by Liz Matis
“As long as you act like the engagement is real.” He stepped closer. “You may even have to kiss me.”
She tilted her head, giving him that Jessica Rabbit look. “It will be a chore, but I suppose it’s the least I can do, considering you’re saving me from jail.”
“The least you can do?” he scoffed. “You’re going to regret those words.”
“Oh no, I do believe you’ll be the one full of regret.” She handed him back the case. “I changed my mind.” She stuck out her left hand and wiggled her fingers. “Down on your knees, Liam. I’d like that proposal now.”
Hayden was a piece of work. If she thought he’d kneel at her feet, she had seriously misjudged him.
“Catch!” Smiling, he tossed the ring case high and away.
“Liam!” Without missing a beat, she dove over the top of the couch. Like a pro, she made a one-handed reception as she landed face down on the cushions.
“Nice,” he said more about her ass than the catch. “Now, let’s get to dinner. It’s time the public got a look at the happy couple.”
“You can order a glass of wine,” he said after the waiter left with their orders. He hated when people treated his sobriety like an egg ready to crack. He was responsible for his decisions, for his actions. Life was full of choices. And tonight the only temptation was Hayden’s cleavage. He thought he was doing an admirable job of keeping his eyes level with hers.
“I can’t. It’s part of my probation.” Hayden played with her dangling earring as she spoke.
Was it a habit of hers? Or was she flashing the engagement ring to the whole restaurant? Their charade had been covered in all the gossip columns today, and they were drawing stares, which was saying something in a room full of people like these. The rich and famous dined at ultra-exclusive LeFarge to avoid being bothered for autographs. Liam disliked being disturbed while eating too, but he never refused a fan.
Dinner passed amicably. Good food, and he had to admit good company. Hayden’s wit kept him on his toes. Her attempts to shock him amused him, but he had her number.
“That was delicious,” he said after he finished his meal of salmon and steamed vegetables. “During the season, I don’t eat out much. I’m pretty good in the kitchen. My mother taught me how to cook.”
“I can’t cook.” Her shoeless foot ran along his calf. “My skills are more about the bedroom.”
Liam reached under the table as she reached his thigh. Massaging her foot, he grinned. “I’m pretty good there too.”
Her eyes widened for a split second, but then narrowed as she yanked her foot away. “Liam, I think you are all teeth and no bite.”
“It’s all about the tongue,” he shot back.
Hayden wiggled in her chair. Before she could respond, the waiter delivered her cheesecake and coffee for the both of them. Liam liked a woman who ordered dessert, but he loved how Hayden enjoyed it, like a woman in the throes of an orgasm. Was she doing it on purpose to drive him out of his mind? Instead of taking a sip of coffee, he reached for the glass of water and took a long drink.
“Hayden, take pity on me.”
“What? Is this turning you on?” Seemingly innocent blue eyes didn’t match the naughty tone in her voice.
“I haven’t had sex in two years. A light breeze turns me on.”
“Good to know.” She sensuously licked a spoonful of cheesecake. “Oh yeah.” Then taking another spoonful, she placed it in her mouth and sucked. “Mmmmm… soooo… good.”
Liam shifted in his seat, trying to broker some room in his pants for his erection. He’d give anything to be that spoon. Anything. Except his soul. He’d made a vow he wouldn’t have sex again until he got married. After two years of celibacy, one evening with Hayden should have been a piece of cake.
Cake? Cheesecake. He shut his eyes, but he couldn’t shut his ears, which made it so much worse. With the tiny moans escaping her lips, he imagined her licking his cock. Sucking on it. Swallowing it.
“Good to the last drop.” The click of the spoon on the clean plate sounded the end of his torture.
It was going to be a long five month fake engagement. Hayden may be on probation but Liam felt like the one sentenced to jail.
After he paid the check and they stepped outside, he realized the crowd of paparazzi had tripled since they arrived. He’d warned her father about this. Liam didn’t want to spend hours answering questions about his personal life.
