Page 49 of #Awestruck

And I could have dropped it there. It would have been the end of it.

Only I didn’t.

“My family wants to meet you. Well, you’ve met my sisters. I should say my parents want to meet you. They were hoping you’d come over for Thanksgiving. On Wednesday. We always celebrate on Wednesday so that we can go to the game the next day. Anyway, my parents don’t know that this isn’t real, and I can’t tell them because they would blab it to the entire world, so they’re expecting me to bring you by.”

I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until he said, “I’m in.”

“Are you sure?”

“Definitely. I’d love to meet your family. Did you show them the ring today?” He took my left hand, holding it with both of his as he studied the ring. It made me wish I was a manicure type of girl.

Then I had to close my eyes against the electrical sensation he was causing by running his thumb along the back of my hand. He probably didn’t even know he was doing it, but every cell in my body was totally aware.

When I opened my eyes again, I realized he was waiting for a response to his question. “Oh, uh, just Aubrey. She knows the truth about us, but it’s cool because I’ve retained her as legal counsel, and she’s not allowed to tell anyone else. I didn’t want my family to know how and when I really got the ring.”

“I wish I’d been there to give it to you.” Now he was basically just holding my hand, my palm lying open against his. Neither one of us moved.

“No, that would have made it ...” A thousand times more—more embarrassing, more sweet, more awkward, more every negative and positive emotion I’d experienced with him so far.

All things I couldn’t say.

“Do you like it?” His question had an odd intensity to it, like it really mattered to him whether or not I did.

“I do. It’s perfect. Something I would have chosen for myself.”

I was struck with the overwhelming desire to lace my fingers through his. To feel the warmth and strength of his hand enveloping my own. I curled my fingers in and pulled my hand away. “Speaking of Aubrey and my family, I was upset about the way the announcers talked about my grandparents today.”

Evan frowned in confusion. “They did?”

“Before you came on the field. It’s one thing for me to be in the spotlight, but none of the rest of them signed up for this. I wouldn’t want the press going after them.”

“Why would they? Do you have some skeletons in your family closet?”

“Not that I know of, but I want to protect them, you know?”

He laid his arm along the back of the couch, his hand next to my shoulder. “I get that. I’ll talk to my agent and see what we can do. I can be more available to answer questions. Maybe in exchange for a handful of interviews, we can get some of the more aggressive outlets to promise to leave you and your family alone.”

I knew how much he had avoided interviews in the past, and his offer made my heart flip over. “You would do that?” I left off the part I couldn’t speak.For me?

“Of course.” Was that my imagination, or did I feel his fingertips barely skimming my shoulder? “I’m the one who dragged you into this. It’s my job to protect you from anything that would hurt you. Just think of me as your own personal left guard. Or right guard. I’ll play both positions for you.”

It was like he’d shoved a dagger into my heart and twisted it around. Because I was being taken in and felt terrible about what I was plotting to do to him. After all the kind gestures he’d shown my family all day, as charming and fun as he was right then, it was so easy to believe in him. That this was the real Evan. That he was finally offering to protect me the way he’d failed to do all those years ago.

He’s engaged to you to manipulate Chester Walton,a voice whispered inside me. Which was true. I had to remember that his motives weren’t pure. This wasn’t about being attracted to me or wanting to date me. He was using me to get what he wanted from his boss.

Just like I was using him to get what I wanted from my boss.

“So, no big plans tonight? Should you be out with the rookies at some bar, meeting all the single ladies?”

He leaned back on the couch, suddenly looking exhausted. “Now that I’m an engaged man, I don’t think that would be a good idea. And that’s not really something I usually do. After a game I like to come home, unwind, and check out how the competition did that day onSportsCenter.”

“Me too,” I whispered. “Do you want to watch it with me?”

Where those words came from, I had no idea.

“Absolutely.” He grinned. I got the remote from the coffee table and turned on the television.

Where it was still paused to that full-screen hero/warrior shot of him. I’d managed to turn the television off but failed to put it back to live TV.

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