Scoring Wilder

  "Kinsley, are you attending the event solo tonight?" one reporter asked, and the moment the question was out, everyone else joined in, one after the other, as their voices clamored to be heard.

  "Kinsley, who are you wearing tonight?— Are you seeing anyone?— Do you know why Liam stopped volunteering with ULA?— Are you planning to take your relationship with Liam public?"

  I just kept a fake smile plastered on my face as if I couldn’t hear a single word. Even still, my head was spinning by the time the publicist gave us a thumbs up. I tugged Becca off the red carpet as quickly as possible and looked up to see Penn and Liam waiting for us at the entrance to the event. The sooner we stepped into the party and away from the media, the better.

  As soon as my heels stepped from the red carpet back onto the sleek marble floors, I thought I was in the clear, but then I heard a familiar, shrill voice behind me. At first I didn’t believe it, but when I spun around, I saw Tara posing with a handsome guy that I didn’t recognize.

  “I’m wearing Versace and these shoes are Louboutins, obviously,” she answered one of the paparazzi’s questions while fluffing her hair and striking the perfect pose.

  “Your teammates just passed us on the carpet. Are you going to be hanging out with them at the event?” a reporter asked, pointing in our direction.

  Tara’s gaze followed his finger until our eyes locked and my stomach dropped. She should not be given microphone privileges. There was no way to know what was about to come out of her mouth next.

  “We’re actually not teammates anymore,” she clarified with an air of attitude as she turned her attention back to the cameras.

  That comment sent the paparazzi into a flurry of questions, and I was left clutching Becca’s arm with a vice-like grip. Becca shot me a pleading look as Liam started pulling me toward the entrance of the party. He didn’t want me to be subjected to her drama, but I had to know how she was going to answer.

  “I actually left the team for some quite interesting reasons. I had a problem with a certain individual on the team. There was tons of juicy drama, but I have to go to the event now, boys! Maybe we’ll get to the bottom of the story another time!”

  My jaw ticked as I listened to her plant the seed of my impending demise. She was bypassing the gritty details of our drama for now, but she and I would have to clear the air soon. We both had too much ammunition on one another and I knew she was just waiting to use it to her advantage. Liam squeezed my hand and shot me an apologetic frown. I wrapped my other hand around his arm so that he knew I wasn't upset... just overwhelmed. I hadn’t factored Tara into my evening attire. If I knew she’d be at the event, I would have tucked a flask into my sequined clutch. Or maybe a glock.

  The red carpet led the four of us toward a set of double doors where a PR person was checking people off the list and admitting them as they arrived. When she glanced up at Liam, she smiled and waved us through quickly.

  My heart rate started to slow down as soon as we were inside the majestic ballroom. In here, we were just another guest at the party.

  The event organizers had spared no expense. The colors of the event were black, gold, and white and they extended to every single detail. Black cocktail tables were positioned throughout the room. They'd covered the walls in ornate black and gold striped wallpaper. White orchids sat on every table and black balloons covered the center dance floor. It was already packed by the time we arrived. People were milling around by the bar stations and the dance floor. I was relieved to see that it wouldn't be a sit down type of event.

  Right away I recognized quite a few celebrities chatting with their friends and entourages. I was used to seeing them, having grown up in LA, but I'd never attended a party with so many of them in attendance. That's when it struck me that I was here as a date to one of those people.

  The second we walked in, people started buzzing around Liam, waving hello and patting his arm as he passed by. He was clearly well-liked by everyone in attendance, a little too well liked by some of the women, but I did my best to ignore it. And by ignore it, I mean staring them down and praying they were actually men in drag.

  Liam placed his hand on the small of my back so that his fingers touched my bare skin. We were greeting one of his friends as he ran his hand slowly up and down my spine, just enough to make my skin tingle. A backless dress was definitely a good choice.

  "Would you like a drink?" Liam asked.

  "Sure. It'll give me something to do with my hands," I joked as he led us over to the bar.

