Chapter 5

Chapter Five

TATE

M an, I’m as weak as a kitten. Getting dressed earlier drained what little energy I have. I’m under doctor’s orders to rest for the next couple of days, which means I’m supposed to be staying at home. Screw that. I need to speak to Winston and the team.

‘Dude, just listen to them,’ says Blake, who I’ve conned into swinging by my hotel room and come with me to Winston’s New York apartment for a showdown with management at four-thirty.

Blake’s supposed to be on my side, but he’s clearly not read that memo.

I should phone my agent and keep him in the loop. He’d soon tell Winston to ditch the idea of a bodyguard, but he’d also tell my dad, who would not keep quiet about this and probably insist on calling the National Guard in.

In the taxi to Winston’s, I rest my arm on the edge of the window, grateful for the hotel’s underground garage. The paps are out in force today. Word got round pretty quick that I’d ‘collapsed’, and my phone has been blowing up, not just from press hysteria, but with calls from my worried teammates, too.

Unfortunately, the team doc’s press statement about an allergic reaction has not quelled rampant speculation. According to social media, I’ve got anything and everything from gastric flu, epilepsy, IBS, chicken pox, had a nervous breakdown, right through to terminal cancer.

‘I don’t need a bodyguard. What’s that gonna say to the world? More importantly, what’s that gonna say about the team. That we’re running scared?’

I clench my hands into fists. I certainly don’t want Lily Heath anywhere near me– my close protection detail or not. I might not have seen her for eight years, but my body hasn’t forgotten her. Sitting next to her last night was hell on Earth. Every time I breathed in, I could smell her perfume, subtle and sexy and very different from the light, citrussy fragrances she used to wear. A constant reminder that the gorgeous girl of my college years has grown up. She’s now a woman. And a super sexy one at that.

Over the years since we dated, my brain has developed an unhealthy curiosity about Lily– wondering how her lithe, toned body might have changed since I’d last touched her. Back then, she was sinewy muscle and long limbs. Tall and lean. She has filled out, just a little since then, but she is still as slim as a blade and though she’s always been strong, I had to wonder what sort of protection she could offer as a bodyguard. Sure, she could always look after herself at college… Her crazy dad had taught her how to do that, he was big on self-defence. So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at her line of work now.

‘I’m telling them no way,’ I announce to Blake now. ‘If Winston insists, I’ll quit the team.’

‘Fuck off, you will,’ says Blake. ‘We need you, dude, and let’s be honest, you need us. Football is your life.’

‘Then back me up,’ I say, like a sulky toddler.

Blake rolls his eyes. ‘Is it really gonna hurt you to have a little back-up. A shadow hanging about now and then, making sure that some obsessed stalker isn’t going anywhere near you? Plus, she’s pretty easy on the eye.’

‘It’s the principle,’ I growl, ignoring his last sentence. ‘It’s like, the message is that I can’t handle myself.’

Not to mention she’s the one woman I don’t want to have anything to do with.

‘These two weeks are important,’ I growl. ‘We have to get our head in the game. I don’t have time for this shit.’

* * *

When we arrive at Winston’s fancy apartment block and walk into the huge, brightly lit foyer, I’m greeted by a chorus of excited yips as Teddy the Pomeranian, comes streaking across the floor, his claws skittering on the hard surface before he launches himself at me.

‘Little dog, what is your problem?’ I say to the wriggling mutt, who, as usual, is desperate to kiss my face. I look around, and sure enough, Pammie is trotting around the corner. Despite the weather, which must be twenty-six degrees Fahrenheit, she’s in tennis whites– a tight sport’s vest and ass-skimming skirt. She looks fantastic, though closer up, I see a tiredness around her eyes, which tells me more.

‘Oh, there you are, Teddy,’ she trills. ‘He just loves you, Tate. Don’t you, baby.’ She bends to fuss with the dog and kisses him on his nose.

I don’t ask her what she’s doing here. I don’t want to know. I seem to see more of her now that she and Winston have split up than when they were married.

