Page 7

HUNTER

I arrive to the hotel in LA with a dessert in one hand and my black-on-black suit in the other. Coach wasn’t happy when I asked to miss a day of training camp, but he must be a fan of Stella’s because once I explained that it’s for her and to protect her from Jax, he caved.

Brian waves me through to Stella’s suite, and I find her standing in the middle of the room in a white robe and white, fluffy socks when I walk in.

Fuck. She’s even more beautiful than I remember. It’s been two weeks of messaging her every day and two weeks of her barely replying or leaving me on read. We need to get to know each other to sell this lie. But a huge part of me also worries she doesn’t really need me or this fake relationship; not like I need her. Messaging her and bringing her small presents feels right. Maybe it’s too much for a fake relationship, but it’s all I’ve got.

It’s also an outlet for all the pressure on me at training camp. I’m neck-deep in proving myself to Coach and Evren, showing that my shoulder injury is fully healed, and failing miserably at trying to make nice with my teammates. My first trial of being nice to Marcus, our running back, didn’t go well. After a grueling practice, I asked how he’s holding up with the heat wave we’re experiencing. He gave me a long look before asking if I was serious. He then proceeded to tell me it’s common knowledge he’s from Miami, somewhere that experiences far more heat than Skyrise.

Him highlighting how out of the loop I am was embarrassing as hell. Maybe Quincy’s advice is wrong and it’s pointless to try to integrate with them. Maybe it’s easier to focus on football and Stella rather than them.

I’ve rewatched the videos she sent of her eating pie thousands of times. It’s something I’ve come to look forward to after my grueling day. A ray of sunshine in a shitstorm. When I first opened it, it was completely unexpected. Hilarious and sexy, just like her. She keeps me on my toes, and if I let her, she could easily consume all my thoughts. But it doesn’t appear like I’m even a blip on her radar based on her lukewarm responses.

“Hi,” Stella says, fidgeting with the navy bracelet on her arm. “Thanks for coming. ”

“As if I’d miss it.” I put my suit over the back of the couch.

“We need to leave soon and… What’s that?” She points to the box I’m still carrying.

“A present.” I hand it to her, and she shakes it.

She slowly lifts the lid of the peanut butter–swirled brownies and grins. “Do you want a reenactment of my video?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t say no to it.”

She raises an eyebrow before taking a bite and…quacking like a duck.

“Aren’t you funny,” I deadpan.

“Do you want a video of that too?”

“Yes, and I’d watch it a thousand times, just like I did the others.”

She blushes and clears her throat. “Right, well, thank you for these because they will be my breakfast, lunch, and dinner all rolled into one delicious package.”

“You haven’t eaten?” I look her up and down. Is she swaying a little? It looks like she lost weight since I last saw her. She definitely needs something substantial to eat.

She shakes her head. “There was no time, but I’d kill for a cheeseburger. Can we get one after this movie thing?”

“Or better idea, how about we eat one now?” I don’t wait for her response as I dial room service. When I’m done, she’s staring at me in shock.

“What?” I ask .

“You ordered me a cheeseburger.”

“Because you’re hungry.”

She gives me a strange look, one I don’t know how to interpret.

“You didn’t have to,” she says softly. “I could’ve waited.”

“Not on my watch.”

“But I don’t think we have enough time to eat it.”

“We’ll make the time. Or, worst case, we’ll eat in the car.”

“Right.” She looks almost lost, as if she’s not used to being taken care of. Somehow, the thought of that doesn’t sit right with me. “Let me go get dressed, then.”

Once she disappears into the bedroom, I inform Brian about the incoming order. With nothing else to do but also get dressed myself, I use the living room to do just that. But I get distracted when my phone pings.

Dad: Why the hell do I have a notification that you’re in LA and not at training camp?

Me: I got permission to miss a day.

Dad: What could be more important than training camp?

Me: Stella Wilde.

