“You’re all over the internet, babe.”

  “What?”

  “No joke. It was the first headline I saw when I opened my phone. There’re pictures of you on the front page of every sports and entertainment blog, with your hockey player’s tongue in your mouth and his hands on your ass.”

  Horror lodged in her throat. “Bullshit.”

  “I’m afraid not.”

  Oh, fuck. Darcy sounded dead serious. And if Darcy couldn’t make a smart-ass remark about it, then it must be bad.

  “I’ll call you back in a minute,” Hayden blurted out, disconnecting the call.

  The T-shirt Brody had given her to sleep in hung all the way down to her knees, but her arms were bare and goose bumps had risen on her skin. The wooden floor was cool under her feet as she quickly descended the stairs down to the living room. She didn’t want to wake Brody, and her entire body felt weak and shivery as she sank onto the couch and pulled up one of the bigger sports sites.

  She gasped the moment the front page loaded. Darcy was right. The site boasted a large photograph of her and Brody in the Warriors parking lot. It must have been taken the moment she’d stood up on her toes to kiss him, and there was no mistaking it, his hands were totally squeezing her ass.

  The caption read: Warriors forward cozies up to Houston’s daughter.

  But it was the article beneath it that drained all the color from her face. She read it twice, not missing a single word, then set her phone on the cushion next to her and dropped her head into her hands.

  “What happened?”

  She jerked at the sound of Brody’s drowsy voice, glancing up to see him standing in the doorway. He was wearing nothing but a pair of navy blue boxers and a concerned expression.

  Without a word, Hayden pointed to the phone beside her. After a second of hesitation, Brody joined her on the couch and picked it up.

  She watched his face as he read the article, but he gave nothing away. He simply blinked a couple of times, frowned once and then rose slowly to his feet.

  “I need coffee,” he muttered before walking out of the room.

  Hayden stared after him in bewilderment, then shot up and rushed into the kitchen. He was already turning on the coffee maker, leaning against the counter with a look of utter disbelief in his eyes.

  “They’re saying I took a bribe,” he said weakly.

  She moved toward him and rested her hand on his strong biceps. “It’s just speculation. They don’t have any proof.”

  “They have a source!” he burst out, his voice resonating with anger. “Someone actually told this asshole reporter that I accepted bribes from your father. This isn’t a tabloid where they make up sources to suit their story. Greg Michaels is an award-winning sports journalist. And someone on the team told him I took a goddamn bribe!”

  Hayden’s mouth went completely dry. She could barely keep up with the range of emotions flashing across Brody’s face. Anger and betrayal and dismay. Shock and disgust. Fear. She wanted desperately to hold him, but his posture was so tense, his shoulders stiff, his jaw tight. Every aspect of his body language screamed, Back off!

  “Someone is trying to ruin me,” he growled. “Who the fuck would do that? I know Wyatt is up to his ears in this mess, but I can’t see him casting suspicion on me. He told me to stay out of it.”

  Brody’s eyes were suddenly on her. Focused, sharp, as if remembering she was in the room with him.

  “They think you’re fucking me to shut me up about your father’s part in it.” He laughed humorlessly.

  Sympathy welled up inside her, squeezing her heart like a vise. “It’s going to be okay. Everything will get cleared up when you meet with the investigator.”

  He released another chuckle, this time laced with bitterness. “All it takes is one black mark on your name, and teams look at you differently. I’m in the middle of contract negotiations. My agent already warned me things are stalling because of the allegations, and now some asshole is directly implicating me in this shit? I’m fucked, Hayden. Fucked.”

  The coffee maker clicked, and Brody stiffly turned his attention to it. Grabbing a mug, he slammed it down on the counter, then filled it to the brim with coffee and swallowed a gulp of the scalding liquid, not even wincing.

  Hayden had no idea what to say. How to make this better for him. So instead, she just stood there, watching his face, waiting for him to speak again.

  But she wasn’t ready for what he said next.

  “I think maybe we should cool things off for a bit.”

  Shock slammed into her. “What?”

  Setting down his mug, he rubbed his forehead. “I can’t be dragged down along with your father,” he said so quietly she barely heard him. “If you and I are seen together, the rumors and suspicions will only grow. My career...” He let out a string of curses. “I’ve worked my ass off to get to where I am, Hayden. I grew up wearing secondhand clothes and watching my parents struggle to afford anything. I worked hard to put myself in a position to support myself, to support them. I can’t lose that. I won’t lose it.”

  “You don’t want us to see each other anymore?”

  He dragged his fingers through his hair, his eyes tortured. “I’m saying maybe we should put...us...on hold. Until the investigation concludes and the scandal blows over.”

  “You want to put us on hold,” she echoed dully.

  “Yes.”

  She turned away, resting her hands on the kitchen counter to steady herself. He was ending things? Sorry, putting things on hold. Not that it made a difference. Regardless of the way he wanted to phrase it, Brody was basically telling her he didn’t want her around.

  Everything he’d said last night about how good they were for each other, how well they fit...what had happened to all that?

