by Kaylee, Katy
“Yes.” I answered cautiously. In theory, award ceremonies were good, but they were filled with booze and women; two of Ryder’s Achilles heels.
“But?” He heard the hesitation in my tone.
“Are you going alone?”
“Ray thinks I should because of your no sex rule.” He snorted. “I’m having a hell of a time sticking to that one.”
My body heated, loving that he broke that rule, even as I chastised myself for allowing it. I reasoned if he was with me, and we were on the down-low, it wasn’t hurting his reputation.
“The only problem with that is the groupies and other women will be all over you when they find out you’re alone. You’re not one to pass that up.” At that, my body went cold, as I considered that on his own, he could be tempted by some buxom beauty.
“The one difference now is that I’ve got you.”
I bit my lip to keep from making a sound or a statement that would let him know how much his words meant to me. It wasn’t wise to let myself go to a place where I imagined we had a future. “It won’t stop them from trying.”
“So, come with me.”
I shook my head, even though I wanted to say yes. “We’re not supposed to be together, remember.”
“Go as my publicist. Everyone knows I’m working on improving my rep, so it’ll just look like you’re babysitting me.” There was a pause. “I’ll let you spank me if I’m bad.”
Holy crap, an inferno flared in my belly at the thought of slapping his tight ass. “If I spanked you every time you were bad, you’d never be able to sit down.”
“So, I’ll be on top.”
I laughed. “You really do have a one-track mind.”
“I’m not going to apologize for liking sex. It would be like apologizing for liking chocolate.”
He had a point.
“Come on, Katie. It will be fun. It will help me stay out of trouble and will improve my rep.”
It was hard to argue with that. “Okay.”
“Awesome. Wear something sexy.”
“I thought the point was to act as your publicist.”
“That’s just for the public.”
“How about I forgo underwear?”
He let out a long groan. “I’m not sure I’d be able to keep my hands off you if I knew you had no underwear on.”
“Then I’ll wear underwear.”
“Well, don’t be hasty.” He laughed, but his voice turned serious. “I don’t want to do anything showy though. Photos when we go in but I don’t want a big to-do.”
Of course, he didn’t. “Did you say you were giving Speedy his award?”
“Yes.”
“That will be enough, as long as you keep it sincere and clean.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
We chatted longer about nothing of importance, which was nice. Our relationship so far involved me pushing him to do something, him drawing a line and being stubborn, culminating in spectacular sex. The only thing we didn’t talk about was our past. In some ways that was sad. Until the incident with Phoebe and Danny, we’d had a good past.
When kids picked on me in middle school because of my weight, Ryder threatened to kick their asses. He even took me to my freshman dance when no one else asked me, which did a lot to boost my popularity since he was a senior and the most popular kid in the school.
On the other hand, it was nice to know we could still find common ground even though it was so different from our lives in Missouri. I didn’t feel like Danny’s little sister. I was my own woman forging a new relationship with Ryder. But I couldn’t completely escape our past, but I was too cowardly to confront it with Ryder or with my family. I didn’t need a shrink to know I was trying to have it both ways. I wanted Ryder and to believe him, but I wasn’t sure and I was too afraid to find out.
The following Friday, Ryder showed up at my door looking too handsome for words in his tuxedo.
“It should be illegal to be as perfect as you look in that tux.”
He smiled, but his eyes were all over my dress. When his gaze finally returned to mine, his grin was feral. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to behave with you in that.”
“Oh?” I looked down at the little black dress. It fit to accentuate my curves. The neckline was wide, with the straps hitting the edge of my shoulders. The girls were pumped up, showing enough to be sexy without being slutty.
He put his arm around me and pulled me close, running his hand over my backside. “Tell me you don’t have underwear on.”
My smile was a little bit embarrassed and naughty. “I don’t have underwear on.”
He groaned. “I may stroke out before the night is through.”
He led me to a waiting limo he’d rented, so we didn’t have to bother with driving or worry about how much we might drink. The door had barely closed and the middle divider raised when he’d pushed my dress up and had his tongue on my pussy.
“Oh God Ryder!” I wanted to make him stop. Well, no I didn’t, but I was going to get all messed up if he kept at it.
“If I don’t take your bare pussy now, Katie, I will not behave at the ceremony.”
I couldn’t have that. He made me come three times before we pulled up to the hotel hosting the televised awards given by the sports network.
He stepped out of the car, and immediately, a throng of women and sports reporters were screaming his name. He reached a hand out and helped me from the car. He stopped for a moment, putting his arm around me.
“I’m your publicist, remember?” I whispered as I smiled standing next to him.
“You’re wearing a hot dress with no panties on, remember? If you think I’m not going to let every man here know you’re with me, you’re mistaken.”
I gave my head a quick shake at his caveman attitude, even though a part of me liked it. Hormones were crazy things.
He gave a couple of autographs and took a few selfies with children, and then we were inside the building where there were other athletes and SNN network people. Fans were allowed in, but they were segregated to areas away from the athletes.
“Ryder, hey man, we thought maybe you’d dropped off the face of the earth,” said JC Kristiansen, a young quarterback for the expansion team in Portland.
