While football might be my biggest question mark, Alisa was the one who dominated my thoughts. It wasn’t like I could afford to go with her and schlep around Europe for a few months. I sincerely wished I could, but I was looking at getting a job at a fast-food place once this quarter ended.
Would you like fries with that? Yeah, I could see myself wearing a paper hat and forcing a smile for the lady with five unruly, obnoxious kids as they changed their order a dozen times. Been there, done that. I’d worked at fast food in California my senior year, but I hadn’t seen it as a career opportunity, merely a source of cash until I became a multimillion-dollar-a-year football player.
I had to stay positive. Tanner had volunteered to coach me. Things were going well with Alisa. Life wasn’t all that bad.
I could and would do this.
When I got home late that afternoon, the smell of pot roast teased my nostrils. My roommates were sprawled around the living room, none of them studying. Most of them had finished their finals or, like me, not bothered. I’d gone to the first one on Monday and walked out halfway through. My heart wasn’t in it, and I hadn’t studied. Staring at questions I couldn’t answer had only depressed me.
“Hey, Gage, my man.” Logan waved at me as I walked in, then went back to his phone conversation, most likely trying to lure a co-ed out of her pants.
Easton and Mason barely glanced at me as they hunched over the video game controllers.
I grabbed a beer from the fridge, stole a forkful of meat from the pot roast in the Crock-Pot, and threw myself into a ratty recliner held together by duct tape.
“Where’s Alisa?” I asked.
Mason rolled his eyes, and Easton snickered. Logan, who’d ended his call, gave his buddies the side-eye.
“You got it bad, Harm.” Logan grinned at me as if he knew all the answers.
“Whatever. Where is she?”
“In her room with Wayne, exchanging gossip or something.” Wayne was the biggest gossip among all of us, and we mostly ignored his fondness for drama.
“Is the pot roast ready yet?” Easton asked no one in particular.
I didn’t admit I’d stolen a bite, but it tasted ready to me, and I was starved. I’d worked my ass off at the gym today and had built up an appetite. Alisa’s pot roast was epic, and every one of us guys was rubbing our belly in anticipation.
“I’ll get her.” I took the stairs two at a time and rapped on Alisa’s door.
“Alisa, we’re starving,” I called out. The voices I’d heard on the other side of the door went silent, giving me an uncomfortable feeling they might have been discussing me.
The door opened, and Alisa stood there, looking so gorgeous my dick warred with my stomach. I wanted to grab her and throw her on the bed and forget about my worries. I didn’t even care if Wayne was in the room. I pushed her against the wall and kissed the hell out of her. Wayne slid by us and hurried out the door.
“Gage.” Alisa pushed on my chest with her hands. Reluctantly, I backed off a step, confident in the knowledge she’d matched my hunger for a few brief moments and kissed me right back.
“To hell with pot roast. Let’s stay up here.”
“Later.” She flounced by me and down the hall, leaving no option but to follow. I was hungry, and I could fill my belly, then fill her later this evening. It was a good compromise, and I was looking forward to it and her.
Chapter 11—I’m a Princess
~~Alisa~~
Finals were over. I was free. I knew I’d passed them. That bachelor’s degree was mine, all mine, and I’d earned it. Time to celebrate, and the only person I wanted to share this moment with was Gage. I found him working out in the basement on the weight machine left behind by Riley.
“I’m collecting that rain check for dinner,” I said to him. He pushed off the bench and grabbed a nearby towel, wiping his sweaty face. My gaze immediately dropped to his equally sweaty body, naked from the waist up. He had to be the most gorgeous man on earth. If football didn’t work out for him, I’d bet he’d make it as a male model, though I wasn’t sure I could see him modeling. I doubt he had the patience to sit around all day and pose for endless pics.
“Let me take a shower first.”
“Let me help you.”
His grin was broader than the Columbia River.
An hour later, two very satisfied people walked out of the house. Across the street was the ever-present black sedan with my two bodyguards. Gage frowned when he spotted them. I pretended not to notice. We got into my car and the sedan pulled onto the street behind us, keeping a discreet yet visible presence.
Gage turned in his seat to watch them. When he faced forward again, I could feel his gaze burning into my face. I stared straight ahead and said nothing. To my surprise, Gage also said nothing. He settled back in his seat and started fiddling with the radio.
“Where are we going for dinner?” I asked.
“It’s a surprise. Head for downtown Seattle.”
“I fly out tomorrow morning,” I said, as if he didn’t already know.
“Yeah.”
“But we have all of tonight. I can sleep on the plane.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Turn here.”
I did as instructed, and several minutes later, I pulled to the curb near the Seattle waterfront. Gage jumped out and opened my door for me, offering his hand to help me out.
“You’re being a gentleman.”
“I have my moments.”
Hand in hand, we walked down the sidewalk to a small restaurant partially hidden in a recessed entry area. The entire dining area was comprised of a dozen cozy candlelit tables. We were directed to a private table near the back with a peekaboo view of Elliot Bay. I took the menu offered to me, while Gage ordered a bottle of wine.
“You’re pulling out all the stops.”
