“Can’t wait for the fashion show!” Anita said in a sing-song voice.

  Tessa laughed as she began to undress. “You know I’m still going to pick the cheapest one, right?”

  “I’ll be the judge of that,” Anita replied. “Mark gave me strict instructions, and I can’t disobey my big brother.”

  Heat spread through her at the information. “Oh, did he?” Tessa checked herself out in the mirror once she was undressed to her bra and panties. She bit at her bottom lip, liking what she saw—and maybe Mark would too? She grabbed her phone and snapped a sexy picture of her butt in the mirror.

  “Girl, he wants you to look fine on his arm. My brother has never fallen for anyone but you, and he’s ready to show you off to the world.”

  Anita’s words warmed her; Tessa wanted that too, truthfully. The buzz of being around Mark’s family again, and Angus being fully embraced by everyone in his life—it all made her feel dizzy. Practically drunk. Like this was the reality she’d always dreamt of but been too scared to hope for. Like she’d subconsciously feared her past mistakes might have prevented them from accepting Angus. But now that everything was coming together…she was feeling more ready to advance with Mark. And this gala signified that next step.

  Tessa sent off her half-naked selfie before trying on the first dress, a royal blue scoop neck that clung to her body perfectly. When she pulled back the curtain, Anita gasped.

  “Oh my god, that’s the one,” she gushed.

  Tessa laughed. “I haven’t even tried on the others! Besides, I didn’t look at the price tag.”

  “Well, damn, girl. That one’s a strong contender, at least.”

  Tessa looked back in the mirror in her dressing room, turning from side to side. “You think? It seems a little…I don’t know…risqué.”

  “What do you mean risqué? It’s tasteful but sexy.”

  Tessa frowned, facing Anita. “But is it too much? I mean, I’m a small-town girl at heart, Anita. This whole celebrity charity event is way out of my comfort zone. I don’t want to show up looking…off. Like I’m trying too hard, or worse.”

  Anita cocked her head. “Trust me, this is not ‘off.’ It’s not even a lot. But there are plenty of other dresses to try on. What’s the fun if you don’t feel pretty in the dress? You have to feel good in it.”

  Tessa nodded, looking down at herself. “Truth is, I want to feel good. But I want to make sure I represent my life well, too. This is my chance to rehabilitate my image at work. I don’t want them to look at me and confirm their suspicions that I’m a gold digger or some kind of loose woman.”

  Anita thew her head back and laughed. “Excuse me, what now? A gold digger? Loose? Anyone who looks at you and sees gold digger, their opinion does not count. Now get your butt in there and try on the next one.”

  Tessa cycled through the next seven dresses, loosening up a little bit more with each dress. One made her feel like a martini shaker, while another had such a low, scooping neckline she had to snap another picture for Mark. When she returned to her phone, he’d sent a long string of texts in response to her half-naked selfie.

  OH MY GOD. Legs for days. You’re killing me, and the plane is about to taxi. I don’t get to see you for three more days, babe. How is this fair?

  She grinned and fired off the newest picture. Mark’s last preseason game was in Phoenix, and today was the team’s travel day. Which meant Angus got a full weekend with his grandparents, and Tessa was out spending Mark’s hard-earned money. The whole concept made her feel giddy. This was honestly what Mark had always wanted for himself and his family. He’d always dreamt of providing.

  But the giddiness was paired with wariness…because what about the long term? It was a question Tessa couldn’t shake the longer things went on.

  Mark replied to her sexy over-the-shoulder shot almost instantly.

  Holy hell…you’re making this flight really hard, babe. I’m gonna eat you alive when I get back into town.

  Desire rippled through her. She wanted that more than she could even admit. Her own wish to take things slow was proving a difficult one to honor, especially since Mark was the living embodiment of tanned, ripped NFL player. His smile alone could take her breath away, and she’d replayed their evening at the pier too many times in her head since that night. And every time she did, it ended with her shoving her own hand down her panties, imagining the warmth of him against her as she rubbed herself to climax.

