Lena Hayes was already regretting this.
It was 5:58 a.m. two full minutes before the agreed time and Jaxon Cole was nowhere to be seen.
She stood alone on the edge of the court at Empire Stadium, the massive arena empty and hollow in the early morning light. Her sneakers scuffed against the polished hardwood as the faint hum of the air conditioning filled the silence.
This is a mistake.
She should have walked away.
Should have shut down that text thread the second Jaxon slid into her messages.
Should have known better than to let some billionaire heir with perfect cheekbones and a dangerous smile get under her skin.
Instead, she was here standing beneath the cold glow of the stadium lights waiting.
Lena sighed, stretching her arms overhead, feeling the tension coil beneath her muscles. She was dressed in black compression shorts and a loose workout tank, her braids pulled into a tight bun at the base of her neck.
She didn't know what Jaxon wanted to accomplish with this little "training session" but if he thought she was going to play nice, he was in for a rude awakening.
Three more minutes.
If he didn't show by six, she was out.
Footsteps echoed from the far tunnel.
Lena's breath tightened.
Jaxon emerged from the shadows, dressed in a fitted gray athletic shirt and black joggers. His blonde hair was pushed back, and the low lights of the stadium glinted off the sharp line of his jaw. He looked far too calm, far too controlled for someone showing up two minutes late.
He carried a basketball under one arm.
"You're late," Lena said.
Jaxon's mouth curved. "I'm exactly on time."
Lena folded her arms. "No. You're late."
Jaxon's eyes swept over her. "Good. You're already fired up."
"I'm not here to play games, Cole."
"Good," Jaxon said. "Neither am I."
He bounced the ball once. The echo of rubber on wood reverberated through the empty stadium.
Jaxon's gaze sharpened. "Let's make a deal."
Lena's brow arched. "Oh, I can't wait to hear this."
Jaxon stepped toward her, closing the space between them. His eyes gleamed beneath the low lights.
"One-on-one," Jaxon said. "First to eleven."
Lena's brows furrowed. "What's the catch?"
"If I win," Jaxon said, "you let me take you to dinner."
Lena's pulse spiked. "Excuse me?"
Jaxon's smile sharpened. "You heard me."
"And if I win?"
Jaxon's eyes darkened. "You get to walk away from this, no strings. No deals. No more interference."
Lena's jaw tightened. "And if I don't agree?"
Jaxon's smile turned wolfish. "Then you'll always wonder."
Lena's blood heated dangerously. He was baiting her and worse, it was working.
"You think you can beat me?" Lena said.
"I know I can."
Lena's eyes flashed. "Cocky move for someone who's never seen me play."
Jaxon's gaze darkened. "I've seen enough."
Lena's chest rose and fell. Every instinct screamed at her to walk away.
Instead, she extended her hand.
"Game on," Lena said.
Jaxon's eyes gleamed as he handed her the ball.
"Try not to embarrass yourself," Jaxon said.
Lena's mouth curved. "Oh, Cole…" She bounced the ball hard. "You're the one who should be worried."
Lena moved first.
Fast. Precise. Ruthless.
The second the ball hit the floor, she was already in motion, cutting past Jaxon toward the basket.
Jaxon's defense was tight, fast hands, sharp instincts but Lena knew how to read an opponent.
She twisted left, feinted right, and spun beneath his outstretched arm.
She launched the ball.
Swish.
Jaxon's brows lifted. "Lucky shot."
Lena's mouth curved. "Try to keep up, Cole."
Jaxon's smile sharpened. He stepped back, rolling his shoulders. "My turn."
Lena tossed him the ball. Jaxon dribbled once, twice then moved.
Fast.
Lena's eyes widened as Jaxon cut left quick, smooth footwork. She adjusted, closing the gap but Jaxon's shoulder dipped low, and then he was under her arm, the ball flipping from his hand.
Swish.
Lena's eyes flashed.
"One to one," Jaxon said, smile gleaming.
Lena's jaw tightened. "Don't get comfortable."
Jaxon's eyes darkened. "Make me."
Lena surged toward him. She crossed left, spun right but Jaxon was already there. Their bodies collided, heat crashing between them.
Jaxon's hand brushed over her waist as Lena twisted free.
She launched the shot and missed.
Jaxon grabbed the rebound. He stepped back, ball balanced on his fingertips. His gaze slid toward her, sharp and knowing.
"Distraction?" Jaxon murmured.
Lena's breath hitched. "Shut up."
Jaxon smiled. "Make me."
Lena's blood burned beneath her skin.