  "This place looks amazing," Becca noted, scanning up over our heads toward the coffered ceiling illuminated by gold stars. I couldn't tell if it was a lighting trick or if they'd actually stuck stars to the ceiling.

  Liam leaned in. "Champagne or a Greyhound?"

  I smiled at the luxuriousness of champagne, but I had to resist. “I should probably stick with a diet coke since there’s media here."

  He and Penn stepped up to order us drinks, and Becca and I stepped aside so we'd be out of the line.

  "You look gorgeous. Are you still nervous?" I asked, putting my hands on her shoulders like I was giving her a pep talk.

  She laughed and puckered her lips. "No, dahhling, you look gorgeous.” I laughed. "Not really. Now that we're inside it isn't so bad."

  I agreed and let my hands drop back down to my side.

  "I thought those reporters were going to jump across the rope and tackle you," Becca laughed.

  I rolled my eyes just as Liam and Penn walked over with drinks. Liam kissed my cheek and handed me a glass of soda.

  "Why thank you," I winked. Penn handed Becca her drink and we all clinked glasses before taking a sip. The champagne was light and sweet, a perfect combination.

  "Were you guys talking about the reporters?" Penn asked.

  "Yeah, they were vicious," Becca answered.

  As the group chatted, Liam placed his hand on my lower back once again, drawing me near his body. It felt intimate to have him claiming me like that. It was as if he couldn't stand near me without touching me somehow. I rested my body weight against his chest and I felt his hand dip just past the plunging hemline on the back of my dress. The one downfall to the flowy garment was that there were no barriers to keep Liam out. He easily slid his fingers an inch lower than they should have been. If he kept going he'd hit the top of my lacy underwear.

  I eyed him warily, but he was talking to Penn and wearing a confident smile. The guy had one perfected poker face. I smiled to myself and took another sip of my drink, but when I slid the glass from my lips, I looked up to see Josh and the blonde bimbo.

  Yes, the one I found in his bed while we were dating. They were heading in our direction from the entrance of the party.

  I almost couldn't believe it at first. Surely, he'd have more class than that. Or maybe he didn't know Liam would bring me? Either way, my stomach clenched and I wanted to flee the scene immediately. Liam's fingers pressed into my back gently, letting me know he saw Josh approaching as well.

  "Hey everyone," Josh offered with a small smile. I was almost surprised that he even came up to our group, but then I remembered that he and Liam had practiced together all week. Liam had told me that on the field they pushed all the bullshit aside and played as teammates. I wasn't sure what the rules were for this situation though.

  We all offered simple hellos and I thought Josh would slink away, but no. He actually had the nerve to introduce his date, Jenny.

  Penn and Liam nodded and Becca murmured a hello. She didn't know that Jenny was the girl that Josh had cheated on me with, but she had enough sense to realize that anything concerning Josh was bad news.

  Jenny didn't glance up at me once. She averted eye contact as her gaze flitted around the room. I could feel Liam tensing more and more next to me. I was sure my anger was a tangible thing floating around the entire group.

  The silence was growing more and more awkward and eventually I just couldn't handle it. "All right, Josh, you have
sufficiently made this awkward as hell."

  The moment the words were out, Liam let his arm drop from my back and stepped forward, angling himself in between Josh and me. Thankfully, Josh wasn't completely plastered by this point and realized that fighting wasn't the best idea.

  "Yeah, okay. You're right. I'll see you guys at the game tomorrow." He smiled tightly and walked away. Jenny trotted after him trying to keep up.

  Our group was stunned into silence at first, but then Becca spoke. "I realize that he is beyond, beyond foolish, but we'll eventually have to be able to have a conversation with him since he's Liam's and Penn's teammates."

  I scoffed. "Yes, I completely agree, but I'm not about to let him introduce me to the girl I found him in bed with when we were dating."

