Forbidden Knight (9 page)

"I have to, I have to go. The whole idea was to help you focus, and the whole country, hell, the whole world, can see that I didn't accomplish that."

"But you just came back, you just..."

"Yes, and now the whole world knows, and they'll know more soon. The marriage, our relationship, it's going to be a shit storm. The best thing for me to do now is pack and go. Get out of your hair, let you practice and win," don't cry, she commanded herself, don't cry.

"And what about us?" Justus asked. "What about what we want? What do you want? Do you want me still?"

Eva's heart commanded her to say yes, just say yes, but her head insisted she had to leave.

"It doesn't matter what I want right now, this championship is worth millions to you and to your team, that trumps this any day of the week. I'm going to get my stuff, Colette is sending a car for me, they'll be here any minute."

Justus turned without another word and stalked to his room and slammed the door shut.

"Bye," Eva whispered, and she turned to pack.

*********************

"Are you sure," she asked him for the millionth time.

"Yes, I've never been more sure," he said as they welcomed their 4th of July guests.

"Well then, let's do it," she grinned at him, then she turned and slipped away to the house they had rented by the lake.

Justus walked to the center of the backyard where they were holding their 4th of July party. Many of his teammates and their families were there, along with Rosie, Colette, and even Eva's mom. Justus clapped his friend Nate on the shoulder as he stepped back so Justus could get everyone's attention.

He cleared his throat "Welcome everyone! It's great to see you here. Eva and I would like to thank you for coming to celebrate the 4th of July with us. As you know, it's been a long crazy road for us, with an unexpected reunion of sorts," everyone laughed as he rolled his eyes, "then a forced separation," he said as he pretended to glare at Colette, "then yet another reunion. Every moment has been a wonderful surprise, and we can't thank each of you enough for being a part of it. So, in the spirit of surprises, we'd like you to know that today isn't just a 4th of July party. It's going to be our wedding as well, we've asked Judge Thorn to preside, Judge will you please join me?"

The judge emerged from the small crowd and took his place by Justus.
 

"And now, if you would, please welcome my lovely bride Eva," and with that Eva emerged from the house in a diaphanous summer dress of cream and gold.
 

As she walked to meet him, surrounded by friends and family, the smile on her face gave away her joy and placing her hand in his, they turned to the judge and joyfully said their vows.
 

Forbidden Knight

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Copyright © 2014 by Jecca Bartlett

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Celebrity Minder Eva Scott is used to having her hands full, playing sitter to spoiled, rich, VIP's who won't take no for an answer. When her boyfriend cheats on her and she moves out of his apartment, she needs one more job for the cash and she needs it fast.
 

Enter sexy, stubborn, hockey star Justus Knight.

Justus has a party boy reputation and it's her job to keep him under control until the playoffs are over.
 
Never mind that he makes her crazy, that he's hot as hell, that he pings her romance radar, that he's a terrible listener, and oh, yeah, he used to be her stepbrother.
 

Forbidden love never felt so good.

Life as a celebrity minder had its perks, but damn few of them. Mostly it was a grind. Babysitting for grown-ups, men and women who should know better than to -- whatever their poison was-- drinking, drugging, staying up all night, missing meetings, and generally behaving like four-year-olds after too much red cough syrup.
 

In fact, some of them actually were on too much cough syrup. It had been another long day trailing the lead singer in a teenage boy band, but that gig was over as of today, his concert tour was over and she could move on.
 

Not before she talked to Greg, she missed her fiancé so much.

Clicking around on her desktop Eva opened the video chat app. She missed Greg so much, but she hated to bother him. It had been most of a week since they had spoken, though. This long distance relationship stuff was for the birds. She had never believed in it anyway, but Greg insisted they give it a try. She was almost always on the road, and so was he, which sucked.

Weird how she wasn't hearing from him, although she knew he did get pretty wrapped up in his work.

 
She dithered for a few minutes before clicking on Greg's number. If he was busy he wouldn't answer, she thought as she slipped the earpiece in and adjusted her mic. And who could fault her for wanting to say 'hi'? He was weird about work, sometimes he would get super annoyed when she reached out and he thought she was being clingy so...oh what the hell.

As the app connected she watched the screen flicker and then suddenly the display opened and there he was. But she wasn't looking at his face. What was that...? His butt? It was out of focus because he, or well, his butt, was so close to the camera. She could hear shuffling and muted sounds in the background as the screen came to life.

Yeah, totally his butt. It was bigger than she remembered. Had he been chowing at McDonald's again? Of course this wasn't an angle that she was used to, so maybe it looked better when it wasn't so close? Yeah, definitely not the close-up anyone wanted.
 
And he needed to get back to the waxer. She grinned to herself thinking he didn't know his butt was being broadcast.
 

"Hello?" she said into her microphone. "Hello?"

It was obvious he couldn't hear her and since his back, er, butt was to the screen her face on the computer wouldn't be getting his attention. She was just about to click away when he shifted and the camera focused on something several feet away. Something blond. And curvy. And naked.
 

Whatever the hell? Eva peered intently at the screen as her heart sped up, then dropped straight into her stomach. It was Greg alright, and his assistant, Nancy. Eva had her own pet name for her,
 
she called her Trampy Nancy. Nancy's favorite color was anything tight. The woman didn't own a single piece of clothing that failed to reveal every curve and her ample cleavage. And look! Here she was living up to her nickname.
 