“Nothing is too good for you, Lis.” He smiled at me, and I smiled back, but I saw the sadness in his blue eyes.
We made small talk until we ordered our meals. My bodyguards were parked outside where they had a good vantage point of the inside of the restaurant. I made a mental note to order them something for dinner and take it out to them when we finished.
“It’s very romantic.”
“I hoped you’d think so.” He looked down at his hands, then back up at me. His expression was earnest. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you, too.”
He took my hand from across the table and squeezed it. His palm was uncharacteristically moist, as if he was nervous. I had no idea what he had to be nervous about, especially around me.
“This doesn’t have to be goodbye. You’ll be back,” he said hopefully. When I didn’t respond, he continued. “You’ll be back, right?”
I didn’t answer him because I wasn’t sure what the future held as far as what country I’d reside in.
“You are coming back, aren’t you?” The worry in his voice made my heart ache. He didn’t sound like my confident, devil-may-care Gage.
“I’m sure I’ll be back to visit at the least.”
“To visit? That’s it?”
“Gage, I don’t know. Don’t expect answers to questions I can’t answer right now.”
He studied me with that furrow between his brows that indicated he was really thinking hard. The waiter delivered our food, granting me a reprieve. The food was delicious, but I barely tasted it as I kept up a string of meaningless chatter to throw him off the trail of what was really going on. He listened and nodded at the appropriate places, but I doubt he heard much of what I was saying.
When dinner and dessert were finished, Gage paid the bill with a credit card and suggested a walk along the pier jutting out into the water. I couldn’t come up with a reason to turn him down, even though the coward in me wanted to run for cover. I grabbed the to-go bag and dropped it off with the bodyguards. I ignored their surprised faces at such kindness. They obviously weren’t used to it.
At the end of the
pier, we leaned against the railing and gazed at the water. It was a chilly but clear night filled with stars. When I shivered, Gage tucked me under his arm and held me next to his side. His warmth comforted me. Water lapped at the pilings underneath us.
Gage glanced over his shoulder, probably checking for my boys, as I fondly called them. If they’d followed us, they were staying hidden. Seemingly satisfied they weren’t nearby, he turned me in his arms so that we were facing each other and rested his big hands on my waist. I held my breath, both excited and dreading what he was going to say.
“These past few weeks have been the best of my life, and I don’t want them to end.”
“Mine too,” I admitted because it was the truth.
“I can’t see my life without you in it. My future is wrapped up in yours. It has been since the moment we first met.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but he silenced me with a look.
“Lis, I—I love you.”
“What?” I gaped at him, unable to process the words, denying what I knew and celebrating the truth at the same time.
“I love you,” he repeated, gazing down at me expectantly, as if he was waiting for me to declare my love for him.
I wanted to tell him I loved him. I was his and only his. I really wanted to do so, but I couldn’t speak those words out loud because that would make them real and everything would be even more complicated. Gage wasn’t part of my future. He was part of my past.
“Gage, I—”
“I’ll wait for you, Lis, because I don’t want anyone but you. You’re worth the wait.”
“What if I’m not coming back?”
He frowned, not expecting my response. “You aren’t?”
“I don’t know. It’s a complex situation.”
His blue eyes narrowed. “Explain why it’s complex. Enlighten me. Something weird is going on, starting with those guys.” He jerked his head in the direction of the street where we’d last seen them parked.
“It’s so outrageously unbelievable.”
“Try me.” A hint of annoyance flashed in those blue eyes. He was losing patience with me.
I had run out of time. I had to tell him. I couldn’t let him find out in the media. I drew a deep breath and began my story.
~~Gage~~
The only other time I’d seen Alisa this nervous was when I’d been injured last year. She’d been a real trooper, glued to my bedside every step of the way until I’d forced her to leave because my parents were coming. I’d hurt her deeply, most likely broken her heart. She’d wrongly assumed I was ashamed of her when nothing could be further from the truth. I was protecting my parents. They were hardworking, honest people and the best parents a guy could ever ask for. I didn’t want to see her reaction to their worn clothes, country drawls, and obvious lack of breeding. I was afraid if she treated them poorly, I’d never see her the same way again.
She met my gaze, silently imploring me with her eyes to understand. “Gage, I’m a princess.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” I quipped, only she didn’t laugh or even smile.
“I’m a princess. A real princess.”
“What the fuck?” I couldn’t be hearing her correctly.
“Let me explain. After my stepdad died, my mom admitted he wasn’t my real father. She’d had an affair with a man she’d met on a trip to Europe and gotten pregnant. My dad, her former boyfriend, stepped in and saved the day, marrying her and taking care of both of us. My real father is the prince of Cuthbert, second in line to the British throne. We did the necessary DNA tests to prove it. I met his family and spent time with them this summer. He’s married, but his wife can’t have children, so I’m his only child. I’m the only female grandchild.”
My head was reeling as I sought to make sense of what she was saying. She paused and watched me expectantly. I was supposed to say something, but fuck if I knew what. She was a princess? A real, live princess? And I was a poor-as-fuck guy with an uncertain future and nondescript genes despite the rumors to the contrary. I knew enough about British royalty to know they expected a certain status from royal boyfriends and future husbands. I had nothing.