Jaxon pivoted, cutting toward the basket. Lena followed their bodies brushing in quick bursts of heat.
Jaxon shot.
Swish.
"Two to one," Jaxon said.
Lena's jaw clenched.
Jaxon's eyes glinted. "Maybe I should have raised the stakes."
Lena surged toward him, knocking the ball loose. Jaxon's hands shot out, gripping her hips to steady them both. Their eyes locked.
Jaxon's fingers lingered.
"You play dirty," Jaxon murmured.
Lena's mouth curved. "You have no idea."
She broke free and shot.
Swish.
"Tied," Lena said, breathless.
Jaxon's gaze slid down her mouth and back up. "This is getting interesting."
Lena's pulse hammered. She hated the way her skin burned beneath his touch. Hated the way her body reacted to his nearness.
Jaxon handed her the ball.
"You're good," Jaxon said.
"Better than you," Lena shot back.
Jaxon's smile sharpened. "Prove it."
Lena lunged and Jaxon was right there, his body colliding with hers mid-turn. They both stumbled, Jaxon's arm looping around her waist to steady her as they crashed into the padded wall beneath the basket.
Lena's breath hitched. Her hands flattened against Jaxon's chest, the hard muscle beneath his shirt flexing beneath her touch.
Jaxon's mouth was inches from hers.
His hand stayed on her waist steady. His gaze darkened.
Lena's pulse pounded so hard it blurred the edges of her vision.
Jaxon's eyes dropped to her mouth.
For one charged, reckless second she wanted him to close the distance.
Her fingers curled into his shirt.
Jaxon's lips parted.
And then
"Excuse me?"
Lena ripped back just as Coach Rivera's voice shattered the silence.
Jaxon's gaze lingered on hers for a half-second longer before he turned toward the entrance.
Rivera's arms were crossed. His gaze slid over Lena and Jaxon, sharp as glass.
Lena straightened. "Coach"
"I don't remember approving co-ed training sessions," Rivera said coolly.
Jaxon's smile sharpened. "Relax, Coach. I'm just here for moral support."
Rivera's eyes narrowed. "You're not part of the team, Cole."
Jaxon's smile didn't fade. "Yet."
Lena's mouth opened but Jaxon's hand brushed against hers, lingering just long enough to send heat spiraling through her skin.
Jaxon's eyes glinted. "See you tomorrow, Hayes."
He disappeared through the locker room doors.
Rivera's gaze slid toward Lena. "What the hell are you doing?"
Lena's pulse still hadn't settled.
Neither had the heat in her chest.
"Winning," Lena said.
Rivera's gaze was razor-sharp, slicing through the space between them like a blade.
Lena's pulse was still spiking, her skin still burning from where Jaxon's hands had touched her. She forced herself to straighten, adjusting the hem of her tank top as she met Rivera's hard stare.
"You want to explain why Jaxon Cole is on my court?" Rivera's voice was calm, too calm.
Lena forced her breath to steady. "We were just running drills."
Rivera's gaze narrowed. "Looked like more than drills to me."
Lena's jaw tightened. "It's not what it looks like."
Rivera's mouth thinned. "Really? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're letting some billionaire playboy get into your head."
Lena's spine stiffened. "That's not what this is."
Rivera took a slow step toward her. "You think the scouts care if you're distracted?" His tone sharpened. "You think Kingston's people aren't watching for weakness?"
Lena's mouth flattened. "There's no weakness."
Rivera's eyes darkened. "There will be if you let him inside your head."
Lena's jaw flexed. "I know what I'm doing."
"Do you?" Rivera's gaze sharpened. "Because last time I checked, Cole's family already owns half of this league. If his father's got Kingston in his pocket, that makes you a target."
Lena's chest tightened.
"I'm not backing down," Lena said.
Rivera's eyes flashed. "Then you'd better make sure you know which side Cole's playing for."
Lena's fists curled at her sides. "I don't need a reminder about whose side I'm on."
Rivera's gaze stayed hard and steady. "Good. Because next time I see you and Cole tangled up against the back wall, I won't be asking questions."
Lena's mouth flattened.
Rivera's gaze lingered for a beat longer before he stepped back. "We've got a scrimmage tomorrow at eight. Don't be late."
Lena's muscles tensed beneath her skin. "I'm never late."
Rivera's mouth curved slightly, not a smile before he turned and disappeared down the tunnel.
The echo of his footsteps faded into the silence.
Lena exhaled hard and ran a hand through her braids. Her heart was still pounding but this time, it wasn't because of Rivera.
