Playing for Hearts (63 page)

He nodded. “I know. I wish I had more time to connect with them while I'm here, but I can't even find time to have breakfast with them or you. I feel bad. I've neglected you and I really want — ”

“Juan?” Dana stared at the floor beside the bed. “Why is there an ice bag on the floor?”

Her whole body stiff, she swung her gaze in his direction. He moved to the bed, and swept the bag up.

“It's nothing,” he said, walking out of the room and tossing the bag in the sink.

When he returned, Dana hadn't moved from her position in the room. She raked her teeth over her bottom lip. “Did you hurt your shoulder again?”

“No.” He grabbed his shoulder and swung his arm, showing her he was perfectly fine. “I iced it last night as a precaution.”

She stepped closer, frowning. “You're worried.”

To distract her, he changed the subject. “I'm worried about us.”

She flinched. He took in her reaction and knew he wasn't misunderstanding her attitude toward him. Something was definitely wrong, and he couldn't figure it out. They'd gotten along fabulously back in the States.

He hooked her finger and tugged her closer. “I think we need to talk.”

“I need to go get ready,” she muttered, pulling away from him.

“Wait.” He gazed up at the ceiling, hoping he would say the right thing. “Just … hang in there with me, babe.”

She tilted her head. The little line between her brows deepened. He approached her and lifted her chin. “I know with everything going on it can get crazy, and the weird hours with us coming and going, not really having time to connect is taking its toll on you, me, and everyone.”

“You have to concentrate — ”

“I know, dammit.” He inhaled deeply. “Please, give me time. I just need more time.”

She gazed at his chest and nodded. “You better go, or you'll be late.”

“I promise you. When I have time, we'll talk.” He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. “I'll hurry through this morning's events, so try to take a break and meet me here in a couple of hours, okay?”

“I don't — ”

“Babe … ” he whispered. “It's important. Meet me in the room in two hours.”

“I'll try,” she said.

Dana slipped away and closed the bathroom door. He sighed. How could he be on the top of his game competition wise, and have his life in the shitter?

He glanced at the clock, and hustled to change his clothes. He ran his hands through his hair and hurried out of the suite. Whatever the reporters asked him, he'd give short yes and no answers. Then he'd tell them what they wanted to hear when they asked what he was going to do first chance he got when the Olympics were over. Maybe he'd shock them all by skipping Disneyland and letting them know he was going straight to bed with his wife, because that's what he really wanted to do.

“You're very welcome.” Dana shook Mr. Kamachu's hand. “I'll be sure to send a sample of our newest style of jacket that Mr. Santiago wore yesterday to your main office. Also, because we at Reese Company stand behind our loyal customers, I'll throw in the female version as a gift.”

She smiled as the biggest leader in outdoor wear in China walked away. Shutting her laptop, she slipped the computer into her bag. She was done with business for the duration of the Olympics. With half the winter events over, and only the skiing events left, she'd stopped taking appointments for her remaining time in Germany to be there to support Juan.

Ana, bundled from head to toe in the baby blue with winter white trim Reese outfit Dana had given her before reaching Germany as a thank you gift for welcoming her into the family, approached her. “There you are. I tried calling your room, but you'd already left. I wanted to invite you to breakfast.”

“I'm sorry.” Dana rubbed Ana's arm. “I had early appointments, and grabbed a pastry from downstairs. How are you enjoying Germany?”

“It's lovely. There is so much snow, but I'm warm and everyone is being so nice. I met T.T.'s mother and father, and they've invited me to dinner tonight. Do you think you and Juan will have time to join us too?” Ana asked.

“I'll ask, but his event time is later today. He's one of the last to go, so he probably won't have time with all the prep it takes before the he's called out on the slope.” Dana clutched her bag, wanting to change the subject. “Where's Maria?”

“Denmark.” Ana rolled her eyes.

Dana grinned, trying not to laugh. “She better watch out, or those boys from Denmark are going to pack her in one of their suitcases and take her home when the games are over.”

