Page 14 of Playing to Win

“What do you get out of this?” I blurted.

“They’re paying me.”

Paying her? What the fuck?

“A lot.”

* * *

Jayna

I ledBraydon through the building to my office. Kira had left it to me to arrange the details of this fake dating setup. They did this kind of thing in Hollywood, didn’t they? Was there a place I could get a playbook?

Once we wound our way to my cubbyhole, I set my cane in the corner and dropped into the chair behind my desk. I gestured to the one on the other side and Braydon sat down.

I’d never had someone as big as him in here. Braydon’s size emphasized just how small this room was. I was too aware of him, wide shoulders and heavy thighs. His leg was vibrating as he watched me, bracing for what was coming. I ignored how he filled up the space and pulled out my laptop, setting it on my desk.

“Are they really paying you to date me? I mean, pretend to go out with me?”

I’d wanted to put him in his place, back in Kira’s office, but I didn’t want him to think I was an escort. I didn’t want him to get any ideas about…well, anything. “They’re paying me for working extra hours. I handle social media for the Bonfire and the Blaze. Since you’re now a PR project, I’m being paid to spread our romance on social media, if you want the exact details.”

His brow creased. “So, what exactly are we doing?”

How difficult was it to understand this plan?Pretend to date. Do what I say.“First, are you seeing anyone? Seriously, something that would prevent you from dating…” I swallowed and continued. “Me.”

Braydon shook his head.

“Okay, so that’s clear.”

“Wait.”

I looked up, wondering what impediment he had now. Was he gay? If so, he was in the closet and we could work around that, couldn’t we?

“Are you with anyone?”

“No. I wouldn’t be in this position if I was. I don’t cheat.”

His jaw moved, and then he asked another question. “Do you go out with guys?”

My teeth ground together. “Not all female athletes are lesbians.” My voice would give frostbite to someone who didn’t make his living on the ice.

His lips pinched. “And not all male athletes are straight. I just wanted to know where we stand before I make assumptions.”

I relaxed my jaw and my expression. He was right. Iwasmaking a lot of assumptions, and this time it was making me act like an ass. “I apologize, but I get that a lot. I’m straight, unfortunately.”

A corner of his lip quirked up. “Unfortunately?”

I was not falling for the cute. “Yeah, there are some great women on my team. And it’s not easy to find an equally great guy.”

He swallowed. “Can’t say the same about my teammates. They’re mostly disasters. I’m glad I don’t want to date any of them.”

Maybe I could do this. The guy wasn’t a complete asshole. “Okay, we’re both available, and both interested in the other’s gender, so there shouldn’t be any impediments. We’ll pretend we’ve been dating a bit, but secretly, and the team has a story to explain why you went off on Faith.”

His face closed down again.

I rolled my eyes. “If we’re going to convince people that you’re not some kind of retrogressive Neanderthal who doesn’t believe women belong in sports, you’re going to have toappearto be a Faith fan. You don’t have to be her best friend, but you need to be around her without looking like someone pissed in your Wheaties. Work out whatever it is with her dad.”

“I don’t know how easy that will be.”

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