‘What are you doing here, honey?’ she asks. I’m so used to her being the boss’s wife, I answer without thinking.

‘Seeing Winston about something.’

She frowns. ‘I’ve got a meeting with him at five-thirty, so I hope you won’t be long. The lawyers I’m having to pay for are very expensive.’

I hand her the dog. ‘Just admin stuff,’ I say blandly, then smile at Pammie because she looks kinda sad.

Tears well up in her eyes. ‘I wish Winston would stop all of this.’ She glances over to my right where a tall blond man has appeared. ‘Thank God for Sven, he’s being such a support. Have you met him?’

‘I haven’t,’ I say.

‘Well, let me introduce you.’

But as she hails the man, he turns his face away. Maybe he’s a little shy, or nervous. Can’t say I blame him. He’s on enemy turf here, and apparently Winston is convinced they’re having an affair. I’m not so sure.

‘We’d better head up,’ I say, and Blake and I move towards the lift up to the penthouse, which is Winston’s second home. He maintains an office and boardroom up there, as well as at the Stadium in Austin.

‘That little mutt sure does love you,’ says Blake.

‘I’ve no idea why. I’ve done nothing to encourage it.’

‘Don’t you like dogs?’ Blake asks me.

‘I love dogs, just not ones that want to lick me to death.’

‘Don’t let Pammie hear you say that,’ says Blake with a laugh.

We’re buzzed into the penthouse foyer, and straight into the office on the left. Winston’s private secretary, Amanda, looks up, her eyes turning misty.

‘Tate, darlin’ boy. How are you? Shouldn’t you be resting up?’

She’s the mother hen for the team, sweet as pie until you cross her. She’s already up and out of her seat clucking round me.

‘I’m fine, Mandy. Just fine.’

‘If I’d known you were comin’ in, I’d have baked you some cookies.’ She puts her hands on her hips and tuts. ‘You better go on through. They’re waitin’ for you. Quite a kerfuffle you’re causin’. Now, you behave and do as you’re told. The team needs you.’

Blake grins. ‘That’s what I’ve been telling him.’

I glare at them both. The whole world is against me today.

As I open the door, the voices in the room quieten. Sitting around Winston’s round table are Winston, the head of security, Shane and… of course, Lily.

Lily. My eyes are immediately drawn to her svelte figure in black cargo pants and a well-fitting T-shirt that outlines her contours. My heart slams against my ribs with walk-into-a-wall awareness. It’s as if there’s no one else in the room. Just her, looking golden. I remember the last time I ever saw her all those years ago. Legs wrapped around my waist, her skin flush with excitement, eyes full of promise. I want to close my eyes and shut her out, but she fills the room with her presence. Today, she’s channelling Lara Croft, and fuck me, is it sexy. Her blonde hair is scooped up in a high ponytail which shows off her delicate, patrician features. She looks neat, tidy and professional, but I already have a pretty good idea what she’d look like all mussed up. An image, one of many imprinted into my memories, comes to mind, Lily lying tangled in my bedsheets with the morning sunlight slanting over her body when I came home from an early-morning run. That slow sleepy smile she greeted me with.

The rattle of the cups on a trolley brought in by the housekeeper brings my thoughts back to the present, and I stand aside as she starts unloading plates of sandwiches and cakes. I blink away the memory. I’m a fool. Like my dad said, Lily weakened me. After she left, I almost didn’t make the draft. That’s what I have to remember. Her being here for the biggest game of my life is pure bad luck, but it’s not going to affect me. Not this time.

‘Hey Tate, how are you feeling?’ asks Winston. To be fair, he does look genuinely concerned, but then he’s invested one hell of a lot of faith in me, not to mention money.

‘I’m fine,’ I growl. Truth is, I want to sleep for another six weeks and every muscle in my body aches with tiredness. My brain is mush. And I’m feeling anxious. Despite knowing these are well-documented post-anaphylactic symptoms, it doesn’t quell the doom-laden, gnawing sensation of anxiety gripping me with sharp teeth. I don’t want anyone to see this, especially not Winston and the team, who are relying on me.

