Chapter Seven

 

 

Ruby caught her breath after running from Alec. She had to admit—it felt great to forget about her worries for a minute and just play. So many responsibilities hung over her head that taking the time to laugh was a welcome break.

The park was alive with energy—people drinking punch and eating hamburgers, the smell of grass, smoked meat, and sunscreen filling the air. While Alec went back to the party pavilion, she sat on a bench watching two kids playing in the sandbox, not caring that they were sick. Seeing these determined kids in wheelchairs or on crutches reminded her that life was about making the most of your time. Part of her wanted to strip her career persona and just have fun.

I mean, look at them… Everywhere, kids played and families were having a good time. They kept her mood buoyant. Even Alec, now dancing the Electric Slide with a group of kids, made her smile. He would make an amazing father, she thought. She couldn’t stop the image of him holding his own son or daughter in his arms, how he’d play and laugh and teach his child how to play football. For the thousandth time, she cursed Colleen for the trauma she’d caused him.

How could anyone lie about being pregnant? That was such a pure, joyous moment that so many people cherished and others prayed for, and here she was making a mockery out of it. He must’ve been so devastated when he discovered her lie. Seeing him now, one would never know what he’d gone through, which only made Ruby care about him even more.

But I can’t let myself care that way. As a client, sure, but that’s where it ends.

Yet it didn’t stop her from wanting what she couldn’t have. When he’d started talking about them together back there in the trees, her body had responded with a chemical pull. If they were in another world, one without client-publicist lines, she would’ve kissed him. She would’ve let the trees sway around them and taken in his scents, sights, and flavors. Alec wasn’t just a handsome face and body on TV. Football players with good looks were a dime a dozen. No, what Alec possessed was definitely charm and charisma. She hated how well it worked.

Thinking about their near-kiss, her heart still pounded, and her body wished she’d lingered a little longer. The fact that Alec still wanted her and made it clear that one night would never be enough both empowered and aroused her. She definitely held the power in their relationship, if you could call it that, and the idea of that gave her goose bumps.

But their “relationship” was doomed from the start. She had to stop imagining herself in impossible scenarios with Alec. Sooner or later, Ruby was going to have to accept the truth—that she had to live without him.

Anxiety congealed in her gut where desire had been only moments earlier. What am I doing? She panicked. She looked out onto the charity event, unseeing, her thoughts whirling like a dervish. There was nothing funny or sweet or romantic about this. She shouldn’t have slept with Alec. It’d been stupid and irresponsible. It’d been—

“Hey…Ruby!”

Turning, she saw a beautiful, curvy brunette with a young girl next to her. It was Camille Dawson, Heath’s fiancée, and their daughter, Emma. “Camille, how are you?” Ruby and Camille had met when Camille had been hired to photograph a Bootleggers calendar a couple of months ago. In the time since, she’d been offered a permanent position as a photographer with the NFL, and most importantly, met and gotten engaged to wide receiver Heath Dawson in a whirlwind courtship. Last Ruby had heard, Camille was still negotiating the terms of her contract with the NFL; they wanted her, in spite of her engagement to a top NFL player, but she was taking her time putting the details in place.

“I’m great,” Camille replied, her expression brimming with happiness. “Emma, you remember Ruby, right? We used to work together.”

Emma was the spitting image of her mother, a spitfire who had her mom and Heath wrapped around her little finger. “Oh, yeah. I always want red hair every time I see you,” Emma said.

“Funny, because I always want dark hair when I see you!” Ruby beamed. “But it’s not all about hair. You have such an awesome, hardworking mom, too.”

“Aww, that’s sweet. Thanks.” Camille bit back a smile. “Emma, how about you go get us something to eat over there? I think they have other things besides hot dogs.”

“Okay!”

Emma ran off, and Camille looked on fondly. “She’s going to be a handful when she’s a teenager,” she said with a sigh.

“Aren’t they always? I know I was a real jerk when I was a teenager.”

Camille laughed. “I find that hard to believe. You’re the picture of professionalism and cool-headedness, Ruby.”

Internally, Ruby winced. If only that were true. At the moment, she was also the picture of hypo criticism and indecision. “I don’t know about that…”

“Seriously. Look at what a great job you’ve done turning Alec around. He was going through something hard, obviously, but you didn’t give up on him. You’re so loyal, as well as brilliant.”

