by Maya Rossi
Brayden smiled. “Thank you, I really appreciate it.”
He loved Randall’s hair? What the hell? Could Brayden be gay? Ava got out her phone and typed. Are you gay?
As his phone vibrated in his pockets, Brayden muttered a ‘give me a minute, please’ to Randall and got it out. He frowned. “Why are you texting me?”
“You’ve never complimented my hair, and no one has seen you with a woman.”
Brayden tossed Randall a quick glance. “Tell me I can trust you.”
Randall nodded immediately.
“Dude--“
“You call her dude?” Randall sneezed.
“She’s my friend. Please don’t interrupt again.” Turning to Ava, he continued, “I never complimented your hair because it’s not the most obvious thing about you. Randall has better hair.”
That stung. Ava ignored Randall’s choking laugh to ask, “So you’re not gay?”
“I’m not and if I were that would be my business, yeah?” He looked like he was losing his patience. “Now, why did you see me and run off?”
“I don’t want people knowing,” she cut a grinning Randall a quick look, “we’re friends.”
“Really?” he sounded incredulous.
“Yes,” Ava threw up her hands, “next thing I’ll start hearing about how I slept my way to the top. It happens.”
“I think that’s silly,” Randall cut in.
Brayden shook his head, raising a hand that was an unspoken order to Randall to hold on. “It’s that important to you?”
Ava’s heart clenched tight, and she folded her arms protectively. “Yes. My life has not been… in my control and--”
“This is you taking control?”
“Yes.”
His eyes softened in understanding. “And that’s why… with Jami…”
“Yes.”
He gave a quick, decisive nod. “All right, text me when you get home? Tell Eddy you need lots of ice cream. It’s been my pleasure,” Brayden said to Randall and walked off.
They watched him leave. Ava took a moment to enjoy his confident, economical sexy strides until Randall jabbed her side. “Tell me you’ll hit that.”
She laughed. “I’m not a groupie and he’s my friend.”
“Friend my ass. Damn, he’s even better looking in real life. Is that even possible?” Randall asked.
“It is,” Ava hesitated, “I mean it though. I don’t want anyone to know.”
“I feel you.” Randall took her bag of notes. “Did you notice how he made me shut up about how silly your pretending was?”
Ava nodded, unfortunately she noticed everything Brayden did.
Chapter nine
“He did not.” Ava lurched forward, hands covering her mouth in horror as she stared at the screen where Randall was giving a tell all interview about his run in with Brayden. The video had amassed four million views in less than two hours.
“He’s definitely gay,” Randall was saying, “he appreciated my hair. He touched it and everything and looked into my eyes and said I looked great, and I was like what the fuck?”
“Do you think he’s bisexual, you mentioned his friendship with Ava Miller?”
“Nah, he treated her like a little sister, but me? He couldn’t take his eyes off me.”
Disbelieving, Ava blinked hard to get her bearings. “That’s not true, that’s not how it happened.”
“So, it happened then.” Nance shut the laptop and leaned across the desk, her eyes hurt and puzzled. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a thing with Brayden? Did you think I would disclose it to Eddy? I don’t even like the guy!”
“I feel like shaking some sense into you,” Ava forced through gritted teeth. “Why would I cheat on Eddy?”
“Because it’s Brayden here, duh.” Nance shrugged. “I would have done it.”
“Well, I didn’t and I wouldn’t.” Ava grabbed her things, intent on warning Brayden about the shit storm about to be unleashed on his reputation. This was a man who went to great lengths to make sure his reputation was sterling. “I’m so disappointed you think I’ll cheat. When he’s not not--”
“Brayden? You mean Brayden Marshall? Better looking, better boyfriend, far and away richer? Better secure that bag.”
Ava studied someone she always thought of as her best friend. To assume she cheated, Nance didn’t know her that well and she was probably guilty of the same thing. “Well, I’m on my way to warn the bag.”
The door to her office banged open and a fuming Eddy stood framed in the doorway. Ava propped her handbag high on her shoulder and walked over. “I know how things must look--”
“How do they look?” he asked, jaw thrust forward belligerently.
“Like Randall is using Brayden to get five minutes of fame?”
He laughed caustically. “Brayden, the gentleman who wants my girl, tell me about him.”
Ava waved him off with a flick of her wrist. “Please, don’t bring jealousy into this--”
“I should not bring jealousy into it, after Randall has exposed you?”
“Now you’re being ridiculous, what did he expose, tell me?” She turned to their colleagues who had gathered at the sound of commotion. “Tell us all again what Randall said, eh?”
“You lied to me,” Eddy fumed, stabbing a pointed finger into his chest. “You fucking lied about fucking Brayden, Ava. First that dog and now this?”
“What dog?” Nance asked.
