Her phone dinged again Monday morning, but a quick glance showed her it was a text from her mother. Since Penny was in the middle of a difficult tax return, with multiple types of businesses and a handful of properties, she set the phone to silent and scanned through the next section of the return.

Even though the documents her client provided were a jumbled mess, she loved sorting everything out and putting it in its proper place and on the correct line of the tax return. And she’d just gotten word that Kevin had called in sick. The day was looking up.

She was just finishing up, and starting to debate what she wanted for lunch, when there was a knock on her open door, and Lexi leaned against the frame.

“Hey. It’s a little early for lunch, isn’t it?” Penny asked, glancing at the clock on her computer.

Lexi walked in, shutting the door behind her and taking a seat, her expression unreadable.

“What’s with the face? Is everything okay? Is something wrong with Abby?” Penny asked, sitting up straighter.

“I wanted to tell you before anyone else did. There are some rumors going around,” Lexi started, and panic bloomed in Penny’s chest.

“What rumors?”

“It’s out there, Penny. It’s just gossip right now, but they somehow found out about you and Ethan. And Italy.”

Lexi’s eyes filled with concern. Most likely a reflection of whatever was happening on Penny’s face. And it wasn’t good. Shit.

“How? Who?” she sputtered.

“I’m not sure. But the story is that you met Ethan in Italy and pretended not to know who he was. That you knew he was a rich athlete and Robert’s nephew. That you are using him to move up in the company.” Lexi’s last statement was whispered, and Penny’s stomach plummeted to her feet.

“But that’s not true. I would never do that.”

“I know,” Lexi said, reaching for Penny’s hand. “They’re stupid rumors, but half of it is the truth. And it’s going to get to Robert. To Alan. You need to tell them before someone else does. If they haven’t already.”

“Fuck. I knew this was a terrible idea.”

“What was? Dating Ethan? Falling for him?”

Penny nodded.

“No. Keeping it from your boss after he handed you Ethan’s account, that was probably not the best idea. But falling for Ethan. No. That was perfect. He brought you back to life. Made you smile again. He’s good for you, Penny. Don’t let stupid gossip ruin what you have. There’s a way to fix this,” Lexi said. She was so calm. Penny wanted to be calm, but her racing thoughts and sweaty palms nixed any chance of tranquility.

“What am I going to do?”

“It’s going to be fine.”

“I still don’t know how anyone found out. I mean, was it Kevin? But he didn’t know about Italy. He’s not a big fan of me, and the feeling is mutual, but who else would do this?”

“I don’t know. And, umm, there’s also pictures popping up on social media with you kissing Ethan after a game. And near some bakery downtown,” Lexi said.

“What?”

“They aren’t bad. They’re just out there.”

Penny unlocked her phone, but she had no clue where to even look. No one had tagged her on Facebook. Maybe they didn’t know her name yet. “How do I find them?”

“Give it,” Lexi said, holding her hand out, and Penny dropped the phone into Lexi’s palm. Lexi scrolled through and then held it up to Penny.

“See. They’re not bad. Just some kissing. Totally normal,” Lexi said.

Except she was pressed up against Ethan like she was trying to seep into his skin, and Ethan’s hands gripped her ass. Fuck. This was online for anyone to see. Robert. Her mother. Her co-workers.

She didn’t want to look at the comments, but she couldn’t stop herself.

Hartless’s newest fling. We’ll see how long that lasts.

Not his typical fare.

The player strikes again.

She flipped the phone face down on her desk and dropped her head. Everyone knew you should never read the comments, but they highlighted how mismatched she and Ethan were and she let her insecurities take over. “What if Robert fires me for lying?”

“You didn’t lie. You just omitted,” Lexi said. “It will be fine. Robert likes his nephew, and he likes you. Who knows, he could walk in here and welcome you to the family.”

“You are insane. I have to talk to him now,” she said, rolling back her shoulders and taking in a deep breath before she pushed her chair back from the desk.

“It’s going to be fine.”

Penny’s computer dinged, and she glanced at her internal messenger app.

Robert: Can I see you in my office as soon as possible?

“Oh shit. I think I’m too late,” Penny said, shaking her head.

Lexi leaned over, peaking at Penny’s monitor. “It will be fine. Just go up there and tell him the truth. He’s not going to fire you.”

