Page 32 of Tight End
MARISSA
Iwasn’t sure how I lasted for the rest of the event. Doing my job without falling apart after Camille’s accusation was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. But we were finally alone—just Raiden and me in the quiet of his SUV, with the rest of the world locked out.
My pulse was still jittery from everything that had happened, and I folded my fingers together in my lap to keep them from shaking. My throat felt tight, and my chest ached.
Raiden pulled away from the curb, one hand loose on the wheel and the other resting on my knee. Every few seconds, his gaze flicked toward me. Concern twisted with something protective and fierce beneath the calm he was trying to maintain.
Five blocks passed before he said anything. “You good?”
My lips parted, but my voice didn’t want to work. I forced out, “Yeah. I’m fine.”
It sounded like a lie even to me.
His thumb slowly stroked over my bare skin, sending a trail of goose bumps in its wake. “I meant every word I said back there. All of it.”
“I just?—”
He must’ve heard the doubt in my tone because he shot me a look. “Marissa. I threatened a reporter’s career tonight. On record. In front of every major sports network. You think I’d do that if I wasn’t sure about us?”
I turned my face toward the window, blinking fast. The streetlights streaked in long golden lines across the glass while I tried not to fall apart after managing to hold myself together. Finally, I whispered, “I know. It’s just—hearing someone say that out loud…” My breath stuttered. “You already knew that I worried people would think I was using you. But I didn’t expect anyone to accuse me of lying about the baby being yours. It was a shock, that’s all.”
“Honestly, if you’d been defensive, it would have given fuel to that bitch’s shit. You’re mine. You don’t have to defend that to anyone.”
His grip tightened gently, making me feel connected to him even though I wasn’t ready to look at him until I had my tears under control.
“No one talks about you like that. And they sure as hell don’t question my kid.”
My breath hitched, and I pressed the back of my knuckles to my mouth, trying to keep my emotions from spilling everywhere. I’d spent weeks terrified someone might accuse me of trapping him, and tonight it finally happened. In front of cameras, no less. By someone from my own network.
And he’d shut it down before I could even inhale.
“Raiden…” I managed, my voice breaking as I turned toward him. “Thank you for shutting her down like that. I just…I wasn’t prepared even though I should’ve been.”
His dark eyes were filled with concern, but also a fierce gleam that warned people not to mess with him. “You don’t have to be prepared. That’s what I’m here for. Lean on me when shit hits the fan.”
A tear escaped before I could stop it, sliding hot down my cheek. I swiped it away quickly, and Raiden gently brushed away the next one with the pad of his thumb.
“Sorry,” I sniffled.
“It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you.”
He really did, which he proved again tonight. “I just want to go home.”
His jaw flexed like my words hit him somewhere deep. “We’ll be there soon.”
He threaded his fingers through mine and didn’t let go the rest of the drive. Or in the elevator, where he stood close enough that his warmth steadied the last shaky pieces of me.
As soon as the penthouse door shut behind us, big hands cupped my face, tilting it up until I had no choice but to meet his eyes. “Don’t let her get in your head. You didn’t use me. I picked you. If you hadn’t come home with me that night, I would’ve hunted your ass down and stalked you until you agreed to give me a chance. Persistence is literally my job, remember?”
A broken laugh slipped out of me. He dipped his head to kiss away the tear I hadn’t realized was falling down my cheek.
“And you’re not getting the bigger beat because you slept with me.” His voice dropped to that rough velvet tone that always undid me. “You’re the best damn reporter in that building, and your boss sees it.”
I rolled my eyes with a watery laugh as I kicked off my heels. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“You don’t see yourself the way the rest of us do, baby,” he argued, shaking his head. “You ask questions in a way that makes athletes open up like they don’t with other reporters. That’s why Camille is so threatened by you. She knows she already can’t compare, and you’re only going to get better with more experience.”
Somehow, he knew exactly what to say to make the knot in my chest loosen. And staring into my eyes, Raiden knew it.