“Will your engagement affect the season?” yelled one of the paparazzi. “Is it a publicity stunt?”
Good question. Liam wouldn’t put it past the old man. Where did Middleton think Hayden inherited her love of the spotlight? Had her father leaked the newly engaged couple’s whereabouts? Had Hayden?
As the shouting photographers jostled for a better angle, Liam took her small hand and scanned the sidewalk, plotting their escape route like he would a play on the field. He could use a few of his linemen about now. He bulldozed a path to the curb, using his strength and height, keeping Hayden close behind him.
Arriving at his Hummer, he glanced over his shoulder. Her self-satisfied smile confirmed his suspicion. He itched to kiss that bratty grin off her face. Okay. If she wanted to give people something to talk about, he’d oblige.
He whirled her into his arms ready to scratch his annoyance away. Once their lips met in a heated clash, he realized it wasn’t an itch at all, but an unquenchable thirst for the taste of her and a raving hunger to feed upon her breath. Hayden was his decadent dessert. She tasted like sin and spice and nothing nice.
He ran his hands down her curves. Reaching her ass, he pulled her closer, hoping the softness of her belly would relieve the ache in his cock. Instead, he hardened to the point of frustration.
God bless the press. They were the only reason he wouldn’t toss Hayden into the backseat and have his wicked way with her.
He wished he wasn’t giving the photographers such a nice shot. He could already see tomorrow’s front page. The Cougars’ star quarterback cradling something besides a football in his hands—Hayden Middleton’s booty.
That didn’t stop him from deepening the kiss as the flashes went off.
Chapter 7
Oh. Dear. God. Liam knew how to kiss.
Kiss? What an inadequate word to describe the tender assault.
Every nerve ending of Hayden’s skin pricked alive, every fragment of her being hummed with awakening. All. From. A. Kiss.
She felt his hard-on press against her belly. The size promised fulfillment in every way. So did his tongue. Liam kissed her like he owned her. Controlled her. Mastered her. With her mind numb, her body rendered weak, a heavy weight of desire pressed down on her chest. She thought her heart had ceased to beat. She slid a hand up to thread through his reddish-brown waves. Melting into him, she sighed the last bit of air from her lungs. For a moment she depended on him to keep her upright and for the very air she breathed.
Then he broke away. She gasped, her lifeline ripped from her.
Opening the passenger door, he said, “Get in.”
Startled, she breathed on her own again, but remained unable to move. He tapped her ass, nodded to the Hummer, and then hoisted her inside. More flashes from the cameras caught the action frame by frame. For once she didn’t care about publicity. She didn’t dare look into the lens—afraid what the photos might reveal. A blush? Dreamy eyes?
She looked anxiously to the driver’s seat, waiting for Liam to slide in. Then what? She’d been on the receiving end of sloppy smooches, halfhearted pecks, and rushed kisses that only meant to lead to the main event. But Liam’s? She could live off his kisses. Or die from them. If one kiss from him could create this much havoc in her, then what would more do?
She’d warned her father she’d be a bad influence on his star player. The PDA was so out of character for Liam’s revamped Christian image. Apparently, her making out with a spoonful of cheesecake had pushed the choirboy over the edge.
But instead
of reveling in her success, a twinge of unease fought with her normal devil-may-care attitude. Liam started the car. “I think they bought it.”
What? Had he only kissed her senseless to prove to the paparazzi that the engagement was real? Anger rose in her blood, but in truth she was more hurt than mad.
He looked to her, seemingly unconcerned about the paparazzi mobbing the vehicle. “I hope that wasn’t too much of a chore for you?”
How clever of him to throw her earlier dig back at her. But that’s not what annoyed her. That he didn’t appear the least bit affected by the kiss did. “So what if you’re a great kisser. It means nothing.” Damn, she meant to say good, not great.
“It means everything, Hayden.” His gaze dropped to her lap. “Everything.”
Dear God, she was ready to drop her panties. Well, if she were wearing any, that is.
“Speechless?” Liam laughed. “Score one for me.”
