by Aimee Duffy
‘It’s the only way this can work. Being together is a bad idea and this way we won’t be tempted.’
He forced his teeth apart. ‘It’s ridiculous for you to think we can just be colleagues when we’ve got chemistry most people would kill for.’
‘I hardly think any civilised human would kill to have a great spark. Sex isn’t that life-altering.’ She crossed her arms, daring him to argue with her skewed ideals.
He dared. ‘Oh, Blondie. It is when it’s done right.’ Throwing in a suggestive smile for good measure, he made his way to her desk. ‘Are all those aristocrats your family have thrown at you been selfish lovers?’
Her chin dropped, but she composed herself quickly. ‘This conversation is inappropriate!’
She rose, hands on the desk like she needed the support. He could see her chest rise and fall beneath the boxy shirt which he really shouldn’t have found sexy, but the image of her curves and her long legs from that day he trained with her was imprinted in his brain. As her anger flared, so did his, along with something hotter and more exciting. It was like having his ass whipped on the court, but also like winning at Wimbledon.
‘I don’t think it is. We’re together in front of the camera, why not enjoy that arrangement behind the scenes too?’
Obviously training would be gruelling, but he was at the stage where instead of falling into bed exhausted, he had all this restless energy. So much so he’d been playing a friendly game or two at nights with a mate. Surely she felt the same? Her expression was easy to read and every time they’d been close he saw how much she wanted him.
‘We could take advantage of the chemistry until –’
‘No,’ she said, though he could see the flare of arousal in her eyes.
‘OK, give me one good, solid reason.’ He relaxed back into a chair. This would take a while, there wasn’t one and she knew it.
‘One? I have hundreds. Take your pick!’ She retrieved a beige file bursting with papers from the side of her desk and flicked it open. ‘“My cheating ex gave me chlamydia”, “Collins harassed me for months”, “Golden boy of tennis broke my new boyfriend’s nose”, “Collins scores 15 women in under a month”. Tell me when you’ve had enough.’
His heart hammered and his jaw hurt from clenching his teeth, but the pain didn’t dull the anger. Nor did the way his fingers dug into his thighs hard enough to leave bruises. He’d been right that first day. Alicia believed every poisonous word that came out his ex’s mouth.
And he knew most women believed it, but they were seduced by his ‘bad boy’ image or what they could make from telling the world about the night they bedded him. Who he was as a person never crossed their minds and until now, he had accepted that was what his life would be like. He had needs like any other red-blooded male, and after the trainwreck that was his relationship with Mai, he knew his dream of having a home and someone who’d always be there for him would never happen.
With Alicia, she’d wanted him because of her attraction to him despite whatever ridiculous excuse she had. Not his money or fame or the kiss-and-tell she’d get out of it.
Now he knew why she’d been fighting it so hard. She thought he was the lowest of the low. A scumbag who cheat, beat, and stalked. The adrenaline took on a different edge now, a dangerous one. Worse than the day his fist connected with that bastard Jack’s nose. Except the spin had been he wouldn’t let Mai move on and be happy. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
He had to get out of there before he hit something. At the door he paused, then turned around. She clutched an article in one hand. For the most part, she had the prim, cool exterior back, looking too poised and calm. It was the ruffled paper in her fist that gave her away.
He hesitated, wondering if he should tell her the truth, but she wouldn’t believe him – she’d already accused him of lying. There was no point. She only cared about what everyone else thought. ‘God forbid you ever fall off that pedestal of yours and have to slum it down here in the real world.’
‘Excuse me?’ Her knuckles whitened, the only visible chink in her aloof stance.
‘It’s not all manners and missionary position at Christmas and birthdays. Life’s there to be lived, however the hell you want, no holds barred. Don’t wait until you’re forty and married to a man who bores you to tears to open your eyes.’
The mask she wore slipped, but he didn’t wait to hear how pissed off she was. He left the building on a jog, not stopping until he was well on his way to building up a sweat. His phone vibrated in his jeans and his heart leapt into his throat. By the time he’d fished it out of his front pocket, a few rings had passed. Not wanting to let her go to voicemail, he answered without checking the screen.
