Free Defensive Zone (The Dartmouth Cobras #2) by Bianca Sommerland Page A

had signed the contract made no
difference. She had the legal right to sign anything she
wanted.
    Revenge? He tapped his fingers on the
contract and discarded the idea. Silver had snuck out early,
leaving a short note assuring him she'd 'had fun', promising to
return of his shirt as soon as she had it dry-cleaned. Impersonal
and straightforward. What had passed between them was nothing but a
one-night-stand.
    Not his first, but . . . damn. No
woman had ever made him feel so thoroughly used.
    Mentally putting the thought on ice, Dean
focused on the problem at hand. Anthony Delgado had meddled in team
affairs more than most owners, but even he rarely went against his
advisors. Emotion based decisions could usually be put off until he
was in the right mind to see reason.
    Why the hell had Dean thought Silver would be
as easy to handle? He should have anticipated her unpredictable,
self-indulgent attitude. Had he really been stupid enough to
believe she'd demurely sit in her father's office and wait for Dean
to make decisions for her?
    Actually, he'd expected to have to hunt her
down and coax her into accepting the barest minimum of her
responsibilities. She didn't really care about the team. For years
she'd been oblivious to it.
    Anthony had thrust his Judas child into the
deep end to fend for herself. She couldn't be more unprepared for
the task at hand. But she hadn't run away—from her father anyway.
Not that it mattered. He had to concentrate on her motives.
    She's doing this for 'Daddy'. She wants to
prove herself.
    Too fucking bad. He refused to let her run his team into the ground with idiotic moves like this.
    He lifted the contract and handed it to
Bolleau, needing it out of his sight. "File this. And contact
Demyan's agent. I expect him at training camp by Wednesday morning.
Fax him the schedule."
    "Yes, Mr. Richter." Relief smoothed the
deepest wrinkles from Bolleau's face. "I will be in my office if
you need me."
    "That's fine." Dean's jaw ticked and he
clenched his fist to maintain his controlled demeanor. For just a
few moments longer. "You may go."
    As soon as Bolleau closed the door behind
him, Dean shot to his feet and swept all the contents from his
desk, barely stifling a roar between his teeth. His muscles jumped
under his flesh and his pulse beat at his skull. He pressed his
hands to his desk and hauled air into his burning lungs.
    Get a grip, Richter. He nodded as
though the words had been spoken out loud by another—perhaps his
mother who'd had the makings of a Domme, who'd run her polyamorous
household the way a general would run an army barrack. Even her
'alpha' lovers had bowed to her efficient rule of the household.
When she'd said 'Come here' the children marched into her
presence.
    Assured of his control, he left his office
and headed to Delgado's. He threw the door open without knocking
and glanced dismissively at Asher, Silver's lover and apparent
co-conspirator. "Get out."
    "Hey, you." Silver took one look at his face
and frowned. "All right, is this how it's gonna be? Fine. But just
so you know, Asher is the president, so he outranks you. And this
is my office."
    "The president? I assume you didn't know I
already hold that position along with that of the general manager
of this team?" Dean arched a brow at her confused expression and
shook his head. "You really need to hide behind him?"
    "Hide?" She let out a sharp laugh. "From who?
You? Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
    You should be. He almost voiced the
words, but decided against it. This was business. "We're not at the
club, Silver. I was hoping we could be professional about
this."
    "But . . . after last night." A flush spread
over her cheeks. "So you won't touch me?"
    "No. I won't touch you." His nostrils flared.
Egotistical little bitch. Did she seriously believe he'd come here
as a jilted lover? " Last night is irrelevant."
    She blinked and gave her head a tiny shake.
"Irrelevant? Then why are you—"
    "I'm going to get us some lunch,