Dani
I standand walk to Luke. His face is so full of guilt, it nearly kills me. What the hell could be wrong? When the silence stretches longer than I can handle, I blurt out, “What’s wrong?”
“Uh…” he hesitates then continues, “that was Tanya on the phone, the head of PR for the Rainier Renegades. Apparently, we’ve made the news.”
I groan at the audacity of it all but thank God he already knows. “Uh… I know. Stacey just called.”
With that, his face perks up, slightly. But not nearly enough for me to feel comfortable about what comes next. Did he not want it to be known that we’re dating? Damn. I shouldn’t have outed us publicly.
“I’m so sorry, Dani,” he says in a blur. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Shit. I shouldn’t have let him come to my book signing. This is all my fault. “It was bound to happen eventually.” I bow my head, waiting for the worst to happen.
When he’s quiet for way too long, I glance up to meet his eyes. They’re scrutinizing my every move. “What do you mean?” he questions.
“I shouldn’t have had you come to the signing. You’re a bigger deal than you let on.” I shrug as if it should be self-explanatory. I mean, come on, look at him. And even me, who knows nothing about football, knows the head coach is still a big deal. I pace in front of him as I try to figure out what to say to make him realize I didn’t intend to out us like I did.
“Uh… you didn’tletme do anything.” He steps closer to me, placing a hand on my shoulder to get me to stop. “I chose to be there with you, Dani.”
“I know, but I let the green-eyed monster loose and was the one who outed us publicly.”
“Green-eyed monster?” he asks, confusion clearly written across his face.
I let out a huff of air more forcefully than I intend. “Luke, I’m the one who couldn’t let that woman eventhinkyou were available.”
He laughs. He fucking laughs. What the fuck is he laughing about? This isn’t funny.
“Danika, that was one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen. You’d better damn well be staking claim because you can bet your ass I’d do the same, if the situation was reversed.”
I hear his words, but it still doesn’t explain why he was so grief stricken when he entered the room. “Then… what are you so upset about? Why did you apologize?”
“Tanya says there’s a good chance your real name will get leaked if the press stays on this story for long. They’re relentless when they think there’s a story. If I hadn’t been so careless today, by trying to prove I wasn’t on the cover of your book, there likely never would have been a story.”
“Uh… according to Stacey, you’re a pretty big deal on your own, Luke. I don’t think flashing your sexy abs had anything to do with it. Though, I’m sure it didn’t help. I apparently have been living under a rock because I was one of the only people on the planet who didn’t know who you were.”
“Jesus, Dani. I swear, I’m not that big of a deal. The press hardly has anything to do with me. Their attention goes to the players. Not me.”
“Oh, Luke. Stacey isn’t even a sports fan. But she assures me you’re the sexiest coach in the league.” I smirk. Even a blind person would see the sexiness Luke exudes. It’s in both his looks and actions. Who else would volunteer on one of his few days off in the entire season to go to a book signing and be ogled by women without complaint. “There’s no point in denying it.”
Rolling his eyes. “If you say so…” It’s obvious he disagrees, but he continues, “But that’s not the point. Anonymity is important to you, and I just fucking blew your cover.”
Could this man be any sexier? Here he is, being mocked all over the media and he’s worried about me. I don’t think I could’ve fallen harder for him than in this very instant. “Luke… the minute our photos went viral, I knew it was a possibility.”
“But are you okay with it?” His deep-blue eyes pierce through to my heart.
“Let’s take it a day at a time. I don’t think I could have stopped myself from claiming you, if I’d tried. Besides, according to Stacey, the sheer act of you being at the signing with me, was enough cause for speculation about your intentions.”
“Let’s be clear right now. I have every intention of being with you,” he boldly states as he brushes a piece of hair from my face. “I don’t give a fuck what the media or my PR team says. I wouldn’t have traded today with you, for anything.”
I cock my head to the side, wondering if I’ve heard him correctly.Did he just say his PR team would be on this?Thank God, he can read me like a book, because I don’t have to prompt him before he continues, “About that… I have a meeting with the owner and general manager of the franchise first thing Monday morning. They want to get behind the story and control it the best they can.Apparently,they don’t think this is a story that will blow over on its own. Since this has everything to do with you, I think it might be a good idea you attend it with me.”
“They want me at this meeting?” Why? I’m nobody in comparison to him, and I have nothing to do with the team.
“I want you at this meeting. I’m not making any decisions that concern you without your voice being heard.”
“Okay then,” I agree since he’s left little room for argument. Luke’s relief flows through him, and I instantly relax. Whatever will be, will be. No sense in worrying about it now.
Luke reaches for my hand and pulls me in the direction of the bedroom. “Now that that’s settled, what do you say we spend the rest of our time here in this bubble of bliss, forgetting about the world beyond us?”
