by Hazel Gower
Shit. Damon knew those promo stunts would come back and bite him on the ass. “No, you cannot date anyone else. The women you saw were publicity stunts.” He wanted to hit something or someone, he was so frustrated by everything that had happened and was happening. “One minute I’m getting told I’m too wild and I have to curb my ‘bad boy ways.’ Then I’m told I’m being too good and everyone wants the bad boy back. I wish they’d fucking make up their minds.” Damon stood and paced. “I haven’t been performing at my best. I did today.” He stopped pacing and looked at her. “You were at my game.”
“Not until the game started. I was in the toilet before that, talking myself into going.”
He bet when she walked in his game picked up. “That makes sense, figures you’re my lucky charm.” He sat and took her hand in his. “You should have told me about the baby.”
“I didn’t think you wanted children. I remember you telling me you’re not father material.”
“I don’t… I mean… I want ours.” Crap, this wasn’t going right. “I’m not really father material. I’ll try, though. I want you to move in with me. I have a huge house with everything you could need.” Where had that come from? He was happy living alone. Damon didn’t even invite any of the women he dated to his house. He had an apartment he took them to.
“I can’t move in with you.”
“Why not? You’re my wife.” He’d planned to find her because he missed her and wanted her with him. She should live with him.
Becky opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “I…I…we…you.”
“Give me a chance. I’m not the one who ran. You did. I want you with me where you should be.” Damon could see she was caving, so he pushed on. “It will be a good way to get to know each other better. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.” She closed her eyes and chewed on her bottom lip. “Please.”
She opened her eyes and let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “Okay. But I’m going to keep paying the rent in the house I’m staying in, just to be safe.”
Damon would agree to that for now. He would slowly gain her trust and she would get rid of the rental. “If that’s what you want, you can keep it.”
Becky nodded and closed her eyes again.
“You should rest. You can see Jacob when you wake.”
Becky didn’t respond and Damon knew she’d fallen asleep.
Getting up, he went to talk to his friends.
****
Damon found Jacob and Caleb outside in the hospital courtyard. Jacob strolled toward him with a fierce scowl on his face. “Tell me what the fuck is going on?”
Damon knew he should say something to Jacob. He should tell him all that had happened. Damon should apologize but he didn’t know where to start, so he shrugged and muttered, “I married her. I couldn’t let her get away.”
“I told you to be nice to her. Not to fucking marry her. For fuck’s sake, Damon, I told you I was into her. What the hell, Damon?” Jacob ran his fingers through his hair. “I shouldn’t have left her with you. I should have said no to the promo shit.” Jacob gave him a death stare. “I never thought my friend would move in on my girl.”
“She wasn’t your girl. You hadn’t done anything to her to let her know you were interested in her. I fell in love with her.”
He wasn’t expecting Jacob’s fist—he should have. Damon stumbled back, but not before he grabbed Jacob and retaliated. Caleb tried to break them up but Damon wasn’t in the mood to be stopped. He needed a good fight. “Stay the fuck out of this, Caleb,” he growled.
Not bothering to check if Caleb stayed away, he kneed Jacob in the stomach and gave a good right hook to his face. They fell to the ground and wrestled, beating the shit out of each other until they were pulled apart by security. They were both dragged away as cameras flashed and phones filmed the whole thing. Caleb was nowhere in sight and Damon glanced at Jacob and winced. Crap, he’d done a number on him.
“Don’t fucking look at me like that. You don’t look that good yourself,” Jacob snarled as they were dragged out of the courtyard and met by four policemen.
Shit, he was on probation for a whole bunch of shit and resisting arrest was one of them. His lawyer wasn’t going to be happy to hear from him. Their coach was going to kick his ass when he saw him and Jacob.
He grimaced as the adrenaline wore off, and the aches and pains made themselves known. Damon cooperated getting into the police car and hoped that if he obeyed he would get this all over and done with soon. As he sat in the back of the police car, he hoped Becky didn’t see this later on YouTube or Facebook.
