Places in My Heart Read online

  “Thanks, Mal.”

  Omar returned, and he and Malcolm shared a one-arm hug. “What’s up, man?”

  “I see you have a new agent,” Malcolm said. “I hope it works out.”

  Staring down at Morgan, he said, “I’m counting on it.”

  Malcolm chuckled, and Morgan cut him a quick look.

  “Looks like they’re about to serve dinner. I’ll see you guys later.”

  Over dinner, conversation flowed around the table. Morgan learned that the center’s focus would be to provide services for veterans. She thought that was a great idea and made a mental note to mention it to her father. As veterans, he and Uncle Thad would more than likely want to pledge their support. After dinner, Bryson stepped up to the microphone and thanked everyone for attending. He provided detailed information on the center’s goals and what they needed in the way of funding.

  “I’d like to take credit for this dynamic project, but I can’t,” Bryson continued. “That honor belongs to our keynote speaker and the center’s founder, Omar Drummond.” Applause sounded throughout the ballroom.

  Morgan gasped and swung her surprised gaze to Omar. “You’re the... Why didn’t you tell me?” she whispered.

  Omar shrugged, stood and made his way to the podium. “Thanks, Bryce. And thank you all for coming.”

  He turned his serious gaze toward the audience, and Morgan was held spellbound as he spoke about the limited and often difficult-to-access services for the country’s veterans. Omar then shared how his best friend, suffering from PTSD, committed suicide six months after being discharged from the Army. Tears filled her eyes while she listened to him talk about his older brother suffering from the same disease and its effects on his wife and children.

  Omar finished by saying, “Our servicemen and servicewomen have given everything, including their lives, to protect our freedom. It’s about time we returned the favor.”

  The room erupted in applause, and Morgan was on her feet with everyone else. When he came back to the table, it was all she could do not to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him. She settled for a gentle pat on his arm. She leaned toward him. “You were absolutely amazing.”

  “That means a lot coming from you, Morgan. Thanks.”

  They were only a breath apart. If either of them moved... Luckily someone came over and claimed Omar’s attention. Morgan reached for her glass of water and took a big gulp. Many more people came over to congratulate him, and he introduced Morgan as he had all evening.

  A few minutes later, the music started and people took to the dance floor. She nodded in time to the beat and smiled at a few people who were really letting loose. She turned back and found Omar staring at her with an intensity that made her heart rate speed up.

  “Stop looking at me like that. You’re going to make it hard for people to believe I’m just your agent.”

  “Looking at you like what?”

  “Like I’m your favorite dessert and you can’t wait to gobble me up.”

  “You just might be,” he murmured.

  Morgan blinked.

  He picked up his water goblet and took a sip. “And for the record, I never gobble up my dessert. I take my time, one spoonful at a time, and savor every delectable morsel. A great dessert should never be rushed.”

  To the casual observer, they might have been discussing the weather. His features remained neutral, but his words were hot enough to melt a heavy-gauge steel goalpost. Morgan usually had a comeback for everything, but this man had left her breathless...and speechless. “Um... I need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” She nearly jumped from her chair, and he smoothly came to his feet to help her up. Their bodies touched and she stifled a moan. Pretending to be impervious to his touch, she smiled and made her way to the nearest exit. Of all the football players in the league, why did her first shot at her dream have to be with the one man who affected her like no other?

  Chapter 6

  Omar drained the water in his glass and refilled it from one of the pitchers that had been placed on the table. He had promised himself that he was going to keep his desire for Morgan under wraps. It wasn’t a good look, especially for someone who’d basically told her he wasn’t eager to get his heart broken again. And it didn’t help that nearly every man in attendance couldn’t take his eyes off her. Each time he introduced her and somebody held her hand longer than politeness dictated or lingered over her shapely body, Omar had been tempted to punch the man.

  But from the moment she opened the door to him, he’d been fighting a losing battle. And that dessert comment only heightened the growing passion between them. Omar wanted to taste and savor every inch of her. A vision of her body bared for his pleasure made him instantly hard. He groaned inwardly, picked up the glass and drained its contents. He tried to focus on something, anything that would extinguish the fire in his groin.

  He turned when a hand touched his shoulder, and he smiled. Omar came to his feet swiftly and engulfed Serena in a hug. “I didn’t know you were here.”

  Serena reached up to touch his face. “You know I had to come and support you. Rashad told me to tell you how proud he is of you. And so am I.”

  “Thanks, sis,” he said around the lump in his throat.

  She smiled. “Rashad also said that when you get your center up and running, maybe he’d give it a try.”

  “Really? That’s a huge step.” It was the first time his brother had ever voluntarily suggested getting help.

  Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Yes, it is.”

  Omar glanced up in time to see Morgan crossing the floor.

  Serena followed his gaze. “She’s beautiful. New girlfriend?”

  “No. My new agent.”

  A laugh escaped her mouth.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You. She might be your agent, but that’s not all she’ll be.”