“Is that what Randall said? I thought you were about telling us all what Randall said for five minutes of fame.”
“What the hell has come over you? You lied to me, you should be apologizing!”
“I should be explaining.” Ava stabbed a manicured finger into his chest. “Only the guilty apologize. I’m guilty of nothing. So? I wasn’t ready to tell you about our friendship. Brayden values his privacy and so do I.”
“Is that all?” Eddy asked.
Ava shook her head and stepped around him. “I don’t have time for this.”
The headquarters of BMF where Brayden’s charity foundation had its foothold was housed in a skyscraper that stretched to the heavens. Ava got out of the cab and stood on the sidewalk staring. It wasn’t like she didn’t know just how successful Brayden was. In the cutthroat world of sports and athletics, he sat comfortably on top of the food chain. With a reputation as clean as a whistle and influence stretching as wide as it was possible to reach, Brayden had it made. Yet, the reality was mind-boggling.
Her phone rang, startling her. Ava didn’t take her eyes off the building as she got out her phone. “Yes?”
“Close your mouth and come on up.”
“Miss Miller?”
A black security guard in an expensive suit waited to lead her to Brayden. As they crossed the lobby to the elevators, a woman came tumbling out. She had red hair that might have been beautiful once but hung limp and dirty down her back. She fought like a hellcat, scratching her jagged nails down the hand of the guard who led her out.
“It’s happening Brayden. It’s already happening, did you really think you can hide who you really are? It’s happening.” Her words ended on a singsong.
Without meaning to, Ava hesitated. The woman glanced around wildly, pushing and shoving at the guard. “What you pay me isn’t enough, you hear me? It will never be enough.”
As they passed the receptionist desk, she caught the edge of the table. Screaming, “I will get what’s mine, Brayden. Don’t think you can pay me off, the world will definitely know the truth. Danny’s coming, you hear? Danny is comiiiing.”
Her reporter’s instinct on high alert, concern for the woman warring with her loyalty to Brayden, Ava took a step forward. The woman’s eyes lighted on Ava. Time stood still, then her eyes shifted to the left of Ava and lit on the security guard. She went absolutely wild. Shrieking, she got free of the guard and launched herself at Ava. Shocked, Ava jumped back and into her guard just in time.
“Raymond,” the security guard
barked, “get her out of here.”
A man ran up to where the guard struggled to hold the woman down. “God, Janet what were you thinking?”
“He’s replaced me, Danny. Do you see her? She’s not even worthy, and she gets to have him.”
Danny paused and looked over, taking his time to study Ava which she considered weird since he came to help this woman. “You didn’t have to come here.”
“You don’t understand, I must be his wife, he can’t just replace me.”
A sigh of relief fell from her lips. A stalker. Of course, a man of Brayden’s stature would have one if not many stalkers. She smiled at the guard and was surprised to find him watching her with an openly disapproving frown.
She held out her hand. “I’m Ava. Ava Miller.”
“I know who you are. This way.”
Smarting at his brush off, Ava followed. Standing at over six feet and heavily muscled, the man looked like what he was, a guard. With his black skin and the diamond earring winking at his left ear, he also looked rakish and a bit too polished for this line of work.
“Have you worked with Mr Marshall long?’ she asked as the private elevator whisked them up to Brayden’s floor.
“Interviewing me, Miss Miller?” he asked, eyes aimed at the changing numbers.
“No,” Ava answered truthfully. “I feel you’re close to Brayden so I was curious.”
“Naturally.” He was silent for a beat before catching her eye and nodding slightly. “Six years.”
She hadn’t expected that. “What’s your name?”
“Jack.” He opened his mouth and closed it, hesitating with whatever question he wanted to ask.
“Ask,” Ava urged, curious to know what he thought for no reason she could understand.
“Try to mind your business.”
Her mouth dropped open. “What?”
“You call yourself Brayden’s friend. At least he considers you one. But back there, I saw your eyes. You were greedy, searching for a story.” He dipped his head slightly. “I will be watching you.”
The elevator doors swished open and Brayden was there. In his sharp suit with its cut edges and tie, he never looked more handsome. Ava studied his dear face, the almost feminine full lips, the high forehead and dark brows. A sudden realization slammed into her. She had come all this way to warn him about Randall, what if he thought she had broken his trust?
She barely paid attention as he dismissed Jack. Ava rushed ahead, words tumbling over each other. “I came to warn you about Randall. Please, please, I had nothing to do with it. I was surprised to see the interview. I knew nothing about it, I swear.”
“I expected that, you’re a reporter after all.”
Her stomach turned over. “If you don’t believe me, I understand.” Ava’s throat closed up. A sharp pain began deep in her stomach and spread outward, startling her with its force. “I understand.”