Ana made the sign of the cross, and shook her head. “She needs to settle down, find a good man the way you did with my Juan. She's too wild.”

Dana squeezed Ana's hand. “Your daughter is perfect. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Some lucky man will fall madly in love with her. She's wonderful.”

“I hope so.” Ana hugged her. “I'm going to go upstairs and take a nap, so I'll be ready for Juan's event.”

“Okay. I'll see you later.” Dana kissed her cheek.

Ana walked away, stopped, and turned back around. “Is everything okay?”

“Sure.” She smiled. “Why?”

Ana's eyes softened. “I don't know. Call it mother's intuition, but you have a sadness to you.”

She shook her head. “Just tired. All the excitement and dealing with Reese Company is harder than I thought. Plus, I'm nervous. I want Juan to achieve his dream.”

“You and me both, sweetheart,” Ana said. “You should rest too.”

“I will.” Dana picked up her other bag and waited until Ana disappeared into the elevator.

She had no idea how she'd face Ana when the truth came out about her faux marriage to her son. She'd grown to love the woman in the short time they'd spent together, and knew she'd hurt everyone she'd come to love when they arrived back in the States. She didn't want to lose Ana and Maria from her life.

Dana inhaled deeply, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and made her way to the elevator. Suddenly, an annulment was starting to feel too much like a divorce for her to be able to walk away without feeling a load of guilt. She and Juan were not the only ones involved anymore — they had family and mutual friends that were also going to be hurt.

A man bent over a self-serve newspaper dispenser outside the elevator, refilling it with the morning copies. She glanced at the headline and stopped. A picture of Juan smiling for the camera had hit the front page. She cleared her throat. “Could I have one of those, please?”

The man stood, nodded, and held out the bundle.

She dug out three euros out of her front pocket, not sure of the exchange or price. “You can keep the change.”

He smiled and passed her the paper. She read the beginning of the article as she waited and then rode the elevator up to her floor. Once she walked out onto the third level, she snorted. Despite Juan being newly married, they still referred to him as Amante Español.

If only they knew how he hated the name.

She shoved the paper under her arm, and rearranged her bags so she could remove her key card from her pocket. She unlocked the door and walked in, dumping her things on the floor. Ana was right. Maybe a nap would snap her out of feeling sorry for herself and get her mind off of Juan.

She walked straight to the bedroom. It wasn't until she stopped to kick off one of her shoes that she realized she wasn't alone. Juan stood with his back to her in front of the bed, his shirt off, his hair a beautiful mess, and the corded muscles on his back looking drool-worthy. Her gaze dropped to the mattress, and all the air in the room disappeared.

A woman, lying on
her
pillow, in nothing but a slinky piece of black lingerie sat up in surprise. Dana couldn't take her eyes off her, because she couldn't believe there was a freaking woman in
her
bed.

Juan slowly turned around, saw Dana, and muttered, “Fuck.”

She stared at him in disbelief, numb and shocked. He'd taken another women to bed. He'd known she was going to be away from the suite this morning.

“Babe … it's not what it looks like.” Juan stepped toward her.

She backed away, and bumped into the open door. “Don't.”

“Dana. Let me — ”

“No.” She shook her head and whispered, “Don't say anything.”

Not able to stay in the same room as Juan and that woman any longer, she ran out into the main part of the suite, grabbed her purse, and left the hotel room. In the hallway, she searched for somewhere to go.

She was in Germany. She had nowhere to go.

If she tried to make sense of what she'd seen inside the bedroom, she'd only end up making a fool of herself. She walked away and continued distancing herself from her nightmare. She continued to the stairs, and headed down. The sight of Juan and that woman fresh in her mind, she could only keep moving to try to escape from the truth.

She wasn't the only woman in Juan's life. There were always his fans. Fans willing to do anything to get a piece of the Olympic star. God, he'd fooled her for a month, thinking she was the center of his universe.

But she should've known. He kissed someone else after his first event. The press hounded him constantly. He was Amante Español.