“You can’t know that.”

“No, I can’t. But I think your job is safe. And then you are going to stop by my office and we will take an early lunch. Maybe Amanda can join us.”

She sent a message back to Robert that she was on her way. “This is going to be a disaster, isn’t it?” She stood up, and ran her hands down her skirt, willing her heart to stop racing and her brain to stop its downward spiral into unemployment.

“It will be fine. Just explain it rationally and then swing by my office,” Lexi said, standing up and holding the door open.

“Oh, hi Penny,” Jessica, salacious office gossip said, as soon as Penny walked into the hallway. The woman had a smirk on her face that told Penny all she needed to know. Had Jessica spread the rumors? No. She wouldn’t have known about Italy, either.

“Hi, Jessica. Did you need something?” Her voice sounded calm in her ears. That was promising.

“Nope. Just walking by. Hope everything is going well.” And there was that smirk again.

Penny nodded. “Yep. Just heading into a meeting.” She headed for the stairwell before Jessica could say anything else. She heard Lexi ask Jessica a question, purely to stall the woman.

When she reached Robert’s office, she took another calming breath—or four—and knocked.

“Come in,” his voice called out.

“Hi, Robert. You wanted to see me?”

“Yes. Please take a seat.”

He didn’t sound hostile. That was a plus.

“I’ve heard a few things this morning, and I typically don’t buy into rumors, but when it involves family, I have to ask.”

She was going to throw up. Her belly churned, and she bit back the urge to revisit her breakfast.

“I’m sorry, Robert. I know what you are talking about, and, yes, I am dating Ethan. We did meet in Italy, and I had no idea he was your nephew until he walked into your office last month. I’m not proud of my decision not to tell you. And we did not start spending time together again until after you’d given me his account. I should’ve said something as soon as we went on that first date, but Ethan said he didn’t have a problem with me working on his account. That I could Google his salary, so his earnings weren’t a secret he needed to keep from me. I should’ve told you anyway. It was very out of character for me to not be completely upfront, and I truly apologize.” The words flowed out of her at rapid speed. She didn’t let him get anything in until she was done.

“You should’ve mentioned that you already knew him when I introduced you the first time he was in this office. I never would’ve handed over his account to someone he had a history with. You can see how inappropriate that would be, correct?”

“Yes. I will admit that I was in shock and not thinking clearly. I didn’t expect to see him again,” she said, staring Robert directly in the eyes when all she wanted to do was lower her head and slink out of this office.

“Sounds like typical Ethan,” Robert said, and Penny paused.

“What?”

“Not that this has any reflection on you, but he’s known for playing the field,” Robert said with a half-hearted smile, and she bristled.

“I’m aware of his reputation, but at the time I had no idea who he was.” She kept her voice calm.

“I’m disappointed in you for keeping this secret. Any relationship outside of the office should’ve been a red flag and you should’ve declined to take over his account.”

“I know. And I shouldn’t have let Ethan convince me that he didn’t mind us working together, but I haven’t done a deep dive of his file since it’s the beginning of the year.”

“You will turn his account back over to me. You cannot act as his accountant while you are dating him.”

“I know. I should’ve come to you right away, and for that I am sorry,” she said.

“Penny, we are going to clear this up now. And in the future, conflicts of interest must be addressed immediately.” His words were stern, but his tone was not angry.

“So, I’m not fired…” she said, softly.

“Fired. Definitely not. While I’m not happy that you didn’t come forward right away, so the rumors didn’t start to begin with, we are clearing it up now and I trust that any future conflicts of interest will be addressed immediately.”

“Yes. Absolutely,” she said. Aside from his comment on Ethan’s player status—that she was well aware of—the conversation had gone pretty well.

“Just a word of advice. You’ve been through a lot in the last year, and as much as I love my nephew, he’s not known for long-term relationships. Not that he’s incapable, it’s just been a long time since he’s been serious about anyone. He didn’t mention your name at Christmas, but I knew he was seeing someone, and it appears that you make him very happy. But we cannot have any more rumors floating around, especially about my family. I trust that you will keep your personal and work lives completely separate.”

“Of course. There should be no additional rumors. Everything is out in the open now and it will not affect my job, that I will guarantee,” she said, still rattled at his comments about Ethan. He fed into her doubts, most likely without realizing, and she wanted this conversation to be over.

