“Okay, bring in the girls!” Mara shouted. “Let’s get the Power Couples shots. Jinx! Skyla!”
From the dressing area, two women emerged. First was Skyla, the current Women’s Champion, blonde, bubbly, the definition of a “Golden Girl.” Then came Jinx, jet-black hair shaved on one side, leather, studs, the female version of Cal.
“Okay, let’s move to the grey backdrop,” Mara directed. “Jinx, you’re with Cal. Skyla, grab Silas. Sell it.”
We moved to a boring grey wall.
Skyla bounced over to me, beaming. She didn’t hesitate. She stepped right into my personal space, placing a manicured hand flat on my oily, bare chest.
“Hey, Silas,” she purred, her eyes raking down my torso. “God, you are built right now. Your arms are huge.”
“It’s the pump,” I said stiffly, staring straight ahead. “From the chains.”
Skyla giggled, leaning her hip against mine. She rose up on her toes, whispering in my ear, “Well, it looks good. You know, I have a bottle of tequila in my room at the hotel. You should come by later. I can help you… stretch out.”
I blinked. “Uh. I think I’m just going to crash, Skyla.”
“Don’t be boring,” she teased, trailing a finger down my bicep to my wrist, squeezing. “I promise I’m fun.”
I looked past her. Over by the photographer, Cal was standing next to Jinx. Jinx was leaning against the wall next to him, her shoulder brushing his bare arm. She whispered something to him, and Cal laughed, loud and genuine. They looked good together. They matched.
But then Cal’s eyes flicked over to me.
He saw Skyla’s hand on my chest. His jaw clenched so tight a muscle feathered in his cheek. He stopped laughing instantly.
“Silas,” a quiet voice said beside me.
I jumped. Evan had stepped up next to me while Skyla was having her makeup retouched. He was watching Cal, his expression thoughtful.
“You know,” Evan murmured, almost to himself. “For a guy who claims his sex life is ‘Biblical’, I never actually see the women.”
I froze. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, look at him,” Evan gestured to Cal. “He plays the Rockstar. He talks a big game. But on the road? At the hotel? It’s just us.Alwaysjust us. I never see him bring anyone back.”
I forced a laugh, trying to keep it casual. “He keeps it private. He brings girls back to the room sometimes. I usually just leave and go for a walk or something.”
Evan turned to look at me. His eyes were sharp. He wasn’t smiling.
“Right,” Evan said slowly. “Is that why only one bed was slept in back in Kentucky?”
My heart stopped dead in my chest.
Thenoise of the photoshoot faded into a buzz. I stared at Evan. He didn’t look angry. He looked… waiting. He was giving me the opening. He was telling me he knew the lie didn’t add up.
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I couldn’t deny it; that would be an insult to his intelligence. But I couldn’t confirm it. The rules. The career. The risk.
I just stared at him, silence stretching between us like a wire.
Evan held my gaze for another second, then sighed. He patted my shoulder.
“Just an observation, Si,” he said softly, letting me off the hook. “Skyla is waiting for you.”
The shoot was finally over. We were in a small auxiliary locker room toward the back of the warehouse, away from the main chaos.
The second the door clicked shut, Cal reached over and threw the deadbolt.
He spun around, eyes blazing. “You were terrible in that last set. Skyla was basically climbing you like a tree, and you let her.”
