Read Online Blindsided: A Sports Romance by Ava Kendrick - Free Book Online

like this is difficult for everybody. How do you think mom and pop are gonna explain this to little Stevie or whoever the fuck? Huh? Shit like this loses us fans.”
    I close my eyes and sigh. “I’m a football player. Not a goddamn… celebrity.”
    “Tell that to these kids and their parents,” Coach snaps. “You’re a role model. You can’t act like this.”
    “Alright, alright,” I say, holding my hands up. I’m still wondering what Rose’s friend has to do with all of this. “I’ll take it easy. I didn’t even want to go out in the first place. It’s not gonna be hard to keep a lid on it, I promise. I’ll kiss some babies; bake cupcakes for some grandmas. Okay?”
    The other guy has been silent all this time but now he becomes more animated. He crosses and uncrosses his legs, scrunching up his face like he’s just eaten something sour. “I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”
    I round on him. “Who are you? And why are you here?”
    He smiles at me and I get the creeps. Maybe it’s the hangover, but there’s something seriously off about this dude even if I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is. Or maybe I’m just jealous that—unlike me—he’s somebody Rose actually wants to speak to.
    He looks at Charlie, who nods.
    “I’m Jackson Carter. I’m a public relations expert who’s done a lot of work for the Grizzlies.”
    “Good for you, man.”
    “Jake! Can it, would you? Jackson, go on. Tell him the plan.”
    “The plan?” I repeat.
    The guy nods.
    My first impression was right because the more I look at him, the more I get the sense that this guy would do anything so long as it makes him look good.
    “Jake, this right here.” He points to the newspaper. “Is a big problem.”
    I roll my eyes. “Nobody reads that trash.”
    “They’ve got a circulation of a hundred thousand,” he says, staring into my eyes.
    “Maybe they use it as toilet paper,” I snort.
    But nobody else laughs. They don’t even crack a smile.
    “Believe it or not, a lot of people not only read what’s in the papers, but they believe it. That’s why people like me have long, successful careers. This is my business, Jake. I’m the best there is and I’m gonna work with you to rehabilitate your reputation.”
    Something tells me this is a lot more serious than kissing babies and helping old ladies to cross the street.
    He looks at Coach and Charlie before his beady eyes settle on me. “Here’s what we’re going to do first.”

Chapter 8
Rose
    I laugh. I know it’s a strange reaction, but I can’t help it. Marcus looks at me as if he’s waiting for an explanation. It only makes me laugh harder. It all seems so ridiculous. They don’t know what happened. Except they must. From the look on Marcus’s face, it’s like I’ve tried to set the entire hotel building alight.
    “Marcus,” I whisper when I’ve managed to calm down. “This is crazy. The guest called me. He asked for my help in choosing a floral arrangement for his girlfriend.”
    “And you couldn’t offer that help over the phone?”
    I shake my head. “He asked me to come up and help him.”
    Marcus sighs gravely. “So you pretended to go to the bathroom. You went downstairs to the staff area and took the penthouse elevator from the basement. When you could have just walked across the lobby?”
    I stare down at my hands. When he puts it like that, it makes me sound guilty as hell.
    “I… Luca was pissed at me because he felt like I was stealing his guest. I didn’t want to make it more awkward.”
    “Oh please, Rose.”
    I turn and glare at Luca. “It’s true. You’ve been sighing and tutting all week. It’s not my fault the guy keeps asking to speak to me.”
    Marcus rubs his jaw. “And why is that, Rose? Why ask for your help instead of Luca’s?”
    I feel my cheeks redden. “I don’t know. He said he wanted a female opinion. Last I checked, Luca wasn’t female. Although he’s certainly got a bitchy side.”
    Dead.