PASS INTERFERENCE (Gods of the Gridiron Book 3)

by Shanna Swenson

  “Well, Erin, I know I’m ready to get to plowin’ that field.” He winked into the camera.

  “Gah, I can’t wait to celebrate the victory with him tonight,” she murmured.

  “Yuck,” Brooke gagged dramatically, shoving Skyla.

  “That delicious ram will be plowin’ more than that field tonight, especially if they win.”

  “You two are ridiculous,” Madi scoffed playfully and sat down beside Skyla.

  “What? Like you and Brett are any different, preggers!” Skyla snorted in response. “Don’t tell me you don’t do that same exact thing with Mr. Dead-serious Zeus?” Sky taunted Madi.

  “What Zeus and Hera do in the privacy of their own bedroom is of none of your concern.” Madi glanced at her, attempting to stay serious even as her cheeks flamed.

  “Bunch of freaks, y’all are! They only think I’m the wild one. It’s the quiet ones you gotta watch out for, I always say.” Brooke elbowed Becca, who grinned subtly. “What’s big ol’ Poseidon like in the bedroom?”

  “Oh, I—” Becca felt her cheeks flame in response. “Pax is—” But she knew she couldn’t lie about this. “Well, he’s quite gentle, surprisingly.”

  “Gentle, but rough when need be, I bet,” Val encouraged.

  To the contrary, but she couldn’t say that because she didn’t know for certain. Becca shrugged. “We haven’t—”

  “You haven’t slept with him?” Skyla asked, surprised.

  Becca shook her head, fearing she’d destroyed everything all at once.

  “Good for you!” Brooke added. “Keep the big lug waiting, serves him right.”

  “Brooke,” Madi warned, tilting her head.

  “What? She’s his fiancée, she has to know what a man-whore he’s been. I’m sure he’s told her.”

  He’d told her nothing of the sort. Although Becca could’ve already guessed as much and pretty much had. But hearing the words aloud gave the term a whole new meaning.

  When Becca dared to look up, they all stilled. She swallowed down her hurt.

  “Oh, Bec, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  But Rebecca was already standing. “Excuse me, please? I need to uh, freshen up before the game starts.”

  Becca practically ran to the bathroom just feet away and threw herself at the sink, turning the faucet on and splashing water into her face.

  She was surprised when she turned to see Madi propped at the corner, dressed as regal as always in a flattering crimson dress with a small Gladiators logo embroidered above her left breast.

  “Why did you agree to pretend to be his fiancée?” she asked.

  Becca shrugged. “It seemed like a fool-proof plan at the time.”

  “Fool-proof, ha!” Madi laughed. “The media is going to dig and find the truth. It’s only a matter of time. He can’t be placed in the museum until just yesterday, so you’re gonna have to come up with a new story.”

  Becca’s jaw dropped.

  Before she could speak, Madison continued. “Yes, I’m having you watched. Don’t look so surprised. It’s nothing personal, Rebecca. I have an asset to protect—my team.” Madi huffed, as if this was as uncomfortable for her as it was for Becca, but that couldn’t be possible. “How much money do you want?”

  “What?” Becca asked incredulously. “Why would I want money?”

  “Isn’t that why you would agree to this in the first place? Your sister bounces around like a ping-pong ball, your mom is having rounds of chemo to treat cancer for the second time now, and you’re not exactly living ‘high on the hog’ I see.”

  Becca gulped, so that’s why Madi didn’t like her; she thought she was out to con Paxton.

  “At least if y’all haven’t slept together, you can’t bribe him with a baby. So, what’ll it take to get you out of the picture?”

  Becca looked down. The smart girl in her would just take the bribe. She sure as hell could use the money, but she didn’t like hand-outs. She’d worked hard to get where she was. Taking money from Madi would make life easier, but at what cost?

  “I don’t want your money, Madison.” Rebecca held her ground. “What happened that night wasn’t planned, but our chemistry was undeniable. I wish it wouldn’t have happened the way it did, but wishing gets us nowhere. Pax has put a lot at stake to save face for both of us. Now, what kind of person would I be if I just walked away and called him a liar after all he did to help me?”

