Page 62 of Penalty Kick

“I understand why you are worried, Padre,” he continued. “Because what happened last night, and what is still happening between us…it is big, and deep, and serious. And I know that I do not have the best record. But I promise that when it comes to her, deep and serious is what I am.”

Liam nodded, a smile and look of understanding on his face. “That’s all that matters, dude. That and our agreement. So I don’t have to see the girl who is like my sister naked ever again.”

“OMG, why are we still talking about this?” Talia exclaimed, appearing from her room. “Enough with the naked.”

"Talia and I want brunch. So go get dressed, Liam. We’ll meet you in the lobby in ten,” Avery declared as she followed Talia into the room.

Pushing up from the couch, Dash headed toward Talia’s room for his change of clothes, thankful that he’d brought jeans and not something more casual. Dipping into the room behind him, Talia closed the door, a serene smile on her face.

“What were you two talking about?”

“I was assuring him that as your big brother type, he has nothing to worry about. That I know what a big deal last night was and I take that seriously.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

“Well, it’s just that, Liam doesn’t know why last night was such a big deal. No one does.”

Dash blinked hard, trying to process what she was telling him. The words bounced around in his brain, but still, it didn’t quite click. No one knew?

“No one?”

Talia shook her head. “You and Felicity are the only two people in the world who know my secret. Or well, knew my secret.”

Dash took a step back, the weight of her revelation hitting him hard. He had not been expecting to be half of the people in the world who knew this. There was trust, and then there was this. This was next level.

Wrapping an arm around her, he kissed her deeply, wanting to let her know just how much he valued her trust in him. How he trusted her the same way in return. That she owned him.

“Your secret is safe with me, Talia. Always.”

* * *

"Sorry to interrupt, but are you Dash Lazaro and Liam Daley?”

The tall, leggy, blonde woman that was now standing at the end of their booth seemed to appear out of nowhere. Talia leaned forward to look around Dash, assessing the newcomer. Her big, bright blue eyes were wide with excitement, waiting on a confirmation to her question. One it was quite clear she already knew was coming.

“We are,” Liam answered, smiling back at her.

The squeal the woman let out caught Talia off guard, unsure how that sound had come from a grown woman. The sudden arrival of this woman—presumably a fan—made Talia more than a little self-conscious. Same as she had been with Jessica Rabbit last weekend.

Completely ignoring the soreness she was experiencing even just sitting here, she wasn’t used to her meals being interrupted by random strangers. No one else at the table seemed fazed though. Liam continued to smile at her, giving her the “team smile,” the one he used in his official photos and interviews. Not the one that took up his entire face and was often paired with his booming laugh.

Looking over to Dash, she wondered if he also had a “team smile.” She knew he was one of the more popular players with fans, always the last one to make it into the stadium during their arrival parade since he would stop to sign autographs. Certainly, he must have a practiced smile.

Except looking at him now, his smile didn’t look any different. It was the same megawatt grin that he always wore. The one he gave her. Talia’s stomach sank, the aftertaste of her orange juice turning sour in her mouth. Dash was giving this random fan the same smile. Sitting back against the wall of the booth, she tried to reason with herself. It wasn’t the same smile; couldn’t have been. Or maybe he only had the one smile, not two like Liam did. That was certainly plausible. Gunnar didn’t have two different smiles. Then again, Gunnar was not a smiler like Dash and Liam.

Stop. Stop it. You are not the kind of girl who gets jealous over this kind of thing…

“OMG, I am such a huge fan of yours!”

“Then we are fans of yours,” Dash said. The line didn’t sound at all rehearsed, making that jealous tinge inside Talia grow. Maybe he was that guy. Maybe she’d been wrong.

“Thank you for your support,” Liam added.

Turning her attention toward Avery, Talia took another sip of her juice. It tasted funky, the sourness in her mouth still there. Avery, on the other hand, was in her own world, staring at something on her phone. That was a good thing, Talia told herself. Avery was used to this. She was around these guys all the time, so if this interaction didn’t even register on her radar, it must be totally normal. Right, totally normal.

Unless Dash the playboy was part of the norm, and that is why it wasn’t registering for Avery. Shit.