by Violet Paige
I shook my head, still foggy from sleep. “I didn’t.” But I was staring at a picture that was on my phone. One that Natalia and I had taken at Canyon Lake .
“That was a special place. A special night. And you did this with it ?”
“I’m trying to tell you what happened with the picture. It wasn’t me.” She had never sounded this frantic before .
“Don’t try to tell me someone else sold our picture. You’re the only one who had it.” I could hear the sobs. “I thought you respected my decision. I thought you cared about me. You realize I’ve been fired? I have to take in my Goddesses uniform today.” She was crying hard. “I have to give them back the boots. They won’t even let me keep them .”
“God, Natalia. I know it looks like I could have done this, but I know who sold the picture. I would never do this to you. I would never hurt you like this .”
“Then who? Who has our picture ?”
I exhaled. “My stupid bitch of an ex .”
“What?”
“She stopped by a few days ago and now I realize why. I played right into her hands. Damn it. There probably wasn’t a single ounce of truth to anything she said. I bet she and Todd are still together .”
“Who is Todd? Your ex stopped by and you didn’t mention it?” I could hear the outrage in her voice .
“Right, that sounds bad, but it’s not what you think either. God, this is fucked up .”
“Isn’t it?” She paused. “I have to go. I have to get to the stadium to meet Heather and give her my uniform. They won’t even let me inside. We have to meet at the gate. Do you know how humiliating this is? Do you even know what this is doing to me ?”
I couldn’t fix it. I couldn’t take away her embarrassment. I couldn’t retract the photo. God, I couldn’t even punish Maddie for screwing me over again .
“I’m sorry, Natalia. Look, I’ll be there as soon as I can .”
“No. Stay away. Stay in San Antonio with your ex or whoever. Just leave me alone, Sam. You’ve done enough .”
She hung up and I sat up in bed. I stared at the TV. The announcers were still speculating on when Natalia and I had met and how long we had been seeing each other. Maddie must have sent the picture to her phone when I was in search of tissues for her fake tears. With a first name and a picture, it only took two days to track down her position with the Warriors .
I should have given her the money when she asked for it. Instead, she found a way to take it from me. I didn’t know which tabloid had paid her for it, but they could expect a huge lawsuit headed their way. Someone was going to pay for what this had cost Natalia .
I knew Natalia was angry and hurt. She thought I betrayed her, maybe in more than one way. I had to prove to her that I wasn’t that kind of man. I had questioned it myself. I had the pictures. I knew with one social media post our relationship would blow up the headlines. A Wrangler and a Warrior. What would be more taboo than that? We’d get all kinds of attention. I knew she’d be fired and that would leave her free to finally move in with me. Yeah, I was the kind of asshole who thought about doing it. I had thought about it more than once. But fuck, Natalia made me want to be a better man than that. I didn’t want to trick her into living with me. I didn’t want to force her into my life. I could have been the one to do what Maddie did, and I was ashamed of that thought more than anything .
I rolled out of bed to get dressed. I had ninety minutes to get to Austin .
My phone rang. I looked at the number. It was Keith Stone, the Wranglers’ head of publicity. It was never good when Keith called .
“Hey, man,” I tried to sound casual as if nothing catastrophic was happening .
“Sam, we need to talk about the Sports Now story .”
I started getting dressed while I talked to him, grabbing a clean pair of jeans from my dresser. “What do you want to know, Keith ?”
“Is the picture real? Is the girl a Warrior Goddess? What the hell is going on ?”
I sat on the edge of my bed to put on my socks. “Yes, yes, and I don’t know .”
“Not what I wanted to hear. You know management is on me to find out what’s going on .”
“I know. I know. It shouldn’t be a problem, right? I’ve been seeing her a few months. We met when the team was in Austin for the season opener. Yes, she was a Warrior, but they fired her this morning. I’ve got to get to Austin, Keith, so we can talk while I drive or I’ll call you tomorrow .”
“No, I just needed the facts .”
“Is there a problem?” I ran my hands through my hair, holding my breath .
“Nothing a good story from my office can’t handle. Send me a picture of you two when you get a chance. Not that one. Something different we can use exclusively .”
Shit. Natalia wasn’t going to like that anymore than what had already happened. I needed to see her first. I needed to make sure we were okay. I had to fix us .
“All right. Give me a few hours and I’ll send you something. Anything else ?”
“I’ll call you if there is. Just know fans are going to give you hell for a while, but it actually helps that the Warriors fired her. She’ll gain sympathy points. It might make it less brutal when you two are seen out together .”
I hadn’t thought about that. The rabid rivalry had kept us apart, but now that we were public, it could be a complete nightmare for Natalia. What if the Wrangler fans didn’t embrace her? What if they turned their backs on me ?
I shook my head. It didn’t matter. She was worth it. And if I had to find another team that would accept both of us, I would. I’d do whatever it took to make her happy and make her feel safe. I’d even leave Texas .
“Thanks, Keith. Thanks for taking care of this. And anything you can do to make Natalia look good, to get her Wrangler support, I’d appreciate it.” I realized instantly how valuable this man was .