“Just busy.” Ryder’s voice was tense as if he didn’t think much of JC.
“The shoulder and head injury haven’t taken you out of the game?” JC had a jovial smile, but I could discern the wolfishness behind it. I wondered what history these two had. They clearly didn’t like each other. Whatever it was, it hadn’t made the news or tabloids.
“No.”
JC looked at me, then back at Ryder. “I guess things haven’t changed much.”
Ryder stiffened next to me. “JC this is my publicist, Katie Lawton. Keep up your bad manners and you’ll need her help too.”
JC didn’t seem offended by Ryder’s curtness, and instead, he turned to me. “You have your work cut out for you if you’re trying to improve his image.”
I couldn’t respond as Ryder had already ushered me on. “He’s an ass,” Ryder said as we made our way to our table. “I may act like an ass, but he’s a certified ass. Stay away from him.”
I’d only known JC by following football so it didn’t seem like I’d ever run into him again unless of course, he needed PR help.
The dinner went well, with Ryder being smooth and charming to everyone at the table. A few women brushed against him, but he ignored them. One even passed her phone number to him, which he crumpled without looking at it and tossed onto his finished chicken plate.
When he went on stage to give Speedy his award, it was hard not to swoon at how spectacular he was. Handsome. Eloquent. Humble. And most importantly, authentic. His admiration and appreciation of Speedy made my heart warm.
When he rejoined me, he leaned over. “Was I okay?”
I wanted to grab his face and kiss him, but since I was his publicist, I put my hand on his thigh, and squeezed. “You did very
well.”
He put his hand over mine and drew it up his leg toward his groin. I gave that a quick squeeze too before disentangling my hand.
I leaned forward. “I need to go to the ladies’ room.”
He smiled. “Need help?”
“Not for that. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Because the event was in full swing, the hallway was nearly empty. The ladies’ room was at the end of a long corridor around a corner. I went inside and took care of business. After washing my hands, fixing my hair, and reapplying makeup, I walked out of the bathroom.
JC was leaning against the wall. “Looking good, Katie.”
“Ah, thank you.” I started to walk around the corner to the hallway but he blocked me against the wall with his body pressing against mine.
He reeked of alcohol and the glassiness of his eyes suggested he wasn’t in full control of himself. That made him dangerous. If I was lucky, it would also make him uncoordinated. I pushed him back, but he was a 220-pounds of muscle and he didn’t budge. Instead, he took the contact to mean I was interested, and he rubbed against me.
“You’re not Malloy’s usual type.”
“I’m his publicist.”
“Well, he won’t mind my spending some time with you.” He leered that look drunk men got when they thought they were God’s gift to women.
I closed my eyes as his hot, boozy breath wafted over my face. I gathered my resolve and said, “Who I spend time with isn’t really up to you or Ryder.” I tried to side step him, but his arm shot out against the wall and blocked me in.
“You’re feisty. I like that.”
Seriously? He was the epitome of drunk, misogynist asshole. “Ryder is expecting me back at my table.”
“Ryder has a reputation, but I’m sure I can outdo him in the sack. Why not give me a ride?” The fingers of his other hand tugged on a strand of my loose hair.
“Not interested.” I looked over his shoulder, hoping someone would come up the hallway and I could make an escape.
“Ah come on Katie.” His fingers let go of my hair and drew a line across my collarbone. “That dress is something. Do you have underwear on?” His finger dipped into my cleavage and that was when I knew I needed to get more assertive. I would have kneed him in the jewels but my dress wasn’t conducive to lifting my leg with enough force. My only choice was to grab his balls and squeeze and pray my self-defense teacher was right that the groin grab would diffuse him. He was pressing his hips to mine which would make it hard to grab, but maybe he’d think I was giving in and going to cop a feel of his dick.
Before I could make my move, he was pulled back and then slammed into the other wall. Ryder had his forearm across JC’s neck. JC flailed, his eyes wide in surprise and maybe fear.
“You keep your fucking hands off her, JC or so help me I’ll castrate you and shove your shriveled dick down your throat.”
“Ryder, you’re choking him.” As much as I was glad that he showed up, killing another player would not be good for his image or ability to play football if he went to jail.
“I don’t care. This fucker isn’t worth having air.” But he loosened his grip slightly. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You said she was just a publicist.”
“So? There’s never a good reason to put your hands on a woman if she doesn’t want it. How the fuck did you get this far without learning that?”
“What’s going on?” An older gentleman came up the hall wearing a suit with a hotel emblem on the pocket.
Shit, this was going to look bad. “It’s okay. A misunderstanding. Ryder, let’s go back to the table.”
“You need to leave,” Ryder said to JC. “I don’t ever want to see your face again.” He gripped JC by the lapels and pushed him. JC stumbled and fell, whapping his head against the wall. He lay on the carpet looking stunned.
I glanced up, not only was the hotel man there, but a group of people with cell phones up taking video or pictures. Jesus, just what we needed.