****
Becky was pissed. Caleb came and picked her up from the hospital. Amazingly her blood pressure had lowered overnight and the baby was doing fine. She was allowed to leave if she had someone to go home with and help look after her. Becky had expected Damon to pick her up, but when Caleb came Becky knew something had happened.
“What happened? Why are you here and not Damon?” She sat on the edge of the bed and glared at Caleb. He squirmed under her stare.
“He wasn’t able to make it.”
“What the hell do you mean, he wasn’t able to make it?” The shrill tone of her voice had Caleb backing up with his hands in the air.
“There was an incident.”
She slowly stood. Becky knew she needed Caleb’s help to get out of here. “Can you get me out of here?”
“Yes. I came to help you.”
Becky nodded and pressed the nurse’s button. “I told them I had someone coming for me. The forms should be ready to be signed.”
Caleb nodded and Becky waited patiently to get her answers until she was out of the hospital and sitting in Caleb’s big SUV.
“Thanks for breaking me out of the hospital. I’m not a fan of them.”
“That’s fine. I have the keys to Damon’s house, and he said to—”
“No.”
“Ah… what?”
“I said no. You’re not taking me to Damon’s house, you are taking me to Damon.”
Caleb shook his head. “No way. Damon would have my head. And Coach said to leave him in th—”
“Who are you more scared of, Caleb? Damon, your coach, or a fragile pregnant woman who has had three men take advantage of her, when all she wanted was an American working holiday?” She quivered her lip and hiccupped.
Caleb’s eyes widened and he groaned. “You’re evil. I have no idea why they think you’re sweet. Fine, he is in jail. Coach thinks it will cool them off.”
Becky narrowed her eyes at Caleb—she hadn’t missed the them. “What do mean, them? Why is Damon in jail?” She should have guessed after the way the men acted in her room, but she’d been so tired. Caleb seemed reluctant to tell her why. “When will they be getting out?
“I was going to drop you off at his house and get you settled. Then I was going to go pick them up. Their lawyers are ready to meet me there when I call them.”
Becky sighed. This was all her fault. Her stomach rumbled and she glanced around her. “I’m starving. How about we pull over and get food? Can you call the lawyers to meet us at the precinct?”
He nodded and Becky rested her head against the window and closed her eyes. She hoped she was doing the right thing.
Chapter Eight
Damon knew Becky wouldn’t be happy when she found out about this. He practically had to beg her to give him a chance.
“Chet, Stevens, you’re getting out.” The officer opened the cell door and avoided Damon’s gaze. “Congrats on your wife being pregnant.”
They walked out and Damon started to have a sinking feeling as the man continued to talk. “She said you were taking her baby shopping today. Good luck with that. I remember taking my wife on her first baby shopping trip and that was a while ago. Um… my son is a fan of yours. Would you mind signing something for him?”
Damon stopped and looked at the officer. “Did you say my wife was here? Out those doors?”
The offic
er seemed to figure out he’s said the wrong thing. “Yes, she came with your teammate, Caleb Blackbe.”
Clenching and unclenching his fist, he nodded. “Sure, I’ll sign something for your kid.”
The officer opened the door, stepped out, and walked him to where his lawyer, Caleb, and his wife stood chatting and laughing with police officers. When Becky saw him her eyes widened and he watched her paste a smile on her face. Her eyes were what had him pausing—they flashed bright with anger.
“Honey, I was just telling them that you were supposed to pick me up from the hospital and take me baby shopping.”
What the hell? Becky had never called him honey. Dickhead, asshole, but never honey. What game was she playing?
Her Australian accent was thick as she hugged him and leaned up to whisper, “You’re an arse. This gives me real faith in you…not.” She pulled from his ear and held his hand with a bright smile on her face.
