Fighting For You (The Connor Family #5) Read online

  Fighting For You

  Jace & Brooke ~ The Connor Family

  Layla Hagen

  Dear Reader,

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  ***

  Fighting For You

  Copyright © 2019 Layla Hagen

  Cover: Uplifting Designs

  Cover Photography: Nicole Ashley

  Fighting For You

  Copyright ©2019 Layla Hagen

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Epilogue

  Book 7 in the series: Your Fierce Love

  Book 8: Your One True Love

  Standalone USA TODAY BESTSELLER | Withering Hope

  Chapter One

  Jace

  “Uncle Jace, can we do the step-over again?”

  “Buddy, we don’t have time. If we’re late, your mom will kick my—” I’d been about to say ass but caught myself just in time.

  “It’s okay. I know you wanted to say ass. I’m a big boy now. I’m nine years old.”

  “Yeah, but Lori will kick more than my ass if she hears me cursing around you.”

  Milo grinned. “But you always tease Mom.”

  “I know, but here’s a secret. I choose my battles. It’s a very important lesson.”

  As a pro soccer player, and as Milo’s uncle, I was very proud that he shared my love for the game. He’d watched my team practice, and after it was over, he insisted I show him a few moves in more detail. I was always up for training him, but today we didn’t have much time. Management had called a meeting, and I couldn’t be late, and Lori wanted to take Milo to dinner.

  She was waiting for us in front of the locker rooms, smiling.

  “What are you two so smug about?” she inquired.

  “Can’t we have our secrets?” I countered, throwing Milo a furtive glance.

  “Uh-uh. Secrets usually mean you’re up to no good.”

  “Not this time,” Milo chimed in.

  She watched us suspiciously but didn’t press. “Well, we have to get going. See you on Friday.”

  After they left, I headed to the shower, then upstairs with my teammates.

  “Any clue what this is about? Graham mention anything at Friday dinner?” My fellow forward Levi asked.

  I shook my head. “Nothing.”

  Levi eyed me skeptically. Ever since the owner of our soccer club, Graham Frazier, had married my sister Lori, my teammates had constantly asked for insider information. Graham and I never talked shop during the family’s weekly Friday dinner. Those were for catching up with all my siblings and showing Milo new moves.

  The headquarters of the LA Lords was in the building next to the stadium. Our gym was on the lower level. Management offices were on the upper floors.

  After we all sat down at the oval table in the meeting room, Graham walked in with Tina, our VP of business operations, and a very pretty blonde I’d never seen before. She was wearing a simple black dress with a wide belt around her waist, and her blonde hair was tied up in a bun. She was also wearing black-rimmed, rectangular glasses. They framed her blue eyes beautifully.

  I sat straighter in my chair, paying attention when Graham spoke.

  “Good afternoon, team. Thank you for coming up. I’ll keep this brief. As you know, Bree left last month, and we haven’t been able to find someone new for our sponsorship business development position. I’m confident that Brooke is the perfect fit for us.”

  Brooke gave Graham a small nod, then took one step forward, surveying everyone at the table.

  “I’m Brooke Derringer. The name might ring a bell.” She pointed at the back of the room, where coach Stephen Derringer stood, smiling proudly. “Your coach is my father, but I promise you that’s not why Tina here hired me.”

  I liked that she took the bull by the horns and addressed this directly, even though her boldness earned her several smirks and even a snicker from Henry, our goalkeeper. I cocked a brow at him, and he toned it down. I wasn’t the team’s captain, but I was the most valuable player, and my opinion carried weight.

  “I have seven years of experience in managing and securing sponsorships and endorsement contracts. I believe I can bring a fresh perspective, as well as new opportunities from my contacts.”

  A few of my teammates were smirking again. I was going to have a word with them later. As far as I was concerned, Brooke seemed capable, and I trusted Graham’s judgment when it came to hiring. They didn’t need the approval or opinion of the team. The team had two jobs. One: play the best game we could. Two: be on our best behavior so sponsors would flock to us.

  Approving management hires was not on our task list. Frankly, it surprised me that Graham had even called this meeting. New hires usually went unnoticed by the team. I suspected that Brooke had asked for it so that she could clear the air on her kinship with the coach.

  “I promised Graham I’ll keep this short, so I’m just going to walk you through a few things I plan to bring to the table right away. I’m aware that there are already numerous contracts in place, but I have a list of additional sponsors I’d like to approach. I believe it will benefit the team. I would also like to set up one-on-one sessions with each of you, to find out more about you and find additional individual endorsement opportunities. I know that your agents usually deal with your individual contracts, so if you wish, they can participate too. My philosophy is that what helps you personally also helps the team as a whole.”