Ruby stared at Camille, wanting to tell her she was the furthest thing from brilliant. She had no one to talk to about her conflicted feelings over Alec. Building a demanding career over the last few years hadn’t exactly given her enough time for friendships, and even if she did have friends she could trust, talking about her night with Alec LeBrun would still be considered the height of unprofessionalism.

Then again, if anyone would understand, it’d be Camille, who’d put her NFL job offer in jeopardy when she’d gotten involved with Heath. Plus, Heath was one of Alec’s best friends. Still undecided on whether or not to tell her, Ruby turned to look at Alec, who’d joined another group of kids. No matter where she was, she was always drawn to him. No matter where he was, she found that charming laugh.

“Ah…” Camille tilted her head at Ruby. “I see now.”

Ruby stilled. “See what?”

“Ruby, I’ve been there, done that. So, you and Alec, huh?”

It was as if someone had shot her with a bow and arrow. Stunned, then falling quickly to the ground. “Wait, what? Why would you say that?”

“Because I’ve been where you are. I may not know about lots of things, but one thing I do know about is falling for a guy I can’t have. Or thought I couldn’t have.”

There was no escaping it. Camille knew. She may as well just admit it. “Fine,” Ruby said with a heavy mind. She winced. “It was only once, I swear.”

“I don’t care if it was a hundred times, Ruby. Come on, tell me all about it. I’d have us go get drinks, but it’ll have to be virgin cocktails for me.”

They took a slow stroll around the park, as Ruby confided in Camille, telling her what had happened. If anyone would understand the situation, it was Camille, but she still felt strange bringing it all out into the open. As for the bits about Colleen, Ruby held back. That wasn’t her secret to tell, but then again, Camille probably knew. Whatever Alec knew, his buddies would know, and their wives possibly as well.

“So yeah, whatever he went through, it changed him. He’s determined now,” Ruby explained. “Angry but also ready to overcome it. I guess I saw something in him that few people have never really seen.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice, girl. I get it.”

“I know you do. And I appreciate that. I also slept with him, because for once in my life, I wanted to be spontaneous. This job of mine is super demanding. Sometimes I just need to let loose.”

“Trust me, I hear you. No judgment here. What does Alec think of all this?”

Ruby sighed. “I told him we can’t do it again, and he said he wants to ‘revisit’ the subject at a later time.”

“He’s not willing to give up easily.”

“No,” Ruby said. “So, now I don’t know what to do. He’s my client. I told my father I’d take on this project, that he could trust me, he didn’t need to worry about me.” She laughed bitterly. “And now, look at me.”

Camille patted her hand. “You’re still doing your job, Ruby. Alec’s behaving like his old self. I mean, Heath had been so worried, and I have to say, I’m glad he has you. You’re good for him, and, I think, he’s good for you. I mean, yeah, the client relationship thing is a little tricky, but if there’s something there? You’ll figure it out. The fact that you see Alec as more than a party boy with money is huge. I don’t think he’s ever had a relationship with a woman that was real.”

Ruby wanted to argue that they didn’t have anything like a real relationship. One night of sex did not make them real. But then, she thought about what Camille said—how he’d never had a real woman, real relationship, and that made her sad. At least she’d had Nick back in college. Things may not have worked out between them, but at least Ruby had known some form of love once before.

“Thanks, Camille. It was awesome talking to you. I knew you’d understand.”

“Whatever you decide, I’ll support you. You know what’s best for you, right?” Camille smiled then they went on to talk about Kyle Young and his new girlfriend, Arabella, a true-to-life princess. When Camille left, however, Ruby couldn’t stop wondering… Did she know what was best for herself? At times she thought she did. She thought she had her life all under control. But then why, at times, did her feelings seem to spin out of control?

One night, she reminded herself, getting back on track.

One night was all she and Alec were ever going to have. People moved on from one-night stands all the time. Some even went on to be best friends. She would do the same. Expecting anything more would be beyond foolish.

 

 

A few days later, Ruby was in her father’s office giving him a report on her clients.

“Saw the photos from the charity event—great job, Ruby. You really nailed this one,” Phil, Ruby’s father, said with that pleased look that always made Ruby feel good inside. But part of her saddened. Would she ever stop wanting her father’s validation?

