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Chapter Seventeen
Knox
When I step out of the dressing room, I’m greeted with the usual chaos of cameras in my face and people yelling to try and get my attention. It’s annoying, but it comes with my chosen profession. I nod and say a few words to a couple of the respectful regulars but continue scanning the crowd to find Saylor.
Madyson. Shit. What is she doing here? More importantly, what is she doing messing with Saylor? As I dodge between a man wearing Gunner’s number on his chest and a kid with red and black painted on his face, my chest constricts. The bitch had better not say anything to insult her, or I’ll….
Saylor slaps her hands on her hips and glares at Madyson, and I can’t keep the smile from forming. There’s my girl. I’m so getting banged tonight.
“Fine.” Madyson waves her hand dismissively. “I need money. When my agent heard about my compromising situation with Knox’s chauffeur, he terminated my contract. I figure Knox owes me. If he was paying attention to my needs, I would not be behind on my bills.”
“I don’t see that as Knox’s problem.”
I lay my arm over Saylor’s shoulders, and she jumps. “It’s me, baby.”
As I kiss the top of her head, she relaxes against me. What did I see in Madyson? Yes, she’s attractive, but that’s it. Her personality is vapid and shallow. “Saylor is right. Your financial problems are not my concern.”
“Yes. They. Are.” She taps her toe on the cement of the concourse.
“How do you figure?” The lengths this woman will go to hassle me are shocking.
“You were too busy and didn’t pay enough attention to me.” She glances around to see if anyone is listening. “You made me feel unwanted and unloved.”
“Please.” I roll my eyes. “That’s total bullshit. You were the one that was gone. There was always a party or an event that you had to fly off to attend.”
Her bottom lip pokes out, and I’m sure if the glasses were off, she would’ve drummed up a fake tear or two. “Which you should have gone to with me.”
“I’m a professional athlete. I can’t fly off the night before a game to New York City for an art gallery opening to watch you inhale coke in the bathroom.”
“How dare you?” She raises her hand as if to strike me.
Saylor jumps between us. “Don’t make a scene. You’ll regret it.”
Madyson’s face is pale. How did she not realize I knew why she spent so much time in the bathroom at those events? “I want to smack that smirk off your face.” She steps forward, cutting the distance between us in half.
“But the video camera angle will bleach out your face more down here. The lighting is not becoming of you.”
“What?” She looks at Saylor like the words she’s using are too big. As if they finally sink in, she drops her arm to her side and clutches her handbag. “You’re an asshole.”
“Why?” I chuckle as some of the tension eases from me. For a second, I thought I would need to pull Saylor off her–not that I care. My agent can spin anything into a positive light. “Would none of the other players give you a spin?”
Her jaw clenches, and she spins on her heel, dodging people as she attempts to make a speedy retreat.
Saylor turns around and wraps her arms around my neck. “Well, that was fun.”
“Sorry about that. I didn’t expect her to show up here.”
“I thought for a second she was going to drop the ‘I’m pregnant with your boyfriend’s baby’ bombshell on me.” Her eyes twinkle.
I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I’m not letting her go. I was planning to casually mention her moving in with me but not pressure her–not going to happen. I want this pintsized beauty in my bed every night. How could I let her get away? She’d go toe to toe with anyone to protect us. That’s too precious to pass up.
“I told you I was careful.”
“I know.” She pulls me down until our lips are inches apart. “But nothing is foolproof outside of abstinence.”
I swallow. “That would’ve sucked. I couldn’t survive if–”
“Please.” She gives me a disapproving look. “You wouldn’t lose me. You were with her before we were together. The past is the past. We’re together, and I don’t question for a second whether you love me.”
