Coach Daddy (Dark Daddies 3)

We finish with the training room. He pokes his head in and gestures at the whirlpools. “I need one of these,” he says.

“Oh, yeah? You an athlete?”

“Run,” he grunts. “Lots of running.”

“Huh.” I frown. Runners are usually skinny. He’s not skinny.

Atlas cocks his head, like he’s listening for something. I watch him as he turns to me, a smile on his face. “Who’s that?” he asks.

I follow his gaze and spot Leah. My heart leaps into my throat.

She’s helping one of the tight ends from a tub. He’s laughing as she says something to him, but I can’t hear. They’re at the far end of the room.

“That’s one of the trainers,” I say. “I can’t remember her name.”

“Hm. I’d like to know it,” Atlas says. “She looks very… competent.”

I bite back a retort. He’s my fucking boss. He can say shit like that.

“I’m sure she’s good,” I allow. “If you want to finish up?”

He glances at me. “I came here for a reason, Wood.”

I stop in my tracks. Now he’s going to say it, and I can feel worry in my chest.

“We’re spending a lot,” he says, watching Leah again. “Much more than we budgeted for.”

I grunt in recognition. “Starting a team from scratch is difficult. Spending will go down as we settle in.”

“Settle in faster, Wood. And make sure we win some games.”

I clench my jaw. “We will.”

“That’s not what the pundits say.”

“Fuck ESPN.”

He laughs softly. “I thought you’d feel that way.”

Assholes. The media’s been ripping into our team from the start, probably because we’re located in such an odd place.

Nobody believes in us, but I don’t care.

They say we’re working with the dregs of the NFL, with undrafted guys, young guys, guys that are too old. Some of that’s true, we do have a lot of veterans on the team.

But I did that on purpose. They’re teaching the young guys how to play at their level. Maybe physically the vets aren’t there anymore, but they still know the tricks.

“I’m building a dynasty here,” I say softly.

That gets Atlas’s attention. “Are you now?”

“They don’t see it. I was told I was wasting my time at Monray, but you know what? Here I am, four title rings sitting at my damn apartment.”

He smiles at me enigmatically. “That’s true.”

“I’ll win you some games. More every season.”

He laughs. “I expect you will.”

“You brought me in for a reason. Are you really here to tell me you’re worried about money?”

He hesitates for a moment, but finally shakes his head. “No. I’m putting my trust in you, Wood.”

“Good. You need to. Otherwise, this partnership isn’t going to work.”

He sighs. I can see the edges on him, the stress eating away at him.

He glances one more time at Leah before turning away. “Submit a report to me every day,” he says as he walks away from the training room, back toward the main building. “I want to be on top of what’s happening here.”

I ball my fists. “If that’s what you want.”

He glances back. “I do trust you. But I made my money by being a part of what I was doing. I want to know what’s going on here.”

I nod once. I don’t need some eccentric rich kid breathing down my neck the whole time… but he is the money, and without him, we’re nothing.

I can play nice. Or at least I can try.

“Every day,” he repeats.

“It’ll get done.”

“Good. Send it to my personal email, please. I’m sick of getting hard copies of shit.”

He grins at me, we shake hands, and he leaves through the back. I stand there and sigh as he goes.

I don’t like that he was staring after Leah. I really, really don’t like that. There are a lot of women working for me, why did he have to single her out?

But I know the answer to that. She’s beautiful. She’s alluring. He can’t help himself.

Just like I can’t help it.

I turn away, walking back toward my office. I pass Leah and the tight end walking together through the hall. She’s dwarfed by him, but my eyes are still drawn to her.

I want her so badly it hurts. I want to crush her, take her, make her feel things. I want to feel things for the first time in a long time.

I nod to her as we pass. She smiles.

It lights up my insides, and for a second, even the prospect of writing a report to my boss doesn’t seem so bad.

Distractions, problems. It’s all threatening this brand-new team. If I’m not careful, it could come spinning apart.5LeahFelix flexes a little bit as I walk toward him in the locker room. “Hey, trainer girl. How am I lookin’?”

I grin at him. Felix is tall, muscular, handsome. I know a lot of girls are into him, especially Tessa. “Great as always, Felix.”

“That’s what I thought.” He laughs and sits down on the bench. “I’m feeling good today.”