Page 15 of Quarterback Keeper

I shook my head no.

“We have a contract,” he growled in a low voice, so only I could hear him. “You signed it. Are you backing out?”

I sighed, not wanting to play games. “Please. I would have to be a fool to give up on free rent. And I don’t want to play a part in messing with your mom’s hope and well-being. I know how much you love her, especially if you’re willing to come to a crazy agreement with a virtual stranger.” He wouldn’t hurt his mom, and if I backed out, I would be a part in doing just that. “I’m fine with your parents knowing, but we didn’t agree to anything public. I don’t owe you anything.” I whispered it, but the impact could have been a bomb going off with how his expression changed from open to shuttered.

“I disagree. That should stay on the table as an option.”

Fuck that.I slammed my hand down flat against the table, making the silverware jump and rattle. “Too bad. No public announcement about our engagement.” I worried that he might go ahead and let reporters know to further his endgame, and it was a reminder that another man was trying to run my life.

The only reason I hadn’t told him to go straight to hell and caught the next bus out of Chicago was because I’d met his mom. She was so welcoming and kind, and on top of that, the way he acted toward her had gotten to me. One of the carefully erected walls I kept around my heart for survival had a hairline fracture in it because of that.

His situation tugged at my heart, making him more human than Dayton had ever pretended to be. But I was no fool. Publicly announcing our engagement would risk bringing my worst mistake to my doorstep. I needed something more if I was going to stay with Kylian and aid the jock-ass in his scheme.

I slid out of the booth. “Fine. Let’s go talk.”

CHAPTER NINE

KYLIAN

We entered my condo quietly, since it was the middle of the night. Back in my room, I paced the length of it. I had school, practice, and several other obligations the next day, and I’d spent hours I didn’t have to spare looking for Gia. She was driving me crazy. “We need a rule that neither of us walks until the contract comes to its natural conclusion.”

“Then don’t push me on a public announcement.”

“Look, I don’t like our arrangement any more than you do, but we’re both getting something out of it, so deal with it.” I paused and, with great effort, shoved aside my animosity toward her, instead scrutinizing everything she wasn’t saying.

She’d moved across the room and lain in the middle of my bed.Is she finally getting comfortable with me?She appeared relaxed, with her long, toned legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. But her full lips pressed tightly together and the tense set of her shoulders as she leaned against my headboard told me more than her words.

“What are you hiding? Because trust me, the press will get a picture of us together, if they haven’t already.” They would dig into her life too.

I’d seen a reporter hanging around when we’d first arrived. I thought she’d noticed because her hand had gone up, but maybe it had just been in reaction to the flash of light.

“Why would you think I’m hiding something? I went to your mom’s, didn’t I?”

“Look, Gia.” Frustration itched along my skin. She wasn’t the only one with secrets. I hadn’t told her about the pressure from my dad. “I’ve got a long day tomorrow and need to sleep. Can we agree that neither of us is going to walk early? That you won’t take off on me and get caught looking upset by an eager reporter with a camera? Because it’ll happen, then my mom, who doesn’t believe us yet, will have even more unnecessary stress.”

“Okay.” A puff of air left her mouth. “I’ll agree to honor the contract and not take off on you. I’m doing this for your mom because she doesn’t need more bullshit. But I won’t opt into a photoshoot.”

“Whatever. We can talk about it more tomorrow. I need to sleep, and it would be much easier if you crashed here tonight.”

“I don’t—” The color drained from her face.

“Nothing will happen.”What is her problem?“It’s a king-sized bed. If you want to, you can put a wall of pillows between us.”I could take the couch, but why?As soon as my head hit the pillow, I would pass out.

“Fine.”

After her reluctant agreement, we took turns getting ready for bed. I loaned her a T-shirt to sleep in, hit the lights, and passed the fuck out.

The shrill beep of my phone’s alarm woke me all too soon. Blindly, I slapped the phone until it stopped. It was too early. For another few minutes, I lay there, orienting myself. Neither of us had breached the wall of pillows Gia had built, but I was all too aware of her body on the other side. That girl was a puzzle I needed to figure out, but it would be better if I didn’t. So muchtension and distrust stood between us. And I hated the fact that I wanted her.

“You awake?” I whispered in the dark room.

“Yeah, kind of hard not to be after your loud-ass alarm went off.”

I grunted in agreement—I wasn’t sorry it had woken her. “Get up if you want a ride back to the harbor. I’ve got a run this morning and class.”

“This is inhumane.”

“Nespresso and coffee pods are in the kitchen.”

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