  Madi evaluated her for the longest time. Becca felt like she was being held under a microscope before Madi finally gave her a big smile. “That was the answer I was hoping for. Well, in that case, you’ll have to keep the ruse up until after the Super Bowl. Are you willing to do that?”

  “I’ll do whatever it takes. Paxton has done so much for me. I owe him that much.”

  “Well, then we have to change your story. You’re the friend of a friend of mine, and you and Pax were introduced at a party we threw back in July. You’ve been talking since then.”

  “July? That’s only—”

  “Three months. But as you said, your attraction was undeniable and you plan a long engagement.” Madi winked.

  “Ok, that’s more believable.” Becca agreed.

  “More believable than Paxton Guthrie going of his own volition to a museum,” Madi stated sarcastically, getting a laugh from Becca.

  “I guess it sounds more believable now than before he met me, huh?”

  “Very much so. And don’t listen to those girls.” Madi waved her hand dramatically. “Pax is a big flirt, not unlike Travis, but he’s no worse than any of the rest of them, if you understand my meaning.”

  Becca couldn’t hide her blush, nor the jealousy that tore at her heart thinking once more of the hordes of women Pax had probably taken to bed over the years.

  “So, I hear Pax is throwing a Halloween party on Saturday?” Brooke asked, turning to watch Becca and Madi coming out of the bathroom, arm in arm.

  “You are coming, right?” Becca asked Madi, who stopped at her question.

  “Sure you want me to after how rude I’ve been to you?”

  “Of course. Pax adores you.”

  Madi gave her a warm smile and patted her arm. “Ha! He’s like all the other guys. He’s simply tolerating me right now. I’m hoping the second trimester will be easier.” She winced.

  “Oh, you’re pregnant? You’re so slim, I didn’t even notice.” Rebecca’s eyes fell down Madi’s front.

  “Well, Sky and I both are due pretty close to the same time. We’re still very early along.”

  “Well congrats, ladies. That’s wonderful news!” Becca said, congratulating them both with smiling eyes.

  “And don’t worry, I won’t tell my husband,” Madi whispered and winked at Becca, pulling her back to the seats with the amazing view of the field.

  “Tell him what?” Becca wondered aloud.

  “That Pax adores me.” Amusement danced in Madison’s eyes. Before Becca could reply she said, “Although he sure has a hard time keeping his eyes off you.”

  Becca blushed again. She resented even adding blush to her cheeks anymore, since her color was perpetually pink anyway, it seemed.

  “And yes, I’ll be there. I’m looking forward to dressing up as the queen of the gods.” Madi gave Becca a smirk.

  “See! Told y’all,” Brooke smarted. “The quiet ones. It’s always the quiet ones.”

  Pax watched with bated breath as the QB’s eyes caught his through his helmet. The man’s feet shuffled and he gulped. He looked left, he looked right. But it didn’t matter, because the fury of Poseidon was about to rain down on his parade and crush his dream of a Hail Mary. It was fourth and long in the fourth quarter at the two-minute warning. The Gladiators were up by two TDs, and by the QB’s piss-poor give away reaction, Pax knew exactly what he planned to do.

  When the QB called for the snap and stepped back into a shotgun formation, his receivers running to take the field, Pax didn’t chase after them. Instead, he ran through the
huge hole the line had made and rushed the QB, who gripped the ball like it was his lifeline.

  Too late, buddy, Pax thought as he launched at him, tackling him to the ground for a sack. He rose in triumph over the sprawled QB, smirking as he looked up at the roaring fans in the stands. He took his stance, feet together, slamming his right arm down like he had a trident there and crossed his arms over his chest.

  The crowd ate it up, chanting, “Po-sei-don, Po-sei-don.” Pax made sure to flex his biceps as he roared with all the fury of the mighty Poseidon, then clapped Linc’s back as he grabbed him up for a victory embrace.

  They were gonna win. Pax had stopped the opposing team’s forward progress with one damn good sack; his second of the game. When he got back to the sidelines, Brett gave him a crooked grin and patted his helmet.

  “My king,” Pax murmured obediently, getting a laugh out of Zeus.

  “Well done, Poseidon. I knew you’d be releasing that Kraken today.”

