“Roman, no. No, no, no. Don’t do it.No.”
I barely know Iris, so it’s not like I owe her anything. But the thought of cutting ties with her when I get back to the bungalow pains me—especially the thought of me doing it not of my own accord, but to save myself embarrassment on the internet. Fuck the internet. And fuck the kind of people who’d attackIrisafter seeing that video rather than cheering her on.
“Hello?” Cameron says, filling the silence.
I clear my throat. “That groom fucked around and found out, if you ask me.”
“Fucking hell, Roman.”
“What?”
“You already fucked her.” It’s a statement, not a question. Cameron knows me too well to doubt his conclusion.
“Yeah, and she’s not a frigid bitch, I can tell you that.” I snicker. “In the right hands—akamine—that girl is a five-alarm fire.”
“Jesus, Roman. What happened to waiting on the results of the background check?”
“You took too long.” When Cameron grumbles, I add, “You saw her. She’s sexy and cute, all at once. That’s an irresistible combination.”
Cameron makes a sound of extreme exasperation. “Please, tell me you had her sign an NDA, at least.”
“She doesn’t have a clue who I am, so why bother?”
“Roman!”
I chuckle. “Even if she eventually figures out who I am, she won’t do anything with the information. She’s a preschool teacher, Cam. She’s not gonna sell her story for clicks.”
Cameron screams, “You have the audacity to assure me, with a straight face, the unhinged, loose cannon I watched going completely nuts in that video won’t do something crazy and unhinged in relation toyou... simply becauseyou’veassured me that’s the case after knowing her for mere hours?”
I sigh. “If you met her, you’d understand.”
“Jesus fucking Christ.”
A gentle breeze wafts off the ocean, sending a welcome coolness over the sweat clinging to my skin from my run. “Let’s not forget she only flew off the handle at the end, when that asshole provoked her. What woman wouldn’t fly into a rage after the shit the groom said to her? Also, how is it her father hauled off and punched the guy, but nobody’s questioning hisreaction? Nobody’s calling himunhinged and hysterical; they’re all praising him for being a good daddy.”
Cameron exhales. “I’m every bit as impressed and sympathetic as you are, okay? But as your agent, it’s my duty to protect youfrom any potential dustups while I’m working hard to get you top dollar. Please, Roman, don’t see her again while you’re out there. I don’t care how good the sex was, there’s no pussy in the world worth getting yourself involved in viral bullshit when I’m trying to convince the Thunderbolts your overall brand makes you worth two hundred million bucks.”
I frown. Cameron’s made some good points. But then again, he hasn’t met Iris. If he met her, he’d understand she’s not some kind of pariah; she’s a total sweetheart. I look down at my toes burrowed into the white sand. Normally, I trust Cameron’s judgment. So, why am I trying so hard to poke holes in everything he’s saying?
“She’s still in the bungalow,” I admit. “She slept there last night. She was fast asleep when I left for my run.”
“Goddammit.” Cameron grunts. “Okay, well, at least, turn that lemon into lemonade, and get her to sign an NDA before you kick her out.”
My spirit sinks at the thought. “Is there anything else you need to talk to me about?”
“You’re gonna kick her out, right?”
“I’ll decide when I get there.”
“What’s wrong with you? The sex couldn’t have beenthatgood.”
“That’s the thing. It was.” I smirk. “It was like a portal to another dimension.” I snicker with satisfaction. Without even knowing my specific assignment last night, I wound up doing exactly what Iris said in the video: I railed that woman and scrambled her insides like a champ—and in the process, wound up having the best sex of my life.
“Roman, listen to me. If someone posts a photo of you two together, everyone’s going to assumeyou’rethe hot, random stranger Iris selected to ‘rail’ her.”
“I am, though. So what? I’m a single man, and she’s a hot, single woman in need of some TLC. No shame in that.”
Cameron mutters, “Your name attached to this story would skyrocket the whole thing into another stratosphere. You know your behavior off the field drastically impacts your commercial value.”