  I was impressed with her go-getter attitude, and I was looking forward to my one-on-one session with her. Thanks to GQ designating me sexiest soccer player of the year three times in a row, I already had many endorsement contracts. The title brought me unexpected fame, which came with some downsides as well, but I had nothing to complain about.

  GQ’s attention had been sheer luck, but then again, I’d been a lucky guy most of my life. That was not to say that I wasn’t busting my ass and giving the team one hundred percent of my dedication, but I was aware that I would not be here today if the stars had not aligned in my favor.

  It was the middle of July, just past mi
dseason, and we’d had a string of victories. I’d scored the most goals, which had earned me the MVP tag. At twenty-eight, I still had a few good years ahead of me, but careers in pro sports were fickle. You were only as good as your last season, not to mention an injury could prematurely end a career. It was important to book as many marketing gigs as possible while I was riding the wave.

  I was curious what Brooke would come up with. I was trying not to check her out, but I couldn’t help myself. I was sitting at the far end of the oval table, so I had a direct view. The conservative librarian look was smoking hot on her. It made me want to take off those glasses and look closer. How did she look with her hair undone and rumpled? With those pink lips slightly swollen from kissing?

  She turned to scribble the names of potential sponsors on the whiteboard behind her, giving me an excellent view of her ass. I made a concerted effort to focus on her writing.

  As she cleared her throat, turning around, I went back to trying not to check her out. Or more accurately... I went back to trying not to be obvious about it.

  ***

  Brooke

  I looked around the room, inspecting the players’ expressions. I knew I’d encounter some skepticism given that Dad was the head coach, but I was determined to win them over. I wasn’t going to accomplish that in the fifteen minutes we had today, but eventually, I’d prove myself and build credibility.

  Dad had wanted to tell the team himself, but I insisted on holding this meeting. I preferred to gauge everyone’s reactions myself. I’ve always been too stubborn for my own good. My sister lovingly mocked me for that.

  When this opportunity came up, I simply couldn’t say no. I loved a new challenge, and unfortunately, I couldn’t remain at my old workplace.

  Dad caught my eye and winked. I knew how proud he was, how happy I’d made him when I accepted this position.

  “A sports gear company in Washington is looking for a soccer team to showcase their new line. I will send you all an email as soon as we conclude this meeting. Inside, you will find all the details. Take your time and think about it, discuss it among yourselves. If you’re interested, I will move forward with it. As far as logistics are concerned, you would all have to fly out of town for two days for a photo shoot, but I already checked the game calendar, and we could schedule it during the break after your away game in Texas.”

  A few players nodded, even as their eyes widened. They were clearly surprised that I was moving so quickly, but no one had time to waste. Also, I knew that coming up with an example during the first meeting went a long way in establishing my expertise, not only with the team but also Graham and my direct boss, Tina.

  “Any questions?”

  “Some of us already have contracts with other sports gear companies. Would that be a problem?” Jace Connor asked.

  “I took the liberty of reviewing the contracts you have as a team and consulted your agents for your individual contracts, and while you have noncompete clauses, this opportunity wouldn’t go against it since this is catalog only.”

  Jace smiled appreciatively. I smiled back, then pried my gaze off him, moving on to the rest of the players. I wasn’t supposed to have favorites, but everyone had weaknesses, right?

  With light brown hair and green eyes, Jace Connor was by far the sexiest of all. The team posed for a calendar each year in various states of undress. I might have kept the January page (Jace’s month) up after the thirty-first, but I bet so did half of California. He’d been shirtless. I almost couldn’t believe he was as attractive in person as on the calendar, or the screen. I easily understood why GQ had designated him sexiest soccer player.

  He was also possibly a heartbreaker if Twitter was to be believed, which could go either way with sponsors. Some loved associating their brand with a bad boy, but most shied away from it. In my experience, they were right to do so. Bad boys usually attracted scandals. But Jace hadn’t been involved in anything major during all his years with the Lords. In any case, I couldn’t wait to work with him. I told them more about the opportunity in Washington.

  “Any other questions?” I asked after I gave a lengthy answer about noncompete clauses. My gaze flew to Jace again almost of its own volition. He spoke up, flashing that killer smile.

  “Sounds great to me. Where do I sign up?”

  Chapter Two

  Jace

  Friday dinners had been a fixture in our family for years. My oldest sister Valentina had started the tradition after Will, the second-oldest of the family, turned eighteen and moved out. Once I arrived at her house, I went straight to the kitchen and kissed her cheek.

  “Sister, this smells great. As usual.”

  My sister was the best cook I knew. I’d been of that opinion as a kid, and it hadn’t changed as an adult, even after testing many restaurants.

  “Where are your girls?” I asked.

  “Raiding my closet.”

  “Of course.”