It was because of Jaxon Cole.
Lena left the stadium and stepped into the cool stretch of early morning air. The city was just waking up, traffic starting to hum beneath the pale gold light bleeding over the Manhattan skyline.
Her phone buzzed in her jacket pocket.
She pulled it out. A text.
Jaxon: Did I get you in trouble, Hayes?
Lena's eyes narrowed. She shoved the phone back into her pocket and kept walking.
Her phone buzzed again.
Jaxon: No answer? So I'm guessing yes.
Lena's jaw tightened. She quickened her pace toward the subway station.
Another buzz.
Jaxon: For the record… you owe me a rematch.
Lena's mouth twitched despite herself.
She should have ignored him.
Should have blocked the number.
Instead, her fingers hovered over the screen before typing:
Lena: You lost.
Three dots appeared immediately.
Jaxon: That wasn't a loss. That was strategy.
Lena: Strategy?
Jaxon: Gotta find your opponent's weakness before you exploit it.
Lena's pulse spiked.
Lena: And you think you found mine?
Jaxon: Oh, I know I did.
Lena's jaw tightened but her lips twitched.
She shoved the phone back into her pocket.
Her hands were still shaking.
From the game.
From the contact.
From the way Jaxon's mouth had hovered a little too close to hers.
This was dangerous.
And it was only getting started.
Lena was still replaying the game in her head and the weight of Jaxon's gaze when she pushed open the door to the apartment.
The sound of a video game blaring from Jordan's room greeted her.
She dumped her duffel bag by the door and crossed toward the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.
Her mom's voice floated in from the other room.
"Did you eat?"
Lena twisted the cap off the bottle. "I'm good."
Her mom appeared in the doorway, her dark hair pulled back in a loose bun. Her eyes were tired the kind of tired that didn't come from sleep deprivation but from years of carrying too much weight alone.
"You sure?" her mom said softly.
Lena's jaw tightened. "Yeah."
Her mom's gaze sharpened. "What's going on?"
"Nothing."
"Lena."
Lena exhaled hard. "It's just… some contract stuff."
Her mom's brow furrowed. "Trouble?"
"Not yet."
Her mom's eyes narrowed. "If it's Kingston"
"I'm handling it."
"Lena."
Lena's gaze lifted.
Her mom's expression softened. "You don't have to do this alone."
Lena's chest tightened. "Yeah, I do."
Her mom's mouth opened but then Jordan's voice cut through the air.
"Lena!"
Lena set the water down and crossed toward Jordan's room. He was sitting up in bed, crutches propped against the wall. His dark hair was sticking up at odd angles.
He held up his phone. "Have you seen this?"
Lena's stomach dropped. "What?"
Jordan tossed the phone toward her. Lena caught it midair.
An article was pulled up on the screen:
JAXON COLE SEEN WITH RISING STAR LENA HAYES NEW POWER COUPLE OR JUST BUSINESS?
The first picture was of Jaxon and Lena on the rooftop. His hand at her waist. Their faces inches apart.
The second was of them on the court this morning Jaxon's hand on her hip as they collided beneath the basket.
Lena's throat tightened. "Shit."
Jordan's eyes gleamed with interest. "So… are you guys dating?"
Lena's jaw tightened. "No."
Jordan's mouth curved. "Sure looks like it."
Lena's chest burned. "It's nothing."
Jordan's smile widened. "Whatever you say."
Lena swiped to close the article but her hand froze as the screen loaded a new headline beneath the first one:
KINGSTON STRIKES AGAIN SOURCES SAY LENA HAYES' CONTRACT IN JEOPARDY
Lena's pulse spiked. "Dammit."
Jordan's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"
"It means Kingston is playing dirty."
Jordan's gaze sharpened. "So what are you gonna do?"
Lena's jaw flexed.
She tossed the phone back to Jordan and turned toward the window. The city stretched wide beneath the pale morning light, glass and steel catching the sun in sharp bursts.
Lena's pulse thudded hard beneath her skin.
She had two choices:
Walk away.
Or fight.
Her phone buzzed again.
She already knew who it was.
Jaxon: Game's not over yet, Hayes.
Lena's mouth tightened.
No, it wasn't.
She typed back:
Lena: Not even close.
A beat later
Jaxon: Good.
Lena tucked the phone into her pocket.
Her gaze sharpened on the skyline.
She didn't know what Jaxon Cole's endgame was but if he thought she was going down without a fight…
He was about to find out exactly who he was dealing with.