Page 83 of Dare to Love

He held up a hand to stop her. “I’m fine.”

“Riley said—”

“I don’t care what Riley told you. I’m not your problem, got it?”

She visibly swallowed hard, the delicate muscles in her neck working up and down. “I thought you might need me.”

He managed a harsh laugh. “I’ve got my family. I don’t need you.”

“So we’re—”

“There is no we, sweetheart. It was fun. Now it’s over.”

Moisture filled her eyes, and in that moment, he hated himself.

“I forgot,” she said. “Alex Dare doesn’t do relationships.”

“Damned right,” he muttered.

She straightened her shoulders, the backbone he’d sensed in her from the beginning taking over. “I was foolish for thinking I found someone human and real beneath the façade. You’re every bit the manwhore the Internet and your reputation say you are.”

She started for the door, then turned back to face him. “You’re a cold-hearted, selfish bastard too.” She stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

His head pounded at the noise, and he cursed out loud.

He could admit now that he deserved every word. There was no getting around the fact that until six months ago, he’d been exactly the manwhore Madison had accused him of being. He hadn’t seen anything wrong with it either. All the women in his life up to that point had known what they were getting into.

Hell, he thought Madison had too, but that’s what he got for assuming. But he should have known better. She was different, and he’d always sensed it. Which must explain why he couldn’t get her out of his head, all these months later.

No other woman who’d graced his bed ever lingered in his mind. Except for the blonde-haired vixen he never should have fucked. At this point he was sure that concussion had scrambled his brains even worse than he’d thought. But he couldn’t deny that the memory of what he’d said to her shamed him, and it’d been a long time since he could remember feeling that particular emotion.

He slid out of bed and took a long, hot shower. He’d just stepped out when his phone rang.

He grabbed his cell from the counter. “What’s up?” he asked, answering at the same time he wrapped a towel around his waist.

“Good morning, Alex,” a familiar voice said.

“Ian, good to hear your voice.” Alex clenched his jaw, still not comfortable with any kind of relationship with his half brother.

For Riley, he reminded himself. Alex and Ian’s wife were best friends, childhood friends. He’d do anything for her, including deal with Ian. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Got a job proposition for you,” the other man said.

Alex blinked. “Are you seriously asking me to work for the opposition?” Until his injury, Alex had been the quarterback for the Tampa Breakers. Ian was the president of the Miami Thunder.

Half brothers. Rivals. In more ways than one.

“Not to rub it in, but you’re a free agent,” Ian said.

At least he hadn’t used the wordunemployed. Because with his recent head injury, that’s exactly what he was, with no job prospects in sight. “Yeah,” Alex muttered.

“Are you available this morning? Your name came up, and Riley thinks you’d be perfect for what we need.”

Now Alex was intrigued. “You’ve got my attention. What time?”

“Eleven at the stadium,” Ian said.

“See you then.” It wasn’t like Alex had anything better to do.

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