Chapter 12

CHAPTERTWELVE

As it turned out,Alek—and the rest of the world—did find out about London’s ER visit in the arms of Trey Van Horn, thanks to a patient sharing cellphone video to TMZ. She suspected the video was bought and leaked by Trey’s management team. It was the perfect human interest clip to counteract the Vanity Fair article. London would have done the same had she been handling Trey’s PR.

There was also the annoying coincidence that the two athletes shared the same agent. A man who, if she had to guess, couldn’t wait to share the details of London’s hospital adventure with the goalie. She’d been dealing with Collin Slater for a little over a week now, and it was already abundantly clear to her that the guy was an egomaniac. Not to mention, a colossal thorn in her barely healed side.

“I’ll need you to run any and all social media posts by me beforehand,” he announced.

London was grateful they were having this conversation by phone and not video. She’d lost count of how many times she’d either rolled her eyes or flipped the guy off.

“I’m not in the habit of posting anything offensive, if that’s what you’re concerned about. My job is to promote Gunther Cheese. If that means making their spokesperson look good on social media, that’s what I’m going to do,” she told him, working hard to keep her tone neutral.

After a week at home, she’d been looking forward to returning to the office and her clients.

All except for one.

And his obnoxious agent.

Collin laughed. “Van Horn has over six million followers on his accounts, and he’s posted roughly twenty times in the past seven years. Not only that, but his reputation is unimpeachable.”

London bit back a snort. Had this guy not read the Vanity Fair article?

“Our concern,” he continued, “is that nothing too ridiculous gets posted.”

Trey’s agent was correct about him posting rarely on his accounts. London should know. She’d been stalking him for years. But that didn’t mean others hadn’t tagged him. Namely women.

She picked up her cellphone and scrolled through his Instagram account just to torture herself. A photo popped up of Trey with a leggy blonde wearing a dress the size of a dinner napkin. The blonde looked at the quarterback like a lioness stalking her quarry.

For his part, Trey wore his patented bemused smile. A look he’d cultivated over the past decade. London often referred back to the photos she’d taken of him that summer just to reassure herself that the smile she remembered wasn’t a figment of her overactive imagination. Of course, doing so never failed to make the ache she thought she’d alleviated begin to bite at her chest again. Had it all been real? As usual, swift anger followed.

“I have no intention of making my client’s spokesperson look ridiculous, silly, inane, or any other description you care to use,” she snapped. “In fact, I won’t need to post on Mr. Van Horn’s social media at all. I’ll manage everything from the Gunther Cheese account. Problem solved. As soon as we finalize the arrangements for the commercial shoot, I’ll be in touch. Have a nice day.”

Trey’s agent was still babbling when she abruptly ended the call.

“Nicely done.”

London lifted her head toward the entrance of her office. Alek Bergeron stood with his shoulder propped up against the doorframe, a lazy smile on his full mouth. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans. The navy Mayhem golf shirt he wore stretched neatly over his muscled shoulders and chest. Not for the first time, she was jealous of the long, sooty lashes framing his ice blue eyes.

“Alek! I thought you weren’t getting back until later today?” She slipped on her shoes before coming out from behind her desk. “I didn’t think I’d see you until dinner.”

Since her surgery, Alek had been texting a couple of times a day to “check on her.” He’d also called nearly every evening. He told her it was to report on Kyle’s progress at camp, except that part of the conversation usually lasted only a few minutes.

The rest of the time, Alek had her laughing about the crazy antics of his teammates who joined him at the hockey clinic. Or he’d give her suggestions of what to binge watch while she was recuperating. He dished about his large family who he made sound overbearing in the most loving way. For a superstar athlete who was worth millions, Alek was surprisingly unassuming and easy to talk to. London found herself looking forward to his calls each night.

She wasn’t looking forward to the dinner conversation she needed to have with him tonight, however. Now that Trey was on board with the Gunther account, her move to Chicago was inevitable. As much as she wanted those phone calls to continue, it wouldn’t be fair to continue allowing Alek to believe she could offer him anything more than friendship.

“That was the plan.” He stepped away from the door and into her office. “But I couldn’t wait that long. I wanted to see with my own eyes that you’re okay. You gave us all a scare.”

The genuine concern in his eyes was hard to miss. London felt guilty her first thought was to wonder why Trey hadn’t even bothered to check up on her once during these past two weeks. She shoved the emotion deep inside her, instead offering up a smile for the hot guy standing in front of her.