It wasn’t fair. Not only was her plan to drive him away not working, but Liam gave back as good as he got. And he seemed to be enjoying that way more than he did kissing her.
She fumed as he inched the tank like vehicle through the horde of frenzied paparazzi.
“And Hayden. Don’t ever pull a stunt like that again.”
“What stunt?” It was too dark to waste an innocent flash of her baby blues. She’d play that trick later when it counted for something bigger.
He threw her a sideways glance. “Really?”
She thought about denying that she had alerted her media contacts, but why lie about it? If he realized his life would be a media circus, then maybe he would break the engagement before something more vulnerable was broken—like her heart. She could see herself easily falling in love with him. But she wasn’t about to change who she was for him or any man. “I’ll do whatever I want with the press. Get used to it.”
He pulled away from the crowd and sped down the street away from the pursuit of several cars. “I was talking about dessert. Don’t tease me like that again.”
Oh. An awkward silence enveloped them. Awkward for Hayden, anyway. She loved to be the center of attention, the total opposite of Liam. How would they ever make anyone believe he liked her, much less that he wanted to marry her? That’s the whole point of this outing, isn’t it? To prove to Liam that a fake engagement won’t work?
When he pulled up to the curb in front of her building, she tugged on the sleeve of his suit jacket. “You don’t have to walk me up.”
“Yes, I do.” Liam nodded toward the two photographers unsuccessfully hiding behind the large planters by the entrance. While the doorman struggled to hold them back, he slipped his hands around her waist and lifted her out of the large vehicle.
Their gazes met. His eyes heated into molten pools of amber. All the noise of the city faded away. She smiled, realizing he wasn’t as unaffected as he pretended. He slid her body against his as he slowly put her down. Would he kiss her again?
A photographer lunged, jostling the car door, ruining the moment. Liam pushed the offender to the ground and rushed her inside the building. The silence continued in the elevator. Was he mad at her?
“Coming in?” She opened the door to her apartment. If he was going to be mad, she might as well make it count.
“No.”
“We’re engaged.” Her fingers danced up his chest. “No reason why we can’t have a little fun.”
“Fake engaged. I made a vow.”
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those born-again virgins?”
“A virgin?” Liam laughed. “Don’t worry, Hayden. When it comes to a wedding night, my future wife will be getting all the benefits of all my past experience.” He pressed her hand flat against his heart. “Too bad you aren’t her.”
She slid her hand up to tighten his tie until she nearly strangled him. “Fine. I’ll just use my vibrator.”
With a smile, he loosened the knot, exposing the muscular cords of his neck. “But you’ll be thinking of me.”
Damn. She would be thinking of him. She’d relive that epic kiss and fantasize about the rest. The way he’d leisurely lick her body, his tongue playing with her tingling clit, the feel of his cock pushing inside her. Caught up in the vision, she didn’t notice his retreating back.
“Liam! Not even a kiss goodnight?” she pouted.
He turned, his arms open and palms up. “Why bother? There are no cameras around for you to play up to.”
“Hey, you’re the one who kissed me,” she shouted down the hall. She winced, hoping none of the neighbors were disturbed by the commotion. Hayden was on probation for that too. One more incident and the co-op board would live up to its threat to force the sale of her penthouse.
Liam poked his head out the elevator doors. “Hey Hayden.” He blew her kiss. “Catch.”
She fisted her hands and stomped her foot. How dare he remind her of his non-proposal! She slammed the door. To hell with her neighbors. And to hell with Liam McQueen.
Chapter 8
As the team owner’s daughter, the first game of the season was always a little nerve-wracking for Hayden. But as the quarterback’s fiancée, the stakes were even higher. At least it got her back into the father’s good graces. After her last arrest, he had banned her from the stadium.
Hannah Hahn and Angel Burner lounged in the owner’s box as usual, while the other wives and girlfriends sat in a reserved area outside. Preferential treatment was given to the supermodel and her friend, neither of whom liked Hayden.
Technically she was one of them now. Hayden, however, had never been very nice to the wives or girlfriends of the players.
