Page 29 of The Worst Pucking Deal

“Wait a damn second,” I growl. “That interview is about the team and not my personal life.”

Tom’s eyebrows shoot up on his forehead. “Your personal life is causing an issue for the team. You made the two bleed together, Sawyer. This could help smooth the waters.”

I resist the urge to shout at Lucia, who’s clearly orchestrated this. Maybe I shouldn’t let it bother me, but I’m practically vibrating with anger, and the smug look in her eyes isn’t helping. “Anything else?” I grind out.

“That’s all,” Tom confirms. “So I’ll see the both of you then. Make sure you spend some time together between then and now.”

Lucia stands, and my eyes are drawn to her thighs as she smoothes the fabric there. “Of course,” she sing-songs. “Sawyer already told me we’re going for dinner tonight. We’ll make sure to be seen.”

“Oh, one more thing,” Tom adds. “I don’t have to tell you how important it is that you look like a couple. So that means you have to get your stories straight for the interview.”

“Absolutely,” Lucia replies. “Jo has already emailed me a list of things we need to work on before the interview.” She points at her phone where I assume the email is open.

Tom gives us a sharp nod. “See that you follow her recommendations. You don’t have to know everything about each other, but you need the damn basics, or this will unravel before it can begin.”

“Like what?” I ask, needing to know what he expects from me.

“When did you start dating? How did you manage to sneak around? And why did you keep it a secret? Where was your first date? Things like that. The devil is in the details,” Tom replies.

A groan slips free and I quickly try to cover it up as a cough, but I’m not sure I completely succeed. “Right,” I agree. “So we’re done now?”

“We are—”

Lucia interrupts Tom. “If I may make a suggestion…” When Tom nods, she continues. “The original idea was to spin the story to make it seem like our relationship was kept a secret because of our jobs. So what better way to show the world we have your blessing than posting a selfie?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I grumble.

“Why not?” Lucia volleys, her tone taking on a sharp edge, making it clear she isn’t happy with my interference. Well, too fucking bad for her.

I summon a smirk despite knowing I don’t have a good reason for saying no. “Because that shit would look stupid on my socials. If anything—”

“Sawyer,” Tom grumbles.

I ignore him and carry on. “It should be on the Sabertooths’ socials and not mine.”

“You have a point,” Tom says, thoughtfully scratching his chin. “Yeah, I like the idea of that. Okay, let’s do it and then Lucia can send the picture for Jo to handle.”

I wonder if Tom notices that Lucia straightens her spine and closes her eyes like she needs to collect herself. But when she says, “Sounds good,” there’s no trace of annoyance in her tone. She’s good, I’ll give her that. Unfortunately for her, I’m better, and I’m already noticing some of her tells.

We move to the Sabertooths banner in Tom’s office and stand in front of it, Lucia between me and Tom. Then we take the picture, one where we’re all smiling, and my arm is around Lucia’s middle while she’s leaning against me. In other words, it’s as fake as our relationship.

While Lucia sends the picture to Jo, Tom pulls me to the side. “I know this isn’t ideal for you, and I want you to know I’m sorry it’s come to this, Sawyer.” His tone rings with sincerity, as does the solemn look on his face. “But I was glad when Lucia told me that you’re the one who pushed her to embrace it straight away. It tells me you’re taking your career and place here seriously.”

I should accept the fact Lucia did me a solid by painting a different picture than what really happened last night. I’m not going to. I can’t when I know she has ulterior motives that mean I have to watch her carefully. But I still know I should.

“Why did you pick her?” I ask Tom, needing to know if she was being honest about not putting her name on the list.

“She didn’t want it,” he answers. “If I’m being honest, she’s impressed me for a long time, and the meeting was no different. But when she didn’t use the opportunity to suggest herself, I knew she’d be the right person.”

I can’t decide if I’m surprised or not that Lucia was telling the truth. Either way, I don’t feel bad for questioning her. She’s too… perfect. And I don’t mean her spankable ass, plump lips, or tits that just beg to be fucked… right, thoughts about her body aside, she’s still too damn perfect. In my experience, the cleaner your image, the more you’re hiding.

So the question is, what’s Lucia Carter hiding?

Lucia

The memory of last night’s dinner with Sawyer weighs heavily on my mind as I sit at home, curled up on the couch, lost in my thoughts. After leaving the arena together, Sawyer had suggested we go out for dinner again, and I had reluctantly agreed, knowing it was time. It’s been three days since our meeting in Tom’s office, so we had to do something other than post couple-selfies from the arena on our socials. Now, as I replay the excruciating conversation in my head, I can’t help but cringe.

The restaurant Sawyer had chosen was elegant and dimly lit, with soft music playing in the background. As we settled into our seats, there was a palpable tension between us, neither of us quite sure how to break the ice.

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