“That’s very sweet of you,” she said. Because it was. “Although you may not think too highly of me right now. I’m pretty sure I just pissed off your agent.”

His eyes danced with admiration. “Good. He can be a total dick sometimes. And, technically, he’s my agent’s son.” He waved a hand in the air. “Long story. But it doesn’t matter. All that counts is that you look well. No. Check that. You look stunning.” He took a step closer. “I wish we weren’t in your office because I’d really like to kiss you.”

Could he get any more perfect?If she were still looking for a Prince Charming, Alek would definitely be at the top of the list.

“We should probably save that for some place more private,” she replied, not realizing how flirtatious her words sounded until they were out of her mouth.

His nostrils flared. Great. Now she was giving him mixed signals.

“But I don’t think a hug would cause too much gossip.” She draped her arms around his neck at the same time as he gingerly wrapped his fingers around her waist.

“Mm,” he groaned, burying his face in her hair. “I may have to rethink our dinner plans.”

London’s body reacted subconsciously, sinking in closer to his before she could admonish it not to. She inhaled. He smelled crisp and clean. Not that there was anything wrong with that. It just wasn’t the fresh, outdoorsy scent that had been haunting her dreams the past few weeks. She scolded herself for comparing his smell to the other hunky jock she knew.

As if she’d conjured him up, Trey’s voice echoed throughout the room.

“Well, don’t you make a cute couple.”

London gasped with embarrassment as she tried to scramble from Alek’s embrace. The goalie’s arms were slow to disengage, however. He kept one linked tightly around her waist as he turned them both to face Trey.

“Nice to see you, Van Horn.” Alek’s tone sounded as if he didn’t think it was nice at all.

“Bergeron.” Trey jerked his chin up and down in what was likely supposed to be a nod but looked more like an obscene gesture.

For crying out loud!

London shook off Alek’s arm and moved back behind her desk before the two men began wrestling like Neanderthals.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded. It seemed she was constantly asking the man the same question.

Trey arched an eyebrow at her. “I was told there was a meeting about the gala here today.”

Seriously?

London had a hard time believing the man left his leggy blonde and the rest of the accommodating women of Palm Beach to return to Milwaukee for a meeting about the gala. Not when training camp was still four days away.

Alek looked between Trey and London. “For real? I’m representing the Mayhem this year. No one told me about any meeting today.”

She crossed her arms in front of her. “That’s because it’s a logistics meeting with the representatives from the venue. The team figureheads chairing the event aren’t expected to attend.”

“When my name is associated with something, I’m all in. Meaning, I like to be involved in every aspect.” Trey’s eyes never left London’s.

She choked out a humorless laugh. “Control freak much?”

Alek chuckled at her comment just as his phone buzzed. He frowned when he looked at the screen before his face paled.

“Alek? Is everything okay?” She moved back around her desk toward the goalie, placing her palm on his upper arm. She was sure she imagined the low rumble coming from Trey’s direction. Fortunately, Alek was too absorbed in whatever was in the text message to notice.

“My twin is having some issues with her pregnancy.” He swallowed roughly. “I’m sorry. I need to cancel for tonight. I have to head back to Ottawa.”

“Of course.” She gave his biceps a gentle squeeze. “You should be with your family.”

Alek quickly typed out a response to the text before giving London a grateful smile. “Thanks for understanding. And I’ll definitely make the rain check worth it.”

Before she could react, Alek’s fingers were on the back of her neck, guiding her lips forward to meet his. It was a kiss filled with promise, not to mention a hint of machismo. London would have enjoyed it a lot more had Trey not been watching. Of course, she suspected the enthusiasm of Alek’s kiss had a lot to do with their audience.

“I’ll call you tonight,” Alek announced rather loudly when he pulled away.

London couldn’t decide which male was aggravating her more at the moment. Alek deserved her empathy, however. He’d been a good friend this past week. She knew how close he was to his family—his twin in particular.

“Please do,” she replied. “I’ll be anxious to know how she is doing.”

“I’ll be sure to take good notes at the meeting,” Trey remarked when Alek passed him on his way out the door.

In return, Alek mumbled something that sounded dark and dangerous. Trey snorted. London fumed.

“The meeting is over in the conference room,” she snapped as she returned to her desk and shuffled some papers pretending to look busy. Her hope was that he’d leave her in peace.

He didn’t.

Instead, he closed the door before venturing farther into the room, only to stand quietly in front of her desk until she finally lost her patience and looked up at him.

“How are you?”

