Bedding the Bad Boy (Bad Boys of Football Book 1) (3 page)

“What are you doing? We can’t run from this,” I urged him.

“We’re not,” he said, sounding sure of himself.

I hadn’t prepared for the chaos outside the building. Reporters, fans, and concerned citizens yelled, pushed, shoved, and fought their way through the crowd to get a closer look at the spectacle that was Beck.

“Smile and follow my lead,” he said, still holding my hand.

“Let go of my hand,” I hissed behind the smile I’d planted on my face for the cameras.

Beck ignored me, squeezing my hand tightly. “Hey, folks, how’s it going?” He smiled for the crowd.

Questions came from all around us. This was a media circus and I got the feeling I was the bearded lady. I hadn’t been formerly introduced to the media yet. In fact, it was my job to handle that. I’d planned to, but not like this and not today.

“I have an announcement,” Beck stated. “Sorry ladies, but I’m no longer available. As of last night, I am officially engaged. Meet my blushing fiancée and PR manager, Isla Johnson.”

M
y
heart raced in my chest. Given the way the media reacted to Beck’s stunning revelation, I could only imagine what the powers that be – my boss, Cole and his management team – would have to say about this. My fresh start had soured, and fast.

“Relax. Smile. Play the role. This is how things work. If you give them a juicy story, they’ll forget all about the thing they came to see you about in the first place. You, of all people, should know that,” Beck explained.

The team formed a wall with their bodies, blocking my view of Cole and Coach Lawson in the offices behind them. It was probably better that I couldn’t see them. I’m positive neither of the two had a smile waiting for me.

I braced myself for harsh criticism, closing my eyes.

“What are you doing? Open your eyes,” Beck said, taking my hand in his. “Why are you shaking?”

I fought to control my breathing.
What had I gotten myself into?
I wanted to go home and forget any of this ever happened.

Applause rang out, sending me into a panic attack. My heart beat violently in my chest while my hands trembled.

“Congratulations!”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Cole’s angry eyes deceived his pleasant tone.

“You’re engaged!” Coach Lawson yelled.

I hung my head, embarrassed that I’d allowed Beck to proclaim he and I were a couple without so much as consulting with me first. I was stronger, bolder than that. At least, I used to think I was.

“You’re engaged?” Cole’s voice shook the room. “When the hell were you planning to tell me?”

I hoped his question was directed at Beck, but when Beck didn’t respond, I realized the question was aimed at me. I shrugged. “I… I…”

“We wanted to keep it private for a while, but I couldn’t do it anymore. I mean, look at her; would you hide her?” Beck grabbed me, lifting me off the ground.

“Put me down,” I hissed in his ear.

“No can do. If you want to keep your job, go with it,” Beck whispered back to me.

Cole stared up at me wide-eyed, smoke practically billowing out of his ears. “My office now!”

My fake fiancé didn’t move as quickly as Cole would have wished. I could tell by the fifty shades of purple Cole’s face turned as he watched Beck’s shenanigans. The room spun. Soon, my feet were flailing in the air, coming dangerously close to slapping several of the players across their faces.

“Put me down!” I ordered Beck as I tried to squirm out of his tight hold on me. “Put me down right this second or I’ll…”

“Or you’ll what?” Beck stopped spinning, loosening his grip on me. “You’re going to do what exactly?”

I could tell by the twinkle in his gray eyes that this amused him. This was a game to him. I got the feeling every moment of his life was some sort of game. A challenge. Something he made a point of conquering.

“You’re an ass.” I wiggled myself out of his arms, dropping to the ground with a loud thud. “Don’t do that again.”

Cole stormed off, swearing.

I closed my eyes for a moment. If anyone was going to smooth things over, it was going to be me. Obviously, Beck was incapable of handling himself well off the field.

Coach Lawson stood in front of me, his eyes boring into mine. “Fix this. That’s what we hired you to do, isn’t it? You didn’t think it was prudent to inform us that you were one of Beck’s girls?”

I was appalled, but what could I do? If I argued, I’d be out of a job. If I said nothing, all the assumptions he and everyone else in the organization had already made would be deemed true. I was doomed. Short of curling up in a ball and crying, I had no recourse. The jackass jock screwed me and not in a good way. Nothing remotely pleasurable about this experience.

