Veda had been on the hunt then. “We’re gonna have to get a lawyer, Bec,” she’d insisted.
“Really? And how can we afford one of those?” Becca had rolled her eyes and pointed to the mass of medical bills she was paying online.
“We sue that dickhead.”
“What? Why?”
“For defamation of character, for starters. Sexual assault—”
“No! He didn’t sexually assault me.”
“Umm, did you not see the picture on page 5 of this tabloid?” Veda had scoffed and practically thrown it at her.
Becca hadn’t needed to see it. She knew what the pose looked like. It looked like he’d been the aggressor. One of his palms was cupping her breast, the other was gripping her hip and butt cheek. She could still remember his masculine smell, the taste of his lips, how aroused she’d been by his hands on her, the growl that rumbled his broad chest. She’d looked down, ashamed at how much she’d wanted him and how she’d thrown her inhibitions to the wind in the throes of a passionate embrace.
“Look, he got a slap on the wrist. Meanwhile, we’re sitting here on the verge of eviction. I picked up another shift tonight.”
“C’mon, Veda, you said that you were gonna stop working at that place.”
“Yeah, I know I did. But I can’t. At least not right now, anyway. Besides, you know I don’t mind it. And it’s damn good money. Money that we need right now while you search for another job.”
“My reputation is trashed. I’ll be lucky if McDonald’s will hire me.” Becca pouted.
“Come work at RISE then.”
“No, I-I can’t. I don’t know how you—” Rebecca didn’t finish the statement. They’d had these conversations before, and Veda knew how she felt about stripping.
Veda had always been a “showgirl” though, which was why she was also an NFL cheerleader too. Somehow, she’d found a makeup that covered all her vibrant tattoos and used the clear rings to cover her visible piercings. She wasn’t a stickler for rules—in fact, Veda preferred to be a rule breaker—but she did her best to follow them in order to keep the job. The Gladiators cheerleaders weren’t as scantily clad as some of the other teams and their rules weren’t as strict but still stringent enough for no flexibility. It didn’t pay as much money as everyone thought, but it was great for her portfolio; Veda had always wanted to be a model.
“I just wish there was some way for me to recover my job.”
“Do what I said and call a lawyer.”
Rebecca shook her head in disagreement. Even if she could afford it, she wouldn’t do that to Paxton. She’d asked him to kiss her—to make the date perfect—and in those few moments, it had been. Neither of them could’ve anticipated the sparks that would explode around them when their lips touched, the jolt of electricity that had jarred them, and the alignment that would come.
Oh, what was she saying! Obviously, she’d been the only one to feel it. If he had, he wasn’t gonna do a blasted thing about it.
“I’ll find a job, sister. Don’t discount me. There are other places.”
Veda’s deep eyes looked into Becca’s. “I know how much your career means to you.”
“And I know how much yours means to you.”
Veda rolled her eyes. “A dream…”
“No, you can be anything you want to be.”
“Grow up, Bec. This is the real world. You work your ass off then you die. Might as well have a little fun while we’re here though, huh? Come to RISE with me tonight. I’ll introduce you to the owner. She’s super chill.”
Rebecca wouldn’t shed her clothes for money, plus she was a horrible dancer. Until the time came that they were gonna starve, she had to simply maintain her morality; Veda had abandoned hers long ago. One of them had to be able to enter Heaven’s gate so that they could rally for the other. They were twins, after all.
“I’ll start searching right now. I’ll find something good before the day’s out, I promise.” Becca was glad for the savings they had thanks to Vey’s dancing.
“I believe in you, sis. But if you can’t find anything because of this fuckhead, I’m calling a lawyer for you. How dare you suffer for him being horny!”
Such was life. Women had been suffering for men’s lack of inhibitions for centuries. What made this one any different?