Dad: You’re sabotaging your career for a woman? I taught you better than that.

Me: Don’t worry, my priorities are exactly where they’ve always been—on football.

Dad: Damn straight. Prove that missing this one day isn’t going to fuck up your life.

Me: I will.

Shit, Dad’s right. I’m digging myself deeper into a pile of shit by missing camp for a day. That won’t do me any favors with the team, but on the other side, I need to be here for Stella. I need the positive headlines to extend my contract.

Frustrated, I slide on my black jacket. This fake relationship is starting to become a liability, and we haven’t even started.

When Stella opens the bedroom door and comes out, some of my frustration lessens at just the sight of her. Her sparkly, gold jumpsuit fits her to perfection. The front plunges down to her belly button, tempting me to lick and kiss every bit of exposed skin. Seeing her is like a shot of adrenaline straight to the chest, making it hard to breathe.

“Holy shit,” I say. “Look at you.”

“Can you zip me?” she asks, turning her back to me.

“Shouldn’t there be a team of people here helping you? ”

“Oh…umm, I don’t like having strangers in my space, so I sent them away.”

My heart pounds as I cross the room to her.It’s ridiculous to be hesitant over a zipper, over touching her. My hand trembles when I brush her silky hair to the side. A jolt of electricity shoots through me when my fingers brush her shoulder. It feels too intimate, too much like crossing into a dangerous territory that leads to distractions. I reach for the zipper,my fingers hovering. Get it together. I pull the zipper up and my hand lingers, brushing against her skin unnecessarily. Shit, I’m losing control.A surge of panic hits me and I yank my hand away and take a large step back.

Stella busies herself by playing with her bracelet and not looking at me. I spin around and slowly put my shoes on, my fingers still tingling from touching her.

The silence is awkward as fuck, but neither of us attempts to break it. Only Brian does when he enters with two room service plates.

“Here you go,” he says. “We need to leave in five minutes to make it on time.”

I grab the plates from him. “We’ll be done in ten.” Stella doesn’t need to hurry through her food just because of Jax.

Brian nods and closes the door behind him. I bring the plates over to the table and hand one to Stella.

“This is legit amazing,” she says after her first bite. She even sags a little into her chair as if she’s enjoying it so much, she can’t sit straight anymore. I love how expressive she is when it comes to food. It’s equal parts adorable and sexy.

“It is.” I don’t start in on my burger until I know she’s full and doesn’t want it. Only then do I eat while she brushes her teeth.

When I’m done, we get into the car and there’s another bodyguard in the passenger seat, one I haven’t seen before.

Stella fiddles with her hand-made bracelet, the one hidden under a gold bracelet, the entire drive over and refuses to give more than one-word answers. When we get closer, it’s hard to miss the signs that all say world premiere .

I turn to Stella. “Tonight is the premiere?”

“Yeah. I guess it is. Surprise?” She tries to joke but it comes out flat. She whispers, “I didn’t know. I’ve been so focused on the tour that I wasn’t paying attention to the schedule.”

I give her a steady look, not believing her.

“Okay.” She grimaces. “And maybe I also wanted to avoid all things Jax, so I might have tuned out said schedule.”

That sounds more believable, but it also makes me wonder if Jax was more of an asshole than I originally thought if she’s trying so hard to avoid even thinking about him.

“What are the other events?” I ask .

“I don’t know. I guess more premieres?” There’s something in her voice that catches my attention. There’s a slight wobble to it. Her face has a panicked look to it as she bounces her knee up and down.

I place my hand on her knee and look her in the eye. “Is there more to the Jax story than I know?”

“No?” She looks at the floor, and my alarm bells go off.

“Did he hurt you?”

Her gaze flies to mine, finally catching on to my implied meaning. “No, nothing like that. He just broke my heart.”

I stare at her for a few beats more, trying to determine if she’s telling the truth. She’s hiding something, but I can’t tell what. “Don’t worry. We’ll get through this premiere together and the ones after that.”