  The memory of the words he’d spoken only yesterday caused the bitterness inside her to grow stronger. It was like a current, forcing all reason from her mind and pushing her into an eddy of resentment she knew too well. How many times had her father chosen his hockey team over her? How many times had the men in her life let their careers take the front seat while she sat in the back begging to be noticed?

  “All right. If that’s what you want,” she said, unable to stop her tone from sounding clipped and angry. “I guess you need to look out for yourself, after all.”

  His expression clouded over. “Don’t make it sound like that. Like I don’t give a damn about you. Because I do give a damn. But you can’t fault me for also giving a damn about everything I’ve worked so hard for.”

  She edged away from the counter, suddenly wanting to flee. Maybe it was for the best, ending it now. They’d already reached an impasse yesterday when she’d told him his lifestyle didn’t fit what she wanted in a relationship. Maybe it was better to break things off now, before it got even harder.

  But although it made sense in her head, her heart couldn’t stop weeping at the idea of not being with him.

  Silence stretched between them, until Brody released a frustrated curse and raked his hands through his dark hair.

  “I care about you, Hayden. The last thing I want to do is end this.” He shook his head, looking determined. “And I don’t see it as an ending. I just want this mess to go away. I want my name cleared and my career unaffected. When it all dies down, we can pick up where we left off.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “Because it’s that easy, right?” Her laughter died, replaced with a tired frown. “Whatever. It would have ended anyway. Sooner or later.”

  Unhappiness flooded his gaze. “Come on, don’t say that. This break doesn’t have to be permanent.”

  “Maybe it should.” A sob wedged in her throat, and it took every ounce of willpower she possessed to swallow it back. “We’re probably doing ourselves a favor by letting go now. Maybe it will end up saving us both a lot of heartache in the future.”

  He opened his mouth to respond, but she didn’t give him the chance. Blinking back the tears stinging her eyelids, she headed back to the bedroom to find her clothes.

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  The Uber ride back to her car was probably the most mortifying experience of Hayden’s life. Somehow, while she’d gotten dressed, ordered the car, murmured a soft goodbye to Brody, she’d managed to rein in her emotions. But the second she slid into the back seat and watched Brody’s beautiful house disappear in the rearview mirror, she’d burst into tears.

  Looking stunned, the driver handed her a small packet of tissues then promptly ignored her. Despite the tears fogging her vision, she noticed the man shooting her strange looks in the mirror. Apparently, it wasn’t every day that a brokenhearted woman in tears rode in his back seat.

  And brokenhearted was the only word she could come up with to describe how she felt right now. Although she’d told Brody the breakup was for the best, her heart ached so badly it felt like someone had scraped it with a razor blade. All she wanted to do was go back to the penthouse, crawl under the covers and cry.

  The driver dropped her at the arena, where she got into her rental car and swiped at her wet eyes, taking a few calming breaths.

  Fifteen excruciatingly long minutes later, she was walking into the hotel, hoping nobody noticed her blotchy face. In the lobby, the clerk behind the check-in desk gestured at her.

  Hayden reluctantly headed over and was surprised when he said, “There’s a man waiting for you in the bar.”

  Hope and happiness soared inside her.

  Brody.

  It had to be. And he would’ve definitely had time to get here before her, since she’d had to pick up her car. Maybe he realized how foolish it was to end things because of something a reporter had written.

  She hurried across the marble floor toward the large oak doors leading into the hotel bar. Only a few patrons were inside, but when she searched for Brody’s massive shoulders and unruly dark hair, she came up empty-handed.

  Disappointment crashed into her. Of course he wasn’t here. He’d made it clear back at his place that he couldn’t risk his career by being seen with her.

  She glanced around again, then faltered when her gaze landed on a man she’d dismissed during her first inspection.

  Doug.

  Oh, God. What was he doing here?

  “Hayden!” He rose from his seat and walked toward her with a timid smile.

  She stared at him, taking in the familiar sight of his blond hair, arranged in a no-nonsense haircut. His pale blue eyes, serious as always. That lean, trim body he kept in shape at the university gym. He wore a pair of starched tan slacks and a crisp, white button-down shirt, and the attire kind of irked her. Everything about Doug was neat and orderly and unbelievably tedious. She found herself longing for even the tiniest bit of disorder. An undone button. A coffee stain. A patch of stubble he’d missed while shaving.

  But there was nothing disorderly about this man. He was like a perfectly wrapped gift that only used three efficient pieces of tape and featured a little bow with the same length tails. The kind of gift you hesitated to open because you’d feel like an ass messing it up.

  Brody, on the other hand... He was a gift you tore open the second you got it—the exterior didn’t matter because you knew what it contained was a million times better anyway.

  Tears stung her eyes at the thought.

  “Hi,” Doug said gently. “It’s good to see you.”

  She wanted to tell him it was good to see him, too, but the words refused to come out. They stared at each other for a moment, and then he was pulling her into an awkward embrace. She half-heartedly hugged him back, noticing that the feel of his arms around her had no effect on her whatsoever.

  “I know I shouldn’t have come,” Doug said, releasing her. “But after the way we left things... I thought we needed to talk. In person.”

  “You’re right.” She swallowed. “Do you want to come up?”

  He nodded.