That was it; I couldn’t stand there and listen to any more of this nonsense. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. “You know what; I’m done. I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. I’m leaving,” I said, turning on my heel to leave and get as far away from this place – these men – as fast as possible.

“Wait, baby. Don’t be mad. Let me talk to you,” Beck called out to me.

I’d forgotten the only way out was through the elevator, and the only elevator was only a few feet away from the office I’d just stormed out of. There I stood, tapping my foot, wishing the good Lord would take pity on me and take me to the pearly gates before I did something that would surely get me a one-way ticket to jail.

“Listen,” Beck started as he stepped out into the hallway. “Will you calm down? What are you shaken up about? You’re not the one looking at a court date for a DUI.”

He really had no clue. For him, life was easy. He could play ball. People gave him things because he happened to play it quite well. He was handsome. More handsome than any man I’d ever seen – black, white, yellow, or green. So, naturally, people threw themselves at his feet, hoping for a morsel of his attention. He readily obliged them. To him, I was no one. Nothing. Just another notch on the proverbial belt of people he discarded after he got what he wanted. I didn’t matter to him, but I’ll be damned if I’d let him treat me like I hadn’t worked my ass off to get to this point.

“Mr. Alexander,” I started, tempering my anger as much as I could. “I hope I never see your face again.”

“You’re quitting? You can’t quit. No one will ever hire you again. You know that, don’t you?” Beck asked, seemingly shocked I’d attempted to walk away from him and my job.

He was right and I hated him for it. I couldn’t walk away. I needed this job and, worse yet, I needed him and his cockamamie plan in order to keep this job.

“C’mon; walk back in there with me and save yourself,” Beck persuaded me. For his benefit, I’m sure.

“You mean, save your ass because that’s what’s really on the line here. Don’t stand there and pretend you are concerned about me. This is about your bottom line,” I hissed back at him.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me to him, lifting me so my feet hovered above the floor. “You’re wrong; I’m very much interested in your bottom line, sweetheart.” With that, he let me go.

I collapsed, falling up against the opening elevator doors.

“Whoa, watch yourself,” he said as he grabbed me before I fell onto my back.

I was so startled, I had no words. No fight left in me.

Holding me, Beck helped me steady, his lips a breath away from mine. “There you go. Isn’t that better? Doesn’t that feel good?”

The way he hummed his words – so sure of himself – made my knees weak. He had me and he knew it.

“You didn’t answer me,” he said.

I hadn’t realized my eyes were closed until he laughed. “Let me go,” I said weakly.

“What the hell is going on out here? While the two of you are playing grab ass, my damn phone is ringing off the hook!” Cole yelled from the doorway.

“We’re good, Cole. We were just talking.” Beck backed away from me, smirking.

“Get in here and tell me how you’re going to fix this thing,” Cole ordered me.

I took a deep breath, contemplating whether or not having a roof over my head warranted the abuse I was about to welcome into my life. Beck walked back into the office, never bothering to check to see if I’d followed him. Cole’s eyes bored holes in mine as Beck slipped past him. I had to make a move fast.

Beck had backed me into a corner and he knew it. We both knew it. What could I do? I offered Cole the sincerest smile I could muster and said, “My apologies. I didn’t want you to find out this way. I wanted to tell you myself.”

Cole groaned. “So, you two are seeing each other? That’s not going to work.”

I swallowed my pride – what little pride I had left. “Yes, we’re engaged, but I swear to you, it won’t interfere with my job. I can handle it.”

Stepping forward, the stubble on his chin just shy of scratching my face, Cole said, “You better handle this. You haven’t been here more than an hour and look at the mess you’ve gotten us into. I suggest you get your ass in your office and don’t come out until you’ve fixed this disaster.” To Beck he said, “And you, whatever you do, don’t leave this building. Do you understand me?”

“Got it.” Beck winked at him. “What about practice? Do you need me?”

Cole didn’t respond.

