The Other Side

“To be honest, when I discovered you were dating Henson I was surprised Kim tolerated it.”

“How do you mean?”

“Kim’s part of the Aryan nation. I thought you knew.”

“She’s a racist?” Charli stared at him, her expression saying she clearly had no idea. “She never said any racist things to me. Although she called me a ni**er bi*ch when I caught her fu*king Andy but she looked stoned out of her mind.”

“She’s smart. If people know she’s a neo-Nazi she loses clients. No one wants to be linked to that.”

“So how do you know about it?”

“She tried to take me on a few years ago when she retired and first started out. But I already had an agent, Stephen. He’s my entire management and coaching team and we’ve known each other for years. I wouldn’t drop him for anything.” Mark rubbed at the back of his neck. “Plus I do my research on people who try to endorse me or whatever, just so I’m not being taken for a ride. That can happen. She was a very private person when she was a player so nobody found out about her loyalties.”

Charli listened to this in silence. Mark could see her mulling things over in her mind. She grunted.

“It’s amazing you can hide something like that when the Nazis are so out there and make their feelings known.”

“As I said a moment ago, and I hate to say it, Kim is smart.”

“Well, she can have him.” Charli shook her head. “I’m done being taken for an idiot.”

“You’re smart to get out of there.” Mark meant it. “No one should take that from anyone.”

He knew it wasn’t a good idea but he reached out and placed his hand on her neck, giving it a gentle squeeze. Her skin felt soft, her hair smooth against his fingers. Charli moaned and closed her eyes, tilting her head back as Mark gently rubbed his thumb across her neck.

This felt too good. Mark knew he should pull his hand back before something happened that they would regret – hell, she had literally just broken up with Andy and was still torn up about it – but he couldn’t stop touching her.

Mark chuckled.