Marrying an Athlete Read online

  “Kenna. . .” Anna started, but when she turned to look at her friend, she paused. McKenna’s face had paled, and she looked sick. “Are you okay?”

  McKenna held her hand over her mouth. “I think I’m going to be sick. Ugh, why did I drink that sparkling water? Bleh.” She reached for her seatbelt and unbuckled.

  “I don’t think you can—”

  “Outta my way!” McKenna yelled as she stumbled over Anna’s legs.

  “Okay,” Anna said, contorting her body in a way that allowed McKenna access to the aisle. The protests of the flight attendants were ignored as McKenna rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door.

  Anna shrugged at an inquisitive glance from the passenger next to them. “Nerves,” she said.

  The balding man just nodded and then turned back to his magazine.

  A few minutes later, McKenna emerged from the bathroom with her skin still ashen, but looking better. She nodded to the flight attendant who muttered something about respecting the seatbelt sign, but didn’t push it further.

  Anna pulled her legs back to let McKenna pass by. Once she was settled in, Anna turned. “You okay?”

  McKenna nodded as she dabbed the corner of her lips. “Sorry. Talking about this just makes me sick to my stomach. That sparkling water didn’t help either.”

  Anna nodded and grabbed a tissue from her purse and handed it over. “Here,” she said.

  McKenna took it and then leaned back on her seat and closed her eyes. The plane began to taxi away from the gate. Nerves raced down Anna’s spine, but she blew them out in slow breaths. She could do this.

  They kept their conversation light through the remaining connections to Bora Bora. Anna decided it was best to keep McKenna’s attention away from her failing marriage and focused on the hot heroes in all the in-flight movies. While watching, they chowed down on the complimentary chocolate chip cookies, and rolled their eyes at all the cheesy parts.

  The flight attendants came by with a cart full of assorted candies, and Anna loaded up. There were some benefits to being the fake wife of a successful hockey player. He had money that provided comfort.

  When their charter plane landed on the air strip in Bora Bora, Anna arched her back, pushing away the kinks that had formed in her muscles. This plane was tiny, and Anna and McKenna were shoved in the very back where the seats didn’t recline. She had spent hours cramped in an upright position.

  The plane taxied in next to the small airport, and the fasten seat belt sign went off. She unbuckled and stood, reveling in the feeling of blood flowing back to her lower extremities. McKenna was asleep, so Anna reached over and gently shook her shoulder.

  “Get up, Kenna. We’re here.”

  McKenna startled awake. She sat up and glanced around. “We’re here?”

  Anna nodded.

  She unbuckled and stood next to Anna. After the door opened and a staircase was brought over, they made their way off the plane. As they descended the steps, Anna saw Michael trying to talk to the pinch-lipped Sam. Michael was laughing and moving his arms as if he was telling a joke.

  Sam nodded, but then a pained expression passed over his face. Michael stopped talking and glanced over at her. When he caught her gaze, his eyebrows rose.

  Michael raised his hands in triumph as he made his way over to the stairs. Just as Anna reached the bottom, he extended his hand and Anna took it. He helped her off the last few steps. As soon as she was on solid ground, he pulled her into a hug.

  “That was brutal. Never leave me again. Sam is so boring,” he whispered as he buried his face into her neck. Shivers raced across her skin even though the air was thick with heat.

  Anna forced a chuckle as she pulled away, hoping that he didn’t sense what his hug had done to her. “It couldn’t have been that bad.”

  He looked into her eyes for a moment and then pulled her back, smashing her into another hug. “It was like talking to the side of a building.”

  Anna patted his back. “Well, I’m here now. So you should be okay.”

  He nodded into her shoulder and then let her go. “Shall we?” he asked.

  She tensed when she felt his hand land on her lower back. The warmth radiated through the thin material of her shirt and spread throughout her body. Her breath caught in her throat as she nodded.

  “Right this way, Mrs. Jones,” he said.