Pax wiped his eyes. He’d started watching Outlander two days ago and had gotten hooked thanks to Rebecca. He’d been watching hours of it nonstop—damn Netflix and their automatic six seconds to the next episode BS. It was easy to binge when it was so convenient. Now, he was emotionally destroyed and reeling from this last episode he’d just watched. He sat up and ran his hands over his face.
He’d been stewing since his suspension Saturday and had come home and drank far too much, which he’d regretted come Sunday. He’d watched his team win an impeccable game without him and stewed even more as the gorgeous brunette flashed through his head. She was stunning, porcelain skin, eyes as green as jade, and a sweetness behind her smile that he’d longed to explore. He couldn’t forget the taste of that sweetness, the eagerness in her kiss, or the pull of their bodies as he’d grabbed her and sinfully indulged on the sweet lass atop his lap.
Now, he was being punished for it. And his punishment was palpable as he swore at his stupidity.
It wasn’t fair. He couldn’t have anticipated how amazing their kiss would be. He hadn’t meant to let it go that far and never imagined the media— Oh, never mind, of course the media would prey on them; they were the media.
“Dammit!” he growled and grabbed his phone for the first time all day.
A headline caught his attention. Local Historian Fired for Professional Misconduct.
“Oh no,” Pax mumbled as he began reading about Rebecca’s termination for “conduct unbecoming” of a member of the historical society. Sonovabitch! Now, he’d gone and gotten her fired. He felt like a real asshole. He had to make this right. Somehow, he had to make this right.
He immediately moved through his contacts and selected his lawyer, Humphrey Williams. The man answered on the second ring, and Paxton sighed. “Humph, man, I need to run something by you.”
He then began to tell him about an outlandish idea.
CHAPTER FIVE
Rebecca walked into the children’s hospital, feeling her cheeks flush as she looked down. People whispered, giggled, and ambled about, and she couldn’t help but feel that all eyes were on her. She was still mortified to be seen out in public, attempting to fly under the radar. When she hadn’t made a public statement, the cameras had begun to disband little by little, but she couldn’t stay cooped up in her apartment forever—not with her mother’s cancer treatments and her own things to do.
She was still going to maintain her volunteer work while her mother got treatment. After all, the hospitals were side by side, and seeing the children always made her feel better.
Carter came up then and gave her a smile as she checked in at registration.
“Ms. Ryan, you’re looking lovely today.”
“Oh, thank you, Carter.” Carter Burns ran the program she volunteered for. He was handsome enough, boyishly so, but his gray eyes always seemed to unnerve her. There was something about him that gave her and Veda the “creeper” vibe.
“I heard about your misfortunes. I’m so sorry.” His hand came to her shoulder and cupped it softly. “How dare that man lay hands on you like that.”
Rebecca’s cheeks flamed and she looked up. Carter’s brows were drawn angrily.
“People with money get away with things they shouldn’t.”
He stared at her for long moments before the lady at the front issued her a temporary badge for the time she would be there, snapping Carter out of his mood.
He smiled again and took the badge, thanking the lady.
He then motioned for Rebecca to accompany him down the hallway and handed her the badge.
They moved shoulder to shoulder, not in a particular rush, although Becca felt
uncomfortable with the closeness and awkward silence as they moved down the hallway.
“Rebecca, I—” Carter began only to stop as Rebecca gasped when a giant frame halted her in her tracks. Her nose brushed a sternum and big arms pulled her against a large chest.
Her breath whooshed out of her as she was squeezed tightly into an embrace.
“There’s my gorgeous lass,” a familiar deep voice said.
When she was pulled back, Rebecca gaped at the beautiful smiling face of Paxton Guthrie.
“P-Pax!”
“I know I’m late, honey, but I promise, it’s for a damn good reason.”
Before she could respond, his plump lips were on hers, kissing her softly yet firmly. She stifled a moan and pushed at his chest, confused to Hell and back.