‘Look, I’m sorry –’
‘Kid, this isn’t one of your women.’
Tony’s resigned tone froze him to the spot. People must have had to skirt around him on the street but he didn’t care. If his manager was angry it would mean something happened that could be fixed by throwing the F bomb at it. Resignation? Sebastian swallowed hard. ‘What happened?’
‘I’ve just got off the phone with the sports company. They’ve pulled the plug, Sebastian. There was nothing I could do.’
The buzz in his head that had stalked him for months before Christmas returned and a cold sweat broke out over his skin. ‘They’re my biggest sponsor.’
Which meant the bar job could be a possibility if anyone else walked. Just when he thought his day couldn’t get any worse.
‘I’m sorry, kid. I really am. Whatever Maine have planned, you need to push it harder and faster. You can’t afford to lose the others.’
He scrubbed a shaking hand down his face, willing himself to relax, but the pressure in his head only got worse.
‘I’ll tell them.’ Ending the call, he glanced around the street filled with people going about their everyday lives. Numbness settled like a chill deep inside. This was it. The beginning of the end.
‘Hey, handsome. It’s been too long.’
Sebastian didn’t need to turn around to know who was behind him. Just when he thought nothing worse could happen, fate waited till he was on the ground then kicked him full force in the balls.
Chapter Eleven
She was an awful person.
No, she was much worse. She was a class-A snob. Possibly worse than her father. The guilt twisting her insides was proof of that. She’d poured a glass of wine the second she got home and slumped onto the sofa, wondering if she was the one with the drinking problem, and not Sebastian as all those articles had pointed out.
Didn’t she think that the man who’d gone shopping with her couldn’t be the man his ex had made him out to be? She’d believed him when he told her he hadn’t slept with the twins in Melbourne and was even starting to believe he really hadn’t thought about the kiss-and-tell when they were working on the press release. After all, he hadn’t landed her in it during his interview with Claire.
In fact, if he told her the truth behind what the papers had reported in the headlines she’d reeled off, she’d probably believe him then too. But he didn’t, and Alicia suspected that was because she’d hurt him by giving them as reasons why she couldn’t enjoy some beneath the sheets time with him, when that wasn’t the case at all.
It was her past that was holding her back. The person she so desperately tried to be was not who she really was, which terrified her. She couldn’t cope if her father cut her off from her sisters, her mother. That would be too cruel. But her father believed she was with Sebastian now. The risk of that happening if she consummated their fake relationship wouldn’t change a thing with her family.
But it could risk so much more.
Her mobile chimed and when she saw Sarah’s number she was tempted to let it go to voicemail. She didn’t want anyone else to know how horrible she’d been today. With a sigh, she changed her mind. It could be work.
‘Hi, Sarah.’
‘Alicia, have you heard?
I’ve just taken a message from Collins’ manager. His biggest sponsor pulled.’
Oh God. Before or after she’d castrated him? Her skin broke out in a cold sweat and her hands shook. Guilt? She never knew the meaning of the word until now. This was her fault for not moving forward quick enough, refusing to spend more time with him than necessary and now he was suffering.
‘You there?’ Sarah asked.
‘Do you know what happened?’ She did. His sponsors believed Mai’s story and assumed some of his fans had too.
She hadn’t pushed her plan hard enough, fast enough. She rubbed her eyes.
‘Not about the sponsors, but I called David’s brother and he’s on Collins’ tail. Apparently your tennis player is dressed for a night on the town.’
She gasped. ‘Is he insane? A bender is the last thing he needs!’
Putting the call on speaker, she darted to her bedroom and lay her mobile face up on the bed, tugging off her clothes like they were doused in acid.
‘He must be stressed. I can’t imagine what he’s going through.’ Sarah’s voice was so soft she barely heard her, but was rewarded with a fresh stab of guilt anyway.