“That’s good to hear. Please hand over anything you’ve printed up for his account as soon as possible and I’ll let Alan know that we’ve taken care of the issue.”

“Thank you, Robert, for your understanding. And, I am sorry for not coming to you first. I just wasn’t sure what was going on between us. And please note that I am not dating him to further my career. I would never do that.”

“I know, Penny. I never believed that part of the rumor for a second. So, you really met in Italy, huh?”

“Yes. Meeting him was completely unexpected. I’m not sure how that got out.”

“The gossip will fade in time. Your performance at work speaks for itself. Just remember that.”

“Thank you, Robert. I’ll just get back to my office, then. Or, is there anything else?”

“No. That should be all.”

She left his office, taking her first steady breath since Lexi had dropped that bomb on her. Her gut still churned. She needed to tell Ethan, but she didn’t want him racing over and feeding the rumor monster. And she needed to think about everything Robert had said. Was she setting herself up for disappointment by continuing to pursue whatever was between her and Ethan?

Lexi caught up with her as soon as Robert’s door shut behind her. “How did it go? Still employed?”

Penny let out a small laugh. “Yep. Still employed. He was surprisingly okay with it. He’s taking back Ethan’s account, and was disappointed that I kept it from him because of the conflict of interest, but it could’ve been a lot worse.”

“That’s great. I knew it would work out. Robert wasn’t going to fire you over this.”

“I still want to know who started the rumor.” She glanced around the office, but no one was looking at her.

“Just ignore it. Everything will blow over. Focus on you and Ethan. On how happy he makes you and how happy you’ll be not having to keep it a secret,” Lexi said.

“I know. And I’m happy. So happy that I’m scared,” she whispered as they reached Lexi’s office.

“Don’t overthink it. Just go with it and have fun. You deserve it.”

She shot her friend a smile. “Thanks. Now, I need to get back to my office to make sure Robert knows I’m taking my job seriously. Can I bail on lunch?”

“Sure. But I don’t think you need to prove anything to Robert.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Okay. If you need anything, just let me know.”

“Thanks for everything,” Penny said, giving her friend a hug before heading back to her office.

She’d just turned her computer back on when her phone buzzed. Amanda’s name flashed on the screen.

She swiped it on, knowing that Amanda would just keep calling. “Hi,” she said.

“What the actual fuck? Who am I killing?” Amanda screeched, and Penny had to pull the phone away from her ear.

“Lexi called you?”

“Of course she did. Oh my God. I want to punch someone. How are you doing?” Amanda asked.

“I’m okay now. Robert knows everything. It’s a little awkward, but I’m still employed, which is good.”

“Any idea how it got out?”

“No clue.” She stared at her to-do list. She could get through everything and be out of the office by five. Then she could curl up into a ball and have the panic attack she desperately needed. She might appear calm, but she was a mess inside. She tried to forget the comments she’d read earlier on social media. She didn’t want to be their fodder, or the subject of office gossip. She’d had enough of that when she’d cancelled her wedding.

“I’m so sorry. Are we going for a long carb-filled lunch? We can have a strategy session for hunting down the gossipy bitches you work with.”

“I can’t. I’m buried in work, and now that Robert knows, I need to work extra hard to prove that this isn’t going to affect my job.”

“They know how amazing you are at your job. It didn’t suffer when you started dating Ethan, and it won’t suffer now.”

“I know that. I just need to prove that to everyone else.”

“Who cares about everyone else.”

“I do.” She hated the hitch in her voice.

“Oh, Penny. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this bullshit. I’m coming over tonight. We’ll get through this.”

She was in no mood to rehash everything until she got a handle on it herself. “I just want to curl up and do nothing tonight. Give me a few days and then we can all vent together.”

“Are you sure?”

She sighed. “Yes. I just need…I just need some time.”

“You better text me if you need anything. Carbs, a shoulder to cry on, booze, a mercenary.”

She laughed. It sounded watery.

“Penny, I’m so sorry you have to deal with this.”

“I have to get back to work,” she said, taking in a deep breath to steel herself for the rest of the day.

“Call if you need anything. Promise.”

“I promise.”

After she hung up the phone, she stared at her computer again, the emails turned fuzzy as a tear plopped down on her desk. Fuck. Why had she put herself in this situation?

