CHAPTER FOUR

Shea stared open-mouthed as Dom left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

He'd tossed that verbal bomb at Shea along with some clothes and told him to come out when he was ready to eat breakfast and discuss their current situation with Kate.

It was going to take a lot more time than they had for Shea to process Dom's comment so he decided he should focus on the clothes.

That part was easier.

Shea dressed in Dom's clothing—sweats and a tee, because there was no way he'd fit in anything more tailored than that—washed his face, brushed his teeth, then stared at himself in Dom's bathroom mirror.

Well, nothing to do but go face the music.

Whatever that music was.

At this point, Shea had no idea what to expect.

Apparently, he'd landed himself in the middle of some PR disaster that needed to be dealt with quickly and if Dom hadn't abandoned him last night to fend for himself, well, Shea wouldn't leave him to deal with it alone either, unless he was asked to.

He squared his shoulders, grabbed the coffee cup off the dresser, then walked into the dining room.

This time, he took a closer look at the woman on the far side of the table.

Kate Foster was a statuesque blonde and Shea had an idle thought that she'd have made a killing as an escort.

Or, possibly, a pro-Domme.

She'd been nothing but polite to him but there was a steely edge that lurked under the sweetness that was impossible to miss.

She reminded him of Audra.

"Sorry about the interruption earlier," Shea said, aiming for a sincere smile and probably missing by a wide margin.

"And I'm sorry I woke you both so early," she said, her smile warm. "It sounds like you had quite the long night."

"Yeah, I hope I never have to deal with that again," he agreed, rubbing his face.

"Please, help yourself to breakfast." She gestured to the food in front of them.

Dom was already eating, so Shea helped himself to a bagel, loaded it with cream cheese, and put some smoked salmon on top.

Ha. Smoked. He felt like he was a damn smoked salmon this morning.

"Okay," she said, folding her hands and staring at them across the table. "This is the situation we're in. JockGossip has insinuated that the two of you are romantically, or least sexually, involved. They don't have your name, Sawyer, but it's not impossible that they could dig that up."

He nodded, his mouth too full of food to speak. Ironic food choices or not, it was delicious.

"I don't mean to pry but I'd feel more comfortable managing this situation with all of the information. Are you dating?"

Shea shook his head. "No."

"Are you having sex?"

Shea froze and Dom swallowed hard before he gave her a terse nod.

"Okay, that's all I need to know." Kate leaned forward. "Wait, no, there's one more thing."

Dom set his food down, looking slightly ill, and Shea stifled the urge to press their thighs together and offer him some comfort.

Especially because he doubted Dom would find that comforting.

"What's that?" Shea asked.

"Who does the apartment you were in last night belong to?"

"Oh." Shea pulled in a deep breath and gave her the most reassuring smile he could manage. "Select Image Consulting. They lease several places around the city. They offer image management, fashion styling, and etiquette courses. Because of the social status of some of the clients, meetings are often one-on-one. Some people choose to have the appointments in their homes but others prefer to meet in one of the condos we lease. The more personal and private environment allows people to relax and feel more comfortable."

The company truly did offer those services and, nationwide, they had hundreds of high-paying male and female clients who paid for image consultation.

And some who discreetly paid for more .

"Interesting." Kate raised her coffee to her lips. "The name does sound vaguely familiar now that you mention it. And I can think of a few players who could stand to hire you, Sawyer."

Shea laughed. "I'd be happy to pass along my business card."

"Please do."

He patted his pocket, then froze when he realized that in his hurry to get Dom's wallet and phone out of the apartment, he'd forgotten his own. Fuck!

"Uhh, maybe some other time," he said. "It's possible my wallet went up in smoke."

"Oh dear." She gave him a sympathetic smile. "Well, let's hope it survived."

"Let's hope," he said drily. "But yeah, I'll make sure Dom passes one of my cards to you some time."

Because if nothing else, he needed to keep up appearances that everything was on the up and up.

"Perfect. How did you learn about this company, Dom?"

