Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
Ben
I genuinely hadn’t been this excited to take a woman out in a long time. I dated plenty. All the time. The tabloids labeled me a playboy, and I took it in stride even though I didn’t feel I was a playboy at all. I liked women, I was single, rich, and a hell of a football player. None of those things defined me as a person though. There was more to me that the world didn’t know because I made it a point not to show them. I liked the fact that they only saw a smiling, carefree man when they looked at me. It made it less likely for them to dig deeper. So, I dated women who took the limelight off me because they were famous in their own right.
Pilar was the exception though. Not because she wasn’t famous. She was a damn princess, but she was never the center of attention. You couldn’t find photographs of her doing crazy things. You didn’t catch whispers about her or hear rumors. Being seen with Pilar would mean that the paparazzi would eye me a little closer and wonder why she’d leave her sheltered life to step out with me. It was risky, especially since I didn’t want them digging. As far as I was concerned, my past and personal life were not up for public debate. My manager had advised against inviting her as my date. My friends counseled against it. My ex, whom I was still close friends with and who stayed out of my business, warned against it.
A part of me knew I should listen to them. A bigger part of me couldn’t. Probably the same bit that donned a hard-on every time the princess walked into a room, that I had used to pleasure myself, the image of her riding me hard and fast. The piece I needed to cool the fuck off if I was going to treat her like the royalty she was. Though, even without her title, she would never be some random hookup.
Something about Pilar captivated me. Maybe it was her innocence or the way she carried herself as if she were trying to keep her composure in any given situation. Except last night. Last night, she was wild—dancing on the tables, singing loudly, letting her hair down. A completely different Pilar from the prim and proper one I’d met countless times before. I’d heard from a lot of our mutual connections that she had a crush on me, but she never made it obvious. Every time she saw me, she smiled politely, small-talked, and then moved on to the next person. I hated when she left.
“Everything all right, boss?”
I looked up at David and nodded. My agent had hired David to keep an eye on me when I first came into the league. I was rash back then. Too young, too stupid, and was handed too much money for my own good. It was a careless time for me. Freedom had been given to me quickly, which was another luxury I didn’t have back home. And so, the league complained, and my agent got involved and hired David to babysit me.
At first, I was upset. I hated David. He was too prim and proper in his Gentleman’s Quarterly suits and shiny loafers. A complete contrast to my heavily tattooed body and designer trainers. It took me a year to warm up to him, which was the norm for me. I didn’t trust easily. I did everything in my power to push him away, and he just kept coming back. He said the money was too good to give up. Most people laughed, but I knew he wasn’t joking. So, David stayed, and I learned to trust him. He taught me that not everyone who comes into your life is looking for ways to destroy it.
“Pilar came by the villa,” I said after a while.
“Oh? To accept or decline the invitation?”
“Neither.” I shot him a look. “She did accept though.”
“I figured she would.” He smiled slightly. “She’s always had a crush on you.”
“She came by because she thought we slept together.”
“Why would she think that?” His eyebrows pulled together. “I’m gone a week and you…you didn’t, did you?”
“Of course, I didn’t. I helped her get home after a night of partying. That’s it.”
“You said you wouldn’t touch her. That was the deal.”
“I’m well aware.”
“If her brothers find out you hooked up with their baby sister, I don’t even want to think about the kinds of things they’ll do to the team,” David continued. “The only reason you’re taking her to the gala is because they know it’ll cheer her up. It’s been a year since her father’s death, and she hasn’t gotten back on her feet. One night out with the star of Le Bleus, her crush. But they know you’d never touch her because you’re much older, much wiser, and have other women on your mind.”
“David, shut the fuck up. I’m not going to sleep with the princess.” I sighed, exasperated. “I don’t need anyone to remind me of that, and I don’t need you babysitting me.”
“I know you don’t. You know you don’t. But you like having me around. I keep you grounded.”
“You annoy me.”
“Comes with the territory.” He shrugged a shoulder, picking up the mimosa he’d been sipping. “Anyway, your tuxedo came in. You should try it on tonight in case you need any last-minute alterations. I’ll catch up with you later.” He drained his mimosa as he stood and set the empty flute on the table. “I have a date tonight.”
With that, he left, leaving me to pay the bill and think about what he’d said. He wasn’t wrong. Even though I really wanted Pilar in my bed, there were myriad reasons it shouldn’t happen.
The only problem was that I wasn’t great at following the rules.