“But what if they don’t fit your schedule?”

“I’ll find a way to be there,” I say firmly.

“Thank you.” She leans into me, as if taking comfort by that fact. I wrap one of my arms around her shoulders and pull her more firmly into my side. She fits perfectly into me, as if she belongs there. I trail my fingers across her skin, and she glances at me.

“Are you trying to distract me?” she asks.

“Is it working?”

“Maybe.”

“Good, because we’re team FD. And in a team, the captain predicts the needs of the others.”

“Who went and made you captain?” she sasses .

There she is. The Stella who put Evren in his place. The one who captured my attention with her witty tongue.

“I nominated myself,” I say.

“Shouldn’t that be up for a vote? Because if so, I demand a revote and nominate myself instead.”

“You think you can handle being captain? Predicting my needs?” I say it with enough innuendo that her pupils dilate. She looks from my eyes to my mouth and leans forward an inch before jerking away.

She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “We should save the PDA for the cameras.”

“Of course.” It makes sense. There’s no need to kiss her without anyone watching. We need to sell the lie to the media, not her bodyguards. Even if I’m curious how it’d be, her lips pressed against mine, her body under my hands.

“We’re here,” Brian says from the front seat. “I’m going to open your door now.”

“You ready?” I ask Stella. She glances outside and stiffens. I follow her gaze, searching for what could’ve made her freeze, but I don’t see anything besides the red carpet swarming with celebrities. When she doesn’t answer, I say, “Squeeze my hand once if you’re ready.”

She squeezes it twice.

“We need a minute,” I say to Brian.

“But we’re holding up the line.”

“Like I give a fuck,” I say to him before focusing on Stella. “What’s wrong? ”

“I’m so nervous.” She glances outside.

“Eyes on me.” I wait until she follows my command before saying, “I’ve got you. Anytime you need me, you squeeze my hand two times. It’ll be our little code.”

“Okay,” she whispers before nodding to herself. “I can do that.”

“We’re ready,” I tell Brian.

I get out first and then turn around to help Stella. The red-carpet entrance is a war zone of flashing bulbs and screaming fans. It’s overwhelming and it takes me longer than I care to admit to find my bearings. But the fans aren't chanting my name like I’m used to. No, they're losing their minds over a baby-faced Jax who’s a quarter of the way down wearing a smile that could sell ice to penguins.

The red carpet is filled with perfume and fake smiles as Stella steps out behind me. The crowd immediately begins to chant her name. She looks absolutely radiant and glowing in her golden outfit. A smile flirts on her lips, one that could launch a thousand ships. The nervousness from moments ago is apparently gone.

A woman guides us down the carpet and waves us toward another woman holding a microphone out. When we step up to her, she immediately asks Stella what designer she’s wearing. As Stella answers, I’m overwhelmed by the talent surrounding me. Multiple A-listers are here, people I’ve never expected to rub elbows with. People I’ve only read about and seen on TV. And I’m just a glorified jock. Someone who belongs more with the bodyguards than everyone else here.

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt insecure at an event. But I already know Stella’s out of my league, that she wouldn’t look twice at me if it weren’t for our contract. This event just highlights how different we are, but I have a job to do and can’t lose focus now.

When we walk to the next interviewer, Stella gives me a look that clearly asks if I’m okay, and I force a smile. She frowns, but a microphone is shoved into her face yet again, and it makes me want to punch the interviewer with how aggressive they’re being.

“What was your inspiration behind the soundtrack?” they ask.

Stella blinks at them, frozen, and says, “Umm… Well… You see…”

She squeezes my hand twice.

“I don’t mind you telling them.” I pull her into my side with a hand on her hip. She clearly needs help, but I don’t understand why. Does she not like giving interviews? Or is she nervous about the question being related to Jax’s movie? Either way, I refuse to blow my first outing with her on my arm. I need to do a good job, to prove my worth.

