Page 25 of Defending Madison

He nods. “Yes, thank God. She’s getting married next month.”

His words rattle around my brain. His explanation excuses some of it, but I’m still angry. “Loyalty means everything to me. My father was a jerk. He cheated on my mother and abandoned us for weeks at a time. After his death, we realized he had another family with step-children he spent time with when he wasn’t with us. So, my finding out you’re a cheater matters.”

He nods. “I get it. She and I stopped dating in high school. We were just friends. Neither of us considered it a genuine marriage;it was a convenience for her. It worked. She went into remission and is doing really well.”

“You’re old Dixon. Shouldn’t you have divorced and stopped paying her when her health improved?” I raise my hand. “Never mind. That’s not my business. Thanks for telling me. I’m glad she’s better. So, if she’s getting married then you and she aren’t married anymore?”

“No. We had it annulled.”

“Huh. They still do that?”

He nods slowly. “I wasn’t unfaithful to her when I was with you. We didn’t have an intimate relationship and never consummated our marriage. I should have told you, but it was a secret, and I just didn’t share it. The military wouldn’t have approved our marrying for her health care.”

“Okay.” His words remind me how much I hate secrets as my blood heats again. “You shouldn’t have slept with me.”

He folds his arms across his chest. “That’s true.” He reaches for me, and I step back. “Madison?”

I hold up my hand. “My listening to your excuse isn’t giving you permission to start something again. I’d be a total idiot to think round three would have any better outcome.”

Dixon’s pupils dilate and his nostrils flare. “I think you can agree that we’d be really successful with round three.”

I blush. Bringing it back to sex warms my core. I’ve never had a better lover, and my body is screaming at me to give him another chance. Shaking my head, I gnaw on my lip. “I appreciate your explanation, but I don’t see myself trusting you again. You had multiple opportunities to tell me the truth. I don’t want a man who puts excuses before me.”

He dips his head and whispers. “I won’t.”

Scoffing, I whisper. “Yeah. I don’t see this working.” I shift around him and grab the handle of the door. “Thanks for intervening with the bully. Goodbye Dixon.”

Chapter 9

TWO MONTHS LATER

DIXON

My breath catches as Madison walks out of the hallway and into the auditorium. Her laugh is infectious. She’s been on the team for two months and her teammates treat her like she’s been here all along. Her quick glance reminds me of my screwup once again. I’ve been careful to keep an appropriate distance. We’ve seen each other at get-togethers with the team and our mutual friends.

“Dixon.” Kyle smirks from the front of the auditorium. “What’s the deal with you two?”

“Nothing. Non-fraternization and all that, remember?”

“Yeah.” His side-eye brings me up short again. Brian’s not talking to me again. As though I had some control over the team offering Madison a contract. It’s taken a while for he and I tobuild back our friendship and watching Madison I’m angry again that he told her about my marriage the way he did.

Kyle raises his hand to quiet the room as he clears his throat. “We’ve had some security issues, so I’ve asked Mr. Dixon to come and talk about security protocols in and out of the stadium. We’ve set up a system where you can text Dixon’s team if you have a security issue.” He drones on for a few more minutes and asks for questions.

A dark-haired player with a nose ring is leaning back in her seat with her arms outstretched over the adjacent seats. She raises her hands and blurts out. “What’s a security issue?”

Kyle looks at me, and I move forward. “As professional athletes and women, there are instances where you might find yourself in an unsafe situation. Let’s say paparazzi won’t let you leave your residence. You would call us. If someone is giving you unwanted attention in a threatening way, say a stalker or over-touchy fan, you would call our number. There will be security personnel on all team travel excursions, and we have a full staff here in Dallas.”

Heads nod around the room as Kyle clicks his tongue. “This security is not for personal use to get in and out of a location more conveniently. You will not use it to assist in everyday annoyances. This is only for security issues.”

Madison whispers to the two women next to her. The look on her face is one of contempt. Damn. Just give me a chance to work this thing out with her. Giving her space was stupid. Clearing my throat, I raise my voice. “We’re going to need your cell phone and landline numbers, if you use one, for our records, so we know it’s you if you call and can’t speak.” Curious looks with raised eyebrows cause me to clarify. “Let’s say you’re hiding from someone and need help but don’t want to give yourself away. You would call, and we would know it was you.” I rattle off my work email and ask everyone in the room to email metheir contact information. This way I have a reason to approach Madison.

Kyle leans over. “You don’t have to stay for the rest of the meeting. Thanks for this.”

I tip my head. “It’s the job. Are you playing poker tonight?”

“Yeah.” Kyle whispers. “I’ll meet you at Destinations at eight.”

I walk out and run through the schedule for the rest of my day. Destinations is a bar owned by a rich Campbell cousin here in Dallas. I work for another one of those cousins and his former SEAL Team member. I get back to the office and the two owners and their partner, Ella Campbell, motion for me to enter the conference room.

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