Page 71 of The Wedding Deal
Sage had acted like she didn’t care, but when it looked like his career was going down in flames, she’d sure jumped into another man’s bed quickly—one who was going to continue to make millions of dollars.
His phone rang and he jumped, his guilt getting the best of him. He scrambled to answer.
The guy rattled off his name and something about being from some paper? Lance had been distracted by noises coming from the bathroom and wondering if Charlotte was about to step out and didn’t catch everything. “I just heard that you guys signed Gavin Frost as your new quarterback. I’m going to be running it in tomorrow’s paper and on the blog. Care to comment?”
The tip. She’d given her dad a tip. Lance wondered how much that primo information had gone for. She’d worked so hard to ensure no one had told the press before he could announce it—or that’s what she’d made it sound like when she convinced Gavin and his agent to keep it on the down low until Monday.
“No comment,” he gritted out and hung up the phone. Betrayal sliced open his veins, a familiar stabbing pain he’d sworn to guard against so he’d never have to experience it again. Yet here he was, and this time, it ached with a ferocity so strong his previous hurts felt like child’s play.
This flayed him, down to the quick. Every ounce of his faith leaked out the gaping wound, and he knew he’d never trust another woman again.
Then the door to the bathroom swung open, and he steeled himself for an ugly confrontation that was going to sting like a motherfucker.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Immediately Charlotte knew something was wrong, her instincts screaming at her, although her brain struggled to comprehend the what and why.
Suddenly she felt supremely underdressed, so many inches of her so exposed, but it wasn’t like she could simply duck back into the bathroom when Lance had that look on his face. Raw hurt and shock, and something bad must’ve happened.
“Is your family okay?” she asked.
“Funny you mention families,” he said, his words sharp and slicing.
A sense of vulnerability slithered through her, even as she told herself that he couldn’t be mad at her.
Right?
Her mind spun, and she wondered if she’d stepped into some alternate dimension because this didn’t seem like the guy she’d spent the past few days with. “I’m sorry, but I’m totally lost on what’s going on. Tell me and we’ll find a way to fix it.”
“This isn’t a situation that can be magically fixed—especially by you. You and I are supposed to be the only two people who know we successfully acquired Gavin Frost, so why don’t you tell me how a reporter found out?”
Offense pinched her gut. “I told you at the reception that I would never give out information about the team to a reporter. I was simply trying to be nice to Martin Simms, something you evidently need more lessons in.”
“This was a different reporter. Equally as slimy, I’m sure. You know what he just told me?”
“I’m guessing something about how we were going to acquire Gavin Frost. He was probably fishing— People know we need a quarterback and that he’s been looking for a new position. It’s not exactly rocket science.”
“You want me to believe that, don’t you?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, too aware of her nipples brushing the gauzy fabric and how this night was going vastly differently than she’d thought it would. “What I want is for you to stop being an asshole so we can have a calm conversation about this.”
“Oh, we’re far past calm. Simms told me who your dad is.”
In spite of her best efforts to fight it, she felt her face pale, and she forced her chin to remain steady. “I told you he was a gambler. Pardon me for not wanting to dive into the whole messy story— When your grandpa hired me, he told me that he didn’t judge people by their parents. I always appreciated that, and apparently it’s not something you inherited from him.”
She turned to gather her clothes, furious he’d make such a big deal about who her dad was. That he was going to make her feel like shit because Dad had made a mistake, and while yes, it was a big one, he’d done his penance and was working to overcome his addiction.
It hurt even more after opening up to Lance about how rocky her relationship with Dad was. He knew, and he didn’t care— He still threw it in her face.
“My grandpa obviously didn’t know you fed your dad information to ensure he won more than he lost. Does he at least give you a cut?”
Her spine went stick straight, and she whipped around. “Are you serious right now?”
Lance strode toward her, every line of his body tense. “I’ve never been more serious. I was such an idiot, playing right into it. Telling you everything.”
Tears stung her eyes. “Everything? Are you forgetting who made that draft wall over there? Who dived in and helped you every step of the way while doing the job of three people—people you fired because you’re a hothead who apparently loses his mind on a regular basis?”
“Right, like when I trusted you. Clearly a decision I made when I wasn’t in my right mind.”