‘Man, it’s good to see you on your feet,’ says Shane. ‘You looked a bit grim yesterday.’

‘Thanks,’ I deadpan. ‘Needed to hear that.’

‘Sorry,’ he says. ‘But, well… you looked shit.’

‘Well aware,’ I reply. Actually, I’m embarrassed they all saw that. People are going to worry that I’m not up to the game. Don’t have what it takes this close to the final.

‘Good to see you,’ says John, clapping me on the arm.

‘And you know Lily,’ says Winston.

‘Yep,’ I say, and she gives me a fake smile.

‘I wish it could have been under better circumstances,’ she says.

I barely acknowledge her.

‘I’m starving,’ says Blake, either ignoring or oblivious to the chilly atmosphere. He loads his plate with sandwiches, even though I know he had a late lunch barely two hours ago.

‘Lily, this is Blake Pedlar, another one of the team.’

‘Sure, nice to meet you,’ says Blake. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you .’ There’s a slight frown on his face and I shoot him a warning glance. I do not need him telling Lily about the state I was in when he first met me.

‘Why don’t we sit down?’ suggests Winston and he takes a seat.

I’ve got a rare craving for sugar, so I follow my body’s lead and just start helping myself to cookies, pastries and cake. The works. I need to refuel. My body has been through one hell of a workout, but I’m not going to let any of them know how shit I’m feeling. I can feel Lily’s eyes on me. She doesn’t miss anything. Never did.

I turn and look at her, my gaze impassive. Take in her lithe body clad in black Lycra. While not as out-and-out stunning as the flaming-red number she had on last night, she’s nailed the sexy-ninja look. It’s a natural urge– that’s what I tell myself– imagining peeling that tight black T up her body, revealing the rosy skin beneath. Kissing my way up as I freed each inch of her chest from the snug material of her top.

Focus Tate. Get your head in the game.

I can’t let Lily distract me. I decide I’m going to let them do the talking. I’ve only one thing to say and I’m not wasting my energy on small talk.

Winston gets straight to it. ‘Tate, I know you don’t like the idea, but we’ve been advised that the threats against you need to be taken seriously, so we’ve hired Lily to provide extra protection for you.’

I take a large bite of cookie and focus on the sweetness on my tongue. There’s silence around the table. Everyone is watching me.

‘No, thank you,’ I say politely. ‘Like I said, I don’t need a bodyguard.’

‘Tate,’ Winston starts. ‘This is not up for debate.’

‘I beg to differ.’

‘Why not?’ asks Lily, surprising everyone with her question. I turn to meet her interested gaze. Her eyes, warm brown like bourbon, meet mine. For a moment, I pause.

‘Because I don’t need one, and it will make me and the team look like we’re scared.’

Scared, weak people lose games. I think again of how close I came to not making the draft. If it hadn’t been for my dad or Blake’s support, I might have lost everything. Everything I’d worked hard for and dreamed of for years. After my mom left, it was just me and Dad, and I needed to prove that everything he sacrificed on my behalf was worth it– and show Lily what a mistake she made walking away. We succeeded without her.

‘But you’ve seen the threats,’ she persists in a quiet, steady voice. The first person round here to actually enter into a conversation about it with me, rather than what Winston’s done, which is presented as a fait accompli. Lily is at least treating me like an adult who has a mind of his own. Almost as if she cares.

This thought strengthens my resolve. Lily Heath never cared. She walked away. Left me without a backward glance. Yeah, she called with some bull about her dad being ill. I’m sure he was, but she ghosted me after that, and let’s just say, sending someone texts when they don’t reply gets old real quick. At the time, it made me lose sight of the bigger picture. The game. My dad. Our dream. I grit my teeth and swallow hard.