  Becca gasped. "That was her? He had the freaking gall to bring her as his date and introduce her to you?!" She was fuming and I couldn't blame her. If I wasn't standing next to Liam, I would have been much angrier about the situation myself. But the moment Josh was out of my sight, Liam’s cologne wafted around me and I remembered the guy I was actually here with. Liam trumped all.

  I glanced up, making eye contact, and rested my hand on his forearm. "I hardly care. I'm here with you and there's no one else I'd rather be with. I just would love to not have to pretend to like her if I don't have to."

  His sharp features started to relax as my words washed over him. He took a deep breath and leaned in. "If I didn't have to keep up appearances at this event, he wouldn’t be standing right now."

  I shivered at his words. "Don't. Please. He doesn't mean enough to me for you to waste your energy. I don't even want to be his friend. I'll be polite to him whenever we're forced to be near him, but please don't let him ruin our night."

  Liam kissed me square on the mouth, stealing my breath and replacing it with all of his feelings for me. When he pulled back I knew he was in control of his anger. My lips had replaced the need to beat up Josh. Kinsley’s lips: 1, Josh: 0.

  I glanced over to see Penn wrapping his arm around Becca and tugging her in close. She was smiling at him, and for a moment, everything felt at peace.

  "I still have to say hi to a few people. Do you guys want to meet us on the dance floor in a little bit?" Liam asked Penn.

  They agreed and soon he was whisking me through the party, never letting his hand stray from my back. He introduced me to his agent, the sweet woman who gave us a moment to talk the week before. She smiled knowingly when she shook my hand and I knew she'd been rooting for me all along. I realized then that she looked to be in her mid-thirties and was wearing quite a beautiful wedding ring.

  "It's such a pleasure to meet you, Kinsley. You seem to be a good influence on Liam," she gushed, eyeing him like an old friend.

  I grinned. "Oh really?" I wanted more details.

  "He's been more focused on the important things lately. It's making my job quite a bit easier."

  Liam chuckled. "Maybe I should make you work harder for that cut."

  She gasped jokingly. "Don't even think about it."

  We chatted a bit more and then he led me toward another group.

  "I promise this won't last much longer. I just have to get it over with in the beginning, and then it'll just be you and me for the rest of the night," he promised. He took me in from head to heels and I swatted him playfully with my hand.

  "I'm not sure that look you're giving me is appropriate for public," I warned with a teasing smile.

  He smirked before pulling me in for a kiss. "Oh, it wasn't. You don't want to know the thoughts that have been playing in loop through my mind since I saw you in that dress."

  "It’s the back, isn't it?" I joked, trying to quell the heat between us.

  His hand traced down my spine, landing just above my ass. "I've never considered myself a back-man until I saw you wearing this."

  I laughed and he kissed me one more time before tugging me into another group. At least this time I saw a familiar face standing next to me. Albeit, not a truly welcome one. Brian King, El Reporter McLiarpants.

  "Oh, hello Brian." I offered him a terse smile as Liam struck up a conversation with another person in the group. Brian turned to me and I could tell he was a bit shocked to find me standing next to him.

  "Kinsley!” his eyes lit up with shock. “I didn't know you'd be here. I've been meaning to get in touch with you since the article went live, but I've been so busy."

  "Ah, I'd imagine so," I said, taking a sip of my champagne.

  “How are you doing?” he asked, scanning briefly down the front of my outfit before meeting my eyes.

  “I’ve been okay,” I answered honestly.

  "I’m actually glad to get to talk to you in person,” he said, angling toward me. “I wanted to apologize. When I first asked you to do that article my intention was for it to be about soccer. My editor pushed for that romance nonsense because we needed ratings. He ended up spinning the story and I had to fight him tooth-and-nail. Obviously, he had the last word." His apology seemed so earnest, and my gut told me that he wasn't a bad guy. I knew he was probably under a lot of pressure to deliver certain kinds of stories to the magazine.

  "I mean, I went to school to become a sports writer, not a contributor to a gossip rag." He ran his hand through his hair and I felt compelled to ease his conscience.