  She nodded and let him lead her into the small airport where they found the other passengers milling around. Thankfully, Michael had dropped his hand, and his focus was elsewhere. Anna took this time to calm her mind.

  The outside door opened, and a man came in pushing the luggage trolley. People surrounded him as they picked up their suitcases. Once Anna located hers, she moved from the crowd. As she walked toward the sliding doors, she noticed a man standing in the corner with a a linen shirt and slacks on. He was holding a sign that said Jones.

  She smiled as she approached. When his gaze met hers, she couldn’t help but stare. He had the most brilliant blue eyes that shone against his tanned skin. He pushed his chauffeur hat up and smiled at her.

  “Jones?” His accent clung to his voice like hot sauce.

  Anna nodded. “Yes,” she said.

  “Then I’m in luck.” He put the sign under his arm and reached out his hand. Not sure what to do, Anna stuck out hers. He grasped her fingers and pressed his lips to the top of her hand. “Welcome to Bora Bora. I’m Javier. Your guide.”

  Anna just swallowed again. For some reason, she’d forgotten every word. “I—um—it’s—” What was the matter with her? It was like she’d forgotten how to talk to people.

  “Hey, babe. What’s going on over here?” Michael’s voice snapped her out of her trance. She turned to see him walking up to her. He stopped and wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I didn’t see you wander away,” he said as he buried his lips in her hair to get closer to her ear.

  “I’m—this is Javier. He’s our guide.”

  Michael extended his hand. “Michael Jones. This gorgeous woman’s other half,” he said, nodding in her direction.

  Javier shook his hand. “Javier. I’m with Rekindle Resort. I’ll be taking you there.”

  They shook, and it seemed like Michael was gripping him a little harder than necessary. Thankfully, McKenna and Sam walked up, ending the awkward interaction.

  “Are you with the resort?” McKenna asked.

  Javier introduced himself again and then waved at them to follow. When they got outside, he loaded their luggage into the back of an open Jeep as they climbed into the seats.

  Javier smiled at Anna again when he climbed in and turned around. “It’s a twenty-minute drive to the resort. Sit back and enjoy the sights,” he said.

  Anna felt Michael’s arm rest on her shoulders as he pulled her closer. She glanced over at him to see him studying her. He gave her a smile, and her insides melted.

  “How did your flight go without me?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “McKenna started it off by throwing up. But things got better.”

  He winced. “Sorry to leave you with that. It was probably better than Mr. Stoic over there.” He motioned in Sam’s direction with his head. “I couldn’t get two words from the man. I’ll probably stay up for two days straight with all the sleep I got.”

  Anna giggled. “Yeah. I wouldn’t know how to talk to him, either.”

  Michael grew silent, so Anna peered over at him. “Well, you don’t seem to be having a hard time talking to Javier. You two were standing pretty close to each other.” He emphasized the syllables of their guide’s name.

  Anna parted her lips as she studied him. Was he jealous? No. That had to be her imagination. There was no way Michael Jones could get jealous of any guy. He was about as perfect as they came. Problem was, he would never see her as anything more than his kid sister’s friend. And she was okay with that.

  “I would be lying if I said Javier didn’t intrigue me.” She gave him a mysterious smile.<
br />
  He faked hurt as he pulled back. “But Mrs. Jones. Think of the children.” He laughed as he pulled her closer to him. “I know the first thing we are going to discuss in therapy.”

  Anna forced a smile as she turned her attention to the bright blue ocean that spanned out in front of them. This place was incredible. The beaches were white, and the green vegetation contrasted against it in a way that Anna had never seen in New Jersey. It was as if she’d jumped through her computer and was living in her screensaver.

  “Thanks for coming with me and helping McKenna.” Michael’s voice had grown serious. She could feel his breath on her ear. She wanted to turn around to look at him but feared what being inches from his lips would do to her.

  “I’d do anything for McKenna. . . and you. You have to know that,” she said, hoping he heard her whisper above the rush of wind around her.