“You’re a princess?” I said again, sounding like an idiot who couldn’t process what she’d told me.
“I am. This is why you can’t wait for me.” She angled her body slightly to look into my eyes. I met her gaze momentarily, then looked away. I couldn’t think when I was staring into those mesmerizing blue eyes of hers.
“You don’t want me around because you’re now a princess,” I surmised, totally sick to my stomach.
“That’s not it at all. I can’t deal with a relationship right now. It’s not that I don’t care, but I can’t handle the added stress. Dealing with this transition will be difficult enough.”
“You’re going to live there?” I raked my fingers through my hair and rubbed my eyes, trying to get a handle on the emotions surging through me. So many emotions. Anger. Betrayal. Fear. Sadness. Shock. You name it, I was feeling it.
“I—I’m not sure. They expect me to. Think of all the good I could do in the world with the added clout of being a member of royalty.” Her eyes lit up at the prospect, and I knew then and there I’d lost her.
“I don’t know what to say. Is this goodbye? The end of us?” I’d told her I loved her, and she hadn’t responded in kind. She’d run that red flag up the flagpole for all to see. I seriously thought I’d hurl right in front of her.
“I don’t know what’s in store for me a year down the road. This is goodbye for now, Gage. You have football to think about, your future. You don’t need me mucking it up, especially with the drama that’ll be following in my wake everywhere I go.”
She had a point, and she didn’t know the half of it. I was from working-class stock who came to this country a few centuries ago to escape poverty and famine in, of all places, England. I’d never pass inspection by the royal protocol police or whatever they called the keepers of the blue blood. I wouldn’t subject my parents and family to the scrutiny of the unforgiving and rabid English press.
“We still have tonight,” she said hopefully and slid her arms under my coat and around my waist.
“Yeah, we do,” I said gruffly.
“I’m not wearing any underwear.” Her voice was silky with a husky undertone, which sent my libido into orbit. Was she asking me to do what I thought she was asking?
She glanced over her shoulder and cast a wicked grin in my direction. “Take me now, Gage.”
“Here?” I looked around. It was dark on the pier and the street behind us was barely visible behind a few tour boats docked for the night. If no one came down the pier, we’d get away with it.
“We’ll keep our clothes on. Well, most of them.” Her eyes lit up with the prospect of doing something forbidden. I was glad to see her wild streak surfacing, which, of course, stoked my wild streak. Her hand slid downward to my fly. I was rock hard, a common occurrence when she was around.
“I do like that idea.” I gave her one of my wolfish grins.
“So do I. Do you have a condom?”
“In my wallet. Never leave home without ’em.” I dug for my wallet and produced a condom while she unzipped my jeans and freed my dick from the confines of my underwear. Her deft fingers quickly rolled the condom onto my hard shaft.
I lifted her onto the railing and spread her legs. With one last glance over my shoulder, I slid into her, holding her tightly so she didn’t fall off the railing into the cold, dark water below. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. The sex was fast and intense, as it always had been when we were doing it in a public place, as we’d done countless times last year.
My orgasm came hard and forceful, branding her to me and me to her. She might have other guys after me, but I’d make sure none of them compared.
“Oh, Gage,” she panted and buried her head in my chest. I held her tightly while our bodies spasmed and finally floated back
to earth.
Only then did I hear a noise. I couldn’t register what it was at first. I was still trying to gain my bearing and retrieve my thought processes when she stiffened in my arms.
“Gage, someone is coming.”
“Uh, someone already did,” I teased her.
She pushed at me, and I backed up, placing her on her feet. “Zip up. We’re about to have company.” Her voice was a desperate hiss, and her words finally sank in. I tossed my condom in a nearby garbage can and pulled up my zipper, fumbling with the top button. I tugged the bottom of my sweatshirt downward to cover my jeans.
Alisa stood near me, legs pressed together, while pulling on the bottom of her short dress. The smell of sex was still in the air.
The glow of a flashlight appeared first, followed by a police officer. I cleared my throat. “Good evening, Officer.”
He looked us up and down with suspicion. “What are you kids doing on this pier so late at night?”
“Just enjoying the view,” I said and smiled at him.
“We were just leaving,” Alisa added. She wrapped her fingers around mine and bolted past the officer. I had no choice but to follow her. He watched us go but didn’t pursue us.
Alisa and I didn’t say a word until we were inside the car, then we both erupted into laughter.
“A minute earlier, and he’d have caught us,” I said.
“Oh, my God, can you imagine the look on the queen’s face if that picture had appeared on the internet?” Alisa was laughing so hard tears ran down her face.
I sobered slightly. Her new status hadn’t sunken in until just then. She couldn’t do stuff like that anymore. She didn’t dare. She was royalty. I was nobody.
“We shouldn’t have taken the chance.”
“I know, but one last time for old time’s sake couldn’t hurt.”
“It could’ve. Alisa, you’re a princess. You can’t be so daring anymore.”
Tackled in Seattle Page 8
