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The sliding door screeches behind me. My heart jumps in my throat, and I promptly open a new tab.
“Morning, wifey,” Liam croaks.
“Morning, hubby nubby.” I turn and frown at the state of him. “Gee. You look a little rough. Thought you’d be refreshed after a long sleep in.”
Liam scrubs a hand over his face. He yawns and stretches his arms over his head, revealing a sliver of tanned flesh at his waistband.
I turn away and shut my laptop.
“What are you working on? You’re supposed to be on vacation.” Liam settles next to me, straining the swing. He pushes off the ground and we start swaying.
I clutch my laptop before it slips. “Checking emails and stuff. What about you? How long before you have to return to training?”
“As soon as we get back to the mainland. Five days for a honeymoon isn’t ideal.”
“No. But nothing about this setup is ideal.”
Liam glances over his shoulder to the alfresco ceiling where a small 180 degrees camera sits. He lazily puts an arm around me and faces the beach. “Wonder what they have planned for us today.”
“Mmm. Not sure.” I allow my eyes to drift to a close for a moment. Liam’s body heat and cologne make me want to cuddle into him. I could. He’d think I did it for the camera. But I’d be putting myself at risk. Gotta keep my head in the game, not my heart. He’s competitive too, and he’s trying to sweeten me up and win my favor, so I’ll make that article disappear.
I should be trying to dig up dirt on him. I study his profile. “Before the show, how come you were single? When was your last serious relationship?”
Liam pulls back and places his hands in his lap. “Why the questions?”
I lift my chin, undeterred. “It’s a normal question new couples ask their partners.”
He crosses his arms. “You first.”
“Oh, no you don’t.” I mirror his posture. “I askedyou.”
Liam plants both feet to the floor and the swing stops. He rests his elbows on his knees and leans forward. “I haven’t been in a relationship for two years. If the team has an event, I take a date. Often, it’s . . . a close family friend.” He angles his head toward me. “Your turn.”
I wave a finger. “Not so fast, mister. Why did you break up with your last girlfriend?”
He sighs. “Because of me.”
I blink. Here we go. Here’s the dirt. He cheated, didn’t he? I wave a hand encouraging him to keep going.
“I put my career before the relationship and couldn’t give her what she needed. Quality time.”
Oh. Not what I expected. Sounds truthful. I’m all too aware of the demands on professional players.
“Now it is your turn.” He grins.
I dived into the subject without thinking this through. But it’s only fair that I open up in return. “I had a three-year relationship with . . . let’s just say he’s a professional athlete, no mention of what sport since he’s got a name for himself . . . in more ways than one.” I sigh heavily. “He cheated on me twice. First time, he said it was only a drunken kiss at an after-game party. Second time, well . . . I wasn’t as willing to forgive and forget.”
Liam places a hand on my knee. “Sorry he did that to you. He’s the loser. You’re better off without him.”
The back of my eyelids burns, and I blink to chase away tears. Liam’s affirmation means something. Maybe because he sees this behavior of cheating on partners more than most.
“I guess you swore off dating professional athletes?”
I nod.
“We’re not all like that, you know. At least I’m not.”
I get the urge to ask him about the night he took a drunk girl to his place. I did some investigating before I published the article. It had to be a one-night stand because he wasn’t in a relationship. Liam took advantage of her inebriation. I won’t bring it up now. The camera over there might have a supersonic mic for all I know. Plus, picking through that mess could initiate a big argument. We need the viewers to believe we’ll last, so we must appear like we’re getting along as much as possible.