  Without a word, they walked out of the bar and headed for the elevator. Silence stretched between them as they rode the car up to the penthouse. Hayden wanted to apologize to him again, and yet she wasn’t sure she felt apologetic anymore. She and Doug had been on a break when she’d started seeing Brody, and though she regretted hurting him, she couldn’t will up any regret about what she felt for Brody.

  “I was shocked when you told me that you were seeing someone else,” Doug began when they stepped into the suite.

  “I know.” Guilt tugged at her gut. “I’m sorry I just dropped it on you like that, and over the phone, but I had to be honest.”

  “I’m glad you were.” He stepped closer, his eyes glimmering with something she couldn’t put a finger on. “And it was the kick in the ass I needed. It made me realize how much I don’t want to lose you.”

  He reached out and tenderly stroked her cheek.

  Discomfort crept up her spine.

  “I love you, Hayden,” Doug said earnestly. “I should have said it a long time ago, but I wanted to go slow. I guess I was going too slow. I’m sorry.” He moved closer, but he didn’t touch her again, or try to kiss her. He just offered an affectionate smile. “I decided we’ve waited long enough. I want us to cross that bridge. I want us to make love.”

  Oh, God, not the intimacy bridge.

  Hysterical laughter bubbled inside her throat. “Doug—”

  “It’s finally the right time.”

  Maybe it’s the right time for you, she wanted to say. But for her, that perfect moment she might’ve shared with Doug had slipped away the second Brody Croft had walked into her life.

  He reached out for her again, but she moved back, guilty when she saw the hurt in his eyes.

  “It’s not the right time,” she said quietly. “And I think there’s a reason we never reached this point before. I think...it wasn’t meant to be.”

  He went still. “I see,” he said, his voice stiff.

  She took hold of his hand, squeezing his fingers tightly. “You know I’m right. Would you honestly be saying all of this now, if I hadn’t met someone else?”

  “Yes.” But his voice lacked conviction.

  “I think we got together because it was comfortable. We were friends, colleagues, two people who liked each other well enough...but we’re not soulmates, Doug.”

  Pain circled her heart. She hated saying these words to him, but there was no other choice.

  Being with Brody had made her realize that she wasn’t going to settle for a man just because he happened to be nice and dependable. As wild and sexy and unpredictable as Brody was, he was also honest and tender. More intelligent than he gave himself credit for. Strong, funny, generous. There was so much to love about him, so many things to—

  Wait, had she fallen in love with him?

  No, she couldn’t have. Brody was just a fling. He might have some wonderful traits, but his career would constantly keep him away from her. She wanted someone safe, someone solid. Not someone who was bold and arrogant and passionate and temporary and—fuck.

  She did love him. And wasn’t it ironic that she’d only figured it out the day he broke up with her.

  “Hayden? Please don’t cry, honey.”

  She glanced up to see Doug’s worried expression, then touched her cheeks and felt the tears. She quickly wiped them away. “Doug... I’m sorry,” she murmured, not knowing what else to say.

  He nodded. “I know. I’m sorry, too.” He tilted his head, looking a bit confused. “But I don’t see what’s so wrong with comfortable.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with it. But I want more than comfort. I want love and passion and...” She swallowed. “I want earth-shattering.”

  He gave her a rueful smile. “I don’t have much experience in shattering a woman’s world, I’m afraid.”

  No, but Brody did.

  Unfortunately, he also had plenty of experience in shattering a woman’s heart.

  TWENTY-NINE

  “You really haven’t heard from him? Not even a text?” Darcy demanded.

  Hayden wiggled her toes, which were being devoured by a swarm of tiny fish. Apparently, this was a spa treatment to get all the dead skin off, but it tickled so badly that she was afraid she was going to squish the poor things. Spa day had been Darcy’s idea, supposedly the best solution to Brody’s three days of complete radio silence, but Hayden didn’t feel at all better.

  If anything, she only missed him more. And now she felt even worse, because Darcy had closed up her shop on a Monday morning just to commiserate with her.

  “Not even a text,” she confirmed glumly. She jumped when she felt another tickle on the sole of her foot. “Oh, my God, can’t we just ask them to start the pedicure now?”

  “No! You’ve got to do this first. Trust me, your feet are going to be as soft as a baby’s bottom.”

  It was sweet of Darcy to suggest this girls’ day, but Hayden didn’t give a shit how soft her feet were. All she could think about was what the hell she was going to do now. About Brody. About her father.

  God, her father. She still hadn’t confronted him about Brody’s belief that her dad was guilty. They’d spoken a few hours after the photos of her and Brody had appeared on the internet, when her dad called demanding to know what the hell was going on. She’d still been so stunned about Brody ending things that she simply sat there and let her dad lecture her, and it was only after they’d hung up that it occurred to her the wrong person was asking that question.

  She was the one who should be demanding to know what the hell was going on.

  Presley had likely fixed those games. He’d cheated. Not just professionally, but on Sheila. Love her or hate her, Sheila was still his wife, and Hayden believed her when she said he’d slept with someone else.

  But she’d been too distraught to push him. All she’d gotten out of him was that he was being interviewed by investigators this afternoon.