“Sorry, Becca bear, I missed you.” He rubbed his nose against her own, and she knew her gawking mouth could’ve fit a Buick in it. “You left your ring at the house last night. Kinda hard to tell the whole world we’re engaged if you don’t wear my ring, bunny.” He shoved a diamond solitaire onto her left ring finger and pulled her back into his chest. “Just go along with it, I’ll explain in a minute,” he whispered softly into the ear opposite the side Carter was standing on.
When Pax pulled back, he smiled over at an equally shocked Carter Burns, his hand staying possessively on Becca’s back. “Paxton Guthrie. I’m Becca’s fiancé.”
Carter’s grunt of surprise matched Becca’s. He gulped and looked down, as if furious for a moment before collecting himself. “Carter Burns. I’m the volunteer program director here at ACH.”
“Good to meet ya. I was told you’re the man to see about volunteering around here.”
Carter again looked taken off guard before nodding.
“Well, I got my badge for the day. Where do I start?”
Rebecca knew she was just as out of sorts, but Pax’s pat on her back signaled her forward as Carter led them down the long hall. Pax’s hand interlocked with hers, and she felt her entire body tingle at his overwhelming presence. She’d forgotten how huge he was.
Carter led them back to a room, where he began explaining their tasks for the day. They’d be handing out events brochures and coloring pamphlets to the inpatient rooms on the third floor. “You can team up with your fiancée here and let her show you the ropes. Welcome, Mr. Guthrie.”
Carter huffed off and left them to their own devices. Pax then pulled her into a supply room where Becca’s mouth opened once again as he propped himself against the closed door.
He ran a hand through his blond curls and looked back at her with a crooked grin. “Sorry to accost you once again, but I—”
“Fiancée? Pax, what is—?”
“Look, it was the only thing I could do to save your reputation—and your job. I’m sorry, by the way, about the Ferris wheel. I—” He looked down before his eyes met hers again and he stepped forward, taking her hands. “When I found out you’d lost your job, I knew that I couldn’t just sit by and do nothing, so I took action. We can break up any time you want. Although, the longer we stretch this out, I feel the better it will be for you.”
What was he saying? Her mind hadn’t gone past the word “Ferris wheel.” Of course he’d be sorry about that? It had meant nothing to him and everything to her.
“Becca, say something—please?” he insisted.
“I—” She closed her eyes. “I don’t understand.”
“I told your boss, and the hospital event coordinators, that I asked you to marry me on the Ferris wheel. Thus our reaction.”
“You what?” Had she heard him right?
“Yeah, see, we’ve been dating for some time in private.” He made air quotes. “And I arranged the charity raffle date as a means for a romantic engagement for us to go public.”
Oh my God! He’d lied to everyone. Holy cac. What happened if they found out the truth?
“I know what you’re thinking, Rebecca. But it will be easier than you think. We’ll both pick a date that no one can track us to any particular place. We met during the off-season, and you and I hit it off and began a secret relationship; no one will know otherwise, unless we tell them.”
Rebecca began to absorb his words. He’d faked an engagement to save face. Somehow, she felt that it wasn’t just her reputation he’d been trying to salvage. What did this entail for her, being engaged to an NFL star?
“Ok, so what’s the plan?” Her pounding heart relinquished as her brain took charge.
“We just make it look legit. I’ll need to meet your family, you’ll need to meet mine. I’ll introduce you to the guys and— What?”
“My job?” she grimaced.
He smiled. “You got it back. You can start back as soon as you want. Your boss was a tough nut to crack, but I think he has a romantic side. I had to do a lot of groveling on that one.” He scowled, looking off as if he didn’t want to discuss what type of groveling he’d had to do.
She took in a deep breath and turned away from him, in an attempt to calm her racing mind and heart. He’d gone to her boss. He’d come to the hospital. He’d saved her character!
“Look, I know this is sudden and unexpected,” he said as he came up behind her. “I just couldn’t, in good conscience, leave you to the dogs, the media, the image I left you with on Friday night.” Or the sting that his suspension had left in its wake, she was sure.
“Pax, I…I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. I wanted to do it. Rebecca, I am sorry for all this. Can you forgive me?” He turned her around to look at him, his finger hovering at her chin.
