Page 95 of Going All In

“Only in the best ways,” he said, that smile still in place, and she would not give in.

Would. Not. Give. In.

But then he kissed her behind her ear and she gave in.

Just a little.

“This is exciting.I’ve never been to a photo shoot. Are they going to put a ton of makeup on you? I bet you would look extra hot with a little guyliner,” Darcy said as they got out of his car and headed into the studio where he was shooting a few photos for the watch company he was endorsing.

It was a small company, but that’s what he had to do. Work his way back up to larger deals. Prove to everyone that he wasn’t the same guy anymore. And he wasn’t. He’d cleaned up his image, with Darcy’s help, and his game stats were almost as high as his best season five years ago. He swore his agent salivated every time Jake had a multi-point night.

“Hopefully, it’s just a few photos and light makeup. Then we can go back to my place and…”

“Make me dinner while I study?” she asked, with a playful smile.

He pulled her into his arms and she squealed when he peppered kisses along her jaw.

“Oh my god, I’m going to trip.” She gasped. “Then that beautiful suit would be ruined because I’d take you down with me.”

“Don’t you trust me to keep us upright? Hockey players are nimble and coordinated,” he said, and she gave him that you’re ridiculous eye roll that he loved way too much.

He gave her another quick kiss before he stepped back, linking his fingers through hers and opening the front door.

After brief introductions, he was told to sit his ass in the makeup artist’s chair so she could get to work reducing the bags under his eyes. The photographer’s words, not his. Maybe he wasn’t getting enough sleep, which had everything to do with the woman he’d dragged here today.

He’d been surprised when she’d agreed to come with him. He’d never asked another woman to come to a shoot with him. Not that he’d done a ton of them over the years. But for some reason, he wanted Darcy here. To spend a little more time with her. He was happy that she was quitting the coffee shop. She was pulled in so many directions, and he knew that part of it was his fault, but he was too selfish to suggest she back off from any of their time together.

“We ready?” Robin, the photographer, asked after Jake was polished and buffed up.

“You tell me,” Jake said, sliding from the chair and grabbing his suit jacket. He’d brought his own wardrobe, knowing that any suit pants they had on hand wouldn’t be tailored to his dimensions.

Specifically, his ass dimensions.

“Here’s the first watch we want to shoot,” she said, handing him the surprisingly light platinum piece.

He followed Robin’s instructions, posing for each shot. When she told him to look smoldering, he glanced at Darcy.

So hot, Darcy mouthed and then pretended to fan her face.

He lost his cool and burst out laughing, much to Robin’s irritation as she ordered him to keep it together.

Ralph wandered in toward what Jake hoped was the end of the shoot. Jake was on his fourth watch by then and was itching to finish up. He caught his agent’s eye as the man gave him a thumbs-up and headed toward Darcy. Jake narrowed his gaze, hoping it was enough of a warning to the man since he didn’t trust Ralph around Darcy.

The man had insulted and insinuated things about Darcy that pissed Jake off.

“Looking good,” Ralph called out to Jake before he held out his hand to Darcy. She shook it and gave the man half of a smile before her lips turned down when Ralph started talking.

“We good here?” Jake asked, stepping away from the platform that they had set up for him to rest his arm on so the watch would be in clear display.

“Ah, yeah, I think we’ve got enough,” Robin said as Jake removed the last watch and handed it to one of the assistants.

“Hey, Jake. Great job up there,” Ralph said when Jake stepped in front of him.

“Thanks. What are you doing here?” Jake asked, his gaze darting between Ralph and Darcy. Jake shifted to stand next to Darcy, linking his fingers through hers. She tried to tug free of his grasp, and he wanted to know exactly what Ralph had said.

“Just checking on my best client. I was pleasantly surprised to see your girlfriend here. Wanted to commend her on an excellent job of playing the doting girlfriend. Man, I didn’t think you could actually pull this off, but I have a third sponsor interested and a meeting in the next few weeks with the Strikers. Good things are coming our way, thanks to this,” Ralph said, gesturing at Jake’s and Darcy’s linked hands, an oblivious grin on his face.

Darcy finally pulled her hand free of Jake’s, and Jake resisted the urge to punch his agent in the face. New nose be damned. Fuck. Jake had probably paid for it anyway.

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