Beck looked at me, grinning from ear to ear. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

I wanted to slap him. The longer I stared back at him, the more difficult it was for me to stay mad at him. Did he have to be so good looking? 

“As much as I’d like to stand here and look into your pretty green eyes all day long, I have to go. Let me know when you’ve taken care of the problem for me,” Beck said.

My eyebrow quirked up – the first indication he had gotten on my last nerve. It was either go to my office and figure out what the hell I’d signed up for or stand here fuming. Neither of those would have been a good look for me, but my alternative wasn’t exactly what I’d signed up for on my first day of work.

“Your office!” Cole stood in his office, pounding on the glass.

“I’m going; I’m going,” I muttered under my breath.

“You’re not going fast enough.” A voice behind me said.

I turned, expecting to find my new worst nightmare standing there, but instead found his partner-in-crime, Jared. “What did you say?” Someone was going to have to endure my wrath. It might as well have been him. “I don’t need any crap from you too.”

He smiled, holding his hands in front of him in a defensive manner. “Hey, I’m not the bad guy here. Looks like your fiancé is. Again. Better get used to that because this car crash is nothing compared to some of the other stuff he’s known for.”

Exhausted from the morning’s events, I didn’t want to hear another word. “I don’t have time for this,” I said, dismissing Jared.

As I stepped into my office, I could feel his eyes peeled on me. I’m sure that would have been deemed flattering to countless women all over America, but I wasn’t at all impressed, especially considering I’d just confirmed I was engaged to his teammate.

“Funny,” he started, blocking the door with his body. “Does Beck’s girlfriend know you and he are engaged?”

I tried not to appear shaken by that news, but I had the feeling I’d failed miserably. Both of my eyebrows shot up in an unflattering manner. My bottom lip began to quiver.
What had this jerk coerced me into agreeing to?
I cleared my throat. “Oh, you must not have heard, they’re not together anymore; hence, why he and I are engaged.” I snarled at Jared to save face. There was no use in letting him think he’d one-upped me. Not now, anyway.

He flashed a wide smile at me. “Yeah, maybe he forgot to mention it to me. You know how guys are. They don’t want their business in the streets.”

He was testing me. Trying to play the race card with me. I hated when people did that, especially black people. I don’t know where this fool grew up, but I sure as hell wasn’t a hood rat. And, no way in hell was I going to let him play me like one. 

“If you’re done playing B-boy, I have work to do.” I imitated his toothy grin.

Backing away, he winked. “I hear you. Congratulations on your engagement. I might have to throw the man of the hour a nice bachelor party. You know; to seal the deal.”

I hated him.

“Yeah, knock yourself out. Bye.” I let the door close in his face.
What an ass!

I leaned forward, resting my head on the back of the door to catch my breath and figure out my next move. I knew athletes came with unique sets of problems, but I didn’t anticipate having to get acquainted with those problems so soon after signing on the dotted line.

That damn dotted line! What was I thinking?

I know what I was thinking. I was thinking I’d finally be able to afford the kind of things I’d always wanted. I didn’t want anything extravagant, just normal: a roof over my head, a warm bed to come home to at night, and the ability to pay my monthly bills on time. Was that too much to ask? I mean, I had put myself through school and earned my degree, despite all the obstacles I had in front of me. Didn’t I deserve some sort of reward, even a tiny reward, for succeeding? This was supposed to be my dream job. Something easy. A stepping stone to my six, maybe seven figures a year career, if I played my cards right.

Five minutes of feeling sorry for myself passed before I had to put my nose to the grind and do something to reverse the damage Beck had caused. I sat at my desk and pulled my laptop out of my bag. “Here goes everything. Let’s see what the media is spinning about… about… my fiancé. My fiancé! Oh my God, what if someone back home saw that announcement on the news? I’m screwed. I have to call my Mama.”

My hands shaking, I hit speed dial to call home. Sure enough, my mother answered on the first ring. “What is this bullshit about you getting married?”

She knows.

“Mama, let me explain,” I started.

“Explain nothing. Is this why you took off halfway across the country? I raised you better than this. No daughter of mine chases some man down for…”

I couldn’t bear it. I took a deep breath and held it until her tirade was over.