  “I do. You’ve always been an amazing friend to McKenna and me.”

  Anna swallowed. In that one sentence, her feelings for Michael bubbled up inside of her. Why was she allowing herself to hope? Michael Jones was not available to her, and she was pretty sure she was not even a blip on his radar.

  Even if he felt this way about her, it was only in a friendly way. He had no deep feelings, even if she wanted to read his body language to mean he did. He was just flirtatious and impulsive. He never thought about what his actions would do to someone. He lived in the moment, and right now, she was that moment.

  “Thanks, Michael.” She reached out and patted his knee. “You’ve always been an amazing friend to me, too.” She pulled back so she could turn to look at him without the chance that they might be close enough to kiss.

  Their impromptu kiss in the airport had been a mistake. As much as she wanted to say it hadn’t meant something to her, she knew she was lying. And she was never good at continuing a lie. So, avoiding any situations where another kiss could happen seemed like the best idea.

  She smiled up at him. Her heart skipped a beat when his gaze met hers. There was a change in his expression that caused her stomach to flip, but she pushed that away. There was no way Michael Jones liked her that way. It was time she moved on and stopped analyzing everything.

  Chapter Eight

  Michael

  Michael couldn’t help but glare at Javier as he led them down the boardwalk to the huts. Another guide had been waiting for them when they got to the resort to show McKenna and Sam to theirs. That left Michael alone with Anna and Javier, and he was having a hard time not hating the guy.

  Javier was talking to Anna about the history of the resort, and she seemed enamored with whatever he was saying. When she laughed, Michael tried hard not to roll his eyes. Right now, shoving their guide into the water seemed like the best idea.

  Javier walked up to a door and stopped. “This is your hut.” He pulled out a key, unlocked the bolt, and pushed opened the door. Anna’s eyes widened, as she looked around, and then met Michael’s

  “Are you serious?” she asked as she walked inside.

  Michael followed her. His mouth dropped open as he took in their accommodations.

  Floor-length windows made up the far wall. A small hot tub sat in the middle of the deck, overlooking the crystal-clear ocean.

  The living room had a small sofa with a coffee table in front of it and a few armchairs next to it. A bed covered in a plush comforter sat against the far wall. From where he was standing, Michael could see little chocolates had been left on the pillows.

  “Look at this bathroom,” Anna called out.

  Michael followed her voice. She was standing next to a huge, two-person soaker tub. Her eyes widened when he met her gaze.

  “Two sinks. And check out that shower.” She waved toward the glass enclosure on the far wall. Two nozzles came down from above and a few more dotted the walls.

  Michael tried not to think about how well he and Anna would fit in there together. And then he cursed himself. He should not be thinking of Anna like that at all. Trying to dispel how awkward his thoughts were making him feel, he said, “Eh, I’ve seen better.”

  Anna stared at him. “I doubt that.”

  “Can I get you anything else?” Javier asked, stepping into the bathroom.

  “I think we’re good. My wife and I should be just fine.” Michael emphasized the word wife, but Javier didn’t seem fazed.

  “Well, if there’s anything you need from me, feel free to pick up the phone and dial. My number is on the table. Dinner will be served at the Rekindle Resort restaurant at seven. You should be receiving a call from the itinerary expert with your first activity shortly.” He tapped his forehead with his fingers, saluting them and then gave Anna a wink, and left.

  Michael stilled his frustration as he turned back to Anna. “What is with that guy?”

  Anna’s gaze fell to the spot where Javier had just been standing. “I like him. He’s nice.”

  Michael leaned against the counter and folded his arms. “You can’t be serious, Anna. He’s flirting with you.”

  Her cheeks reddened as she glanced over at him. “Really? You think so?”

  He scoffed. There was no way she was this oblivious. “It’s pretty bad.” He scrubbed his face with his hands. “Maybe I should tell someone. I mean, couples are here to help fix their marriage. What is a vulnerable woman going to do against that?” He waved his hand toward the door where Javier had left.