  “Hey! I have great fashion sense. Of course the girls want to take advantage of it.”

  Val’s fiancé had two nieces they were raising together. Peyton was seven. April was fifteen and already sharing Val’s shopaholic tendencies. After annoying Val by stealing a piece of cake, I skidded out to the backyard. Milo was already stretching. We practiced right until Lori came to inform us that everyone had arrived, and then we headed inside.

  Our Friday dinners were loud and crazy, and I loved them. We were six siblings, so I’d grown up in a big household where a third of the inhabitants (usually Hailey and me) was up to no good most of the time. I was the youngest, and Hailey was just two years older than me. Lori was the middle sister, and Will had always considered himself part of the older group, which I supposed he was since Val and Landon were twins. After our parents passed away, the two of them raised the rest of us.

  They’d both received scholarships to Harvard and dropped out to return to LA and take over Dad’s pub as well as claim responsibility for all of us. I had only been nine at the time, so my memories were fuzzy, but even though I’d missed Mom and Dad greatly, I’d also started to consider Val and Landon as my parents. Even now, I felt more at home in Val’s house than my own.

  “You’ve bought a new table,” I commented as we all sat down.

  “Well, the old one was getting too small,” Val said.

  Our family had grown a lot over the past few years.

  “I’ll need a bigger living room once you two get hitched up,” Val said jokingly, pointing between Hailey and me. We were the only single Connors left.

  I caught Will’s eye.

  “Bet Hailey will get there first,” Will said.

  I shook my head. “Oh, come on, man. I was going to bet the same thing. I need you to bet against me.”

  “I’ll do you a solid and bet you’ll get there first,” Hailey said. I grinned. Our betting habit had rubbed off on our sisters.

  Hailey hadn’t told us if she was dating anyone, though she shared more with our sisters, which was fine by me. I’d accidentally eavesdropped on their girl talk a few times, and... that was a little too much detail for me. Plus, I was well aware that I could be overprotective of my sisters, and they were all adults. They didn’t need me hovering. I just couldn’t help myself.

  I could see Hailey springing on us that she was serious about someone.

  As for me, I liked the way things were, or at least I told myself I did. After the first GQ title came out a few years ago, I became an internet sensation. Then, my fame carried out into the offline world, which was rare. Soccer wasn’t one of the three popular sports in the US, but I wasn’t fooling myself. I’d become known for my looks, not my game.

  In the beginning, I’d rolled along with it. It was fun. I’d always been popular with the ladies, but that had taken popular to a whole new level. I’d relished the attention, taken advantage of it. Somewhere along the way, though, I’d realized that my newfound fame was attracting a lot of people who weren’t interested in me, just in how they
could benefit by hanging around with me. I was tired of that. Still, I couldn’t see myself settling down anytime soon.

  “Jace, I got the stills from the last photo shoot today but forgot to forward them to you. They’re fantastic. I think half the girls in my office are a bit in love with you,” Val said.

  “Nah, they just like me shirtless.”

  “Thanks for agreeing to that, by the way.”

  “You know me. I take off my shirt for the calendar or my sister’s campaigns.”

  Val ran a very successful cosmetics and fragrance company, and I was featured in a few of her ads. It was the first time Val had asked me for anything, and it hadn’t even occurred to me to say no. I’d probably do whatever Val wanted me to do.

  “And speaking of people who like you shirtless, Leta keeps talking about you.”

  Yeah, that was one thing I didn’t want to do. Go out with Leta.

  “Val, I thought you considered me too much of a heartbreaker to go out with any of your friends. I think I liked that way of thinking better.”

  Val pouted. Hailey laughed, and so did Lori, but I could tell she was one hundred percent behind the idea. Our middle sister was a wedding planner, and since neither Val and Carter or Will and his fiancé Paige had set a wedding date, it seemed she was waiting for Hailey or me to suddenly need her services. She was seven months pregnant, but I doubted she’d slow down even with a baby in tow.

  “I admit I was wrong. You’re on your way to becoming an honest man.”

  “Not going out with Leta.”

  I’d met her often enough to know we didn’t have much in common.

  “Be careful with the heartbreaker tag,” Hailey advised. “It could turn and bite you in the ass.”

  I groaned, but Hailey was a PR pro, and I listened to her carefully whenever she gave me advice.

  “Did you find someone to manage the sponsorship contracts?” she looked from me to Graham, who was sitting opposite her.

  “Yes.”

  “You’ve had quite a few personnel changes this year.”

  There had been a changing of the guard at the Lords over the past year. In addition to Bree leaving, our former head of PR, Amber, had also gone on maternity leave. Graham’s father had worked in PR at the club, but Graham had recently opened a restaurant, and his dad now oversaw marketing there.