  “Come on, let’s see one more,” Anita said, pushing a new dress into the fitting room. “I just took one last look around, and I think this one has your name on it.”

  “Okay, but only if you say so,” Tessa said. She carefully stepped into the emerald-green dress. Floor-length. Understated yet elegant. It swished when she twirled and fit like it was made for her. When Tessa pulled back the curtain, Anita gasped.

  “Now that is the one,” she declared.

  “I think so too,” Tessa said, turning from side to side in the mirror. She already knew what shoes she’d pair with it—something she already had, so less expense. Anita came up behind her and checked the tag.

  “And lucky you,” Anita said. “One of the cheaper ones in here.”

  “Looks like we found the one,” Tessa said, sharing an excited smile with Anita. “Thanks to you. I think I would have just left here in tears if you hadn’t been here to help me.”

  “This is what I was born to do,” Anita said, and then pulled her into a warm hug. “It’s so good to be seeing you again. I hope you won’t stay a stranger, now that everything is out in the open.”

  “I won’t,” Tessa said, wiping away a sudden tear. “I promise. I’m so thankful that you and your family can still welcome me at all. I’ve always seen you as a sister…that never changed.”

  Anita smiled, squeezing the sides of her arms. “And if we’re lucky, that’ll become law someday, won’t it?”

  Tessa laughed, swatting at her arm. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

  “Ahead?” Anita demanded. “You two have been inseparable since seventh grade. I’d say you’re actually behind on things.”

  The two of them chatted and laughed together as Tessa changed back into her clothes and gathered their things to leave. When it came time to pay, Anita dug out Mark’s credit card and handed it to the sales clerk gleefully.

  “You enjoyed that way too much,” Tessa teased.

  “You bet your bottom I did,” Anita said with a devilish grin. Tessa watched the clerk ring up the dress—which went for just a little over a thousand dollars—feeling like she was in a dream.

  Everything was changing so fast. Angus was part of both families. They were establishing a new normal…while re-establishing some previous norms. It all felt exciting and thrilling—almost like a fairy tale.

  But as the clerk began to pull a silver bag over the satiny dress, Tessa’s mind wandered further. It was thrilling at the same time it was terrifying. This new fairy-tale life meant more galas. More red-carpet events. More gossip.

  If Mark became a celebrity and partook in this lavish lifestyle, well…that brought her along with him.

  And the biggest problem with a real-life fairy tale? It didn’t exist.

  Tessa’s life had taught her that.

  12

  “You ready for this, Coleridge?” James gripped Mark’s shoulders and jostled him from behind.

  Mark laughed, glancing down at Tessa at his side. The following Thursday night, it was her first time meeting the team, but more importantly, it was their first important event together. He was excited, but more than that, he couldn’t stop looking at Tessa in this damn green dress.

  “It’s gonna be a good niiiight,” Maxwell said, joining in on the jostling. Tessa giggled as Mark’s friends accosted him.

  “Guys, watch the hair,” Mark said, smoothing his palm over his sideswept blond locks. “I paid my stylist a lot of fucking money for this do.”

  Maxwell snorted. “Shut up. You don’t have a stylist.”

  “He does,” Tessa piped up. “And I’m her. He paid me nothing—don’t let him lie to you.”

  A chorus of Oooohhhh’s erupted from his friends, and Mark relished the teasing. He’d known he could count on his buddies to help him ease into this first event. It’s why they’d met up around the corner from the palatial event hall. Mark wasn’t fully interested in the ongoing schedule of fancy events, but with his football friends and his high school sweetheart on his arm, it wasn’t so bad.

  “Damn, Mark. She’s not afraid to call you out,” James tutted.

  “That’s the kind of woman we should all have,” Mark said, sliding his arm around Tessa’s waist.

  James smirked as they approached the red carpet. “Sure. But not for a while, okay?”

  Tessa laughed. “Do you have a time limit?”

  “Yeah,” James replied. “Single until I feel like it.”