One of the policemen cleared his throat. “Mr. Chet, we have some paperwork for you to sign and then you’re free to go. The charges have been dropped. No more fighting off the ice.”
He tried not to roll his eyes. Of course it was all right for him to beat the shit out of someone as long as it was part of a hockey match. Damon tried to let go of Becky’s hand but she wasn’t giving it up. Giving in to her, he walked to the table and signed the papers. She let go of his hand only to let him sign the documents and autographs before she grabbed it again and held it tight.
Once they were out of the precinct and in Caleb’s car, Caleb waiting behind to finish up with Jacob, Damon waited for the yelling, but Becky did something worse. She broke down crying. Damon felt like a douche as gut-wrenching sobs left Becky.
“You are black and blue. I don’t know if I can do this if this is how you’ll be. I don’t want my child to come with me as we go to the precinct to bail daddy out of jail after another punch up. I saw the footage and I don’t understand how you could do that. Jacob is your friend. Why?” Damon didn’t say anything and she shoved at his chest. “Why?”
“I only found out yesterday that my wife that ran off the day after I married her is pregnant with my child, and I have to beg her to move in with me. Then my friend starts at me so of course I’m going to fight back.” Damon was getting angry all over again.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left like I did. I shouldn’t have left at all.” She sat up and wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t contact you. I was going to a million times, but then I would see you in a magazine or on TV doing something stupid or with another woman and then I thought, stuff you. So I waited.”
Damon had come home from Vegas and stayed to himself, but anytime he left his house his anger would surface and he would end up doing something stupid. Then his agent had shoved women at him, going on and on about his image and keeping up appearances. He didn’t give a fuck about appearances. Maybe he should have gone after Becky, but he knew she wasn’t really for him. Becky was the settling down type and Damon wasn’t; at least, that what he told himself. He was thirty-three and hadn’t found anyone willing to settle down with. Damon fallen for Becky but she was too good for him—she saw the best in everyone. Maybe that was why he was willing to give her everything he thought he wouldn’t ever give to anyone. He told himself marrying her had been a mistake, but deep down he knew it wasn’t.
The front passenger doors opened. Caleb got in the driver’s side and Jacob in the front passenger side. Caleb started the car and drove away. No one said anything and they sat in silence for a while until Becky let out a loud sigh. “I stuffed everything up. I’m sorry. Please don’t get angry with each other. I didn’t expect anything like this to happen. I came over to America for an adventure. To do something I wanted. I’m sorry for any trouble I caused between you. That’s not what I wanted.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Crap, this pregnancy has turned me into an emotional mess.”
Damon’s chest felt like it was about to burst—that was his child she carried. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head, then caught Jacob’s gaze and nodded. He’d gotten the go ahead. “Angel, it’s not your fault. We were the ones who intruded on your vacation. Truthfully, we had fun with you. We did things with you that we would never have done without you.”
Becky hiccupped and looked up him. “I know you had fun. You slept with a different woman every night, sometimes more than one.”
Damon couldn’t help wincing at what he’d done to try and forget her. He’d been trying to find a woman that would satisfy him and make him hard with just a look like Becky could. But after he’d met her, no other women got him instantly hard at just the thought of them. Damon brushed Becky’s hair out of her face. “I haven’t been with another woman since New Orleans. Once I knew I couldn’t fight my attraction, or fuck it out with others, I knew I was going to have you and that you would be mine.”
Damon was thankful that his friends were staying quiet. Becky studied him for a while before she nodded. “Why did you marry me? Why not just continue to see me? I live here in Chicago.”
“I didn’t know you were living here. I didn’t want to know at first. I wasn’t happy about how I felt about you. Then when I gave into what I knew you were to me, we didn’t talk about where you would be living.” He scrubbed his face. “I married you because you’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to make my wife. I hoped it would keep you with me. I thought if I married you, you’d stay and follow me. I would support you and you wouldn’t have to work. I’d get to come home to you when I wasn’t on away games and work stuff.”