"Oh, a former player," he said, reaching for his coffee again. "He retired shortly after I came to Toronto. Jimmy Brady. You remember him?"

"Yes."

Shea did too, though if he remembered right, he'd been a client of Audra's.

Kate leaned forward. "Okay, now that's all cleared up, let's get down to business. The way I look at it, we have four options for how we want to handle this situation. Number one, we ignore it and hope it fades away. In order for that to happen, you will need to stop working together or seeing one another. Totally. Because there will be increased scrutiny on you both and no matter how discreet you think you're being, someone will spot you eventually."

Dom froze, spoon halfway between his mouth and his yogurt bowl. "What's the next option?"

"Number two, we release a statement about Sawyer being your stylist but stress that you are not romantically involved. You're friendly, so you hung out after your appointment and watched the hockey game, Dom crashed on the couch and, Sawyer, you didn't have the heart to wake him. Following the fire, Dom was concerned about Sawyer's health, nothing more."

"We actually did watch the hockey game," Shea said truthfully. "It went into OT."

Kate laughed. "If we go that route, I'd suggest making sure the two of you are spotted in public on several ‘bro dates'"—she used finger quotes and rolled her eyes—"to solidify that story."

Dom snorted. "Bro dates?"

"Perhaps going to a sporting event or an indoor driving range. Something ‘suitably masculine' and non-romantic." She gave him a wry smile. "With several other straight men there as a buffer, if possible."

Dom let out a little huff and took a sip of his coffee. "Right."

"It would be best if around the same time, at least one of the two of you was spotted with a woman who you might be romantically linked to. And Dom, we'll need you to attend an event where you can show off your stylist's hard work. I'd suggest combining those two things."

Dom grumbled under his breath and Kate's lips twitched in an aborted smile. "Well, you brought this on yourself."

"I did," he agreed with a sigh. "Next?"

"Option three, you go public with … some of the truth. You make a statement indicating that Sawyer is your stylist, you're involved but it's new, and you would appreciate privacy as you get to know one another. You won't get it, but if you have a few actual dates that are romantic but boring, attention will begin to fade eventually. After a reasonable amount of time, if you wish to do so, you can always end it."

"Hmm." Dom glanced over at Shea, then looked at Kate again.

"Option four is selling a romance. You've been dating for a while, you're in love, Sawyer is moving in with you, etc." She waved her hand as if to say it was all very self-explanatory.

Shea snorted. "Well, that last one's obviously out."

Dom shot him another sidelong glance. "I think what Sawyer means is that we're not dating so it would be hard to sell that. We are uh, involved , but it's not what I'd call love."

Shea bit his tongue to keep from saying anything he'd regret.

"Right," Kate said, clearing her throat. "I assumed as much. And that's fine if you're not interested in going that route. Plus, I think there's also the issue of you being an incredibly private person. If we push with that scenario, it's going to raise suspicion that there's something fishy going on and prompt more digging."

"Exactly," Shea said.

The last thing they wanted was people digging into either of their lives or their relationship. Such as it was.

"There is the option of you … coming out, Dom."

He gave her a short, tight nod. "I know."

"It wouldn't have to involve Sawyer, even. It could be you making a statement about yourself."

"True." Dom's jaw was so tense it looked like he might break a tooth.

"If that doesn't interest you, that's fine, Dom. However, let me list a few things in the pro column that you might not have considered. Coming out would take a great deal of pressure off you. It removes the fear of being outed happening without your control. It would be a proactive move, allowing you to get out ahead of it and do it on your own terms."

Dom stared down at his hands, brow furrowed for several long moment before he looked up. "You're not wrong," he said slowly. "But I'm not—I'm not interested in that."

"Okay. I understand that. We'll take that idea off the table." Kate glanced between them. "Do either of you have strong feelings about any of the other scenarios?"

Dom pushed his hair behind his ear. "I feel like option one will encourage more digging if we try to ignore it completely."

Kate nodded. "I agree. It would be low on my list for the same reason."

"So we've got options two and three, right?" Shea said.