  Up ahead, a few other teammates were paused by journalists, sharing a few words, or hamming for the cameras. The evening had turned the sky into a brilliant mix of burnt orange and pinks as the sun sank toward the horizon, which only made Tessa look more beautiful.

  “You ready for this?” he asked her quietly before they reached the official start of the red carpet. “We could still turn back.”

  She looked up at him, nervousness dancing in her gaze. But he saw excitement there too. “Oh, no. No turning back now. Not after you bought me this dress.”

  They stepped onto the carpet. Mark held his grin as they advanced, though he could feel the cameras flashing around them. They were officially in the celebrity bubble now, and the energy buzzed hot here. Five steps in and a reporter stopped Mark for some questions.

  “Mark Coleridge! Can you chat for a second?” A pretty brunette flashed a grin at him, then zoned in on Tessa. “Who’s your date tonight?”

  “This is one of the most important people in my life,” Mark said, smiling down at her. “My best friend since sixth grade and the mother of my child.”

  The reporter’s brows shot up. “Oh? I didn’t know you had a child. Tell us about them!”

  “We have a five-year-old son name Angus.”

  “I’m sure he’s a looker like his daddy,” the reporter went on. “Can we see a picture of him?”

  “I don’t think so,” Mark said. “Maybe you’ll catch him on the sidelines during a game, but that’s it.”

  Another reporter stepped in, asking him a few questions about his thoughts on the upcoming season. James and Maxwell were similarly trapped, giving soundbites and smiling for pictures. By the time Mark broke away, he could see James and Maxwell attempting the same. He guided Tessa past the huge gilded doors and into the impressive lobby of the theater.

  Tessa sucked in a breath, her gaze skating all over the room. “Oh my lord.”

  Mark nodded slowly as he took it all in. This was a charity ball to fund specific cutting-edge hospital programs, but it was clear that the emphasis was on the ball side. Everything glittered—both people and surroundings. The floors gleamed, practically reflective, and white columns dotted the expansive lobby. Ornately framed photos hung on the walls, detailing benefactors or founders that Mark didn’t recognize. Servers flitted around the area, carrying trays of hors d’oeuvres and champagne flutes. Tessa’s grip on his arm tightened.

  “Oh my god. Is that Jessie Musgraves?” Tessa hissed, her eyes glued to the popular country singer across the room.

  “Oh, yeah. She’s married to my teammate. Didn’t you know that?”

  “No,” Tessa hissed. “Oh my god. I wonder if I can get her autograph.”

  Mark laughed, but it faded as he spotted someone heading his way, eyes laser-focused on him.

  “Are you Mark Coleridge?” the refined man asked, extending his hand. He was neatly groomed and shaved and wore a black suit, like the majority of the men here tonight.

  “I am,” Mark said, shaking the man’s hand. “And you are?”

  “Randall Beckman, the head of the Savannah Children’s Hospital, the organizer of this event.” His grin widened. “And I must say to you, in person—thank you for your exceedingly generous donation tonight.”

  Mark grinned. He’d sent ahead a donation to a particular program that had caught his eye, not planning on attending the event unless absolutely necessary. But he was dying to start supporting good causes now that he could.

  “It was my pleasure. Your program does a lot of work pro bono for kids in need, and I respect that. My own family could have benefited from something like that after my sister’s accident when she was nine. A hospital like yours could have saved my family years of heartache and debt.” Anita had required six months of intensive care after a go-cart crash that had nearly killed her. Fundraisers and state aid could only take his family so far. They felt the financial repercussions of that crash for a full decade afterward.

  Randall clapped Mark on the back. “Well, we’re happy to do what we do. And with donations like yours, we plan to do it for many years to come.”

  The group chatted a bit longer before Randall left to find other donors who needed a personal thanks. Tessa turned to Mark with a raised brow.

  “You donated already? We’re hardly ten feet inside the door.”

  Mark felt his neck get hot. “It’s important.”