  By this time, Morgan had reached them.

  Not waiting for Omar to make introductions, Serena said, “Hi, I’m Serena Drummond, Omar’s sister-in-law. I understand you’re Omar’s new agent.”

  “Morgan Gray. It’s nice to meet you, Serena. And, yes, I’m his agent.”

  Serena divided her gaze between Omar and Morgan and smiled. “Whatever you two say. Morgan, it was great to meet you.” She turned to Omar. “I need to get back home. Congratulations, baby brother.”

  “Thanks for coming. Tell Bri and RJ I’ll be by to take them to lunch sometime next week.”

  “Lord, they’re going to be so excited. You’ve got them so spoiled.”

  Omar laughed. “Hey, that’s what uncles do.”

  Serena shook her head. “Bye, boy.”

  After she left, Morgan said, “She seems nice.”

  “She’s an angel.”

  “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

  “Remember when you came to my house? I told you there’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

  “Yeah. I’m finding that out.”

  “So, it seems we got through the evening pretty well.”

  “Aside from a couple of snippy comments by those two football players.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about them. Once you get my contract squared away, I have a feeling every player around is going to be beating down your door. And they’re going to be sorry they doubted you.”

  Morgan laughed. “That’s right.”

  Omar joined in her laughter. In his peripheral vision he spotted Roland. His smile faded and he muttered a curse.

  She frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “Roland just walked in the door and he doesn’t look happy.”

  “And he’s coming this way.”

  As Morgan stated, Roland made a beeline for them.

  Roland stopped in front
of Omar and waved some papers in his face. “Who the hell do you think you are? You can’t sue me.”

  Omar’s jaw tightened. “Roland, this is not the time or the place.”

  “The time and place are wherever I damn well please. You won’t get away with this. When I get through with you, you won’t be able to get a contract playing Little League.” He turned his hostile gaze on Morgan and chuckled bitterly. “And this is the bitch you replaced me with.”

  Omar took a step. “You—” The blistering look Morgan turned on Omar rendered him instantly silent.

  Morgan fixed her cold, hard stare on Roland and spoke just loud enough for him to hear. “Mr. Foster, Mr. Drummond is now my client, and anything you have to say to him will go through me. You do realize that you just threatened my client in a room full of people. Let me make one thing clear. If I see or hear one libelous or slanderous statement, I will have you in front of a judge so fast you won’t have time to say bitch! Now, is there anything else?”

  Roland looked like he was about to explode, but he didn’t say anything. Giving them one last glare, he stormed off.

  For several seconds, Omar didn’t move or breathe. The frost in her voice had him scared to even think about opening his mouth. It was the most impressive thing he’d ever seen, and his respect for her went up another notch. “Damn, girl,” he whispered in awe. When he’d first approached her about being his agent, Omar admittedly had some reservations about how she would fare in this hard-nosed business. But after witnessing how she had sliced Roland up into little pieces without ever raising her voice, he realized his concerns had been unwarranted.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

  She gave him a faint smile. “I’m fine. I just hope Mr. Foster takes me at my word.”

  “So do I.” He made a mental note to talk to Jaedon before leaving. He couldn’t afford to have any negative press impacting the center. Or his new agent. Contrary to her statement about it being her job to protect him, he had every intention of protecting her, whether she liked it or not.

  * * *

  Morgan was still simmering inside from Roland Foster’s audacity. She’d seen photos of him in the papers, but up close the short afro toupee he sported looked even worse. He had the stocky build of a boxer, but any muscles he might have had were long gone. The man had to be out of his mind to cause a scene and publicly threaten Omar. And when he’d called her that name...it had taken every fiber of her being not to knock that word right out of his mouth. But had she appeared to be in trouble for one instant, Malcolm would have come charging over. Between him and Omar, and the rest of her brothers once they got wind of it, it would have caused a scandal to rival the O. J. Simpson trial. Even as she stood talking with Bryson and a woman on the center’s board, Malcolm kept one eye on her from his position across the room. She would be willing to bet any amount of money that he’d be calling or stopping by her condo tonight to get the details. The woman’s voice pulled her back into the conversation.

  “How long have you been a sports agent, Ms. Gray?”

  “Mr. Drummond is my first client. I currently work as an attorney in my family’s company.”

  “Impressive. On behalf of women everywhere, I applaud you. It’s about time we bring a little diversity to the sports agency world.”

  “And you got the cream of the crop with your first client,” Bryson said.

  “I appreciate the vote of confidence.” In her book, Omar was the cream of the crop in more ways than one.

  A lull in the conversation gave Morgan a chance to take her leave. “If you’ll excuse me, I see my client heading for the exit. It’s been a pleasure meeting you. Good luck with the center.” They shook hands, and she made her way toward Omar.

  Omar smiled as she approached. “Are you ready?” she asked.

  “Whenever you are.” He gestured her forward.

  Jaedon was leaving at the same time. “Hello, Morgan. It’s been a while.”