“Why is Amanda texting me?” Cheesy asked, setting his towel down on the workout bench between them and stared at his buzzing phone.

Ethan was halfway through his workout. Only a few guys had come in today since Coach had given them a day off, but he wanted to work on some strength exercises. Cheesy had joined him about twenty minutes ago. The guy never stopped training.

“Penny’s friend?” Ethan asked, dropping the weight back into place and sitting up.

“Yes.”

“The better question is, why does she have your number?”

Cheesy’s cheeks turned a brighter shade of red, and Ethan would bet good money it wasn’t solely due to the heavy weights he’d been lifting. Interesting.

“I gave it to her when I dropped her off at home the other night,” he said, and shrugged. “But that’s not important.”

“So why is she texting you?” Ethan asked.

Cheesy swiped the phone on. “Something about your uncle and Italy. And that she doesn’t have your number and you need to give Penny a call.”

“Shit,” he muttered, walking over to his bag, rifling through for his phone. Had she tried to call him? Grabbing it, he swiped it on. Nothing from Penny, but he did have a text from Robert. He’d call his uncle later.

“Weren’t you in Italy last summer? What does that have to do with Penny or your uncle?”

“Long story. I need to call her. I’ll talk to you later,” he said. Cheesy nodded back. Ethan swiped his phone on and called Penny. The phone rang, and rang—and rang.

Shit.

He opened the messaging app and texted.

Ethan: Amanda texted me to call you. I don’t have a lot of details, but I’m guessing Robert found out. I’m so sorry, Penny. I should’ve told him when this started. We will figure this out. I know you are probably panicking right now, but we’ve got this. And I’m going to keep calling until you pick up so I can make sure you’re okay.

He waited a minute, no dancing dots appeared on his screen.

Ethan speed dialed Penny again. And again. On the fourth time, she finally picked up.

“I can’t believe she contacted you. Ethan, I’m busy and I don’t want to talk about it right now,” she said. The tears in her voice sent a punch to his gut. Fuck, he wanted to hit something.

“Penny. Just tell me what happened. All I know is that Robert might know about Italy. Amanda was very cryptic.”

“Someone in my office spread rumors about how we met in Italy and that I’m sleeping with you to advance my career. And there are pictures of us online. The comments were awful.”

“Penny, I’m so sorry. You know I don’t believe you are trying to move up at the company through me. And Robert would never believe that. He knows how hard you work, how much you care about your job.”

“But I’m sleeping with my client.”

“But you weren’t when he gave you my account, and we’ve done basically nothing so far with my paperwork, so I’m not really your client yet.” He tried to reassure her, to stave off the panic she was no doubt feeling.

“I know. But it’s the principle of the matter. And I’ve never done anything like this before. I always follow the rules, and this is a clear breach. A complete conflict of interest.”

“Penny, if I didn’t want you as my accountant, I would’ve told Robert. I don’t care that you see my financial records.”

“That’s not the point.”

“So what else did Robert say?”

“He’s disappointed in me and that he’s taking your account back.”

“I’m going to talk to him and then I’m picking you up tonight.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ethan.”

He didn’t trust her tone. She was going to pull away. All of his reassurances over the last few weeks that everything would work out had amounted to nothing.

“We need to talk about this. I am so sorry this happened, but it’s going to fade, and we are going to get through this. Don’t listen to office gossip. They have nothing better to do.”

“I just can’t right now.” The hitch in her voice destroyed him, and he wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and pull her back into their bubble.

“I’m coming over tonight,” he said.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said, her voice low.

“Don’t run, Penny.”

“I’m not running. I just need some time to figure everything out.”

He refused to let her slip away. “We can figure it out together. I’m going to be on your doorstep with takeout tonight. Please let me in. You can even hit me if it makes you feel better.”

Her chuckle was watery, but at least they were getting somewhere.

“I don’t know,” she said.

“Well, I’ll be there, and it would be nice if you let me in. It’s going to be windy as hell tonight.”

“Maybe. I have to get back to work.”

“We are going to get through this, and I’m going to talk to Robert and explain that I told you to keep my account. I’ll see you in a few hours. Don’t leave me out in the cold.” Did she hear the double meaning behind that last statement?

