The Good Luck Charm(54)

Tall and Exotic glances at me, a small smirk curving her very-full lips. One of her perfectly plucked and shaped eyebrows lifts and her nose crinkles. “Is this a fan of yours, Ethan?”

I mirror the raised brow and the condescending smirk. “His biggest.” I look up at Ethan, whose expression is slightly panicked. Oh, this should be interesting. “Aren’t you going to introduce us, Ethan?” I ask sweetly.

He wraps an arm around my shoulder and squeezes—maybe a warning, maybe a reassurance; I have no idea—but I don’t like the way she’s looking at him or how awkward this has become. “Lilah, this is Selene. She’s, uh, a friend.” His throat bobs with a nervous swallow. “Selene, this is my girlfriend, Lilah.”

Selene’s smug smile drops and she blinks, eyes darting from Ethan to me and back again. “Oh. I didn’t realize.” She smooths a hand over her hip. “I thought …” She shakes her head and offers me a palm. “It’s so nice to meet you—Lisa, is it?”

“Lilah.” I grip her hand firmly.

“So sorry. It’s so loud in here.” She motions to the noisy crowd. “Well, Ethan, it was so nice to see you again. Congratulations again on the win.” She turns her fake smile on me. “It was nice to meet you, Lilah.” She seems to want to hug Ethan, but since I have no intention of letting him go, she’s forced to wave and walk away.

As soon as she’s gone I turn to Ethan. “Who the fuck was that?”

“She’s just a friend.” He runs his palms down my arms.

“She looks like a damn swimsuit model.”

Ethan makes a face.

“Oh my God. Is she a swimsuit model?”

“She did a few shoots for Sports Illustrated,” he mumbles as if he doesn’t want me to hear.

I prop a fist on my hip and ask, probably louder than I should, “Have you slept with her?”

He glances around. “Maybe we should go up to the room.”

I snap my jaw shut and my nostrils flare. He’s definitely slept with her. I’ve never considered myself a jealous person, but dear God, that woman is the epitome of physical perfection. And Ethan has seen her naked. Probably more than once based on the look on his face. I spin around and start making my way through the thick crowd lining the bar.

“Princess, where ya goin’?” Josh yells after me.

“Lilah.” Ethan’s fingers wrap around my wrist and he drops his head so it’s close to my ear. “Calm down, baby. I’ll explain when we’re upstairs. There are too many people taking pictures and shit here.”

I clench my teeth, wanting to defy him, but seeing his point. I allow him to lace our fingers and lead me through the crowd. It’s simultaneously easier and more difficult since people move out of his way, but he’s stopped several times to chat.

When we finally make it to the elevators, we have to wait, and several people get in with us, a few of whom recognize Ethan and want autographs. I back into the corner and keep a placid smile on my face while I watch the numbers on the elevator. I step out around Ethan, who quickly says goodbye and follows after me. Neither of us says a thing while he opens the door and motions me in ahead of him.

I stalk across the lavish penthouse suite he booked for the weekend—definitely not covered by the team—and drop my purse on the couch. I spin around and cross my arms over my chest. “You fucked a swimsuit model.” I don’t even want to think about him being with her the way he is with me. Two physically perfect people having sex with each other. It makes me want to claw her eyes out. Or chop off her perfect, silky hair.

Ethan unbuttons his suit and blows out a breath. “Lilah—”

“Was it just a hookup? Did you date her?”

“We went out a few times at the end of last season.” He shrugs out of his jacket as he crosses the room, tossing it over the arm of the couch.

“So you slept with her more than once?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

No. I don’t. “Has she been to other games this season?”

Ethan’s voice turns steely. “Excuse me?”

“Why was she here tonight?”

He crosses his arms over his chest. “Are you accusing me of something here?”

“No. I don’t—There were all these women in the bathroom, talking about who they were going to try to hook up with. Someone mentioned your name and then this fucking supermodel shows up who you’ve slept with before. Just … fuck!” I’m not sure if I’m on the verge of tears or not. I scrub a hand over my face.

Ethan sighs and drops his arms. Crossing the short distance, he runs a single finger from the bridge of my nose to the tip. “I haven’t talked to her or seen her since I moved to Minnesota. It wasn’t anything serious. We went out a few times. That’s it.”

“She’s gorgeous.”

He tips my chin up. “You’re gorgeous.”

“Hardly.”

“Don’t you dare diminish how I see you. If I say you’re gorgeous, I mean it. She’s got nothing on you. Selene was someone to pass time with. You’re the one I want. Why else would I have flown you out here?” He runs his thumb along the contour of my bottom lip. “This mouth—” He dips down and brushes his lips over mine, then cups my cheeks in his palms. “This face.” He runs his hands down my sides. “This body is mine. You’re the only one I want, Lilah.”