“I’ve got it. Don’t worry. The Wranglers are going to welcome her if that’s what you want. Let me work my magic and don’t forget to send me a picture .”
“Sure thing.” I hung up and raced to the parking garage .
Seconds were ticking by and I needed to know that Natalia was okay .
Thirty-Two
Natalia
I wiped the tears from my eyes and dabbed a tissue to my nose. I didn’t know I had this many tears in me. I was crying from the shock. From the humiliation. From the betrayal from the man in my life I had given myself to .
And what did I have left? I had no job. I had no income coming in. And now I didn’t have a boyfriend. Today was terrible and horrible and I wanted to skip over it .
I pulled up in front of the gate. Heather was waiting with her arms crossed. She walked over to my car .
“Hi.” I smiled meekly .
“I tried to tell you .”
I nodded. “You did.” I handed her the uniform and the box that protected the gold boots .
“But I guess he was more important?” She was mad. Her voice cracked .
“It wasn’t that .”
I wanted to explain. I wanted to tell her everything. But I wasn’t sure she would understand. Maybe she did want a love like the reporter girl found with the pitcher, but was Heather really the kind of girl who would give everything to have it? Would she lie to protect her relationship? Would she sneak out in the middle of the night? She said she wanted all the romance, but would she ever put the Warriors second ?
“Then what? What could make you risk this? You know there was no choice but to fire you once a picture like that went public .”
“I know. I’m not mad at you or anyone with the Goddesses. It’s my own fault for trusting him. I’m the only one to blame here. I’m not pretending it’s something else .”
I saw the look of pity in Heather’s eyes. We weren’t going to be friends after this. I knew that. I had betrayed her just as Sam had betrayed me. I had lied to her repeatedly and broken my oath to the squad. I felt like an awful human being .
“I tho
ught being a Goddess meant something to you. I saw it. You started to love it. You started having fun. You were becoming one of us. A sister we could count on .”
I wiped a tear with the back of my hand. “I do love it. I did.” I nodded .
“I hope he was worth it.” She swung my uniform over her shoulder .
“Heather, wait .”
She twirled to face me. “Yes ?”
“Thank you. Thank you for being so nice to me. I wasn’t the best Goddess and I gave you a hard time. It’s just as important as ballet. And what these girls do is hard work. I’m going to miss it. Especially the gold boots .”
She grinned. “I knew you were coming around. Sad about the boots. Sometimes love wins instead, I guess .”
I felt the pit in my stomach widen. There was no win for love this time .
“Right.” I got back in my car and started the ignition. There wasn’t anything left to say. She would pass my uniform on to one of the alternates .
Someone else would go to practice and fly to San Francisco tomorrow. It wasn’t going to be me .
* * *
I didn’t expect to see Sam’s car when I pulled up to my building. I stormed out from behind the wheel, the rage fueling my steps .
“What are you doing here? I told you not to come .”
He grabbed me by the wrist. “I want you to come with me .”
I tried to wiggle free, but his grip was strong. “No. I don’t want to see you. Or talk to you. Least of all get in your car.” He had led me to where he was parked .
“Get in.” He opened the door .
I sat inside, pissed that I had listened. He locked the doors as he peeled onto the street .
“Where are we going?” I asked .
“Home.”
* * *
I ’d never been so mad at any man in my life. Sam drove like a speed racer. It didn’t take long to figure out he meant we were headed to San Antonio. I looked out the window and refused to speak to him .
“If you won’t talk to me, maybe you can sit and listen .”
“I’d rather not,” I replied .
“Natalia, I did not leak the photo of us. I won’t say it didn’t cross my mind .”
I glared at him. Was he being serious ?
“That’s right, I did think about it, but I wasn’t going to do that. I’m not a fucking weasel. I want you. But only if you want me too. This is a two-way street, baby .”
I looked at the road. He was driving as if it we were on a one-lane highway, fast and furious .
He continued. “I’ve never told you about Maddie. And maybe I should have. But there’s a reason I didn’t .”
I waited for his explanation .
“She crushed me. Obliterated all the feelings I had. I was in love with that girl in college. And she cheated on me with my roommate .”
I bit my lower lip. I wanted to say something nice, but I remembered I was royally pissed .
Sam kept talking. “It was at the beginning of my senior season. I had red-shirted so this was my fifth year. It was the most important one of my life. There were scouts looking at me. I had agents courting me. It was my chance to finally get a ticket into the pros. And out of nowhere, this girl who I thought was in my corner, was actually fucking my friend. Sorry.” He winced .
“Anyway, it almost ruined everything. The first game I started dropping balls in the end zone. I was late to practice. I lost weight. It was a nightmare. But then one day I woke up and realized I wasn’t going to let her take my dream from me. She could break my heart, but she couldn’t ruin my entire future. And like that, everything snapped back into place .”
“Wow,” I whispered. “That’s a terrible, yet inspiring story.” I hadn’t meant to say anything .
He looked at me. “Yes, it is. And I haven’t seen her in a few years. She called me when I was at your place in Austin .”