  “It has. Congratulations on opening your firm,” she said.

  “Thanks. Congratulations to you, too. If you have any questions or if you need anything, let me know.”

  Morgan smiled. Coming from any other man, she might have perceived it as a put-down, but she knew he hadn’t meant it that way. “I’ll do that.”

  “I told him about what Roland did just now,” Omar informed her.

  Jaedon’s lips settled in a grim line. “He’s always been arrogant, but I never thought he was stupid. I have a private investigator friend of mine checking to see what else Roland is involved in. Let me know if he says anything else.”

  “I already let him know what would happen if he pulled another stunt like he did tonight,” Morgan said, getting heated all over again.

  Jaedon nodded. “Good enough, then. I’ll let you two get out of here.”

  After leaving the hotel, they rode the first few minutes in silence. Finally Morgan asked, “Why didn’t you tell me about your role in the center?”

  “I don’t know. You seemed to have an opinion of me already, and I thought I’d let my actions do the talking. I guess I wanted you to understand that there’s more to me than what the media puts out.”

  “I see.” Once again, he’d left her speechless. Not one media outlet had reported on all the good he was doing. Her emotions rose as she remembered how he had shared experiences about his friend and his brother.

  “Actually, that was the other reason I decided to clean up my act—not like it was that bad in the first place.” He slanted her an amused glance.

  Morgan laughed softly. “Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I think what you’re doing is fabulous and needed. My dad and Uncle Thad will definitely want to contribute since they’re both veterans.”

  “We could use all the help we can get. I want to be able to offer a variety of services that don’t revolve around medication—retreats with peers, ways to help them understand their new normal, family counseling—and address mind, body and soul.”

  His passion was infectious, and she found herself getting excited and wanting to do all she could to help. “You said ‘I.’ Do you plan to work at the center?”

  “Eventually.”

  “Doing what?”

  “As one of the clinical psychologists.”

  Morgan shifted in her seat to face him. “You’d need a doctorate in psychology in order to practice.”

  “I have a BS in psychology. I had planned to start applying to some doctorate programs before this mess with Roland. Now I’ll probably wait until my contract is settled.”

  “Since we’re talking about your contract, how many more years are you looking to play ball?”

  “I’d like to get at least four, which is what management has offered. Roland was pushing me to go for six. Said I needed to get as much money up front as I could so I wouldn’t be broke later.” Omar snorted. “Probably more like so he could get as much money up front.”

  “Well, rest assured he won’t get one more dime of your money. Ideally, Jaedon will be able to help you recover what he took. I assume you have a financial advisor.”

  “Yeah. I don’t spend recklessly or waste my money on women and parties. I did offer to buy my parents a house early in my career, though.” He chuckled.

  “I take it by that laugh it didn’t go too well.”

  “You take it right. My mother walked me through every inch of the twenty-five-hundred-square-foot, four-bedroom house that I grew up in, then planted her hands on her hips and asked me, ‘Does it look like we need a new house?’”

  Morgan burst out laughing. “Sounds like something my mother would say.”

  “Oh, she didn’t stop there. What I didn’t realize is that I’d opened up the floodgates to a lecture on financial and personal responsibility that lasted almos
t two hours.” Omar shook his head. “I haven’t asked her another question since, and that was five years ago.”

  Morgan laughed so hard she thought she was going to hurt herself.

  He smiled. “I’m glad you think it’s so funny.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. “Well, did you listen?”

  “Hell, yeah. And if you ever meet my mama, you’ll see why. Once she actually had my dad drive her over to my house to make sure I hadn’t lied about how many cars I own. For the record, I have only two—this one and my truck. Although I do have a motorcycle, too.”

  “You do?” she asked with excitement.

  “Let me guess. You ride?”

  “Just Malcolm’s sometimes.”

  “I could take you riding if you want.”

  She shouldn’t even have been contemplating going riding with this man, but she loved the way the wind felt on her face, the way the bike hugged the curves on the road. “We’ll see.” Silence crept between them and before she knew it, they were pulling into her complex. Morgan used the remote on her key ring to open the gate, and Omar parked in one of the visitors’ spots. He walked her to the door and waited while she unlocked it.

  Standing just inside, Morgan faced him. “So, I think things went pretty well tonight, aside from the one hiccup.”

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  She waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. I told him what he needed to know. Will you be available next weekend to talk about the contract?”

  “I had planned to go up to my cabin in Big Bear. I do it yearly to clear my mind before the new season.”

  “Oh,” She understood. Malcolm usually did the same thing and had just returned from Belize a few weeks ago. “I guess it can wait. You need to have a clear head. We’ll figure something out.”

  Omar nodded. “Okay. I guess I’d better get going.”

  She saw in his eyes that he didn’t want to leave, and she could admit to herself that she didn’t want him to go. He’d removed his jacket and tie and unbuttoned the first two buttons on his shirt. The man was sexy without even trying. He moved closer, then seemingly remembered the rules she’d set in place and stepped back.