The interviewer perks up with interest at my comment, and I lean closer to the microphone and say, “It was me. ”

“Yeah.” Stella glances at me and laughs. “I was inspired by Hunter’s horrible piano playing.”

“Now that was supposed to stay between us.” I smirk, playing up the lie. “But seriously. Stella poured her heart into those songs. She’s massively talented and Jax is lucky to have her on the soundtrack.”

I guide us away and Stella whispers, “Thanks for the save.”

“Of course.”

The rest of the interviews pass in a similar way, with us bantering and not answering any of the questions we’re asked seriously. It’s almost fun, and I forget about not fitting in with this crowd with Stella by my side. We continue the pattern until we come face-to-face with the paparazzi.

“Do you regret your failed relationship with Jax, or do you thrive on drama?” one paparazzo shouts.

“Are those pregnancy rumors true,” another adds on. “Or did you just eat too much for lunch?”

Stella stiffens and her smile slips. Who do these assholes think they are talking to her like that? I move in front of her, blocking her from their harsh words with my body. She doesn’t deserve this, and I refuse to stand by and do nothing. A protective instinct flares inside me, and I motion for Brian to step toward the paparazzi.

“Is that how you really talk to women?” I glare at the two assholes in the front row before looking at the other paparazzi. “You want to make money off photos of her, but you can’t even treat her with respect? Get those two out of here if you want another photo of us.”

The other photographers all glance at each other in shock and I say, “You have three seconds before we walk away. Oh, and we’ll also avoid all future red carpets and take and release our own photos. One, two, thr?—”

Multiple hands grab the two guys, pulling them away and placing them in the back.

“What’s going on over here?” Jax strides toward us, as if he owns the place. “Doll?”

He’s a good five feet away when Stella grabs my face and kisses me senseless. I’m shocked for a millisecond, not comprehending why she’s kissing me, before instinct takes over and I pull her into my body and deepen it. Her lips part and I sneak my tongue inside.

I swallow her gasp and dip her. The sound of the paparazzi and screaming fans dulls, and all I can focus on is her tongue and lips against my own. Her body under my palms.

I’ve dreamt about kissing her since we first met, but all my dreams didn’t do it justice. She kisses like she’s singing a new song into my very soul, rewriting the melody of my existence with a single, mind-blowing kiss. I never thought it’d be possible for something so simple to change my life. But this moment, right here, is enough to tilt my world on its axis.

After an endless moment, where time ceases to exist, she pulls back, and I right her. I stare at her lips in a daze, my brain not able to catch up to reality, still lost in her.

“There you are.” Jax grabs Stella and pulls her into a hug. I take a step toward them, irritated that he has his hands on her, and catch his words.

“You’re still with him?” Jax asks her. “I thought you’d be sick of that jock by now.”

Stella laughs and quietly tells him, “He’s far more entertaining than you ever were.”

Jax’s jaw drops, and Stella grabs my hand before tugging me away and into the venue. The second we’re away from the press, her hands shake as she crosses her arms across her abdomen. She looks like she’s seconds away from throwing up.

“I’m so sorry,” she says. “About the kiss. I know I overstepped, but I saw Jax coming and I just”—she looks at the floor and swallows hard—“I wanted to make him jealous.”

A sickening feeling twists in my gut. I just had the best kiss of my life, and Stella only did it to make her ex jealous. Of course she did. That’s why I’m here, after all. Forcing a smile to my face, I say, “I don’t mind. That’s part of our agreement, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.” She frowns and twists her navy bracelet again. “Come on, let’s go find our seats and boo at the most inappropriate parts.”

“Sure,” I say absentmindedly, reminding myself that this is a business arrangement. Nothing more. It doesn’t matter that she brings out a side of me I didn’t even know existed, or that caring for her feels too natural.

I’m playing with fire here, but that doesn’t stop me from taking her hand in mine and enjoying every second with her that I can before going back to training camp.