  "Brian, no worries. I know you had good intentions," I said, patting his arm. His entire body seemed to relax and he unveiled a small smile.

  "But truly, I'm happy to see you. Are you here with your team?" he asked. I guess he hadn't seen me walk up with Liam.

  "Oh, no actually I'm here with friends." I trusted that he'd meant well with the article, but I wasn't about to blabber about attending the party as Liam’s date to a reporter, even a friendly one.

  "Oh," he nodded, eyeing Liam behind me, "I see. Well I hope you enjoy yourself. Maybe I'll find you on the dance floor later?" he asked with a hopeful glint in his eye. At that precise moment I felt Liam's hand wrap around my back, even as he continued his conversation with the other guest. The man was dominant and ready to piss all over his territory to say the least. I decided to push his limits.

  "Of course, Brian. We'll dance later." I could feel Liam shifting toward me just before he cut in.

  "Actually, I was about to take you there right now, Kinsley," Liam answered, taking my champagne glass and depositing it on the nearest table.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  "You wanted my attention, and now you have it." Liam smiled handsomely as he twirled me onto the dance floor.

  "Hmm, maybe I wanted a dance with Brian," I teased with a devilish stare.

  "Over my dead body, baby," he joked as he wrapped his arms around my waist. A slow song played over the speaker system.

  "I thought you guys were old teammates?" I asked with a quizzical brow.

  Liam's gaze swept over me. "That has nothing to do with him dancing with you while you're wearing that dress."

  "It's not that bad," I challenged as he spun me out gently and then rolled me back in. He was an experienced dancer and I found it impossibly easy to follow his lead.

  His hand fell back into place on the skin just at the base of my spine.

  He smirked confidently and shook his head. "My hand is two inches above your thong. This dress should be burned."

  "It's loose!" I laughed and he tipped me back, placing a warm kiss on my neck before dragging me back up.

  Liam shook his head playfully.

  One song transitioned into another and a few more guests joined us on the dance floor.

  "I'm excited to see you play tomorrow." I smiled and wrapped my hands together behind his neck.

  "It'll be a good match. Am I allowed to come to your scrimmage next week?"

  I drew my head back so that I could look up into his eyes. "How'd you know about that?"

  He cocked a brow. "I checked the ULA schedule. I'm not going to miss one of your games if I can help it."

  I mashed m
y lips together and let my head fall against his chest. I don't know why the idea of him checking my soccer schedule seemed romantic, but it was. It showed how supportive he was of me and my team.

  "Yes. You can come," I murmured.

  We enjoyed the next few songs and I stayed in that world with him. Every now and then he'd spin and dip me, and I couldn't help the laughter that overtook me at his playfulness. As each song passed, the space between our two bodies seemed to lessen. His hands drifted up and down my back. His lips would skim my mouth, my neck, and my cheek whenever he could get away with it. I was slowly crumbling to pieces and he was the orchestrator of my demise.

  "So much for keeping a low profile," I murmured, not truly upset at all.

  He shrugged. "I have no problem with everyone in this room knowing that you're with me."

  "Mmm, we'll see what they write about us in the papers tomorrow," I teased just as I saw Becca run by the dance floor. She was blocked by dancers, but I followed her path, and when she almost disappeared around the corner toward the restrooms, I finally saw her face was red and splotchy.

  "Oh, no. Becca's crying," I murmured, pulling out of Liam's hands.

  "Did you see her?" he asked, spinning toward the direction of my gaze.

  "She was heading toward the bathroom. I should go check on her." I turned back toward him, resting my hand on his arm. "I'll come find you after. Okay?"

  He nodded, but his eyes were narrowed. "Go see if she's all right."

  I spun through the other dancers and rushed to the bathroom. At first I thought the room was empty, but then I saw that the last stall was closed, and when I stepped closer, I heard muffled crying.

  I tapped on the door. "Becca?"

  "Kinsley?" she asked, hopeful.

  "Yes, open the door and let me in."