Caleb snorted and Jacob groaned, “Idiot.”
Becky sat up and moved away from him. She frowned and narrowed her eyes. “So let me get this straight, you didn’t give me my dream wedding that I’ve been planning since I was a kid because you wanted me to follow you to your home, and wait around for you. To stop my life and my dreams so you can have yours? Have me reliant on you for everything?”
Damon knew this was a trap. He told himself not to argue back. He’d said something wrong. He looked out the window to see how far they were from his house. He saw they weren’t far. He needed to change the subject. “Why did the police think we were going shopping?”
“The police didn’t want to release you two together. They said if a fight broke out that they’d have to keep you, Damon. You’re already on probation.” Becky raised her eyebrow at him and he shrugged. He wasn’t sure what he could say. She already thought he was a dick. Becky rolled her eyes. “I told the police that with me here you wouldn’t dare. I sweet-talked them into letting the both of you out. Your lawyer helped. He’s a great liar.” Damon could hear the snarky sound to her voice. “And don’t change the subject. Do you expect me to stop working? Do you expect me to sit around and spend your money? To wait all day until you get home?”
He turned to Becky. “Yes… No. You’re my wife. You’re pregnant with my child. I have no idea what you’re supposed to do.”
Becky nibbled on her bottom lip. “I want to work. I need to work. I’m not one of those women that spends other people’s money or sits around waiting for her man to come home. And if you think that’s me then that doesn’t build my confidence in you, Damon. I’m terrified I’ve done the wrong thing saying I’ll stay with you. I don’t like who I become when I’m with you, Damon. I became jealous and insecure.”
He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling like he wanted to yank it out. Caleb moaned as the car slowed and he drove down his street. “Damon, I didn’t think they would do it. I told the guys that today would not be the right time. To leave you and Becky alone to have some time, but they didn’t listen. They have organized a barbeque. You’ve been acting weird, Damon, and we’ve all been worried.” They drove up his driveway and Damon saw the cars. His teammates were at his house. “All the guys have been wondering why you were leaving as soon as the games were done and avoiding everyone. After yesterday they now think it’s because of Becky.”
Fuc
king hell, he didn’t need this. Damon glanced at Becky to see her eyes widen and her pink skin turn white. “Why on earth didn’t you stop this, Caleb?”
“I told them not to. They all think you’ve been spending all your time with Becky. I didn’t know what you wanted me to tell them. So all I said was not to do this, but no one listened. Even the coach is in on this.”
He looked at Becky as Caleb parked. There were so many things he wanted to say her, but Damon knew it had to wait. “What do you want to do? I wanted you to myself. Now you’re going to get ambushed by my friends and teammates. What do you want to tell them? The truth?”
“I’m not happy about you two being together.” Jacob said, butting in before Becky could answer. “But you need to remember here in Chicago everything you do and say goes to the press. I’d like to say everyone we know wouldn’t talk to the press, but we know that’s not true.” Jacob turned to face him and Becky. “I can’t be here. I need time.” He stared at Becky. “Before you ran from Vegas without even a proper goodbye I was going to come and see you. I wanted you for myself. Damon knows how I feel about you. I thought you felt something for me, too.”
“I…I…um…I’m sorry, Jacob, I didn’t know. I thought of you as a brother. You didn’t show interest in me. It was only when I got home and thought about everything that I saw things differently. That I wished things turned out differently. But I lo—”
Damon felt sick as he listened to the exchange before him. Opening his SUV door, he got out and almost ran to his house. Just great, he was another person’s mistake.
Chapter Nine
Becky looked at Jacob. A time or two she had wished she’d fallen for him and not Damon, especially when she saw a magazine with Damon in it with a sexy blonde. “But I love Damon. You and Caleb are my friends and I love you like brothers, but from the start it’s always been Damon.” Becky looked over to see what Damon thought of her words. He wasn’t there. She saw him enter his house.