“Wait, is that the call that had you all pissed off ?”
“Mmmhmm. She said Todd kicked her out and she needed money and there was nowhere else to turn, so she called me as an old friend .”
“And you turned her down ?”
“Hell yes, I turned her down. I wasn’t going to give her anything. So when she showed up a couple days ago, it was suspicious. She had some lame story about wanting to get back together .”
I bristled when he mentioned that part .
“But I showed her the picture of you and told her how insanely crazy I am about you and how you’re my future .”
“You said that ?”
He nodded. “I did. I wanted her to see how happy I was with you. How happy you make me. So I shoved the damn picture from the lake in her face. But then she started crying and I left my phone for a few seconds. I guess it was long enough for her to get the photo. Now I realize she was approached by one of the outlets to get the scoop on me. She did it for the money. She doesn’t care about who you are or that she cost you your job. She doesn’t care about what it did to me to see you hurt. She’s always been a tunnel-vision kind of person .”
“And a complete bitch,” I added .
He laughed. “And that .”
“I didn’t want to leave the Goddesses, Sam. Not like this. I was really starting to like those gold boots .”
“I know, baby. But I think I have something that’s going to cheer you up .”
“What is it?” We had been on the road for over an hour and we were getting closer to the city .
“You’ll have to wait and see .”
I felt as if I could finally breathe. I believed him. I believed the entire story about the ex and the picture. The whole thing made sense. Sam didn’t have to drive to Austin to kidnap me. He did it because it mattered to him whether I believed him or not .
“Do you forgive me, Natalia, for putting you in this situation? It is my fault the picture is out there .”
I took his right hand in mine. “I do. I’m sorry I jumped to all of the conclusions I did. It seemed logical at the time, and now I realize I was a crazy person .”
“Nah.” He shook his head .
“Okay, no, I was completely justified and sane.” I smiled. I liked the feel of his hand against my palm. It was warm and strong, just like him .
If people only knew what I knew about Sam Hickson .
Thirty-Three
Sam
I shouldn’t feel nervous, but I fucking did. I drove under the building and parked in my usual spot .
“We’re here.” I pulled the keys from the ignition and walked around to let Natalia out of the passenger side .
“And here is where you live?” she guessed .
“Come on.” I tugged her behind me and led her to the elevator. I punched in the button and we rode to the top floor .
“You’re not going to tell me anything ?”
“Give me five seconds and you’ll see for yourself .”
I shoved the key in the lock and opened the door for the new apartment. She walked over the threshold and turned to look at me .
“What is this place ?”
I grinned. “It’s ours .”
“What?” Her eyes darted back and forth .
“Yep. I bought it for you. For us.” I pulled her hand. “This is our living room, the kitchen, the master suite is back there, but this is really what I want you to see.” I opened the door and waited for her reaction .
“Oh my God .”
“Do you like it ?”
“You built a studio for me ?”
“I did. I wanted you to be able to dance here. And look, there’s even a place for your turntable from Madame Collette built into the wall. I had them add speakers so we can tie the whole system together. And the chandeliers are like the one you have, I think, but you can change anything you don’t like .”
“Sam, this is unbelievable.” She threw her arms around me, and I hoisted her from the floor .
My lips landed on hers as I drew her close to my body. I wrapped my arms around the curv
e of her waist .
“I’m glad you like it .”
“You were sure of yourself, weren’t you?” She smiled .
“I was not going to use the picture.” I eyed her. “But, yes, I know you belong with me. Here .”
She stepped out of my arms and walked to the barre, pressing on it. She lifted her heel on one edge and leaned over so her body was folded in half .
“You know that this is a turn on for me, right? Watching you dance? Watching your body move like that ?”
She smiled at me wickedly. “That’s good to know.” She switched legs and stretched across her ankle, letting her fingers flow to her foot .
“I’m serious. I see you in the mirror and I think about the night in your apartment.” I walked behind her .
“I think about it too,” she whispered .
I kissed her neck. She tasted sweet and wild. God I wanted her. I wanted to christen this room and the entire apartment .
But it wasn’t ready. There was dust everywhere and wires sticking out of the walls. I didn’t know when one of the workers might walk back in from a break .
“Can I take you to our temporary home?” I suggested .
She looked around. “There’s more ?”
I waggled my eyebrows. “Yes. I live downstairs .”
I threaded my fingers through hers and maneuvered her through the debris in the apartment. We headed down the flight of stairs and I opened the door .
No sooner had we walked through the door, than her lips were on mine and our clothes were flying to the floor .
“I missed you,” she whispered .
It seemed like more than two weeks had passed since we had been at Canyon Lake .
“God, I missed you.” I devoured her lips, not taking my time to be gentle or easy. I wanted her to know what she did to me .
Her fingers trailed over my chest and unsnapped the button on my jeans. “I missed this,” she purred .
Fuck. My cock was hard. Two weeks away from her and this wouldn’t last long .
I grabbed her by the back of the head, but she was already sinking to her knees, struggling to get the denim off my legs. I had her gasp when my cock bounced freely .
