8. King

8

KING

I do my best to blend into the crowd, but I can feel all the eyes on me. My name is well known, but most people don't usually recognize me because I try to stay out of the public eye as much as possible. But there's no avoiding it today.

I had to see Haven.

I set up an alert online so if anything goes public with her name, my phone alerts me. I found out about the fashion show this morning, and it took me about two minutes of debate to decide that I couldn't miss this. I had to see her.

I was at my office, trying to catch up on the last two weeks because my concentration has been on her instead of my work. I was just about to walk out when my brother showed up at the office. I don't get to see him a whole lot, so I brought him with me, and I'm already starting to regret it.

Holden hits his shoulder into mine. "Remind me again what we're doing here."

I'm staring at the stage, and the anticipation builds as I wait to see Haven. "I told you I was busy."

He clasps his hand onto my shoulder and grips hard. "You're always busy, big brother."

I finally look at Holden, and I almost feel guilty until I see the smirk on his face. He likes to bust my balls. "I'm busy? You're the one traveling the country and living your best life."

"I'm working," he explains.

"You play baseball."

He puts his hands on his hips and gives me a death stare. "It's work."

If he can give me shit, I can do the same to him. "Yeah, work, right? You catch a ball."

His voice lowers. "I'm leading the league in putouts. I'm third in the league for homeruns this season… I do more than catch a ball."

"Third? You're slacking, Holden."

"Fuck you," he mutters under his breath .

Finally, I smile, letting him know I'm fucking with him. "Yeah, yeah. I know you work hard. Congratulations on the record, little brother. I never miss a game. But I'm not the one you gotta worry about giving you shit. Gabriel is the one all bent out of shape that you've missed the last three pickleball tournaments. Your brother knows how much you hate to lose, and I'm pretty sure this is the one sport he can beat you at. You have to show up at least one time."

He laughs. "Are you guys still doing that?"

"Yep, once or twice a month. You should really try to join in on the next one. It's actually fun."

He nods. "Yeah, if I'm in town, I'll be there."

Holden is looking around. There are people everywhere, and they're noticing him and taking his picture. Two women have already came up to him and asked for his autograph. He, of course, is eating it up and enjoying the attention. He gets noticed everywhere we go, so I should have known better than to bring him with me when I'm trying to lay low.

"Tell me why we're standing all the way back here. You're King Beckett, Jasper's most eligible bachelor— "

I cut him off. "That was five years ago."

He laughs, "Yeah, well the nickname sticks. There are some seats right in the front. No one is going to ask you to move."

The announcer comes on stage, and thankfully the front row seats that were open only seconds ago are filled up and we're standing in the back row. Music starts to play, and models take turns walking out on stage. The speaker is talking about the clothes, but I completely tune her out and hold my breath until I see Haven walking out onto the catwalk.

I'm completely transfixed on her as she struts across the stage. She has on a bathing suit, and it shows off every one of her luscious curves. My hands fist at my sides because I know there are men in the room drooling over her, and I want to run to the stage and claim her right here and now.

She stops at the end of the stage and kicks her hip out while doing a shimmy from side to side. "Fuck," I groan, and I thought it was low, but the people around me all turn and stare.

I don't care, though. There's no hiding how I feel about Haven. She turns, and then I have a perfect view of her ass as she walks back to the stage and disappears between the curtains. It's only then I look at Holden, and my brother has his mouth hanging open, looking between me and where Haven was just standing. "She's too young for you," he whispers loudly.

All I can do is stare at him. Yeah, I know she's too young for me. She's too everything for me, but I can't stop. I can't stop thinking about her. I can't stop wondering if she's okay. I can't stop wanting her. When I don't answer him, Holden insists, "What are you thinking, King? The news gets wind of this and they will have a field day."

"You act like she's underage or something. I'm not a pervert. She's twenty-five, Holden."

He blows out a breath and pretends to wipe his brow. "Shhhew, well, that's a relief. She's still a little young for you. She's hot, though."

My head jerks, and I glower at him. "Don't even think about it. Brother or not, I'll end you."

He laughs, holding both his hands up. "Whoa, wow! I never thought I'd see the day where the mighty King Beckett would fall in love."

Out of reaction, I'm about to deny it, but I can't bring myself to do it. The show continues, and Haven comes out two more times. Holden finally starts to understand and doesn't try to talk to me when Haven is on the stage. I take her all in. The way she smiles almost shyly to the crowd, the way she moves, the way she flips her hair when she turns. I take my phone out and shoot a video of her as she walks across the stage, and it's about the time that I lower the phone that our eyes meet.

Her smile widens, and there's no doubt she sees me. She's looking right at me.

All I can do is stare at her as my brother, I, and every man in the room fall for her and her absolute beauty.

She walks off the stage, and I nudge my brother. "Come on, let's get out of here."

He doesn't budge, though. "What? What are you talking about? You're not going to talk to her?"

I shake my head and start to push my way through the crowd. Thankfully, because of my size, people move, and I'm able to get out the door without anyone stopping me. The only person that insists on stalling me is my brother. He's followed me, but he's griped about it the whole way outside.

Holden grabs my arm. "King, stop, what's going on? You're obviously into her, why are you not going to stay and talk to her?"

I don't want to tell him, but I need to get it off my chest. I need to tell someone because the guilt is starting to get to me. "She doesn't know who I am. "

He looks at me like I've grown two heads. "Well, tell her. It's not like she's going to be upset that a millionaire is attracted to her. Go talk to her."

I mutter shamefully, "She thinks I'm someone else."

He puts his hand up. "What does that even mean? Have you talked to her?"

I nod. "Oh, we've talked."

His forehead creases, and he shakes his head in confusion. "Okay, so who does she think you are?"

Fuck. This is so fucked up. "She thinks I'm a cuddler."

Holden starts to laugh, and when I don't even crack a smile, he stops. "Wait, you're serious? What the fuck is a cuddler?"

I look around at the people walking down the sidewalk around us and then back at my brother. "It's a form of therapy."

He holds his hands up. "Do I even want to know how she came to think you were a therapist?"

I look down at the ground because shame doesn't even begin to cover it. "That's how I introduced myself."

"Fuck, King. What were you thinking?"

"I know. I know. I'm going to fix it."

"You lied to her… fuck, as her therapist. That's al l kinds of fucked up, brother." He rams his hand through his hair and blows out a breath. "All you can do is hope she forgives you when she finds out you're a millionaire."

I give him a dirty look. "She's not like that, Holden."

He shakes his head and walks to where my driver is standing next to my car. "Well, it would be better for you if she was like that."

I jog to catch up with him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shakes his head and puts his hands on my shoulders. "It means if she cared about the money, she might forgive you. But if she's a good girl, the kind you'd want to settle down with, then she's not going to be so quick to forgive, King."

Fuck, he's right. I know he's right. I may have just met Haven, but I know her enough to know that she's not going to care about my money. All she's going to care about is the fact that I lied to her. "Fuck, I gotta fix this, Holden."

He puts his arm around me and pulls me to the car. "Yeah, you do. Come on. You promised me food. Let's eat and we'll come up with a plan."

He climbs into the back of my car, and I take one last look at the building we just walked out of. For just a second, I wonder if I should just go in and come clean, tell her the whole truth and then beg for her forgiveness. But the thought of her walking away from me stops me. I need to prepare because I can't lose Haven… not now… not ever.