“Everything is alright.” I said. I went to JC. “Is there someone who can take you home? You’ve had too much to drink.” I hoped people would hear that and put the bad behavior on him.
“Did you hit him, Ryder?” Someone asked from the group of gawkers.
“No.” Ryder’s face was dark and menacing. “But I will if he doesn’t get his perverted ass out of here.”
“I should sue you for assault, Malloy.” JC stood but had to lean against the wall to keep his balance.
Ryder strode to him. “You do that, JC. While the police are here, be sure to tell them you groped a woman without her consent while you had her pinned to a wall in a dark, deserted hallway.” Ryder grabbed him by the lapels. I was afraid he might hit him after all. “You touch a woman like that again, JC and I’ll find a way to end your career.”
He released JC and turned to me. “Come on, Katie.” He took my hand and pulled me up the hall toward the main ballroom, out the door, and into a waiting car. I gave him a minute to calm down, but when I started to open my mouth, he held his hand up to stop me.
“Don’t. Don’t you dare give me a lecture.”
Ryder
I was still seeing red as the limo drove through the streets of Los Angeles. I didn’t want to snap at Katie, but I wasn’t in the mood to have her tell me my behavior was unacceptable. As far as I was concerned, JC got off easy because I was ready to kill him. Even now, I had half a mind to go back and pummel him.
I dug the heels of my palms into my eye sockets as if that would get the image of JC pinning Katie to the wall with his hands on her body asking her if she had panties on out of my head.
Had she been okay with it, I’d have been angry but accepted it. But she wasn’t okay with it. She didn’t look afraid, but she certainly looked concerned.
“Thank you.”
I gritted my teeth, not wanting to listen to Katie lecture me, except, what did she say? I turned my head to her direction.
She gave me a small smile. “I was getting ready to pop his balls, but I wasn’t sure that would work, so thank you for dealing with it.”
I quirked a brow. “Pop his balls?”
She nodded. “In self-defense class, we learned that it just takes a few pounds of pressure to break one.”
That broke some of the tension coiling through every muscle and I dropped my head back on the seat headrest.
“But it could still—”
“Katie, so help me… I don’t give a fuck what the PR fallout is.”
She inhaled and turned to look out the window. Finally, she turned back. “How’d know where to find me?”
Shit, I didn’t want to confess this part. I rubbed the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. “I was hoping to have some private time with you.” Was I any better than JC in hoping to get lucky with Katie too?
“I’m glad you did.”
I shrugged, feeling like a douche.
We got to Katie’s apartment, and I let the driver go. We hadn’t discussed me staying the night, but I was going to even if I had to sleep on the couch. I didn’t put it past JC to show up and I was going to be here if he did.
Inside her condo, I took my jacket off and tossed it on the back of a chair.
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but Ryder, you do need to check yourself when you get angry in public.”
I shook my head. “He was assaulting you. What was I supposed to do?”
“You did everything right until you choked him and then tossed him down. He could have been seriously hurt when he hit his head.”
Was she defending this guy while lecturing me on appropriate behavior? “Why do you give a fuck about JC?”
“I don’t. I give a fuck about you. He’s not worth you going one step too far and ending up in jail.”
I rolled my shoulders, trying to keep the tension from getting tighter.
“Is this how all your brawls start?”
“There are assholes in the w
orld, Katie, and I’m big enough to intervene.”
She studied me for a moment. “A real-life knight in shining armor.”
“I’m no knight.” That was as annoying as her lecturing me on living my life like it was one big PR event. Because I didn’t want to talk anymore, I undid my tie, tossing it with my coat, and then undid my shirt as I strode toward her room.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m going to bed. You coming?” I didn’t wait for her response. In her room, I finished undressing.
“Ryder.”
I stopped myself from getting her bed, recognizing that I was taking some liberties. “Would you rather I slept on the couch?”
She sighed. “No. I’m trying to tell you that you’re a good man, and I’m just trying to help others see that. To see that that what looks like brawling or indifference to people is actually because you care.” She stepped to me, cradling my face in her palms. “I want people to see what I see.”
I nodded. I didn’t like the lectures, but I appreciated that she was looking out for me. That she was able to see me more than others did and liked what she saw. She was the only person I felt really tried to see the real me. And yet, I worried she didn’t trust me, which meant she didn’t wholly see me.
“I’m sorry I’m so difficult.” I had a sense of déjà vu and recognized I’d probably be apologizing for being a challenging client again.
“I like that you have this drive to protect the little people. There’s so much more to you, Ryder, and I wish you’d let others see it. I admire your sense of fairness and honor, even if it is a little over the top.”
I dropped my forehead to hers, as her words washed over me. I felt warm and soft inside. Her words were the world to me. Like I’d just earned the big prize. The fact that they meant so much suggested that she meant so much to me.
When this affair started, I had no thoughts about where it might go. It was sex, mostly. But now, it felt like more than that. I didn’t like her calling me out, but when she told me she saw me, I felt ten feet tall. And it was because she called me out that I could believe her when she said good things. She wasn’t blowing smoke up my ass. She was a grounding force in a life that felt untethered, and I needed that. I needed her.