‘You get stalkers who are mentally unwell, or fans who just care a bit too much all the time in this business. It’s nothing new. I’ve had them before when I scored, when I didn’t score, when I fouled, when I didn’t foul– it goes with football, fame… you name it.’

‘Tell me.’ She leans forward. ‘If you thought it was more than a threat, would you consider a bodyguard?’ she asks.

I shrug. ‘Possibly.’

Something flashes in her eyes. Triumph? But she conceals it well, keeping the concerned look on her face. It mirrors the one she wore last night when I was flat out in the lobby. I know it’s part of the whole anaphylaxis deal but when she left my suite last night, after escorting me up with the doc, that awful sense of doom overpowered me, and I almost begged her not to leave me. Not to leave me again, like she did before. I was wrecked when she left. I don’t plan to ever feel weak and needy like that again. It’s against everything I’ve worked for. I don’t need anyone else. All I need is football.

Her voice softens. ‘Last night. We think someone tried to kill you.’

‘What are you talking about?’ I ask.

‘Last night, there were traces of peanut oil on your plate.’

‘What?’

‘We tested the food on your plate.’

I stare at her.

Tierney nods. ‘We were specific with the catering team before the event, that under no circumstances could there be any trace of peanut in the food. I had a lab test for peanut allergens on the food left on your plate. There’s no doubt it looks like sabotage.’

‘Come on,’ I scoff, looking round the table at the faces earnestly staring back at me. ‘It could easily have been an accident. It’s a kitchen. They prepare hundreds of meals there, every day of the week. Someone just made a mistake.’

‘A potentially fatal mistake,’ points out Lily, ‘which catering knew the seriousness of.’

I shrug.

‘And what about your EpiPen?’

There’s silence around the table as this sinks in.

I could have sworn I tucked the EpiPen in my pocket but then it could have fallen out of my jacket. It was draped over the back of a chair for most of the night. I hate wearing a suit. I wince because I feel stupid. I never go anywhere without it– just like I promised her all those years ago. I’ve stuck to it and I’m careful. I have back-ups at home and in my locker.

‘Look, I don’t know what happened to it. I had it when I left home. I know I did. I must have dropped it someplace.’ I hold up my hands. ‘Maybe I got a little careless. It’s the first reaction I’ve had in years.’

I don’t add that it frightened the hell out of me.

‘Tate, this is non-negotiable,’ says Winston. ‘You’re not just a ball player. You’re like a son to me. And if anything happens to you, it’s gonna kill the whole team.’

‘That’s foul play,’ I say. Winston is one of the good guys. The team is family.

But I fold my arms and nod. I know when I’m beaten.

‘And there’s one more thing,’ adds Winston, lifting his chin, a clear sign he’s going to be bullish. He didn’t get where he is without playing hardball sometimes. And this is clearly going to be one of those times. ‘Lily is going to be with you twenty-four-seven.’

We’ll see about that, I think. I’m gonna show them how wrong they are.

‘But we don’t want any speculation as to Lily’s identity in the press. I don’t want to spook the sponsors or the league.’ Winston pauses and looks directly at me. ‘So Lily is going to pose as your fiancée.’

I almost swallow my tongue.

He carries on. ‘We decided that it would play better and make a great story. Your short-term relationships are well documented, Tate. The press team felt it would be a better angle if you were seen to be engaged. It would explain why she’s with you all the time and has full access to the team hotel and stadium.’

I’m staring at him, but there’s more.

‘The press team have booked an appointment at Tiffany’s tomorrow for you to make it official.’

I gape at him.

‘Tiffany’s?’ I croak. This is all getting out of hand. I’m on the back of a horse galloping to the finish line of the Kentucky Derby without a clue how I got here.

‘To buy the engagement ring, man,’ says Blake with a huge grin. ‘You lucky bastard.’

My mouth is open, but all my words seem to be at the bottom of a well, a very long way down.

‘Right.’ Winston throws down his napkin and rises to his feet. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to meet my lawyers.’

I watch his shoulders sink for a minute.

When everyone else stands up, I point to Lily’s stature.

