Page 14 of Fumble

“Then let me ask again. What the hell are you doing here?”

“Even celebrities need to eat, Miss Fairchild.”

“Sure, but not in places like this.” Her thinly-veiled disgust for her date’s choice of venue amuses me. “Don’t do that.”

A wry grin tugs at my lips. “Do what?”

“Smile that smug-ass grin of yours, the panty-exploding one. It’s not fair, and you have no right flashing it here. Please leave.”

“Go back to your date. This young lady has procured me a quiet table for one. I intend to enjoy the house specialty and a beer or two before I leave. You won’t even know I’m here.” Before she has a chance to protest, her date appears at her side. I took that little prick’s card. How did she get his number?

“Mr. Vaughn, why don’t you join us for dinner?”

“No…” Faith’s jaw drops, her sexy tongue dipping out to wet her lips.

“I’d love to, John. How kind of you.”

“It’s James.”

“Of course, it is, Jake.” This guy is too easy to rile. If he’s not going to put up a fight, this won’t be any fun.

The waitress makes short work of rearranging their table for a third wheel, and I plop myself down between them. I’m the cockblocking equivalent of Big Bird! Perfect.

“I’m a huge fan, Mr. Vaughn.”

“You don’t have to call me Mr. Vaughn… sir will do just fine.” I’ve been playing ball longer than this boy’s had hair on his nuts. Faith needs a man, not a pimple-faced pipsqueak. She kicks me under the table, but I recognize the thrill. She’s getting off on my alpha display.

“Feel free to leave at any point, boss. I wouldn’t want to keep you from more pressing matters. I know you’re a busy man.” I rest my hand over hers, brazen in the face of her date.

“I’m never too busy for you, Miss Fairchild.” She doesn’t attempt to shrug my contact. If anything, she presses into it, the warmth of her hand sending a jolt of electricity straight to my cock.

The food is as rancid as the décor, but it’s a small price to pay for the smile I slowly coax from Faith as the conversation begins to flow. I spare a moment to pity James. He tried to take back control of their date, but I’ve got more game in my pinky finger than he has in his whole body. Eventually, he settles in to watch a master at work.

Faith has a quick wit, which I like in a woman. I spend so much time around airheads and fame mongers, it becomes tiresome. She’s stunningly beautiful, and at the same time, her personality provides an intriguing juxtaposition—she’s sort of goofy. I enjoy making her laugh more than I should. I told myself I came here to protect her from a random one-night stand. She’s better than that. And yet, all I can think about is taking her back to my suite and doing all manner of depraved things to her body. I want to hear her scream and watch her as she comes around my cock.

Coach’s daughter… Coach’s daughter… Coach’s daughter.

Her foot slides up my leg under the table, my breath hitching at her sudden confidence. Fuck, it feels good.

When the plates are cleared, and it’s time to leave, James reaches for his wallet. The poor schmuck offers to pay for my dinner. It’s a little pathetic considering I hijacked his date. I grab the money clip from my pocket and drop enough notes to cover dinner and a nice tip. The least I can do is buy him a meal. I need to send him a new wallet. The boy has no game, even his wallet is a teenage, Velcro comic book coin purse. It’s the nicest description I can muster.

I hold my hand out to Faith, unable to stop myself. With her hand clasped in mine, we head out into the warm night air of summer. As I predicted, paparazzi are lying in wait for a snapshot.

“Who are you with?”

“Is this your new girlfriend, Mr. Vaughn?”

“Why are you slumming it around here?”

A barrage of questions engulfs us as I attempt to carve a path through the mayhem. Faith clutches tight, her fingernails digging into the back of my hand with enough bite to be painful. James is getting lost in the crowd, and so I give in to the cacophony of sound.

“Guys! This is my personal assistant, Miss Fairchild. She was good enough to work tonight and arrange a sit-down with this fine gentleman.” I pull James into the limelight. “This is James…” Shit. I don’t know his last name. “He’s a fine young reporter, and you can look forward to reading my exclusive interview with him in the coming weeks. Now, I’d like to get back to my hotel for some shut-eye before a long day tomorrow. Remember, I’m not as young as I used to be.”

A little charm and self-deprecation always work with the media. They have a skewed perception of me, holding me up like I’m not just a guy who worked hard and had luck smile down on my endeavors. I’m not going to lie, I was an amazing player, and I’ve loved every second of the adoration, but I’m under no illusions of my fallibility. I had a long and fruitful career, but if I’d stopped sooner, I wouldn’t have permanent damage to my knee.

I throw my hand out and snag a cab to take us the rest of the way back to the hotel. Otherwise, they’d follow us every step of the way. It’s a tight fit, and Faith finds herself sandwiched between James and me. She attempts small talk, but I think we’re past that. I can’t watch her flail like a goldfish on the kitchen counter.

“James, I’ll have my people arrange a sit-down before we leave town. You’ve earned that interview.” His eyes light up.

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