  “Only on your command, brother,” Pax joshed as Brett shook his head in amusement.

  Seven games, seven victories, now to just keep doing what they were doing… the Super Bowl might not be too far off.

  Pax was distracted by a dark head of hair running towards him as he moved to the fifty-yard line for a better view; she looked so much like Becca that his heart hammered for a moment. However, he was confronted by the angry eyes of her twin sister, Veda, whose face was heavily made-up.

  “Where’s Bec?”

  “She’s fine. She’s up in the box.” Pax pointed to the luxury box tucked high in the stands.

  Veda’s scowl deepened, and she looked him over with growing contempt. “If you so much as think about touching her, I’ll fucking leave you with a pitiful flap of skin not even remotely resembling a dick. You’ll be having to piss through a thin plastic tube by the time I’m done with you; you’ll be totally banjaxed. Got me?” she growled, looking fairly intimidating in her crimson, white, and gold cheerleading uniform which hid most her chest and the upper portion of her thighs. Her tattoos were covered by heavy makeup and her nose ring had a clear piercing that he couldn’t see; he only knew it was there because he’d noticed the little diamond in her nose when they’d first met.

  Pax put his hands up in surrender. “Yes, ma’am,” he smarted.

  “I’m not fuckin’ kidding, you gobshite.”

  She huffed off as quickly as she’d come, but no one really seemed to notice as Pax’s team was taking the field, celebrating their victory.

  Pax looked up at the box, unable to see Rebecca, but was eager to celebrate with everyone later. They’d worked hard for this win, and Pax was so grateful to have everything back to normal.

  He ran onto the field to congratulate his QB on yet another victory.

  “Hi,” Becca said to her sister as she came into the apartment with a bag of groceries.

  Veda didn’t even budge from her perch in the chair, her green eyes glued to the screen of her laptop. It looked to be The Witcher she was watching, if Henry Cavill in a hot tub half-naked was any indication.

  “That’s a good one.” Becca pointed to the screen, setting the bag down on the Formica kitchen counter. She unloaded the groceries she’d gotten for dinner tonight. She was making colcannon, lamb shanks, and roasted carrots along with the second loaf of brack for dessert that she’d made at Paxton’s that morning.

  “Mmm, it smells delicious in here,” Pax had said, coming into the kitchen after his workout earlier. “You making a cake?”

  “Yes, barmbrack. It’s a fruitcake.”

  Pax had wrinkled his nose. “Isn’t fruitcake a Christmas thing?” he asked and sat at the island opposite her.

  “Well, in Ireland, Mam would make them before Samhain and throw little trinkets into the batter.” Pax’s brows rose, and Becca laughed. “It’s similar to what they do in New Orleans, with the king cakes. If you find a coin, it means you’ll be wealthy and a ring means ye’ll be married within the year.”

  “Well, that’s fitting.” He’d winked. “Teasing our unsuspecting guests, I see.”

  “Oh, Samhain is a big celebration in my family. We have all kinds of traditions.”

  “I’ll bet.” His grin had widened into a smile. “You’re a Celtic druid, aren’t you? Gonna go out and dance naked while the moon is full around a bonfire? I’m down.” His eyes moved over her apron clad body with growing interest. “So long as I don’t have to be sacrificed.”

  Rebecca had laughed. “Oh, not the lord of the manor, of course.”

  Pax had hired a decorating company. They were there now, while she was gone, to turn the entire bottom floor of his house into a magic wonderland. Becca decided to come see her family tonight and make them dinner so she wouldn’t be in the way. She wasn’t exactly sure what Pax had them doing but was eager to see when she got back later that night.

  He had a catering company coming to prepare and serve the feast tomorrow, of which she was grateful for. Cooking for that many people was never an easy task.

  With the food now laid out for her to begin prepping, Becca looked over to Veda who, again, ignored her presence.

  “Don’t you have a party to plan?” Veda grumbled with clear disdain.

  “The decorator is there now with Pax.”

  “Oh, of course he hired people!” Veda rolled her eyes, drawing her bare legs beneath a floral blanket.

  “Where’s Mam?”

  “Napping.”

  “Vey.”

