Playing For Love (19 page)

“Can that be our backup plan?” I asked, looking up at him.

“Hell yeah, it can.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

“Austin, wake up. You need to eat and call Elaine.” David woke me abruptly Monday morning.

My eyes squeezed tight. From his tone, I knew today was not going to be a day of laying around and napping like yesterday was.

While I ate, David explained what Elaine wanted for social media and that he was considering switching agents. David seemed to think keeping his current one would invite problems into our relationship, and we currently had more than we could handle. Neither of us were talking about it. Mathew hadn't called again, but Zach and Dawn weren't slowing down. I was amazed how well David seemed to be handling it, but that was starting to bother me too. I wanted him to be more upset than he was—at least as upset as I was.

With David's constant prodding, I got ready in record time. He was impatient this morning, excited to pick up my wedding present. I still had no clue what it could possibly be.

Once we were on the road, he was dialing Elaine.

She answered almost immediately, informing me about the three magazines that had inquired about interviews and strongly suggested that I accept any offers at this point. 

“What do I have to do for the interviews?” I asked.

“They're over the phone, but they all want a photoshoot and they want them soon.  They want the interviews tomorrow.”

“That's not a problem,” David answered for me.

“They all want photoshoots within the next five days.” 

I struggled with the reality of giving up my independence as they discussed my schedule like I wasn't there.

He's the reason it's happening, let him deal with it.

“I don't want her overwhelmed, Elaine. We have a lot going on at home, and you may have to do something about that,” David insisted.

“What's going on?” she asked solemnly.

“Dawn and Zach Stone,” David said flatly.

“Oh, shit.” There was a long pause. “Is Fergus aware?”

“Yeah, he's going to be with Austin whenever I'm not. I filed a restraining order against Dawn for both of us.”

I heard her sigh heavily. “Okay. I'm on it. You haven't talked to her, have you?”

“No!” David barked, getting angry.
“
I did text Zach back.”

“David.
Do not
interact with him.”

“I'm not just gonna sit back while he tries to steal my wife!”

“David,” she sighed. “Calm down. She is your
wife
now.” The way she said it, I felt like I was missing something.

David looked over at me, his intense eyes pinning me, his expression unreadable. “Yes, and I'm going to make sure it stays that way,” he swore solemnly.

There was nothing but silence. Then she said, “Austin, I'll text you the schedule and some guidelines. I'll get it to you before five.” 

“Okay, thanks.” I was a bit overwhelmed and bewildered with everything she threw at me, not to mention the inside conversation they seemed to be having under my nose.

*****

My hands pressed to the white marble wall as I willed my inner turmoil and anxiety to wash away with the hot water pounding down on me. I was really struggling with my independence today or lack thereof. I had to get used to it, I knew that when I married him. We had enough to deal with without my issues kicking up, and I didn't want handling me and identifying my triggers to be his full-time job. I tilted my head into the water, letting the conditioner rinse free.

David dropped me off after the gym, saying he would be back soon. He was giving me whiplash today. Angry. Excited. Domineering. I tried to shake it off as I finished my shower and went through my morning ritual—just later than normal. I tossed on some cute short-shorts and a tee. Then I checked to see if Elaine had sent the interview and photoshoot schedule.

I found two texts from Tara, one which had been read by David.

Tara: Let me know what your

schedule is like. BACHELORETTE

PARTY!

11:15 AM

Tara: Thanks for last night.

Congrats on the hubs!

3:08 PM   
received on Sunday

This isn't going to work

Austin: Find a way so that my

texts still show up missed

on my phone after you

check them. Like Tara’s

12:02 PM

David: Sorry. Consider it done.

12:09 PM

Huh... that was easy. Too easy.

I laid on the couch and turned on the TV, then stupidly, but intentionally, accessed his phone—his too agreeable behavior making me uncomfortable. There were forty texts from Dawn and forty-six missed calls. And that was just from Sunday. I felt like the breath had been knocked out of me. My stomach knotted as I opened one.

Dawn: I miss the way your dick

pounds into me. I need you.

Please come over, I promise I

won't tell your wife. ;)

1:45 PM    
Received on Sunday

Dawn: I've done things to you,

your wife will never do.

2:15 PM       
Received on Sunday

A new text came in from Dawn and I opened it.

Dawn: I'll be home if you still want

to stop by for a quick suck&fuck.

12:02 PM

What?

My stomach dropped and twisted violently.

I opened another. And another. The more I read the more I felt like he had cheated—was cheating. I knew it was irrational, he had been with me nearly every minute since we got home. But my emotions were drowning out any rational thoughts.

What's he really doing right now? A quick suck and fuck before he brings my wedding present home? Did he really have a photoshoot Friday?

I didn't know how long I had been laying there torturing myself when I heard the door to the garage open. Then I heard David speaking softly.

“Come on. It's okay. Come on.” 

I popped up, looking over the back of the couch, waiting to see who he was talking to. David backed into the kitchen and my heart skipped.