But she needed to make nice now.
Last year, Samantha Jameson would’ve made the twosome a trio. Her husband, Ryan Terell, had retired at the end of last season. Hayden knew what the public didn’t. Headaches had sidelined the tight end, not his aging knees. The doctors warned the veteran player that another hit to the head could possibly end more than his career. Hayden wondered how he was handling retirement.
Perhaps this was a way to break the ice with the two wives.
Hayden stalled for a moment but knew that she needed to make the effort. She stepped down and took a seat across the aisle. After saying hello and receiving no response, she asked, “How are Samantha and Ryan?”
Hannah didn’t look over. “They’re fine.”
Not promising. It felt like the temperature in the room dropped fifty degrees, as though they were sitting outside in the middle of winter instead of watching from a climate-controlled room in the beginning of September.
“And how’s Gabby, Angel?” Hayden bit her lip, not sure how her query about Angel’s young daughter would be received. Out of all of the wives, she’d given Billy’s wife the hardest time. But who wouldn’t be dubious of a woman who out of the blue slapped a paternity suit on a professional football player?
“She’s fine.”
Apparently Angel was taking Hannah’s lead. “Look, I’m sorry I was such a bitch to you last season.”
Angel looked to Hannah who shrugged.
“I’m sorry I ran out of your wedding. Liam was being such a jerk.” Hayden had represented the Middleton family at Billy and Angel’s wedding. “Did you know he smacked my ass, damn hard, then pushed me out onto the dance floor?”
“Just in time for my bouquet to hit you square in the head.” Angel giggled.
Hannah joined in. “I must’ve viewed that clip on YouTube a hundred times.”
“The whole world did.” For the first time since the incident, Hayden laughed about it.
“Is that when your secret love affair started?” asked Angel.
Secret love affair? Before the night at Marini Madness, she’d run into Liam since the wedding, but he’d always been the same disapproving pain in the ass he’d always been. Hmmm. Kind of like the adult version of a little boy pulling a little girl’s ponytail on the playground. Did Liam like her? She laughed, shaking her head with the realization. “Yeah, I
guess it did.”
Not wanting to dwell on the crazy idea that Liam had feelings for her, she plucked two small paper bags from the counter. She was eager to change the subject. “Have you tried the Cougar Jax yet? It’s a new recipe that I’m thinking of adding to the candied nuts division.”
“I can’t. Carbs.” Hannah held up her hands as if the mere sight would add a pound or two to her svelte frame.
Angel grabbed a bag. “Yeah, but I can.”
“Who’s the bitch now?” joked Hannah.
The three women laughed like they were old friends.
“Now let’s see that ring,” Hannah said.
The request was music to a girl’s ear. Hayden stuck out her hand and they ooo-ed and ah-ed over the size, color, and art-deco setting. She almost felt like one of them, but she really wasn’t, was she? Their husbands loved them. Married them because of that love. Hayden’s engagement wasn’t real. She doubted she’d ever be married like them. Or loved.
Perhaps if she were more like them, Liam might fall for her too. Maybe if she lost twenty pounds? Maybe if she kept her opinions to herself? Maybe if she developed an ounce of maternal instinct? Maybe if she read the Bible?
Stop it! The last thought was too close for comfort. She was enough. She was more than enough. She didn’t want Liam to want her. Well, maybe a little. Maybe more than a little.
As the game progressed, the owner’s box grew silent. The score—0 to 7—favored the away team. The Cougars looked flat and Liam’s aim off. They’d had a perfect preseason and had home-field advantage, but the Warriors were pounding the Cougars’ offense. She gripped her seat each time Liam was sacked. Normally, she’d be screaming from her seat for the quarterback to scramble, but she couldn’t do that now. It wouldn’t do for Liam’s fiancée to lose her cool in front of her father’s guests.
Only seconds remained on the clock as Liam threw an impossible pass. The opposing cornerback beat out Billy Burner to catch it in the end zone. Interception. Game over. A loss for the Cougars—and Liam.