His softly uttered question had her breath hitching slightly. Or maybe it was the sincerity in those golden eyes studying her critically. Either way, her pique at his arrogance slowly ebbed away.

“I’m well,” she replied. “Fit as a fiddle, in fact.”

The corners of his lips kicked up and he nodded. “I’m really glad to hear that.”

“Thank you, by the way.” London cleared her throat.

Why was it so difficult to find the words to thank him? Who knows what would have happened if she had passed out on her floor? Were he any other person, she’d be offering to name her first child after him.

Except that at one time, she’d dreamed of naming their child after him. She tamped down on the sudden surge of bitterness and pushed out the words. Her mother had raised her better, after all. “Thanks for, you know, helping me the other night.”

“Don’t mention it.”

He rocked back on his heels and a ghost of a smile she’d seen that long ago summer flittered over his mouth. Her stomach began to flutter wildly.

He does still exist.

“I didn’t do anything any other guy wouldn’t have done. I’m sure even Bergeron would have managed to carry you a few steps.”

Annnd, just like that he ruined the moment. Asshole. Her annoyance was back threefold. The sooner she kicked him out of her office, the better. Still, her curiosity got the better of her. She had to ask the question that had been nagging her for a week now.

“Why did you do it?” she demanded.

He blinked in confusion. “Why did I take you to the hospital? How about because you were sick for a thousand, Alex?”

“No!” She snatched up the contract from her desk. “This! Why did you agree to represent Gunther Cheese?”

Something that looked a lot like remorse flashed in his eyes before he managed to extinguish it.

He shrugged. “Because it sounded like a kick.”

London’s throat grew tight. She hated the realization that deep down she hoped he’d say he agreed to the campaign because he wanted to be around her. That he wanted to make amends for how he’d left things. How could she still be so naïve? So foolish? In twenty-eight years had she not learned her lesson? She wasn’t anyone’s forever girl. Especially not Trey Van Horn’s.

The regret she had detected in his expression was likely because he’d accepted the sponsorship as a lark. Hadn’t he just referred to the sponsorship as a “kick”?

This was all a joke to him. With her luck, he’d come here today to worm his way out of the deal.

Well, too damn bad.

He’d signed on the dotted line. Bennie’s livelihood depended on it. Her professional future depended on it. No way was she letting him back out now.

She squared her shoulders. “Well, aren’t you lucky to be blessed with a bottomless trust fund and superior athletic ability that you can make decisions just for. . .kicks. But hear me loud and clear. I take my clients’ livelihoods very seriously. And this campaign will be successful.”

The air in the room nearly crackled as the two stared each other down. Trey was still for a long beat as if he expected her to say more. When she didn’t, he nodded once.

“At the risk of repeating myself, when my name is associated with something, I’m all in.”

London scoffed. “Pardon me if I’m skeptical. Your track record where I’m concerned is questionable.”

He rocked back on his heels again as if she’d struck him. London doubted he was wounded. Nor did she care. She grabbed her phone and purse from her desk.

“Your meeting starts in five minutes.” She pulled out her sunglasses and plopped them on her head. “Don’t forget to take good notes.”

“You aren’t going?”

“Nope.” Score one for her for beating him at his own game. “I’ve got more important clients to deal with this afternoon.”

She moved to slip past him, but his fingers quickly brushed against her hand, making all the nerve endings in her arm dance. Damn him. He slid his palm against hers before lacing their fingers together.

“I’m all in,” he repeated softly, his breath teasing the skin near her ear. “You can count on me, London.”

Could she?

It wasn’t like she had a choice. Besides, Bennie said Trey’s reputation with advertisers was nothing but professional.

“I’d like it if we could get through this without every moment in each other’s presence being a battle,” he added.

Well damn if he wasn’t being the mature one.

She was the one being ridiculous by reading too much into everything he said and did, that’s all. If he could approach the situation like a grown up, then so could she. After all, she wasn’t that naïve eighteen-year-old any longer. No way was she falling for Trey Van Horn again. If he could keep things light and businesslike, she would put on her big girl panties and do the same.

But not if he kept touching her. It was impossible for her to think with his body so close to hers. She hurriedly untangled her fingers from his and put some distance between them.

“I’d like that as well.” Too bad her voice didn’t sound as steady and committed to the new plan as she’d like. She managed a smile that she hoped looked more assured than she felt. “I’m looking forward to making this campaign a success.”

He returned her smile with one of his own. Only his bordered on sly, as if he knew what the words were costing her.

“Me, too.” He opened her office door and gestured for her to exit first.