He was coaxing a massive black dog into the house. I was scared to speak; afraid I would startle the obviously fearful animal.

“Austin, come here,” David called as he shut the door to the garage.

“David—” I whispered as I approached them. “
This
is my wedding present?”

“Yeah,” he answered excitedly.

I looked at the dog for a moment. His size was intimidating. Then slowly, with cautious steps, the giant beast approached me and pressed his large head into my thighs. The gesture was profound coming from the timid creature. The emotion I felt was shocking. I slowly lowered to my knees, hesitantly petting him. He buried his head against my chest and my arms wrapped around his thick neck.

Abruptly, the dam burst.

Tears fell freely down my face. I couldn't explain it or even understand it, but his sweetness broke me. Everything I had been keeping inside came flooding out.

“Sweetheart?” The concern in David's voice made me sob harder into the neck of this dog. Several minutes into my emotional display, I heard David ask softly, “What do you want to call him?”

Shutting my emotions off, getting myself together, I asked, “What is he? Where did you get him?”

“Mastiff Rescue. He's a pit bull/mastiff mix. He was evidence in a cruelty case. He lost thirty percent of his eye sight in his left eye, but everything else healed fine. I thought he would be a perfect fit for us—with his scars, both emotional and physical.”

“Yeah.” I nodded, looking into the beautiful creatures pale green eyes. I could see a few scars on his head that his hair was mostly covering.

“Chance?” I asked the dog and David.

“I think it's perfect,” David rumbled his agreement.

“What do you think?” I asked again. “Chance Taylor.” 

David

I watched as Austin ignored me completely and focused on the dog, her emotions flowing. I knew all this had been building up—her mother bailing after the wedding, Dawn, the media, Zach, Mathew. I just wanted her to open up to me, let me take care of her, but the stress was mostly my fault, so why would she? 

My eyes closed in frustration as I realized,
I just gave myself more competition for her attention.

Going out to the truck, I got all the supplies for Chance—if that's what they decided on, since my opinion didn't seem to matter. They continued to ignore me as I made trip after trip with dog supplies, including his custom, human-size dog bed, which I needed to put together.

When I entered the house with the last load, they were nowhere to be seen.

“Austin?” I called into the empty room.

Nothing.

I finally went to the bedroom and found Austin coaxing him onto the bed.

“Austin?”

“Hey, babe. He's scared to get on the bed.”

“Yeah. Cause he knows it's mine,” I complained. 

She turned, glaring at me.

“I got him his own bed,” I quickly added. “I'll put it together later. I wanna walk him around the property. Come on.”

She crawled off the bed, her sexy ass swaying back and forth in those tiny little shorts, tempting me to yank them down and fuck her.

Something had been bothering her at the gym. But her energy was off now, something had happened since I'd dropped her off. And there was only one way I knew how to get her to open up.

I waited as she put on shoes, then led them out to the far edge of the patio to the stairs.

Austin hesitated taking in everything. “Wow.”

“That's the guest house and the pool is on the other side,” I explained, pointing down the steps.

“You have a pool?” she asked excitedly.

“
We
have a pool and guest house.” I stepped down, tugging on her hand until she followed, the big beast right on her heels.

“So we have, like, a huge property,” Austin muttered once we reached the bottom of the stairs.

Technically, we did. But we only had a view from the main house. Down here all you could see were trees. I pulled her along the curved walkway until we reached the pool area. It was a dark-bottom infinity pool, which resembled a black hole. It didn't fit with the style of the main house, but they were so far apart, I didn't care. I liked it the way it was. And the pool house was barn-style, all white, so it worked. Kinda. 

“I love this. Why didn't you tell me about this before?”  

“The truth?” She gave me a warning glare. “Kinda busy fucking you every chance I got. Pool never crossed my mind. Unless... you want to fuck in the pool right now,” I rasped. “It was cleaned two days ago.”

“Not in front of Chance.” She sounded completely repulsed. “Gross.”

The dog's gonna cockblock me by just being here?

“It wouldn't be in front of him,” I tried to coax, moving behind her, pulling her hips into mine. I breathed behind her ear, “We'd be in the pool.”

“David, no. I don't want him seeing you do that to me.” Her tone left no room for negotiation. Her rejection hurt more than I was willing to admit.

I have to get him on my side. Somehow.

Austin

“What's your interview schedule?” David asked from the kitchen.

“Why don't you check?” I countered, my feelings about those texts bleeding through.

“Because I want
you
to check and tell me. And I'm cooking,” he half complained.

He'd been pouty ever since I'd refused to have sex in the pool. Normally, I would have, but the texts and constant calls from Dawn were affecting me, especially the texts I read.

I felt like an outsider.

Depressed or hurt or betrayed? Maybe all of the above. Whatever is was, I didn't want David.

Sexually.

Actually, I didn't really want him in any capacity after reading those texts. I didn't want to deal with Dawn or the emotions it was stirring up.

Careful what you wish for...

I desperately wanted to feel something, anything, but not this—this hurt all the time—and I couldn't ignore it anymore.