Page 55 of Heartbreaker
“I would never do that,” I say.
Grandma Aggie pats my hand. “I know, Sweets, but unfortunately, I think it’s going to take a lot more than a few simple words to undo the years of conditioning she endured under your father.”
Savannah’s laughter draws our attention her way. She’s doubled over as Ari continues to tell her whatever outrageous story she’s pulled from the depths of her memory. The sight makes me smile. This is all I’ve ever wanted, but for a long time, I wasn’t sure I’d ever see it happen.
“She loves you, y’know,” my grandmother says. “And you love her, too. Don’t you?” Her smile grows when I nod. “Have you told her?”
“Not yet.”
“Well, you better.”
“Don’t you think it’s kind of early for that?”
Grandma Aggie shrugs. “Your grandfather told me two weeks after he met me, and I was head over heels for that man from the first day I laid eyes on him. If you ask me, what’s the point in waiting? If you know you feel that way, you should tell her.”
It’s been a week since I introduced Savannah to my family, and we’ve been so busy with all things Wrestlefest that we haven’t had a chance to catch up on everything that happened last weekend. This is the first time we’ve shared a hotel room since we started dating two months ago, and word spread like wildfire once someone caught wind of it. I don’t know for sure, but I can guess who it was. (Harper.) While we might be sleeping in the same bed this weekend, Savannah and I have barely spoken outside ofGoodnightandGood morning, and sometimes that’s only through text message because one of us has to be up before the other—usually me. Today hasn’t been any different, filled with a fresh round of joint media first thing this morning, separate signings and photo sessions, then more media, followed by a charity function, and now Legends Night.
The Saturday night before Wrestlefest is always reserved for a special occasion where we gather to honor the veterans of the business and induct them into our Hall of Fame. Tonight marks the first time we’re stepping out together not under the guise of a storyline. Legends Night has nothing to do with characters or storylines. Kayfabe is typically shelved because tonight is about those who came before us. Who paved the way. So, tonight it’s just us, Savannah Williams and John Brooks. Together.
A flash of black caught my eye when Savannah stepped out of the bathroom earlier, moving across the hall to the floor-length mirror on the wall. A sleeveless black satin dress hung off her shoulders, hugging her curves. Her long brown hair had been pulled into a twisted ponytail updo, her bangs framing her face, leaving her golden skin on full display. A gold choker around her neck, the gold cuff on her left wrist, and the gold chunky statement earrings perfectly matched the hue of her skin.
“You’re making it hard to be a respectable man,” I whispered, joining her in the mirror. My hands ghosted over her waist, trailing up her sides, her arms, her shoulders, her neck, and finally her chin, pulling her lips to mine. The kiss was a slow, languid dance between us, one that we hadn’t shared since Sunday evening when we first arrived in Phoenix. Parting, her answer was a simple smirk, and she helped me finish my tie before she kissed my cheek and walked away.
There had been something different about her since she walked into our room earlier this evening. An air of unease surrounded her as she moved around to gather what she needed, lost in her thoughts, and walked into the bathroom without so much as a word to me. I wondered if it had to do with the fact that we were about to out ourselves in front of the whole company, or if something happened while we were apart, or maybe it was both. I’d had my moments of concern throughout the day, too, but nothing that would make me reconsider. Was she reconsidering this?
“Don’t look now, but I think you guys just confirmed the rumors that have been circulating all weekend,” Wolf says, interrupting my thoughts and our conversation with Raelynn and Brody.
“And what rumors would those be?” Savannah asks, eyeing the woman at his side.
“Oh, I don’t know, the ones that say you guys aredating,” Wolf emphasizes the final word, brow raised, earning an eye roll from Savannah. “You two show up heretogether, and act like it’s nothing! What happened to not wanting to date wrestlers?”
“Who said we are?” I ask.
“Maybe we’re just hanging out because we’re in a story together,” my girlfriend adds.
“Please.” Wolf snorts. “You guys have been eye-fucking from the first time you laid eyes on each other at NextGen. It was only a matter of time.”
If only he knew.
I catch Brody’s stare from the corner of my eye, but ignore him, keeping my focus on Wolf. When I slip my hand into hers, Savannah gives my fingers a small squeeze. We’ve been under a microscope from the moment we walked in the door, and I was worried it might be too much for her, but she hasn’t even flinched. She holds her head high, ignoring the whispers and glares from mostly the other women. “Why her?” I heard someone ask, and I rolled my eyes. “She’s nothing special,” another one said.
“So what if theyaredating? What’s it to you, Wolfie?” Raelynn asks with a cocked brow.
“Because she didn’t tell me!” Wolf turns back to Savannah. “How could you not tell me? How couldyounot tell me, Brooks?”
“Look to your left,” Savannah says, motioning toward Harper. That earns a chuckle from Rae and Brody, but Harper doesn’t find it as amusing. “She would have blabbed it to the entire company, just like she did about us sharing a room this weekend.”
“I did not!” Harper shouts, granting us a few more stares from the surrounding audience. Harper repeats herself, softer this time, with a hard exhale. “I don’t care who you date, Savannah. But I guess datingBrooks Taylorhas its perks, doesn’t it?”
Savannah stiffens beneath my touch, and I tighten my grip on her waist. Wolf turns Harper away, guiding her through the crowd. No one wants a Savannah-Harper confrontation tonight. I press a kiss to the top of my girlfriend’s head and whisper against her hair, “Ignore her, Sweetheart. She won’t be the only one to have something to say, but none of them matter. Just you and me.”
The rest of the night goes by in a blur until we’re pulling up to the side entrance of the hotel and dragging our feet inside to get a few hours of sleep before we have to be up again. She sweeps her hair to the side, standing before me, a silent request for help. I drag the zipper down her back, and goosebumps rise across her skin as my fingers trail her spine. I press a long kiss to her bare shoulder, and she inhales before a contented sigh follows. We move around in silence, and I can’t shake the feeling that something is bothering her still. I thought she’d be more relaxed following the event, but now that it’s over, she seems even more tense than before.
“Everything okay, Sweetheart?” I ask when she climbs into bed, straight into my open arms.
“Fine.” She sighs, snuggling further into my side. “Just tired.” I don’t believe her, but she closes her eyes, ending the conversation before it can begin.
“That all you got champ?” my opponent,Colin Ryker, taunts after nailing me with a running lariat that sends me flying over the ropes. It’s hard to believeRykeris the same kid I saved from hazing when he was called up from NextGen about three months ago. He made his first appearance the same night I won the title fromGrady Chandlerat Capitol Punishment, interrupting the celebration between my character andSavvy Skyewith a sneak attack.