‘I need to know where he is, and what kind of shoes go with a green silk and black lace prom dress.’ She tugged out the material and remembered the way Sebastian’s eyes had darkened when she’d walked out of the dressing room. He’d teased her about scrubbing up OK, but his voice had been too rough. She’d never dreamed back then he’d wanted her as much as she was starting to want him.
‘Um, how about black stilettos? Though it’s cold out. Ooo, do you have any of those shoe boots with the spiky heels?’
Alicia didn’t feel the excitement that was in Sarah’s voice at the prospect of shoes. She pulled out a box with a pair Sebastian had picked for her. ‘The ones that are high at the front with a buckle at the heel? Oh, wait, these are peep toes.’
‘Perfect! Yes, that’s them. I’ll text you when I know where he is. Go put those peep toes to use and give Collins a kick up the arse.’
Alicia bit her lip. She had a bit of grovelling to do before any arse kicking. ‘Thanks.’
‘No problem. And Alicia? Smoky eyes with nude, shiny lips.’
‘Got it.’
She ended the call, slipped on her shoes, then upended her make-up bag. All she had was light pink lip gloss and a grey eyeshadow, which would have to do. After plugging in her curling wand, she used it on the ends of her hair and by the time she was done, Sarah had texted her Sebastian’s location.
Alicia walked into the classy wine bar in Soho and was glad she’d made the effort to dress up. It oozed class, and everyone she passed looked like they’d jumped straight off the runway. She didn’t pay much attention to them as she anxiously scanned the bar for Collins. He was with a dark-haired siren in a red dress perched on a stool next to him.
His back was to Alicia, but even she could see he was focused straight ahead instead of listening to whatever the scarlet flirt was saying. She approached, spying her photographer, Sam, a few chairs down with a frown on his face. He was clearly struggling with his morals. Getting a picture worth selling was why she’d given him access to her and Sebastian, but whatever picture he snapped now would end that deal. Unless …
A plan started to form as she crossed the room. She pulled on her best smile and made her way to the side of Sebastian which was scarlet-free. Both hands cupped a glass, and while the woman prattled on, his gaze was fixed on the bottled spirits lining the wall behind the bar.
Alicia reached out with fake confidence to touch his forearm. He turned to her with a frown, then his lips parted in shock.
‘Sorry I’m late, sweetie. Do you want another drink?’ she asked.
‘Who are you?’ The brunette peered around Sebastian with a look that said Alicia was not welcome.
A twinge of jealousy made her want to forget her manners, but she refrained. Instead, she slid an arm behind Sebastian’s back, hoping he wasn’t still so mad he’d call her out, and moved so she was flush against his side.
She smiled at Sebastian and tried to force an apology into her eyes. ‘Introduce us?’
His gaze dipped down to her chest, then he swallowed. This dress was the most revealing she had, flashing more than a hint of cleavage. Heat swirled through her veins at his brief appraisal, and when he met her eyes again, his were melting. No doubt hers were too. In his dark, silver shirt and his hair all mussed-up, he looked better than chocolate to her eyes.
‘This is Alicia, my girlfriend,’ he said to the brunette, barely sparing her a glance. Instead, his gaze returned to Alicia’s lips. ‘I’m sorry, sweetie, I didn’t catch her name.’
His breath brushed her face and Alicia sagged a little when all she could smell was a hint of mint toothpaste. But it fanned the fire low in her stomach, so much so the visions of him and her, wild and sweaty, came back. But this time, she had control.
She’d already offended him enough today, accusing him of things she knew deep down couldn’t be one hundred per cent true. Kissing him now would be like slapping him in the face since she said she didn’t want to get involved with him. Pity she couldn’t believe the lie herself.
‘Do you want to get a booth?’ She’d spied a few near the back when she arrived.
He nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. ‘What would you like to drink?’
Lowering her voice so the rejected brunette wouldn’t hear, she said, ‘A bit of Dutch courage would be nice about now.’
That got a little smile from him, but it was short-lived. He ordered her a glass of white wine, then led her to a booth at the back. Sebastian didn’t say anything when she slid in next to him, just turned so he could study her face.