  “Shh,” she shushed her sister as she turned the volume up on the laptop so she could hear the dialogue coming through the small speakers.

  “Dammit, Veda. I know you’re mad at me but—”

  “Mad? I’m not mad, sister. It’s you who’s mad!”

  Here we go, she thought.

  “Did it ever occur to you to think about someone other than yerself?” Uh oh, she must be fairly angry; her Irish got more pronounced when she was.

  “What? How could you—?”

  “Mam and I have been harassed by the media ever since—”

  “Don’t you dare! You’re the one who put me up to this cac in the first place, so you don’t get to blame me now that I’ve tried to do what’s best for all of us. It will die down…eventually.”

  “No, it won’t! Your brush with fame has put us all in the limelight, even if we didn’t wanna be.”

  “Now just stall the ball! You want the limelight more than anyone I know.”

  “Aye, I did. Until I got it,” she grumbled and pushed the laptop away. “Now you’re jeopardizing your good name by living with him like some common harlot.”

  “Oh, tarbh. I’m not. I’m sleeping in my own room. And what do you mind, anyway? You certainly don’t bother to act less than a slag yerself!”

  “This has gone arseways, Bec. I say you get out while the getting is good. Your craic is over.”

  Becca just shook her head in response.

  “Oh, don’t be a mog. He’s gonna break your heart. I can see it in his face; he’s a chancer if ever I saw one.”

  “I can’t just call the whole thing off now, Veda. I have to wait.”

  “Why?”

  “Because. He doesn’t need the ill repute either. He’s a good man, even if he’s a player. He helped get me my job back and cleared my name too.”

  “For his own cause.”

  “No, sister. For me.”

  “Ach, keep tellin’ yerself that.” Veda crossed her arms over her chest. “And then you go and blow me and Mam off, of all the days but Samhain.”

  “You’re invited. The two of you.”

  Veda rolled her eyes.

  “I came to invite you.” Becca softened her tone and moved toward her twin.

  “I saw you made brack.” Veda lifted her chin over at the lovely loaf perfectly sealed in plastic wrap sitting on the countertop.

  “I did. Try it. It’s as good as mam’s any day.”

  “I heard that.” Her mother stepped out into the h
allway. “Well, let’s have a taste then, eh?” She winked as she took a seat in the armchair across from where Veda sat, and Becca hurriedly retrieved a slice of the cake.

  “Mmm,” her mother said as she bit into it. “Added in a splash of fresh whiskey, did ye?”

  Becca smiled. “Just like you taught us.”

  “It’s fine, lass. Fine barmbrack indeed, my girl.” Her mom leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Now, why were the two of ye eatin’ the head off the other?”

  “Veda’s mad at me.”

  “Am not!”

  “Oh, stop it, you two. Don’t make a holy show out of everything. You’re sisters, twins at that. Try and be nice to one another. Becca, what’re ye making us for dinner?”

  “Our classics, Mam. Then the brack for afters with Irish coffee, of course.”

  “Little whiskey for me.”

  “Eh, she’s likely to get buckled if you don’t,” Veda laughed. “She can’t handle her liquor like she used to.” Veda winked.

  “Lord knows I could still drink you both under the table if I wasn’t on all these meds.”

  They all laughed at that, and Becca popped up to get their dinner started. She’d gotten the potatoes to boiling and the lamb and carrots into the oven when Veda finally came in to help her chop the kale—assumedly her anger cooled for the time being.

  “I’m sorry, I’ve been on the outs with you gone.”

  “I know. I’m trying though, Veda. I have to make it look real. If Pax and I aren’t together, people won’t believe we’re engaged.”

  “Sure look it. Who’s all coming to your party?”

  “Well, most the players, I reckon…and I had hoped you and Mam, too.”

  “Will Quillan Layton be there?”

  “Aye.” Becca smirked, getting a smile out of Veda. “You fancy him, don’t ya?”

  “What’s not to fancy? He’s gorgeous.”

  Becca giggled. “Yes, he is that indeed.”

  “Well, in that case, I need to make an appearance for sure.” Veda’s smirk turned sinister.

  “Oh, well. I’m glad to hear it. Whatever will you wear, sister?”