"Yes."

"You like option three best, don't you?" Dom asked.

Shea blinked because he thought Dom was talking to him at first but he quickly realized the question had been aimed at Kate.

She nodded. "I do. It's the one I think is the most plausible and least likely to become a story or cause anyone to dig deep into either of your lives," Kate said, her tone thoughtful. "There will be a big spike of initial interest, yes. But that will fade. If you come across as a sweet but ultimately ordinary couple, there's no story."

"I …" Shea floundered for words. Dom couldn't seriously be considering this, right?

Kate leaned forward. "If option two is what feels most comfortable, we'll go with that. It'll be a little more work for both of you but it's our best shot at keeping your sexuality under wraps."

Dom nodded, his brow furrowed.

Kate's tone turned gentle. "I know how much you value your privacy, Dom. I know how little desire you have to come out. I truly don't want to force you into doing that before you're ready. This isn't a scandal at the moment, it's merely an item of interest. I didn't want you to be blindsided by it."

"I appreciate that. I need to speak to my agent before I make any decisions though."

"I can give you a little time. Maybe twenty-four hours. A lot will depend on if anything else comes out in the meantime, but you should speak to your agent first. There's certainly time for that ."

"Right." Dom cleared his throat. "We'll get back to you then, if that's alright?"

"Sounds good." She smoothly closed her laptop, then settled her clasped hands on the lid. "That being said, I don't think you should be spotted leaving here, Sawyer. It's quite likely you'll be photographed."

Dom blinked. "Paparazzi? Here ?"

Kate laughed. "We're in Toronto, not Los Angeles. I simply mean that there tend to be people with high-quality camera phones everywhere. I did some searching, and you living in this building doesn't appear to be public, internet-available knowledge. But it is known that you're in a high-rise near downtown and on the water. All it would take was someone who lives here sharing that information online or taking your picture and they could pinpoint the exact location."

Dom shuddered. "Yeah, true."

"Uhh, I want to help but I do have a job to get to," Shea reminded them both. "I have two jobs, in fact. In addition to being a stylist, I work as a physical therapist."

Kate's frown deepened. "Ahh. Was Dom ever your patient?"

"No," Shea said truthfully. "We met when he was looking for a stylist through Select Image Consulting."

Kate's expression smoothed out. "Well, that's good. Do you think you'd be able to take a few days off work?"

"Probably," he said. "Especially if I tell them I'm dealing with some smoke inhalation. I'm sure they would understand me needing to rest for a few days."

He hadn't coughed much this morning, thankfully, but, well, he could play it up if he had to.

"I think that would be for the best. My suggestion would be for you to take a few days, lie low, and discuss what route you want to take. I know none of these scenarios are ideal but …"

Shea nodded. "Yeah, if that'll be best, I can do that."

"What about me?" Dom said. "I have the game tonight."

"Yes. You'll need to keep up with your usual schedule."

"Right, okay." Dom frowned. "So I guess I need to decide before then. Because this team is nosy as hell and there's no way they'll let me get away without answering questions about this."

"Yes, that's an excellent point." Kate sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Though, at least we know there's a precedent for the fake relationship angle if you do decide to go that route. It wouldn't be the first time someone on the team did."

Shea's jaw dropped.

Kate stood and winked at him. "But you didn't hear that from me."

"Uhh, no worries there," Shea sputtered. "I can keep a secret."

Which was maybe the understatement of the century.

"Oh, I know." She smiled at him. "You and Dom have managed to keep things under the radar until now so I have no doubt of that. Besides, if Dom trusts you, so do I. He's even more paranoid about privacy than I am."

"What did Kate mean?" Shea asked after she left. " Who pretended to be in a relationship?"

"There are several guys, actually." Dom chuckled. "That's their story to tell, not mine. But the truth is, however fake it was at first, it's all legit now."

"Huh." Shea looked gobsmacked. "Wow, I had no idea."

"Kate is very good at PR," Dom said grimly.

"Apparently."

"Now, I need to make a call to my agent and make a decision."