‘Question.’ It’s a dick move, but I’m much bigger than her. I’m genuinely curious. ‘You’re clearly good at your job, but how are you going to protect me. There’s quite a size difference between us.’

She’s silent and her gaze holds mine. Ice-cold and stony.

Then a smirk plays around her lips. ‘Come at me,’ she says.

‘I can’t do that,’ I say. I would never take a hand to a woman. Under no circumstance. It’s everything I’ve been brought up to despise.

‘Yeah, I guess you’re not feeling up to much after yesterday. It wouldn’t be a fair fight. For you.’

I narrow my eyes as the insult sinks in. ‘I’m just fine.’

She raises that fine eyebrow, holds my gaze and mouths, ‘Chicken.’

There’s silence in the room, apart from Blake, who sniggers. Shane is trying to hide a smile while Winston, who’d been nearly out the door, turns back with interest.

‘I’m not going to embarrass you in front of these gentlemen,’ I say, even though I could just pick her up, wrap my arms around her and hold onto her.

‘You couldn’t embarrass me, JB,’ she says and walks right up to me and pats my cheek. Anger burns a hole in me. She called me Jock Boy, before she got to know me, when she was so sure she didn’t want to go out with me. She shortened it to JB after our second date. Her dismissive, derisive gesture underlines just how little of a shit she could give about me– now, or then. Even the brief feel of her soft skin on my cheek adds insult to injury. She grins up at me, challenge sparkling in those dark-brown whisky eyes, those mocking, plump lips.

Fine. I take one step forward and before I can even process it, she twists her body, like something out of The Matrix and has me in a hold with my hand behind my back. I’m left in no doubt that if she wanted to, she could break my arm or force me onto the floor.

Around us, there’s dead silence. Awed silence.

Something has changed. This is a Lily I don’t know. She’s harder, tougher. But she’s forgotten I’m a ball player and I’m used to getting out of tight scrapes. When she drops my arm, I twist my body and pick her up, my arms around her waist, clamping both her arms to her sides. She’s nose to nose with me and suddenly I realise that this might not have been my smartest move.

Lily stares into my eyes, and I see a flash of uncertainty in hers. Her mouth is inches from mine, her lips parted in wary suspicion. I hear the involuntary hitch of her breath, and the corresponding expansion of her ribs as if she’s been taken by surprise. Her face is still, but I can see the angry pulse beating in her neck. Her body is flush against me, and I can feel her soft breasts pressed up against my chest.

‘Put me down, Tate,’ she says in a menacing voice.

I meet her imperious gaze and hold it, staring back at her. I wonder if the rest of the room can feel the charge between us. Around us everyone is silent and watchful.

Finally, I slowly lower her to the ground, not letting go until her feet are flush on the floor.

‘Okay. I think we’re quits.’ I hold out my hand.

She pauses for a minute and then takes mine. I have a longing to bring her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles, but I stop myself.

‘Very well done, Lily.’ My voice is husky as I shake her hand then let it go, but I’m careful to make my tone a little mocking. ‘You sure know how to bring a man to his knees.’

She gives me a tight smile and then nods. This isn’t over. I’ve got a feeling I’m going to pay for teasing her.

Winston clears his throat. ‘Right, then. I think we’ll leave the two of you to talk and make the necessary arrangements.’

‘The appointment at Tiffany’s is at eleven tomorrow,’ Shane chips in. ‘The press team will be tipping off a tame contact. Try to smile, Tate,’ he says with a grin. ‘We want people to believe that Lily sees something in you.’

Lily and I exchange a very quick glance. Once upon a time, she did. Now I ask myself what changed? What made her hightail it back home without so much as a backward glance?

Just like what my mom did to me and Dad.

‘Have fun kids,’ says Winston.

All I can do is grunt and watch as their feet file out of the room. Blake stops in front of Lily.

‘I think I might just have fallen in love with you,’ he says and pecks her on the cheek. ‘See you, Tate.’

With that, he follows the others out of the room.