Sitting on his comfy couch, going through her schedule on her iPad, Ruby kept her face down. She tried not to let her eyes sparkle anytime her father mentioned Alec, afraid that one wrong look, and her father would have her figured out. “Look at him, cavorting with the kids, back on track…fantastic.”

“Yes. The response online has been very favorable,” Ruby said with a nod. “There were naysayers, of course, but I think we’re making good progress on shifting away from his previous issues.”

Previous issues that no one knew about. It was infinitely harder to make the public empathize with her client when they weren’t privy to the real information.

“Good. I know I was hard on you before, Ruby,” her father said. “But I always knew you could handle him.” Phil turned in his chair to face his computer once again. A good thing, too, because Ruby’s cheeks flushed as she imagined herself “handling” Alec in just the right way.

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Keep up the good work. And remember: there’s a reason why these football players are so successful.”

“Athletic prowess?”

“No, because they’re charming and people are suckers. Don’t be one of them, my girl.” He winked at Ruby and went back to his work.

Ruby bit the inside of her cheek. She almost felt like she had a scarlet letter A tattooed to her forehead with a blinking sign that said, I slept with Alec LeBrun. He charmed my pants off. Literally.

If Phil ever found out she’d slept with him…

First, he’d kill her. Second, he’d fire her. And third, he’d be disappointed in her as a daughter, and nothing was worse than that in Ruby’s eyes. Her whole life had been about winning Dad’s approval, always proving herself to him. She’d never get to be partner at the firm either. O’Brien PR had strict rules when it came to client relationships, and anyone who crossed that line never got the chance to redeem themselves.

Ever.

As Phil’s daughter, Ruby had even higher expectations to toe the line. One step out of bounds, and she’d bear the brunt of his disapproval. But no worries, because he’d never know. It was a one-time thing, and that’s how it would stay. Now she just had to put an end to Alec’s advances and tell him once and for all that it was over. And no better time to do that than at lunch.

 

 

Ruby drove to the Bootleggers’ practice at the stadium. She was shown to a private room, while she waited for Alec to arrive. She might’ve been allowed to hang with him at charity events, but at practices, Coach was adamant about having only players on the field to keep them focused. As the players came in from practice and began dispersing all over the stadium to have their lunches, Ruby stood and welcomed Alec into the rec room.

“Hey, Alec.”

“Red. Were you waiting long?” Alec entered the room, still toweling the sweat from his face. “I wasn’t watching the time.”

To her immense annoyance, she almost couldn’t speak, as she stared at Alec. Today he wore a T-shirt that was practically clinging to his sweaty muscles, and his shorts left little to the imagination. Memories of their night together pummeled her brain. Trying to act like she wasn’t ruffled, she started messing with the papers in front of her.

“No, I wasn’t waiting long at all, actually.” She kept her eyes down, as Alec took a seat in front of her. “Did you want to grab something to eat?”

“Nah, I’ll eat in a bit. So tell me, how are the reviews, Red?”

“Good. Not perfect, but good. Your social media posts have been receiving positive comments and loads of shares, which is great. The more people see these photos, the better it is for us.” She pushed her phone toward him after she’d pulled up a comment thread on a large celebrity blog site. “Read the next to last comment.”

He did, his grin turning into a confused frown. “Alec LeBrun is such a fake,” he read. “Do they think we’ll forget that he assaulted multiple people? No way.” He looked up. “I never assaulted anyone.”

“Alec, punching your teammate is definitely assault.”

“It’s practically sibling rivalry,” he countered, and Ruby sighed.
“I understand, but it’s indicative of what we’re up against. We can’t convince the entire world, but we can convince enough people that you’re serious about this. A lot of people feel you’re just washing away the dirt with a few good deeds. We need to up the ante.”

“Which means?”

“We’re going to have you do another interview, for one. And most definitely more photo ops, although I’m going to have you do some more low-key outings. Like grocery shopping in a quiet neighborhood. Something the average person would do.”

He made a face. “That’s it? I go to the grocery store and buy cereal and people will love me again?” Scoffing, he pushed her phone back to her. “I don’t get this stuff sometimes.”

“Me neither, but that’s it. That’s the gist of it. Considering where you were a few weeks ago, you’ve come a long way. I’d recommend continuing down this path. What we’ve been doing has been working so far, Alec.”

And yet, he didn’t look happy.

He leaned back in his chair contemplatively and blew out a breath. Ruby wondered where this Alec had come from. “What’s wrong, Alec? Tell me.”