Panic hit her as she pushed her way out to the main floor. She doubled at the waist, unable to inhale. Her chest squeezed, holding the sob in, and she freaked. Spots littered her vision and she leaned against the wall.

Bruce walked through the door, spotted her, and grabbed her before she sunk to the floor. “Dana, shit, what's wrong?”

She patted her throat and shook her head. “I-I c-ca … ”

He swept her up into his arms. “I'll take you to your room, and call an ambulance.”

She shook her head, and fought him. “N-no.”

“Okay.” He murmured words that she couldn't understand.

Her life exploded, and she didn't want Juan seeing her like this. She wanted to go home, and get as far away from him and that woman as she could. God, she was so stupid.

“Talk to me, sweetheart.” Bruce carried her up the stairs. “Are you hurt?”

She buried her head in his neck and shook her head. Yes, she hurt all over, but mostly in her heart.

“Good … good.” Bruce shifted her, and opened the door. “Almost to my room, hang in there.”

She tightened her hold on his shoulders. Bruce was big enough to hide her from the world. The world that would look at her and know that Juan had cheated on her.

In Bruce's hotel room, he set her on the couch. “Crista!”

Dana wrapped her arms around her waist and leaned forward, rocking. She wanted to erase the last five minutes. She wanted to scrub her mind clean of seeing Juan with that woman. She moaned, forcing herself not to cry. This was her fault.

She'd talked Juan into marrying her. Her father had paid him to take her. He needed her to compete.

Crista rushed to her side and gathered her in her arms. “What happened?”

Dana closed her eyes, thankful for someone here who'd hold her. If only someone could make everything better. She sucked at fixing her life. How was she going to get out of this mess? How was she supposed to stop loving someone?

“I found her like this downstairs. I asked her if she needed help, and then she flipped out when I told her I'd take her back to her room.” Bruce held out a glass of water.

Dana ignored the drink. Bruce picked up her hand, and set the glass in her grasp.

“Drink. It's vodka … it's all I could find. It'll help you breathe and calm down,” he said.

Crista forced her to take a sip. She coughed, but once she stopped, a comforting warmth filled her chest and eased the tightness. She lifted the glass again. The next swallow was easier to handle.

“T-thanks.” She inhaled a choppy breath.

“Did someone hurt you?” Crista rubbed her back.

She stared at the floor and nodded. The only person who had the ability to wound her to the core had. She always protected herself. Being Colton Reese's daughter meant she guarded her feelings and never let another person's actions or words affect her.

But she'd let Juan into her life, and there was no stopping him. He'd romanced, played, and fooled her. She'd let him know her dreams, and allowed herself to be real for the first time in her life. Before she'd known what was happening, she'd forgotten they were only pretending.

“Do you want me to see if I can find Juan?” Crista asked.

“No.” Dana inhaled deeply, and took another sip. “I never want to see him again.”

“Shit.” Bruce ran his hand through his hair. “This is not good. He has an event he needs to concentrate on.”

“Shut up.” Crista glared at him. “Can't you see she's upset because of something Juan did to her?”

She glanced at Crista. “That's not true. It's my fault.”

Crista stiffened. Dana scooted back and pressed into the couch. These were Juan's friends. She had no right to bother them.

“I know your loyalty is with Juan.” She drank more from the cup, because right now that was the only thing making her feel a little bit better. “Just let me sit here for a few minutes, and then I'll leave. I'll figure out what I'm supposed to do and where I need to go.”

Bruce moved and sat on the coffee table in front of her. “You're not going anywhere. Whether you had a fight with Juan or not, you can't go wandering around Germany by yourself without any protection.”

“I really thought … ” She shuddered.

“What, sweetheart?” Bruce laid his hands on her knees. “What did you think?”

How could she answer the question? For the last month, she'd started to think that happiness was attainable to a person like her, and not everyone ended up like her parents. That she didn't have to settle for compatibility and a smart business plan, but could let herself find love. True love, the kind other people found.