Sometimes it was hell to be right. Jesus Christ, how trite. Fucking his secretary while he's out of town. It would have been less insulting if he'd used some imagination at least. Hired an escort maybe? Taken the bartender to his room after closing, screwed the maid? But his secretary? No imagination at all.

Greg must have thought he was dismissing the call since he was, uh, busy, but he had answered it instead. Great, just what Eva needed to hear. And see.

Eva watched in horror as her fiancé crawled up the mattress and began kissing his way up Trampy Nancy's body. Her mind began to race trying to make sense out of what she was seeing. Every thought she had started with the words, 'but what if...'and ended with the certain knowledge that he was a cheating pig.
 

"Greg!! Hello?! Hello?" she called into the mic, but he was apparently deafened by lust as he kept at his task, ending at his assistant's face and kissing her dramatically. Nancy giggled and reached her hand around to smooth it on his ass, and when she did she froze as she peeked over his shoulder.

"Greg!" she hissed. "It's on!"

"You bet it's on baby, ready for round three?"

Round three, Eva thought, holy shit! No wonder he's always so tired. She tried to recall if there had ever been a round three with Greg. Nope, she could only ever think of two rounds, or more like one and a half.

"No, Greg, the computer camera, it's on!"

Greg turned and looked in horror at the little blinking computer camera, and just as he did Eva came to her senses and snapped a series of stills. She kept snapping as he lunged for the computer and his face appeared huge on the screen. He fumbled with the microphone.
 

"Eva, Eva, are you there? I can exp..." She clicked on the chat app and her screen went dark.
 

**************************************************************

Eva entered the brightly lit arena and showed an usher her ticket. Stepping carefully he led her down toward the ice to a seat right by the Plexiglas. It was cooler down there and she drew her down coat tighter around her shoulders. The icy air was sharp in her nostrils, and the distinct smell of the arena reminded her of her childhood time spent in the rink at home.
 

Strobes and spotlights were swirling overhead and the seats were filling up. Tonight's game was an exhibition game, to keep the teams sharp as they headed into the playoffs. Right now the CoyWolves were first in the league. The energy of the crowd was barely contained, charging the arena with an electric current that was palpable.

Removing her gloves Eva took out a notebook and pen, prepared to take notes on the game and the one player she was there to see.
 

Suddenly the arena went dark and the lights played on the surface of the ice. A booming voice welcomed them to the game and thanked the sponsors. Then all the lights went out. A single spotlight focused on the doorway where the players would enter the rink. Emerging from the shadows, in full gear, minus his helmet, a lone player approached the ice then stroked powerfully to the center.
 

The light played on him, catching his golden blond hair; he was easily 6 and a half feet tall, quite tall for hockey. Broad shouldered and muscular, Eva could see, even with his gear on just how powerful he was. Raising an arm to the crowd as the announcer said, Justuuuuuus Kniiiight...he smiled and the crowd went wild, stomping their feet, clapping, whistling, cheering. Eva's worst fears were realized when she saw for sure that she knew him from another life. There had been the smallest chance, she had convinced herself that it wasn't the same Justus Knight the hockey player, but it was. Of course.

Oh well, she shook her head, she had to do this job. Needed to work, needed the money, needed to keep her head on straight. This would be a challenge. He would be a challenge. He always had been.

She glanced at him again on the ice, surrounded now by his teammates.
 
He was a born leader, and people were magnetically drawn to him, just as they had always been. As she had always been.
 
Eva took notes the entire time she watched him play, she knew that she would not ever see him relatively unguarded ever again, for after tomorrow, she would be his fiancée, and he, her reluctant groom.

His fake fiancée, her boss, Colette, amended. She was explaining the latest gig to her. Eva didn't want a gig. She wanted, no needed, a vacation. A long one. Alone, in her RV, just her and the open road. Far away from Greg and anyone who knew him, or anyone who knew them together. Couple friends were the worst.
 

And far away from Justus Knight too. But instead she felt like she was streaking toward him, like a comet. And the crash could prove to be a catastrophe. She was going to have to make sure that it wasn't. She would be professional, aloof even. That was it. Aloof.
 

She ignored the little voice in her head that told her there was no way she could be aloof where he was concerned. No way.

Eva knew this gig would be particularly complicated. Not that she was willing to share that with her boss right now. But things definitely had the potential to spin apart like a cyclone.
 

Her boss, however, had big plans.
 

"How much money do you need to take 6 months off?" Colette asked.

Eva blinked, "Six months? Um, a lot of money?" She did some quick calculations, well, maybe not that much, if she lived in the RV. "Actually, maybe not all that much, I mean, it's doable. What are you thinking?"

"I think we can come to an agreement then. This job will be worth every penny you'll earn in the next 4 weeks, and then you can take your extended road trip. I'll even have my brother rehab that damn RV for you while you're traveling with your new beau. My brother owes me a favor. "
 

Eva wanted to say no, wished she could say no. She knew that Colette, kind of had her. Since she had walked out on Greg, it was his house after all, she had been staying with her mom. And that... wouldn't last. She needed the RV rehabbed sooner rather than later so she could move out and move on.
 

Colette slid a sheet of paper with a number written on it toward her, and smiled. Half a year on the road would be amazing, and this would definitely cover it. Just last night Eva had revised her list of places she wanted to see and friends she wanted to visit.