  “I never realized it was so hard on your family after Anita’s accident. Your house was always a safe haven for me. I never imagined it could have been anything other than happy.”

  “Don’t get me wrong—we were usually happy. But there are other kids out there like me when I was growing up. Like you, too. I want to help them if I can.”

  Tessa smiled up at him before rising onto her tiptoes, pressing a kiss to his lips. “You’re really the best, you know that?”

  The two of them floated through the evening, never leaving each other’s sides. While James and Maxwell found new, pretty girls to chat with every so often, Mark and Tessa only had eyes for each other. Dinner came and went in a delicious blur, wine was drunk, speeches made. To memorialize his first big event, Mark handed Pete his phone to take a picture of him, Tessa, James, and Maxwell, then got swept up in another photoshoot with Randall Beckman and some fans of the team. When he finally retrieved his phone and returned to their table, he saw that it was nine o’clock already. Both he and Tessa were yawning.

  “Are we old already?” she teased. “Can’t stay up past nine on a night out?”

  Mark laughed. “Guilty.” He took her hand, bringing it to his lips. “How about we head home and see what else we can squeeze in between before we fall asleep for real?”

  She wiggled her eyebrows at him. “Now that’s some sexy talk.”

  He laughed, leaning closer. His lips hovered near hers without finalizing the kiss. “If we’re lucky, we’ll both stay up long enough to take all our clothes off.”

  Her eyes flashed, and she brushed her lips against his ever so gently. “That might make me stay up a little longer, actually. If you get naked.”

  “Full naked?” he prompted, brushing his nose against hers. “Or just naked like that night on the pier?”

  Her eyes fluttered shut, and he knew he’d gotten her. He was half-hard in the middle of the event hall and couldn’t care less. “I think we should go for full naked this time.”

  Mark closed the remaining distance between them, planting his lips against hers in a juicy, hungry kiss, signaling the next chapter of the evening.

  When they broke apart, Tessa croaked, “I think it’s time to go home.”

  “My thoughts exactly.” He gripped her chin between thumb and forefinger and snagged one last kiss. “My place or yours?”

  She hesitated for a moment. Angus was staying with Mark and his family, which meant they could enjoy a child-free night—and morning—at her house. But only if she wanted to.

  “Mine,” she whispered. And as far as he was concerned, that was the green light he’d been waiting for. He pushed to standing, rushing through goodbyes with James, Maxwell, and the other teammates nearby. Tessa waved, trailing behind him, as they hurried out of the event hall and to the valet. He wrapped his arms around her as they waited at the curb.

  “Does this mean I get to sleep in your bed tonight?” he asked.

  “No. I expect you to stay in the guest room,” she said, slapping his arm.

  “Not a chance,” he growled before snagging another kiss. By the time the kiss broke, his car was at their side. He tipped the valet, opened Tessa’s door for her, and then got into the driver’s seat. Tessa had hearts in her eyes as he shifted and drove the car away.

  Traffic wasn’t bad this time of night. The air hung sultry and fragrant, a perfect precursor to whatever was about to happen at Tessa’s house. He drove with his fingers laced between hers. Just like they’d done in high school, just as he planned to do for as long as she’d let him.

  Back at her house, she didn’t make it four steps before he scooped her up in his arms. She giggled, throwing her arms around his neck as he carried her toward the door. He bent so that she could open the door with her key, and then burst through the door into the darkened house. He fumbled to find the switch while she happily kicked her feet. Golden light filled the hallway, and Mark shut the door behind him.

  Their eyes locked. The house was perfectly silent. The night was theirs.

  He wasn’t sure who kissed who first. Maybe they both lunged at the exact same time, a decision that shuddered forth from their subconsciouses at the same moment. Their mouths collided, giving way to hungry, needy kisses that nearly buckled his knees. Tessa grappled at him, somehow shimmying against him so that her legs wrapped around his waist and his hands slid into place at her ass cheeks. A groan crossed his lips when she ground her pelvis against him.

  “Mark,” she gasped between kisses. “Let’s go upstairs.”