Page 91 of The Penalty

She grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the pitch toward the goal.

“How do you want me?” I asked once we reached the penalty box.

“A few ways. But for right now, like this.” She positioned me so I faced Cade, then pressed her body into mine, angled her back toward the camera and looked over her shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her waist.

“So everyone can see I’m yours,” she whispered, looking up at me through her lashes.

I kissed her, holding her tight. “And I’m yours, love.”

“You two ready? Or do you need a quick shag before we do this?” Cade shouted.

“Ready,” we answered together.

Cade snapped a few shots and let out a low whistle. “Fucking hell, you two are a hot couple. I mean, you’re okay Maddox…but Victoria.” He fanned himself. “Mate, you really hit the lottery.”

“Give me the phone before I launch you into next month,” I grumbled.

He handed the phone back to Victoria with a smile and patted the top of my head. “I’m not wrong and you know it.”

With those words, Cade sauntered toward the tunnel, laughing.

“He’s in rare form,” Victoria said quietly.

“Always is,” I replied, gazing down at her. Another uneasy expression shadowed her features. She seemed off. “I should get in there as well, but are you alright? You look a little tense.”

Victoria’s eyes dropped down. “Yeah, I’m fine. Go finish your post-game stuff and we’ll talk later, okay?”

I didn’t like this. I didn’t like it at fucking all.

We’d just made it to the sideline when I heard, “Maddox.” Bennet’s frigid tone announced his presence. “A word.”

Victoria stiffened in my embrace before pulling away. She pressed a chaste kiss to my cheek and glared at Bennet when she stormed past him toward Hannah.

“What the fuck is that about?” I snapped.

“Marcus is assigned to her now,” he answered smoothly.

I almost, almost lost my shit in front of all these people. I studied Bennet’s placid expression. He assessed me with cool eyes.

“Why? We talked about this.”

“I had no choice.” He sounded bored. “Circumstances dictated—”

“Get to the point, Logan.” I said between clenched teeth.

“A tabloid reporter was sniffing around the hotel. Hannah mentioned she saw someone follow Victoria into the cafe where they had brunch. Looks like people are digging for information on you two.”

Mild panic shot through me. As one of the most watched athletes in the world, I’m no stranger to the seedier side of being a celebrity. Stalkers, paparazzi, the quote-unquote gotcha moments at clubs or parties. My impulsive nature didn’t help. In fact, it provided the perfect cocktail for rumors, gossip, and viral clickbait.

Fortunately, I’d managed to dodge potential scandals and kept my misadventures mostly discreet over the years. Mostly.

“Does she know?” I zeroed in on where Victoria stood.

Bennet’s regal stature filled my line of vision, obscuring my view. “Yes. She also mentioned something about the night she and Hannah were out for dinner. The night her car was vandalized.”

Anger flared through me. “You have three seconds to stop fucking around and tell me.” I’ve known Bennet long enough to sense when he’s being selective about what he reveals.

True to form, Bennet hardened his exterior and leveled one of his pompous, icy glares in my direction. “Go to the changing room, Maddox. Talk to your girlfriend later.”

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