REN

Fresh out of the shower and into jeans and a T-shirt, I couldn’t hide my smile when Erica charged into the locker room with Alice hot on her heels. It was only when Erica’s blazing eyes met mine that my smile faded.

I knew I was in for a shit storm.

Samson and Griffith covered their dicks with towels as Alice strutted past me to get to Rafe.

“Woman, you are testing my patience today,” Rafe growled as he gripped Alice to him and covered her eyes.

Erica made a beeline for me, her cellphone in hand.

“Get them out of here. Hembrey!” Griffith called out as he did his best to dress hastily.

Though in the wrong, Rafe came to his wife’s defense. “What’s the matter, Griffith? Afraid she’ll see your two-inch excuse for a dick?”

“Fuck you. Get them out!”

Alice peeked over Rafe’s shoulder, and he swatted her ass as she squealed in his arms.

He looked down at her with pure adoration. “How in the hell did you get in here?”

She eyed Erica with a wink. “My girl here has an interview to prep Ren for. And I’ve never been back here,” she said as she looked back up at him with just as much love.

“Yeah, well, get out of here, babe, before I get shit from the elders.”

Erica was in front of me now, her brown eyes full of hurt and anger as she confronted me.

“You had dinner with her last night?”

I nodded.

“Ren, why didn’t you tell me?” She gripped the phone in her hand as if it physically hurt to hold it.

But as I studied her, my pulse picked up, and all I could see was the length of her toned legs, the cinch of her waist, the deep crease of cleavage that led up to the thin gold chain around her delicate throat. She looked gorgeous in a crimson sundress and fuck-me heels.

She was glowing, and it was only diminished slightly by the hurt in her eyes. I wanted to grab her then to wipe the worry from between her brows and quiet her thoughts with my kiss. I was burning and had been since the night she told me she never wanted to be my wife.

“I tried calling you,” I said as I packed my duffle. “Her PR thought it would be good publicity for both of us if we looked like we were dating . . . instead of . . .”

“Instead of fucking,” she said coldly as she again looked down at the picture.

I had to admit it did look incriminating, but that was the whole point.

“I didn’t think it was a bad idea,” I said, though it was a nightmare after that dinner to keep her clothed and away from my dick.

I could see the jealousy and the hurt, but much to my disappointment, she swallowed them both before she spoke.

“It’s a smart move, but you should have run it by me.”

“My nights are my own, remember,” I gritted out, not because I didn’t feel like I owed her an explanation after what happened between us the day before, but because I still couldn’t claim her as my own.

We still hadn’t decided anything between the two of us, and I had no idea what we were. If we were anything.

She looked up at me with venom in her gaze. “Nothing public is yours, nothing until this season ends.”

“I tried to call you.”

“I was still down with the headache.”

“Natasha’s rep said he’s been trying to get in touch with you.”

I saw it then; she was guilty. She’d purposefully avoided Natasha’s reps. I couldn’t help my smile as she narrowed her eyes.

“You should have tried harder, Ren.”

“You are the one who put me on this bullshit schedule,” I reminded her.

“I’m the one saving your reputation,” she hissed. “Not her.”

I glanced around the locker room and saw that it was mostly empty. I was getting pissed, and though I wanted to respect her decision to keep our past under the radar, her berating me in the locker room told me she was itching for a fight.

“Don’t keep anything from me, Ren. Okay? Even if you think—” she looked around us and lowered her voice “—even if you think it will hurt my feelings,” she said through glossy, berry colored lips. “I mean it, Ren. Don’t.”

“That was our first and last dinner, now we’re supposed to let it fizzle out,” I assured her.

“Good. It’s all good. It shows consistency at least,” Erica scolded. “We both know you haven’t done anything close to that with any other woman.”

“Except you, and look where that got me,” I retorted.

“Makavoy,” Rafe called from the entrance of the locker room as a reporter came in with a video set up behind him. “You’re up.”

All-Business-Erica showed up at that moment and pulled a jacket and hat from my locker.

“Here,” Erica said, shoving the cap down on my head. “Remember what we talked about and what topics to stay away from, okay?”

“I can dress myself,” I snapped, adjusting the hat before I pulled on the jacket. “I look like a fucking mascot.”

Erica couldn’t hide her smirk. “You look like a baseball player who’s proud to wear his lettering. Act the part. Stay away from the personal questions and talk about your love for the ball. Your teammates. Your plans.”

Ren eyed me, his jaw tightening. “I can handle an interview.”

“We are rebranding you,” she warned. “Ren, please, this is important to our campaign.”

Before I could say another word, a teenager with a mic introduced himself. He was sickly white and sweating profusely.

“Hi, Ren, I’m Nick from WBSC,” he said carefully, as if he were afraid to approach me.

“Sup,” I said as Erica’s eyes flared. “I mean, nice to meet you,” I corrected, playing along to placate her.

Erica seemed satisfied and took a step back as Nick dug in.

“I’m a big fan, and I can say just as much for the rest of the station.”

“Thank you, it’s appreciated,” I said with a dry tongue.

I was still looking at Erica, who was watching my every move like a hawk. I wasn’t feeling it. The clothes, the interview, any of it because all I wanted at that moment was to figure out just what in the fuck was going on out of the spotlight.

I’d been a good boy. I’d played along with her best-laid plans, but inside I’d been fighting for weeks with my feelings after two years of waiting, and I was at my breaking point.

Nick looked between Erica and me and spoke up in an attempt to break the tension which was thick in the air between us.

“We’re live in about a minute. I’m not going to delve too far in, just the usual—” He broke off on a gag, his face going pale. “Sorry, excuse me, I haven’t been feeling well—”

Nick chose that moment to rear back and empty his stomach on the floor beneath me.