“Even when I wanted to begin this journey of friendship with you, my security warned me. You come with a lot of baggage. Worse? Your profession. You lie, believe the lie and spread lies. It’s what your job is about--”
“Shut up.” Ava clenched her fingers tight to control the rage boiling inside her like an uncontrollable flame. “Say what you will about me, but leave my profession out of this.”
“Where is the lie?”
She jerked her head up, ready to lay into him with all the force of her fury. And stopped. “Why the hell are you smiling?”
Somewhere in her subconscious was the realization Brayden was devastatingly good looking with that smile. A full teeth baring and dimple revealing grin. His dimples cut sharp creases along his cheeks making him even more handsome.
Ava shook her head. “You’re smiling, why?”
“Why would I think you had something to do with it?” he asked.
“But- but--” Ava broke off, she wanted to say Eddy and Nance hadn’t believed her when she said she wasn’t cheating. Eddy was already suspicious of their friendship after finding out like seconds ago. Nance talked about securing a bag. And they had known her for years.
“But what?” Brayden caught her elbow and led her into a huge office. He seated her on a well-appointed couch and served her wine from the bottle waiting on his table.
“You knew I was coming?”
He shrugged. “I guessed.” He handed her a half full glass. “Why would you think I wouldn’t believe you?”
Ava pressed the cold glass to her hot cheeks. “You really believe me?”
“I do.”
Staring into her wineglass, Ava took a second to take it in. He really believed her, without explanations or apologies. “My mother was a drug addict,” she blurted.
Brayden moved to take the seat beside her on the couch. He took the glass from her trembling hand and replaced it on the table. Bemused, Ava stared at her hand. “Why’s my hand shaking?”
“I don’t know.” With that he pulled her across his lap and into his arms.
Ava burst into tears. Brayden rocked her, saying nothing, just letting her cry. Body racked by shudders, she burrowed into his warmth and let go. Sometime later, she drew in a shuddering breath. “I’m fine.”
“What brought this on? You mentioned your mother.”
“She was a drug addict. Uughh, I hate to remember those days. The dirt, the fear and the pain. We moved so much I lost count. It’s why I find it difficult to move in with Eddy. Well, one reason anyway.” She shoved her hand into the pocket of his suit jacket idly and continued, “It was dark but not so much because I had my brother. He was big and protective and he made things better. He was my rock. Then he left and never came back.”
Brayden’s arms tightened. “He left?”
“We met up again recently, and he explained mom took him away, back to dad. We moved, and they was no way to find me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m okay, I should be — oh God, I forgot about Randall. What are we going to do?”
“I’ll handle Randall.”
She laughed. “Really? Now I’m curious. What are you going to do?”
Brayden hesitated. “You understand I can’t tell you everything you need to know because of your job?”
“So you don’t trust me.” Ava slipped off his lap. She went to gather her things.
He sat back and crossed his legs. “It has nothing to do with trust, just necessity Ava. Look at the facts, you’re a journalist, passionate about your work--”
“And loyal to you!”
The declaration shocked her as much as him. Ava bit her lip, wishing she could take the words back. But it was true. She wasn’t only loyal to Brayden Marshall, she loved him.
Chapter ten
“Why are you here again?” Brayden asked with a loud groan.
Ava stuck out her tongue. “Don’t act like you don’t enjoy my company.”
“Seriously, one minute you were spouting off about the best date in the history of mankind--”
“That was before Nance and Eddy bailed on me.”
Ava plodded from the kitchen to the living room where Brayden sprawled on a couch remote in hand, watching sports center. When she tried to sit on the arm of the chair, she keeled over and landed on her ass. Brayden dropped the remote and hung over the chair to look her over.
“Are you all right?”
She burst into laughter. “Eddy will be so pissed.”
“He shouldn’t have bailed,” resignation flooded his handsome features, “you can call him if you want.”
Doing her best not to dwell on the lingering disappointment of Eddy and Nance getting out of their plans to go clubbing, Ava belched loudly. “Probably not a good idea.” She squinted at him. “Did I tell about the new found love they have for me at the office?”
He grinned cockily. “The Brayden effect, yeah?”
“You know it.” She shook her head. “If I had known an impromptu giveaway from Randall was all I needed to get me into Frank’s good books--”
> “Impromptu give away, really?” Brayden carded a hand through his hair but it just caused the strands to fall into more disarray. “Is that even a thing?”
“Yes, I think. Like when a company suddenly rewards loyal customers.”
He laughed. “Now, that sounds even dirtier. So what did Frank get you based on your new connections, just a seat at their esteemed table?”
“No,” Ava’s voice turned high pitched, “can you tell Brayden he’s got a lot of fans over here. Tell Brayden not to be a stranger. Can you ask Brayden if he’s ever going to fight Ryan Highland? Tell Brayden Ryan’s making moves--”
“Fucking Ryan.”