“Okay,” she said before the line went dead. He hoped she’d open the door for him tonight. That she wouldn’t run. But he’d chase her if he had to. He’d never stop.

***

He knocked on her door a few hours later, takeout in hand. He’d talked to Robert. His uncle had chastised him for keeping his relationship with Penny a secret, when it was a clear conflict of interest, but he’d also been genuinely happy. Now he just had to convince Penny that the rumors would fade, that her job was safe. That what they had between them was real and worth fighting for.

“Penny, open up. I brought Lanzi’s,” Ethan said. He didn’t hear footsteps. “Please don’t leave me out in the cold. The lasagna won’t survive. The tiramisu might be okay, but…” he trailed off as the door opened.

“I still don’t think this is a good idea, but you said Lanzi’s,” she said, pausing to look down both sides of the street. “I can’t have you shouting on my doorstep. Enough attention has been drawn to us already, and I have no desire to add to it.”

He hated her red-rimmed eyes, the tissue clutched in her hand that wasn’t grasping the door. She looked around one last time, and pulled him inside while the coast was clear.

The overwhelming desire to punch something surfaced again, but he tamped it down and placed his free hand at her waist, giving her a soft squeeze.

“I’m so sorry about everything, but it’s going to work out. I promise.”

“You can’t promise that,” she whispered.

“Yes, I can,” he reassured her, and she stepped back, letting him further into the house. He would do everything in his power to fix this nightmare.

Penny ached to believe him, but she’d trusted her gut before and look where it’d gotten her. Not that Ethan was like Michael in any way, but she’d fallen for Ethan, and he didn’t know yet the power he held over her. How badly he could destroy her heart. Part of her screamed for her to get out now, that the logical thing, the safest thing, would be to end it before he did, and to move on.

But it was only a small part. Her heart urged her to not give up. That he—that this—was worth it. She’d hear him out. Weigh the pros and cons. Then she’d figure out how to fix this mess, if that was possible.

“I see those wheels turning. Please stop. Let’s sit down and eat, and we can talk about it,” he said, pressing a hard kiss to her lips before guiding her into the kitchen and spreading out everything on the table.

The aroma of amazing Italian food washed over her, and her stomach growled. She’d skipped lunch, opting for the granola bar—and a chocolate bar—in her desk to avoid leaving the office. For the most part, her co-workers had blissfully left her alone. Her closed door had helped.

“I guess I am hungry,” she said, grabbing plates and silverware. “Do you want wine?”

“Maybe a glass, or water is fine,” he said, coming up behind her as she took a bottle from the fridge. He wrapped his arms around her waist, brushing soft kisses behind her ear, and she sank into his embrace, enveloped in his warmth, in his protection.

“It’s going to work out,” he whispered against her ear. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“I wish you could guarantee that,” she said, turning in his arms, resting a hand on his chest.

“I’ll prove it to you. I promise.”

He took the bottle of wine, led her to the table, and then dished out dinner.

“I just don’t understand the point of it all. Why would my co-workers spread rumors? Where did they come from? And why do your “fans” need to put pictures of you kissing me on social media? Why do they care? I mean, it’s not like you’re a celebrity,” she said.

“I’m not. And if it wasn’t me, if it was just another hockey player, they probably wouldn’t care, but I haven’t been a model citizen since I entered the pros. I have a party reputation that I’m not proud of, but it’s out there. I’m trying to fix my image, but there are still going to be people who take our picture. Who comment about who I’m dating on social media. You learn to ignore it eventually. Most of what they put up there is false.”

“Social media I will try to ignore. Work is another story. I can’t have my co-workers thinking I’m sleeping my way to the top.”

“Could it have been Kevin?” he asked, voicing the question she’d asked herself all day.

“He knows something is going on between us, but how would he know about Italy?”

“I don’t know, but someone did, and they are using it against you, and I am not okay with that.” He linked his hand with hers, running his thumb along her palm.

“I want to ignore it. I think that’s the best plan, but maybe we should lie low for a while, until this passes.” She didn’t want him to agree.

“Absolutely not. We are stronger together than apart, and I’m not going to let them win.” He tightened his hold on her, pulling her from the seat next to him and drawing her into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, and she sunk into him. “We are going to act as if nothing is wrong, and it will blow over. I promise.”

She nodded, snuggling into his chest. She wished she had his confidence.