9– Gabrielle

Last night was thrilling.

Kayden was like a little kid who had just discovered his new favorite candy, unable and unwilling to hide his excitement. 

Even though our midnight adventure hadn't ended exactly the way we had envisioned, it was the most enjoyable night I’d had in years.

To make matters better—or perhaps worse—videos of us locking hands and sprinting away from a crowd of chanting fans had already been plastered across every social media platform. 

The internet was eating it up. 

It was the proof the public needed to believe that we were truly an item. 

By all PR standards, everything was going perfectly.

But as I stepped out into the l morning air of Kayden’s estate, a knot of dread tightened in my stomach. 

What I feared the most was the realization that I was becoming far too comfortable.

Today was only day two of our thirty-day contract, and yet, Kayden had already allowed me to see fractured pieces of him that I didn’t even know existed. 

The nervous and emotional man in the locker room who feared he’d disappoint his fans and his late mother.

The carefree guy laughing over a plate of greasy dumplings.

And now, I was spiraling. 

I was growing curious.

I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to reach beneath the surface of the man I had spent six months dismissing as nothing but empty headed and arrogant.

It scared the hell out of me. Because in my line of work, curiosity was an emotional liability I couldn’t afford.

“Hello. Where’s Kayden?” I asked as I rounded the corner into the backyard.

Kayden’s personal trainer was standing by the edge of the pool with a stopwatch in her hand. 

When she turned to look at me, her gaze was so cold I felt like I had personally offended her ancestors. 

She pointedly looked away, her voice dripping with irritation. “He’s underwater.”

“Strength training?” I asked, attempting to patch the awkward silence with a bit of small talk.

“Yes,” she breathed, her eyes glued to the bubbling water. “And I need him to burn as many calories as humanly possible today, seeing as—”

Her words were cut off by a loud splash.

“Hey!” Kayden’s deep, breathless voice filtered through the morning air, instantly pulling my attention away from the trainer.

I looked at him, an involuntary smile tugging at my lips. “Hi.”

He swam to the edge, lowering himself into the shallow end to undo the heavy resistance weights strapped around his ankles before hoisting himself out of the water. 

He started striding toward me, water droplets glistening on his broad shoulders.

I immediately took a step back, raising my hands. “Don’t even think about getting those wet hands anywhere near me, Mr. Alvarez.”

“Now you’re just putting beautiful ideas in my head!” he hollered. A wicked smirk broke across his face as he covered the distance between us in two strides.

He caught me by the waist, pulling my body flush against his damp chest while shaking his wet hair like a dog dusting off its fur.

“God, Kayden!” I squealed through a breathless laugh, twisting my torso as cold pool water soaked into my face and neck and shirt.

“Morning,” Kayden murmured. His voice was thick, dropping into a low register that made my heart flutter with a dizzying sensation. 

Before I could even attempt to push him away, he leaned down and pressed three successive, lingering kisses against my cheek.

“How did you sleep?” I asked, trying to calm the erratic racing of my pulse.

“Wonderful,” he whispered, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made the rest of the backyard blur. “But it would’ve been a hell of a lot better if I’d woken up with you in my arms.”

I smacked his arm, my cheeks burning. “Stop it.”

I said I was scared before, didn’t I?

Double that fear.

The lines were becoming blurred. I couldn't tell where the performance ended and the truth began. 

Was he only doing this because we had an audience? 

Did he just want to make sure his trainer believed our lie?

But why did my heart want it to be true?

Why did a hidden part of me crave for this chaos to be my daily morning routine? 

It was a complete disaster. 

I was a mess:

This was why I had kept this man at arm’s length for six months. Because I knew he was a charmer. And now that he was close enough, I was being charmed.

Kayden’s eyes raked my frame. “Why are you dressed already? Going somewhere?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I have to meet Arthur for a meeting, and then I’ll join you later at the arena for your film study, if that’s okay.”

“Yeah. Sure. Do your thing,” Kayden smiled, his eyes lingering on my face. “You look absolutely dashing, by the way.”

I tilted my chin up. “I know.”

“Ugh,” he let out a breathy chuckle, shaking his head. “Always so cocky.”

A laugh climbed up my throat. Kayden’s eyes glazed over, softening as he watched me laugh. The playful banter died out, replaced by a charged silence as he just stood there, dripping wet, looking at me like I was the only thing in his universe.

Until a sharp, aggressive clearing of a throat shattered the moment.

“If you two are finished with your little display of affection, can he please go back to training?” The trainer’s biting voice sliced through the air.

“Right. Okay then,” I responded, though my gaze took a lingering second to drift away from Kayden’s. “I’m gonna head inside to make some breakfast before I leave. Would you like some?”

“Ye—”

“No, he wouldn’t,” the trainer cut in, stepping between us.

“Yes, I will,” Kayden asserted, his brow furrowing as he looked at her. “If she’s putting in the effort to make me a meal, I’m going to eat it.”

“You won’t be eating any breakfast today, Kayden,” the trainer said, her voice thick. She shot him a stern look before turning her attention toward me. “He isn’t having breakfast today. Or lunch, for that matter.”

I blinked. “Why not?”

“Because I think he ate plenty enough for the weekend last night,” she snapped.

“Oh,” I murmured, a cold sweat breaking out on my neck.

“Yes, Gabrielle. Oh.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, my posture stiffening. “Excuse me, but have I somehow offended you?”

“Did you offend me?” She let out a harsh, incredulous scoff, swallowing hard as her eyes narrowed into slits. “Do you even realize we are in the dead-middle of the NHL season? And yet, you had the audacity to drag the franchise’s star forward to a sketchy street market and force-feed him a shit ton of sodium-heavy, greasy junk food?”

“Force-feed?” I threw the word back at her, a laugh escaping my lips. “Are you kidding me right now? Is he a child? Did I hold him down and shove the food down his throat?”

“That is beside the point!”

“Then what exactly is the point?” I demanded, stepping into her space, my voice rising. “If you are upset that he ate something outside of his strict diet, then take it up with him. He is a grown man. He could have said no at any point last night, but he didn't.”

“Perhaps he was only trying to impress you,” she sneered, looking down her nose at me.

“Then I shouldn’t be the one taking the blame for his lack of discipline.”

“Listen to me, Gabrielle,” the trainer growled, her face flushing red with anger. “As a professional trainer, I would highly advise that you do not do anything else that compromises the health and physical longevity of my athlete. It is my job to keep him healthy, fit, and on the ice. I don’t know what your actual job description is here, but from where I'm standing, you seem to be doing a terrible job.”

That insult felt like a slap to my face.

Anger rushed through my veins. I wanted to clap back. I had a hundred insults resting on the tip of my tongue that would have had her crying.

But I didn't say anything.

My anger shifted from her to Kayden. I was angry because he just stood there in silence, letting this woman point fingers at me without uttering a single word to defend me.

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” I said, my voice calm. 

I spun on my heel, intending to walk away. I made it three steps before the feeling of  humiliation boiled over. 

I stopped, turning back around to face them one last time.

“You know what, Kayden? Don’t ever expect me to make you breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Ever again,” I spat, locking my icy gaze onto his stunned face. “I’m not a nutritionist, and fortunately for you, you have an entire staff of them. So call them up and get a proper meal plan.”

I turned around and stormed off toward the house, tears of anger blurring my vision.

I heard the panicked footsteps rushing behind me.

When I looked back, Kayden was running after me.