . ”

He considered ignoring me, his shoulders already turning as he moved to continue toward Rob.

I damn near growled. “ Right now, I .”

He paused, standing still for a few beats before he cursed and started back toward his locker room. He had to pass Rob to get there, and I held my breath as he slowed his gait and leaned down to say something that had Rob’s face souring before bumping his shoulder hard and continuing on his way.

Silence fell over us in the hall. Rob watched me in hatred and disgust while I tried to sift through all that had just transpired.

Finally, I could only bring myself to say the first thing that came to mind.

No politics, no niceties, nothing to tint the blatant uncurling this encounter had just done.

“You should leave, Rob,” I said.

“It’s my stadium.”

I shook my head. “No. It’s his.”

He must finally have realized he was on thin ice here because, with a huff and a grumble, he said a curt “Goodnight” before turning and walking out.

I didn’t go to Ira right away. I wanted to. I wanted him to take away this sudden whir of feeling that had taken over my entire body ever since Rob finally admitted that he wanted me gone, win or lose, but my legs refused to move.

Years of work. Years of building the blocks of a good team, the blocks of a life somewhere. And just when I was finally finding something else to look forward to, someone else , it was being taken away.

I felt sick. I let myself feel sick, if only for a few minutes.

I did it there because I didn’t want to do it in front of Ira.

I’d fallen apart in front of him countless times, and he’d wasted no time in picking me back up.

But I suspected if he was unsettled enough to break his charming, laid-back exterior in front of a near stranger, he was the one who could use some holding together right that second.

And with all he’d done for me, I could do that for him.

I just needed a minute. A minute to wrap my head around my sudden reality.

I sank to the cool floor of the concrete tunnel, my hands going up to cover the back of my head. I forced myself to breathe deeply, hoping to smooth out any hitches.

All this time, Ira was trying to get me to see that life was more than just basketball. It must have gotten through to me at some point because, as I curled into myself, feeling the world caving in on me, it wasn’t basketball I was dreading losing—it was everything else.

It was him .

It took ten minutes, but finally I was sliding into the open door of the men’s locker room in search of my guy.

I didn’t have to search long. Almost as soon as I stepped foot inside the door, he was on me.

My face in his hands, my lips under his.

I latched onto his wrists as he bracketed my cheeks, moaning slightly into his rough kiss.

He pushed forward, and my back pressed against the wall, my mouth opening slightly and his tongue diving right in.

The way he kissed me wasn’t slow, sweet, or soft.

It was frantic and needy and almost punishing.

He took me and consumed me. If I didn’t know him well, I would think he was being possessive.

He sure had that streak in him, but he wasn’t.

His hands shook slightly, his breath racking, and I knew. I just knew that his heart wasn’t okay.

Pulling away just enough that there was space to breathe under him, I whispered, “I’m sorry.”

His breath hitched and I knew I hit the right nerve. Giving him another softer kiss, I rubbed soothing circles into his wrists with my thumbs. I pressed my forehead into his. I gave him all the comfort I possessed in my body as I whispered again, “I’m sorry, Ira.”

“You didn’t tell me he was like that,” he said.

“He’s never been that bad,” I said truthfully, but immediately dismissed that conversation. “And that’s not important, Ira. You’re shaking .”

“I’m pissed, Six,” he said through his teeth. With a ragged suck of air, he tried to breathe. It was shaken at best. “And I’m terrified.”

“Of what?” I asked, wishing he would just let me wrap my arms around him. Let me comfort him. But he wouldn’t. Trying to move his hands away from my face was like trying to pry entangled steel apart.

“Of losing you,” he shuttered.

“What?”

“He doesn’t like you. He wants you gone,” he said. “And if he gets what he wants, I lose everything I want.”

I tried to say the right thing, but my breath halted on the words. Different ones rushed up to the surface to replace them. “You don’t want me to leave? Even if it was better for my career?”

This had always been a possibility. Tough year or not, there had been other teams trying to recruit me from Denver since my very first season.

I stayed because I’d always wanted a home base, somewhere I could call mine.

Even though we weren’t the best in the league and I wasn’t even getting paid the most I probably could be, I stayed.

Ira must have known this too. He wasn’t dumb, and he’d been in this industry long enough to know the writing on the wall.

His laugh was bitter, not an ounce of humor in it. “I don’t think you should do any of your tests on me right now, Mer. I won't pass.”

“It’s not a test,” I said softly.

“I want you anywhere I am, Merit,” he downright growled.

“I barely want to drop you off at home when I have to. I sure as hell don’t want you away from me in another city.

And I’m sorry if that’s the exact wrong thing to say right now.

I’m just shocked by the way he talked to you.

How you let him talk to you. If that goes on much longer, he’s going to take you from me, and I didn’t know it was like that ?—”

“Okay, shh,” I said. I stopped trying to pull him away and instead closed my eyes as I melted into him.

Probably the opposite of what I should be feeling at the moment, my heart bloomed. The entire thing felt as if it was opening and surrounding Ira as I pulled him into my body, my soul , and made him mine.

Raising to my toes, I kissed him again and again until his breathing steadied. I rubbed his arms. “Shh, I. It’s alright.”

“You’re not mad?” he asked.

“I'm not.”

“I'm sorry I’m being so selfish,” he said.

I shook my head. I didn't know what to say other than I understood. Long ago, I started wanting to covet all of Ira’s time and attention to myself.

I think before I even knew what I felt for him, I’d wanted that.

And in all that same time, Ira had done nothing but want the best for me.

The neatest and most cordial for me. He’d never let an ounce of selfishness slip from his lips. Until now.

Now I knew he wanted me no matter what. When he wanted to protect me at the expense of his career.

When he wanted our love, or soon to be that, in place of anything else.

Deep, deep down, past all the things he knew were right and all the feeling he knew he was supposed to give me, he wanted me in the most basic way.

He wanted me to be his, by his side, at all costs.

It set my heart on fire. Burning like a hearth in my chest as I held onto him.

Trying to convey the feelings that I couldn't yet form into words, I showed him with my movements.

I kissed him again and ran my fingers through his hair.

I held onto the back of his neck as I pressed my body as close to him as I possibly could .

He melted around me, holding onto me tight, his face in my neck, his arms like strong cables around my back. Tethering us, tethering our hearts, our lives, and our intentions.

He held me like I was threatening to get away when really I was right there. I would be right there. I’d make sure of it.

There was no place I’d rather be than there with this man.