Page 60 of Hard Ruck

“No, you had strangers staring at your body,” he hissed. “Leering at you and getting turned on.”

I cocked my head at him. “Judging by those women who wanted selfies with you, that’s exactly how they see you when you’re out on the field playing.”

“It’s not the same thing,” he snarled. “I’m out there playing football, not baring my tits. Not spreading my legs for fuck only knows who.”

“Is that the problem?” I asked calmly. “Are you jealous? Do you wish you were the one I was spreading my legs for? Or is this one of those ‘women shouldn’t behave like that’ things?”

“It’s—” He closed his eyes and shook his head before shoving himself off the wall and taking a few steps away. “I don’t know. If it was one of my sisters, I’d want to rip out their eyeballs.”

“I’m not your sister,” I pointed out. “But if any of them wanted to dance, I’d support them even if you don’t. Because, guess what? Women get to make decisions about what they do with their own bodies. If I wanted to take my clothes off here in the street, I could.” I might get arrested for it, but I could still do it.

He ran a hand over the back of his head. “Fuck. Iknowthat. I just hate the idea of you doing it.”

“No shit,” I said dryly. “I think this is something you need to think about and come to terms with. If you can’t do that, I guess that’s that.”

“I don’t know if I can,” he said. “I don’t know if I can get my head around it. If the team finds out…”

“Is that the actual problem?” I asked. “If they find out, I’d be screwed. You’re worried I’d take you down with me.”

“Wouldn’t you?” he asked evenly. “How would this look?” He raised his hands to either side before dropping them to his thighs with a slap.

“I offered to leave the concert,” I pointed out. “You were the one who insisted I stay.”

“People would have noticed if you walked out on me,” he said. “They would have started speculating. If they start looking into you, how difficult would it be to find out what you used to do?”

“Someone already did,” I said. In as few words as possible, I told him about Belinda Simmons and what happened to her.

“This just gets better and better,” he said sarcastically. “Let’s just kill everyone who digs into your past. And here you are, trying to get a job in a high-profile situation. Why?”

“Because I don’t think being a dancer should have any bearing on anything else in my life,” I said. “I’m a good doctor. I’d work hard for the team. Why should a past job prevent me from doing that? That’s as ridiculous as suggesting delivering pizzas should stop you from playing rugby. A job is a job. That’s all I see it as. Would you have preferred I do a job like Belinda Simmons? Follow people like you around and wait for an opportunity to take an embarrassing photo? To dig into your personal life and that of your family? Maybe I could have exposed some deep, dark secret one of your sisters has. Or I could expose to the world the fact you work with people like Daisy Lasalle. How well do you think that will go down if the team finds out?”

“As far as anyone knows, they’re just businesspeople,” he replied sharply. “Friends I do favours for.”

“Have you killed for them?” I asked. “Broken a few bones? Maybe a finger or two? Or a kneecap?”

He averted his gaze. “I haven’t killed anyone. Yet.”

“You’re not denying the rest of it,” I pointed out. “What I did, it never hurt anyone. Quite the opposite. I entertained them, just like you do out on the football field. Just like Ice Blue Roses did for us in there.” I waved roughly in the direction of the arena. “It’s not different just because you say it is. Just because you’re uncomfortable with the idea of other men looking at my body. You know Storm looks at me, right? And Frost. And Dallas. Do you have a problem with that?”

“They’re not paying you for it,” he said.

“Not now they’re not,” I said quietly. I watched as my words sank in.

“They—” He gaped at me. “Fuck.”

“Yeah, fuck,” I said. “As meet cutes go, it was a little different. But it doesn’t change things between us. This shouldn’t change things between you and me either. But that’s something youhave to decide for yourself. I like you, but if you can’t deal with my past, I’ll do my best to stay out of your way.”

“You’re not working with the team,” he stated quietly.

“I haven’t heard back from the GM about my interview,” I said. “It’s possible I’m not.”

“That’ll make it easier to stay out of my way,” he said. “I can’t see you if you’re not there.”

“Not unless I get the job,” I said.

He gave me a look like if he had his way, that was out of the question. Without another word, he turned and walked away.

Chapter Twenty-Four

---