Race With a Heart
Chapter 227: A Living Legend

Chapter 227: A Living Legend

Steve had a bad feeling ever since Loreen glued her lips to his. Why was she here? Why did she so freely enter the Fergus Stables and even places off-limits to outsiders? Probably because someone had allowed her to do so. Such permission had to come at a price.

Loreen Benson, dammit! What was she doing here?

Steve met with her from time to time. They both liked to have fun and didn’t give a damn about decency. She, in particular, liked to add a certain pepper to their games. Maybe she taught him a trick or two? In any case, it wasn’t anything serious, but whenever they got together, they landed in bed. They were like good sex friends leaving out the friend element, because for some reason Steve never trusted her enough to confide in her about any problem. But the sex was good. It allowed him to get away from the bad thoughts he had.

Loreen loved to spend the family’s money and she had plenty of it. Her mother, Laura, perpetually busy running her business compensated her daughter with money. But maybe Steve and Loreen were friends to some extent, since she confessed to him while cuddled in his arms? Or maybe she just needed to confide in someone strange who wouldn’t use this information against her? Steve never wanted to know. He had too many problems of his own to wonder about someone else’s.

And now Loreen invaded his life completely without warning and totally without any sense of decency kissed him in front of Martin.

Damn! Martin then had such an expression on his face that Steve felt his own heart being pierced by a lance. Martin pretended that nothing happened, maybe he even wanted to believe that he thought so, but if Steve had seen someone kissing Martin, he would have been furious out of jealousy and just out of rage!

Paxton felt that he should be by Martin’s side now. He should once again assure him that Loreen is a thing of the past. He should use not words but his body as an argument. Yes, he should do it right now, embrace him, caress him, cuddle him, fuck him. Possess him as if only Martin existed in this world. Yes, that way he would convince him that only he really exists in Steve’s world. Only Martin. Loreen is a thing of the past, a shadow who has no meaning for him. Meanwhile, however, Paxton was going to meet her, not Martin. But that was part of the job, dammit!

The question was, what could she want from him that would involve work? What could such a thing be related to Karl’s office? Steve pulled down his eyebrows grimly. Could it be that Loreen was finally going to take some responsibility and join her mother’s company? Laura Benson even named her daughter with an "L" to have a beautiful continuation of the LBenson brand.

Steve opened the door of Karl’s office and saw him, Loreen and Jack sitting comfortably around a table and sipping coffee sold by Michael Moore’s company.

"You wanted to see me?" Paxton spoke up grimly.

"Yes, Steve, sit down. Do you know Miss Benson yet?"

Paxton took a seat between Karl and Jack. He didn’t really feel like sitting across from Loreen, since he had her right in front of his eyes, but he liked the prospect of sitting next to her even less. Probably with Walton and Lambert around, she wouldn’t throw herself at him like she did in the locker room, but Steve didn’t know her that well and preferred not to take any chances or at least not give her the false impression that he was still open to the previous arrangement.

"Would you like something to drink, Steve?" suggested Karl.

"No thanks, I’m good," Paxton made it clear to him that he would rather get to the point. Karl knew him well enough.

"Well, then, since we’re all here, let’s get down to business," he said. "Steve, you probably know that Miss Benson is the acting CEO of the Laura Benson brand."

"No, I didn’t know," he admitted surprised. "My congratulations and sympathies," he turned to Loreen.

"Thank you. Mom is doing well, but she decided that she would expand her business, so she is implementing me as a manager. She decided it was time for me to finally settle down."

Steve was not one to judge the lifestyles of others, but he was able to concede Mrs. Benson’s point. Loreen was three years older than he was, and should probably start earning her own keep by now.

"I don’t want to take full responsibility and full title without giving anything in return, that’s why I want to bring a new business partner to the company," she continued, looking at Paxton. "A stable from our country that has a world champion and a potential champion next season is quite a rarity."

"We’re not F1" remarked Steve which was met with a disapproving look from Karl.

"That’s a fact," she admitted. "But F1 doesn’t have Steve Paxton."

"I haven’t been very active on the track this season," noted another flaw in her plan.

"But you’re an Internet favorite. You see, several of your adventures have infiltrated the web. You have an eventful life, Steve, and people like it. When you saved a woman from a knifeman in that alley, you grew into a hero. Then that accident on the track... Steve, you are a tragic hero. No athlete currently on the market, or maybe even in all of history, is as interesting as you. You are a living legend, Steve. It would be a sin not to use this to make money."

Loreen fell silent and raised her coffee cup to her lips. A mist of steam enveloped her beautiful face and obscured her almond-shaped eye. There was such silence that Steve could almost hear the breaths of Jack and Karl staring at him.

Paxton didn’t like to deal with business matters, he didn’t know anything about them, but he wasn’t totally stupid. He knew what the Laura Benson brand was and realized what this partnership could be for the Fergus Stables, which was in constant need of money. They had performed well this season, but there was another season ahead of them and a partnership with Benson was a damn good opportunity. Yes, just that.

"I don’t want to be a legend. I don’t want to show people my privacy," replied Steve firmly. "I’m in a successful relationship and I don’t want the media to take an interest in my love life and the person I love."

"Steve, honey, you’re already a legend," explained Loreen. "Do you really not know what is being said about you in the media? Do you think that if you bury your head in the sand, it will stop? Don’t be a naive child. Karl is doing his best to reign in all the sensationalism, but he can’t devote more to damage control than he has. Don’t you think it’s better for him, for the Stables and for you if the professionals take care of it?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"It’s quite simple. We sign an advertising contract. We sponsor you, you give us your face and body, our staff, in consultation with the Stables, work on your appropriate media image, and both parties make a happy profit from the sale. Fergus’ stable has a financially stable season, you get a round bonus and everyone is happy. That’s all."

"Is that all? No hidden paragraphs? Nothing written in small print?"

She did not seem to be particularly affected by his suspicions.

"That will be handled by Karl on your behalf. I just expect you to adjust your behavior to a few points. No big deal, after all, we all know how you are and we love you for it. Well then, Steve, are you ready to work with us?"

To the extent that he knew Loreen, Steve might have expected some hidden agenda. Just how well did he know her? She was a lightweight, a woman so liberated that she didn’t let any social norms constrain her, but he was even worse, and now he had changed. In fact, he knew nothing about Loreen Benson. He had no idea if he could trust her. The Fergus stable really needed this contract.

Paxton looked at Jack and at Karl. He could see that they were both full of anticipation about his decision. Karl, in particular, was probably hoping that they would establish this cooperation. Karl, who had always been there for him, even in the toughest times, would finally have a calmer head after signing this contract. Steve, however, wasn’t sure how his relationship with Martin would fit into this whole contract. He really didn’t want his guy to be on the tongues of the world just because he was sleeping with him.

Damn, why does his life have to be so complicated?

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