Her cheeks flushed a little at the scrutiny and she wasn’t sure if he was still mad at her, or curious as to why she was there, though the photographer’s presence made the latter obvious. She thought he’d gone off the rails and he knew it. Now she had to apologise since what he’d ordered was mineral water with a slice of lime.
‘Sebastian, I’m so sorry. About what I said in my office, and for tonight.’
He frowned. ‘Why tonight?’ Alicia reached for her wine, but he caught her wrist and shook his head. ‘This time we’re dealing without drink. We both know that leads to bad things.’
‘Then why buy me wine?’ she asked to dodge his other question.
His smirk wasn’t like his other smiles; it too mocking to settle her nerves. ‘You first.’
Licking her lips and swallowing against the lump in her throat, she wondered what she should tell him. But if they were going to move on and help him keep the rest of the sponsors, they had to be honest with each other.
‘Before, when I pitched to you, I thought I could do this and not care whether any of the stories were true. Some I believed, but others were a bit far-fetched. After spending time with you I doubted them even more. Today was me trying to deflect your, um, suggestion. I didn’t mean to hurt you.’
He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. ‘That’s not what I asked.’
She shrugged. ‘You have to know all the whys to get the full picture, wasn’t it you who told me that?’
His smile returned. It was easier this time, and relaxed her. ‘I did.’
‘So that was deflection. I’d still like to know what happened the day you were filmed kissing that woman when you were engaged to Mai, and if there’s anything else about you that might come out now. It will help me catch things before they go public, or at least come up with a counter story. And tonight, Sarah called to say you’d lost a sponsor and that Sam saw you dressed for a night out. I was worried.’
His knuckles whitened as he squeezed the glass. ‘You’re worried I’ll embarrass you.’
It wasn’t a question, and he turned away from her. The flare of hope that he’d forgiven her was snuffed out.
‘That never crossed my mind.’ She waited until she was sure she had his attention. ‘I was worrie
d about you. You’ve come so far, you’ve been working hard every day, and I didn’t want that to go to waste because you were looking for a way to deal with stress. Me? When I’m down or have too much on my plate, I reach for wine to help me forget. I’m not judging, I just want to help. It’s what you’re paying me to do. But more than that, I want to.’
His brows furrowed. ‘I don’t need your help, Alicia. Really, I’m fine. See,’ he lifted his glass and shoved it under her nose. ‘Water.’
But there was an edge to him, one that hadn’t been there when he’d walked into her office earlier. His eyes looked strained at the corners. ‘You’re not OK, though. Are you?’
Sebastian shrugged. ‘I knew this was coming, just didn’t expect it so fast, you know?’
She took his hand, entwined her fingers with his, and ignored the way he frowned down at the connection. She wanted to offer comfort, wanted to fix this and not just because it was her job, but because part of her knew he didn’t deserve all the bad hype – he’d made mistakes but that didn’t mean he had to lose everything.
And he wasn’t as bad as she’d originally labelled him. He helped her with Mr Maine when he could have walked, he’d cared enough to give her a lift home when she saw someone snooping outside the party. He’d tried to cheer her up that day she trained with him when he had no reason to. He could have just flirted with the aim of getting her into bed, but she got the feeling it went deeper than that.
Not many people would have done any of it, never mind a guy with his reputation.
‘I have a plan,’ she said.
His smile made her heart stutter. ‘I’m listening.’
Sebastian watched as Alicia dragged the photographer over and gave him a story to sell as well as the promise of pictures of the two of them together. He had to admit, hiring Blondie was the best decision he’d made for a while.
The guy got the lowdown on how Sebastian had taken his new girlfriend out for a few hours – while, of course, he stuck to mineral water – as a surprise after a week of intense training.
She also worked in an angle that he turned down several come-ons, telling those women he was spoken for and apologising before sending them on. Sam was almost positive he could get the story into one of the national papers by the end of the night, kicking off more good press about Sebastian. He just hoped the news of his sponsor pulling the plug didn’t hit the headlines first.