"Do I get any say in how this ultimately goes down?" Shea asked.

Dom grimaced. "Shit. I'm sorry. I got tunnel vision there for a moment."

Shea nodded. "I get that. And I know you have a lot to lose but uh, I do too."

Compared to many places, Ontario was relatively tolerant toward escorts. They didn't criminalize the sale of sexual services, but prosecutors did tend to go after those advertising it or the people who purchased those services.

Dom was more likely to face legal difficulties over their arrangement than Shea was, but still. They both had to worry about repercussions to their careers and reputations.

"I'm sorry. I'm stressed but I know you have a lot to lose too."

"I know." Shea reached out to touch Dom's shoulder, reassure him, but he flinched and Shea drew back.

Oh, so it was like that now.

"I get why you're stressed," Shea said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of Dom's sweats. "And I want to help you. I need to be sure I'm not going to completely screw myself over in the process."

"I hear you." Dom sighed. "And I don't want you to get screwed over either. Look, maybe you should head home now and I can call my agent. I'll call you once I've talked to him and we can make a decision once I have all of the information."

"Well, there are a couple of problems with that," Shea reminded him. "One, I have no idea what happened to my phone. And, two, Kate didn't want me to be spotted leaving your building."

"Shit, I forgot about the phone."

Dom dragged a hand through his hair and he looked so tired all of a sudden. Stressed and weary. And that didn't even factor in the back issues he'd been having.

Fuck, what a mess.

Dom paced for a minute, and Shea watched him, aching because he couldn't help Dom and he hated that what he'd tried to do to help him last night had made his life worse.

That wasn't what Shea wanted. He only wanted to be here for Dom, make his life easier. Make him happier. Make him smile.

Not frown and scowl and mutter to himself like he was doing now.

"Okay," Dom said, lifting his head. "How about this? I'll call the car service and request a vehicle with tinted windows. If you get into the vehicle in the underground parking and leave from there, the risk of you being spotted is minimal. Once you're home, I'll have a new phone delivered to your place that we can use to communicate."

"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm in a Hollywood spy movie?"

Dom gave him a weak grin. "Well, the good news is there should be fewer guys with guns."

"There's that. Yeah, your plan sounds good though. It makes sense. And once I'm home, I'll call my boss about taking a few days off."

"Perfect." Dom nodded toward the couch. "Why don't you relax while I get those things taken care of? Help yourself to anything you need."

That was clearly a dismissal, so Shea wandered into the living room while Dom pulled out his phone.

Shea didn't sit, instead choosing to walk over to the enormous windows.

Dom's apartment had phenomenal panoramic views of Lake Ontario.

Shea whistled under his breath at the sight. It was a bright February day and the sun sparkled off the water of the harbor. It was a beautiful view and the building couldn't have been more than a ten-or-fifteen-minute drive from the arena.

Somehow that didn't surprise Shea. Dom had always been punctual and Shea knew by now that he hated his routines getting interrupted.

Shea took a moment to glance around, curious to learn more about Dom. He'd been too out of it last night to take any notice of the condo.

He liked what he saw. It was a large open floor plan design with contemporary décor. Bright white walls mingled with warm wood floors and leather couches—the whole place sleek, stylish, and beautiful to look at.

Like Dom.

Shea loved the place but it didn't feel much like Dom's home . It didn't tell Shea a thing about the man behind the public fa?ade.

Other than a framed photograph of the team following their 2021 Stanley Cup win, there was nothing of his personal life displayed. No family photos. No trip memorabilia. No junk spread out on the coffee table hinting at what he did in his free time.

It was as impersonal as the apartments the stylists used for their appointments with clients.

Shea got the impression that hockey was Dom's entire life.

The thought made him sad.

Shea could hear the rise and fall of Dom's voice in the background, speaking too quietly to hear the words, although the authority in his tone came through as he paced, phone pressed to his ear, anxiety written all over his face.

Shea winced when it hit him that it was a game day and he'd definitely thrown off Dom's routine.

Shit .