Pamela Yaye - Games of the Heart

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Up-and-coming celeb manager Sage Collins is ready for the big time. About to land her first big client–a teenager who could be the next Michael Jordan–Sage is determined to make her mark.The immovable object in her way? Marshall Grant, the athlete's father and manager–over six feet of sexy, take-charge ex-military male. No matter. Big-city chick Sage isn't leaving small-town Indiana without a contract–even if she has to seduce Marshall to get it.Sage is all wrong for Marshall. So why is the single father finding the Vegas glam girl so irresistible? Marshall never thought Sage would trade her stilettos for sweats and sneakers, or her thrill-a-minute life for the frigid temps of Indiana. (Maybe the romantic firelit dinner or midnight sleigh rides have something to do with it.) Is the ultimate city girl playing a game neither of them can win? Or are they about to become partners in a new game, where love calls the shots?

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The turbulent roar of the crowd yanked Sage from her thoughts. Candy wrappers rained down on her, cola splashed onto her shoes and popcorn fell like yellow balls of snow.

“What the hell?” Feeling around in her purse, she grabbed a handful of Kleenex tissues, and cleaned the stain from her leather Gucci boots. Have these people lost their damn minds? she wondered, picking kernels out of her hair and tossing them on the ground.

Sage looked up just in time to see a tall, majestic being suspended in midair. Palming the basketball in one hand, he waved off the bug-eyed defender with the other. He dunked the ball with such power, the backboard shook like a leaf in the wind. Fervent applause echoed around the gym, bouncing off the ceiling, the floor and the walls.

Mesmerized, she leaned forward in her seat. Sage didn’t need to look at the back of the kid’s jersey to know this man-child, the future heir to Michael Jordan’s throne, was Khari Grant. She watched him play. He had the speed of Allen Iverson, the athleticism of Kobe Bryant and the grace of an African gazelle. No awkward moves, no misdirected plays, no jogging back on defense. Nothing but no-look passes, long-range jumpers and three-point shots.

Somewhere between a Khari steal and a Khari dunk, Leo returned. “I told you the kid was something special.”

Sage closed her gaping mouth. “I’ve never seen anything like him,” she managed, resurfacing from her trance. “I mean, I’ve watched hundreds of basketball games, trying to do research for us, but I’ve never seen a high school player dominate the court the way he does. And he’s only seventeen. He’ll be invincible in a couple years! Who represents him? In the Know Management? Sports for Life?”

“Neither.”

“That’s weird. Why would he have chosen a smaller, less-known firm?”

“Wrong again. The kid doesn’t have a manager.”

Her head snapped back. “Are you kidding me?”

“I wish I was.” Leo tucked his phone into his suit pocket. “See the big lug sitting at the end of the home team’s bench?”

Sage followed Leo’s gaze. It was the angry brother in plaid. “I had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting him outside. What about him?”

“That’s Khari’s father.”

Staring at him with fresh eyes, Sage reexamined the surly guy she’d met in the hall. Without the scowl, he was a different man. He still needed a gift certificate to a Ralph Lauren boutique, but she noted the defined features of his profile. The nose was straight, the mouth sensuously wide and full and his gaze startlingly intense. Marshall Grant had perfect posture, strong male features, and when he cheered his smile revealed slight dimples. “Are you sure, Leo? He doesn’t look old enough to have a teenage son.”

“He’s thirty-seven.” Pushing his Armani eyeglasses up the bridge of his nose, he lowered his head and his voice. “Marshall knocked up his girlfriend and they got married just before sophomore year of college. They split up when the kid was around ten. Apparently, Roxanne had a drug and alcohol problem and refused to seek help. When Marshall returned from Kuwait, he chose not to reenlist.”

“He served in Kuwait?” she asked, shocked.

“And Bosnia too.”

“Hold up. How do you know so much about him?”

Leo held up his folio. “It’s all in here. Why do you think I was studying the scouting report on the plane? I’ve got to bring my A game if I’m going to convince Marshall Grant that I’m qualified to represent his son.”

“What reverence. You make it sound like this guy is next in line for the throne!”

His smiled fizzled like an Alka-Seltzer tablet in water. “Grant spent five years in the navy before joining the navy’s counterterrorist unit. Since being discharged, he’s had a string of community service jobs and now runs a center for teens at risk.”

Nodding, she considered their ten-second exchange in the hallway. “A glorified truant officer, huh? He’s definitely in the right field.”

“Marshall will be a hard one to crack. He won’t let anyone get within a mile of Khari. He thinks someone’s going to cheat his son.”

Sage laughed. Nudging him playfully with her shoulder, she teased, “You’re not scared of him, are you, boss man?”

“You wouldn’t be laughing if you knew what Khari’s projected net worth will be once he turns pro.” Glancing over his shoulder to ensure no one was listening, he dropped his deep baritone to a whisper. “Fifty million.”

Sage was glad she was sitting down. If she had been standing, she would have tumbled forward and knocked herself unconscious when she hit the gymnasium floor. “Fifty million dollars,” she repeated, her voice rising with excitement. “At your standard twenty-percent fee and agency costs, you stand to make almost three million bucks!”

Licking his lips, he adjusted his crisp marine-blue tie. “You’re quick on your feet, Collins. I haven’t done the math yet, but that sounds about right.”

“Mind if I take a peek at the scouting report?” she asked, swiping the document from his briefcase. While Leo droned on about Khari’s baseline jumper, Sage slowly perused the five-page document. This kid was destined for greatness and she wanted a piece of the action. All she needed was an in. Something to endear her to Khari and his family. Something to help her stand out from all the other agents. Soon, Indianapolis would be crawling with slick-talking managers promising cars, cash and favors. It was imperative she do something while they still had a lead.

Sage raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin tugging at the corner of her lips. There it was in black and white. Her in…

It was something so small, so insignificant, she’d almost missed it. “I can get to Khari,” she announced.

“Right, and I can change water into wine.”

“I’m serious, Leo.”

“What are you going to do? Seduce the kid with your womanly wiles? Forget it, Sage. Leave this to a pro.”

“Are you forgetting that I was the one to sign Hailey Hope, A-Town Boys, and a long list of other up-and-coming teen stars?”

“But that was years ago. You haven’t brought any new clients to the agency in months. And from where I’m sitting, that’s bad for business.”

The sting of his retort cut like a blade. Leo was right. There was a time when she was the celebrity manager to watch. But these days Sage just didn’t have it in her to schmooze. Traveling between Vegas and L.A. on a weekly basis was taxing, and although it was only an hour flight, it cut into her workday. Keeping her existing clients happy was difficult enough without the added pressure of having to court other celebrities; but all that was about to change. Signing the next basketball phenom would catapult her into the spotlight, and it wouldn’t be long before other superstar athletes were beating down her office door.

“Give me a week.”

Leo raised his eyebrows. “You think you can sign Khari Grant in seven days?”

“Maybe less, but I didn’t want to sound overconfident—even though I am.”

“Sorry, Sage, I can’t do it. You mess this up and there goes my million-dollar commission. I’ll handle this one myself, but the next case is all yours.”

“Please, Leo. I’m begging you. My career needs this. Hell, I need this.”

His answer was a firm “no.”

“Like I said, I’ll see to it that the next client who signs on at the agency belongs to you.”

Low-spirited but convinced she could successfully expand into the sports market, Sage searched for the right words. Her sharp mind and boundless creativity had been her springboard to success and would one day help make Sapphire Agency the best in the business. “What if I sweetened the deal? If, I mean, when, I sign Khari, I’ll split the commission with you.”

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