Surrendering To Four: A Reverse Harem Story

Chapter 2

ZOE

I stood outside the conference room, smoothing down my pencil skirt for the tenth time. My hands shook slightly as I adjusted my blouse. It had been one month since Derek, and now here I was, about to walk into a meeting with another hockey team. It was ironic, and I knew that.

"You can do this," I whispered to myself, taking in a deep breath. It was just business. And I was a professional.

I pushed open the door and immediately, I froze. Four men turned to look at me, and I immediately recognized them. They were the infamous "Fatal Four" of the Wolves, Derek's biggest rivals on the ice. And among them was the gray-eyed man from the bar that day.

"Ms. Mitchell," my boss said, gesturing me in. "Meet your new clients."

Captain Lucas Stone rose first. His gray eyes gazed into my green ones, and some sort of recognition immediately flashed between us. His broad shoulders strained against his suit jacket as he extended his hand to greet me.

"Lucas Stone," he introduced. His deep voice instantly sent a shiver down my spine. "I’m the team captain. It’s nice to officially meet you."

When his hand engulfed mine, I couldn’t help but take note of his warm and firm grip. But I pulled my hand away quickly, choosing not to dwell on the spark of electricity between us.

Next to him, Ethan Reed sat back in his chair. His legs were spread wide, and he gave off a kind of bad boy confidence. Dark tattoos peeked out from beneath his rolled-up sleeves, and they contrasted highly with his bright blue eyes. He didn't stand; he just nodded at me with a small smile that suggested he knew exactly what I looked like naked.

"I’m Ethan," he said simply. "I've heard good things about you."

James Chen, the team's center, was next. He rose gracefully, and flashed his model-perfect smile as he looked me up and down appreciatively. His handshake was gentler than Lucas's, but his thumb brushed softly against my wrist in a way that couldn't just be accidental.

"The pleasure is all mine," he said, holding my hand for a moment too long.

Alex Volkov, the Russian forward, remained seated. He watched me with hooded eyes that somehow managed to be both distant and intensely focused on me. His jawline was sharp, and the slight scar above his right eyebrow only added to his dangerous look.

"Alex," he said in an accent that made my toes curl in my heels. "Welcome to the pack."

The room suddenly felt too warm as I began my presentation. Even when I clicked on the first slide, I was well aware of Lucas's gaze lingering on my lips as I spoke.

"Elite Marketing is excited to partner with the Wolves to elevate your personal brands," I said. Thankfully, my voice was steady despite the way my heart raced. "Each of you has a unique appeal that we can leverage on."

When I reached up to change slides, Ethan's eyes traveled down my body until they finally paused at the curve of my hips. I tugged my skirt down subtly, while still trying to focus on my presentation.

"For Lucas, we'll focus on his leadership and reliability," I continued. "We’ll put him out as the dependable captain the whole team and fans can count on."

Lucas nodded, even though his eyes never left mine. I swallowed hard, even though there was nothing to swallow, and moved on.

"As for you, Ethan, your bad-boy image could actually work in your favor. Fans always love a rebel with a heart of gold, especially when that rebel has a record-breaking slapshot."

Ethan's lips turned up into a smirk. "So you've been watching my games?" he questioned. He was still smirking as he looked into my eyes intensely.

"I've done my research," I replied, ignoring the heat that was currently creeping up my neck. "It's my job."

I moved on to the next slide. James winked when he caught me glancing at his legs which were stretched out under the table.

I cleared my throat as I continued. "James, your charm and philanthropy will make you the perfect face for community outreach. We'll position you as the accessible, friendly star who gives back to the community."

"I do love giving," James replied. His smile widened, and I noticed a dimple I hadn't seen before.

Alex's intense stare made me stumble over my words as I got to his turn, and I knew that my cheeks were beginning to flush visibly.

"And Alex, your mysterious personality actually creates a lot of intrigue. It makes the fans want more from you. We'll use that, and still keep you mysterious, while also showcasing your exceptional talent at the same time."

"Mysterious?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is that how you see me?"

"It's how the public sees you," I corrected quickly. "You rarely give interviews and you're quite selective about endorsements."

"I speak when I have something to say," he replied. His gaze never left mine.

I nodded and continued with my presentation, outlining the campaign strategy we would use, and the potential partnerships we wanted to work with. When I accidentally dropped my notes, both Lucas and James rushed to help me. Their hands brushed mine at the same time while they gathered the papers. The slight contact sent little tingles up my arms.

"Thanks," I murmured, before I quickly stepped back from them. "As I was saying..."

I finished the rest of the presentation without really focusing on what I was doing. I just hoped I didn’t mess things up. Throughout the rest of the presentation, I was completely aware of the four pairs of eyes studying me. At the end, when I asked if they had any questions, there was a moment of silence.

"You used to work for the Titans," Lucas finally said. It wasn't a question.

"Yes," I replied. I tried to keep my voice neutral as I added, "For three years."

"Derek Thompson's team," Ethan added. There was a bit of disgust in his tone.

I stiffened slightly when he mentioned Derek's name but I still managed to keep my face blank. "I worked with the entire team."

"Why did you leave then?" James asked, leaning forward.

"I wanted a new challenge," I said, repeating the same thing I had said during my interview.

Alex made a sound that sounded like a snort. But when I glanced at him, his expression was unreadable.

My boss, sensing the tension, quickly jumped in. "Well, I think that should wrap things up for today. Thank you, gentlemen. Moving forward, Zoe will be your primary contact."

People began filing out of the room, and my boss gave me a thumbs up as she left. She looked really impressed.

As I began to gather my laptop and notes, I expected the players to leave as well, but to my surprise, none of them moved.

As soon as the last person left, Lucas stood and walked up to the door. The click of the lock turning made my heart skip a beat. But when he turned back to me, his expression was serious.

The four of them formed a loose circle around me. It wasn’t threatening, but they were all close enough that I could smell their cologne mixing together intoxicatingly. Lucas smelled like enticing sandalwood, Ethan smelled like something spicy and hot, James smelled like fresh citrus, and Alex smelled like pine and something like winter.

"We need to talk," Lucas said. His voice was low now. "About what you can do for us."

I held my laptop to my chest like a shield. "I thought I just covered that in my presentation,” I pointed out.

Lucas shook his head. "It’s not about the marketing campaign."

"Then what?" I asked, looking from one to another.

The four of them exchanged glances, and some unspoken communication passed between them. Then Lucas leaned in slightly, and his gray eyes were intense as he looked into my green ones.

"We know why you really left the Titans," he said. "And we have a proposition for you."