“You know what’s wrong.”

“I don’t, unless you tell me.”

“You want me to tell you? Fine. Being with you these past few weeks, Ruby, has been the best time of my life. But it’s also been the worst. I want you so much. Just being with you is damn terrific, but I’m selfish. I want more.”

His eyes were killing her. So deep and soulful, so expressive and sincere. She’d been dealing with him so much lately, she knew when he was telling the truth, and Alec really did want more from Ruby.

“You know we can’t do that.”

He stared at her, looking like he wanted to argue, but then he nodded. “I’m accepting that. For now. But not before I get that kiss.”

“What kiss?”

“The one you owe me from the park.”

She opened her mouth, but quickly shut it. A flood of color reddened her cheeks, and she wished he didn’t have the ability to fluster her so easily. She clucked her tongue. “You’re like a kid with attention issues, you know that?”

“I thought we already established I’m nothing like a kid, Ruby.” He stood and drew close to her. “Now, are you going to have mercy on me and grant me that one kiss?”

She wanted to say yes. He’d done so well these last few weeks, and she really wanted to reward him for his patience—oh, who was she kidding? She wanted him. He was so handsome and charming, and her attraction to him only increased with every moment she spent around him. Ruby shook her head. “You know I can’t,” she whispered, surprised to feel tears in her eyes. “This really is a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me.’ Or it’s the both of us. You get that, right?”

“No. I don’t get it. Not at all.”

“I think you don’t want to get it. You’re so focused on what you want that you’re not seeing the big picture.”

“Oh, trust me. I get the big picture, Ruby…”

Her phone rang in front of her. Dad was calling. She didn’t want to answer it in the middle of a lunch meeting, so she declined the call.

“Isn’t that a little harsh declining a call from your dad?”

“He knows what I’m doing. I’ll call him back when we’re done.”

“Maybe it’s important,” Alec said.

He was right—maybe it was important. Especially when her father called back a second time instead of leaving a voicemail. “Give me a second.” Ruby got up, walked to the corner of the room, and answered the phone. “Hey, Dad.”

“Ruby, are you with LeBrun now?” His tone was fast and terse, and for a moment, she wondered if she’d been discovered and was about to get the tongue-lashing of the century.

“Yes. What’s up?”

“Okay, tell him…that he got an offer from Sports Armour, the major clothing line. They have a big—I mean, BIG—sponsorship for him, Ruby. Huge!” She’d never heard her dad sound so excited. Her chest deflated with relief. “This is the biggest thing he’s ever gotten offered, the biggest offer to ever come across our desk. They want him fully committed, excellent royalties and a huge advance. Tell him, and let me know what you both think. Well done, Ruby. Well done.”

Phil hung up while Ruby stared at the corner of the room.

A big sponsorship was what they’d wanted.

But it also meant they’d have to move even farther apart. Under a sponsorship like Sports Armour, there was no room for error. They could never near-kiss under trees in the public again, couldn’t date, and definitely never hook up again.

“Everything okay, Red?” Alec’s deep voice from his seat only drove home how hard this would be.

“Yeah.” She whirled around. “You got an offer. A big one.”

“Who?” His eyes lit up like hope in the dark.

A slow smile spread across her lips. She loved that she would be the one to give him this fabulous news. It meant she could see him happy again, and she hated being the bearer of bad news, especially on a personal level. “Sports Armour.”

Alec yelped, spun once, lifted, and hoisted her in the air, then caught her with a strong hold. All at once. Just like that. No big deal or anything. “Holy shit, Red! Are you kidding me?”

“Not kidding you.” She laughed. Adrenaline shot through her body from having just been tossed around by a big, strong man. And not just any man. The one she so desperately wished she could allow into her life. “The deal is yours for the taking.”

He shook his head like he couldn’t believe it, then slipped his giant hands around her face. “Come here, you.” The kiss was delicious and musky and scintillating and painful all at once. Painful because she wanted it to keep going. Her heart longed to accept his attention, go celebrate somewhere, make out all night, and maybe do a replay of their stadium tryst.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Vince, one of the assistant coaches, stepped inside.

“Alec, you done yet—oh, hey, Ruby. Sorry, didn’t know I was interrupting something.” Just before he closed the door, he gave Ruby a lingering look that bordered on lascivious. Vince had always been a creep. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone,” he cooed before closing the door.