How could she not forgive a gorgeous face like his? With his jaw and cheekbones looking like they’d been carved from marble? Those blue eyes the color of the sky on a cloudless day. Those lips, the bottom one plumper than the top. She was nodding and grinning at him before her brain could form a proper answer.
He pulled her into his embrace, cradling her head against his huge pec as his palm went to her back.
When he pulled back, he gripped her shoulders gently. “Now, fiancée, teach me the ropes of volunteer work with these adorable kiddos.”
Rebecca smiled and nodded.
They set to work, going room to room. Some of the kids recognized Paxton, others didn’t. Some were very sick, while others looked as healthy as horses. Pax treated them all with kindness, eagerness, and concern, which touched Rebecca’s heart. He joked with them and made them laugh. He was a big kid, himself, and made her laugh in turn.
When two hours had passed, she gasped as she looked at her watch. “Oh, no.”
“What’s wrong?” Pax asked and gripped her forearm.
“I have to go get my mam.”
“Ok. Can I come too?”
She gulped, unsure how to respond at first. If they were gonna pull this off, he needed to meet her family and very soon.
God help him, though, when he met her sister.
Paxton smiled at Rebecca’s mother, Kathleen, as she scooped another portion of spaghetti onto his plate. The woman favored Rebecca a great deal, save for she was paler—probably from the cancer treatments.
“Thank you, Mrs. Ryan. It’s delicious.”
“You’re so very welcome, Mr. Guthrie. I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” she answered with a grin, and Pax’s face lit up too.
The apartment they lived in was small compared to his mansion, and he’d been surprised to learn that Rebecca, her mom, and her sister all lived together here.
When Veda, Rebecca’s twin, walked into the door, he knew right away the disdain she had for him.
She’d eyed him suspiciously and turned without giving him a handshake or greeting. She’d gripped Rebecca’s arm, pulling her to another room where he heard them arguing. When they’d returned, Veda’s eyes tore into his like heat-seeking missiles.
He looked at her now, waiting for her to speak for the first time. She’d held her tongue thus far, simply watching and observing him. She was—in
appearance—identical to Becca in every way: height, build, and facial features, her eyes as green as Becca’s. Her nose and lips were the exact same. But that’s where the similarities ended. Veda had lots of tattoos and piercings: a nose ring, tongue ring, and various colorful tattoos covering her arms and her chest. She was also mean-looking, her eyes staying narrowed and her lips pulled taut.
Even now, Veda’s brows rose. “Becca, how’d the talk with the lawyer go today?”
Becca frowned over at her sister, seeming confused.
“That’s right, Big Shot, I advised her to sue you for defamation of character and sexual assault. As you can see, not all of us live in the lap of luxury like you do.”
Pax looked around the cramped table and felt a kick to his gut.
“Like I told Rebecca, I simply want to clear her name and reputation. We’ll be making a public statement tomorrow. She has her job—”
“That doesn’t take the stain of the pictures away. People aren’t just going to forget it. And I’m certain you’re still suspended. Aren’t ya…Poseidon?”
“As I plan to tell every social media outlet that will listen, I proposed to Rebecca on the Ferris wheel and—”
“That’s awfully romantic, surfer boy. But again, not everyone is going to simply overlook what they saw… I’ll believe it when I see it on the telly tomorrow and not a minute sooner. Mark my words. If you think you’re gonna weasel your way out of clearing this cac completely up, you have another thing coming. My sister here is practically a damn nun; compared to me, she’s an angel so I’ll warn you not to get on my bad side. If you so much as dream of betraying her trust, I’ll cut yer bollocks off and feed them to you through a funnel. You got me?” Veda pointed her butter knife in his direction, the fire in her eyes unmistakable.
“I swear, I would never do anything to hurt Rebecca. It’s why I’m here.”
PASS INTERFERENCE (Gods of the Gridiron Book 3) Page 5