  “Wow. I’ve never seen you this fired up. Afraid the cute, exotic man is going to take away your fake wife?” Anna asked, moving away from the bathtub and glancing over at him.

  “I’m not afraid. I just don’t like the way he was leering at you.”

  Anna laughed. “First, we are not married. Or even engaged.” She waved to the ring on her finger. “This is all fake. And second, I think I can take care of myself.” She walked over to the sink and turned the water on.

  Michael stared at her. Was she serious? How many relationships had he helped her get over? Her taste in men was about as refined as a McDonald’s burger. “You have to be joking,” he said, turning toward her.

  She splashed some water on her face. “I’m not joking.”

  “What about Carl? Tom? Chad?” All the guys in high school who broke her heart.

  She paused and glanced over at him. “That was a long time ago.”

  “And this new guy? The one who was your boss?” He shook his head. “You have to admit, you really pick the bad ones, Anna.”

  She grabbed the towel next to her and started blotting her face. “Well, it’s not like I don’t try. There aren’t a whole lot of good ones left.” Her shoulders tightened as she glanced at him. “And you’re not the expert on relationships. You go through women, like you would tissues during a cold. One use, and you throw them away.” She threw the towel onto the counter for emphasis. He could see the fire in her eyes as her gaze raced over him.

  Suddenly, he felt badly. He hadn’t meant to make her angry. He just wanted to protect her. Even if that meant protecting her from herself.

  He stepped forward and reached out his hand. “I’m sorry, Anna. I didn’t mean to make you upset. Truce?”

  Her gaze dropped to his hand, and then back up to his face. She hesitated and then sighed. “This is not what we are here to do. We can’t turn on each other now. McKenna and Sam need our help,” she said as she extended her hand to meet his.

  Warmth spread up his arm from her touch. He wanted to tease her about her obvious attempt at a firm handshake, considering how small her hand was in his. But she looked serious, so he just nodded.

  “Deal?” she asked.

  “Deal about what?”

  She studied him. “I won’t talk about your past relationships, if we don’t talk about mine.”

  He nodded. That worked perfectly for him. The less she knew about his mistakes, the better. He shook her hand up and down a few times. “I can get on board with that.”

  “Good.”

  They broke contact, and Michael m
ade his way out of the bathroom and into the room. His gaze fell to the deck, and suddenly he had a desire to jump into the hot tub. Let all the stress from the last few days melt away.

  He grabbed his suitcase and plopped it on the bed. As he glanced around, he realized there was only one bed. “So, what are we going to do about the sleeping situation?” he called toward the bathroom.

  “Sleeping situation?” Anna appeared in the doorway. She’d let her hair down, and it moved against her face.

  Michael forced his mind to focus on their conversation and not on how soft her skin looked in the light. “Yeah. One bed. Two single people?” He motioned between the two of them.

  Anna’s cheeks flushed as she glanced around. “There’s a couch?”

  Michael turned to see the small love seat on the other side of the room. It couldn’t have been longer than four feet. “I’d need that to be about twice as long.”

  Anna walked over and sat down. After a few attempts to get comfortable, she sighed. “Yeah, there’s no way I can sleep on that either.” She squinted at the bed. “I guess we can share.”

  He forced a smile. “Sounds good,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

  She held up her finger. “I don’t think so, Michael Jones. No shenanigans.” She walked over to her purse and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen.

  He shook out his swim trunks. “Of course. Ms. Anna, always making lists.”

  “Well, I figured we should get the specifics down before we continue with this fake relationship thing.” She emphasized her words with the click of her pen.

  “Alright, if it helps you feel better, I’ll try to stick to rules. But just remember, I may not be able to keep from breaking them.” He held up his hands in surrender and made his way over to the couch where he sat down. The material barely moved as he leaned back. He could see why Anna didn’t want to sleep on it.

  “Okay, no shenanigans is number one,” she said, moving to the arm chair across from him.

  “How would one classify a shenanigan?”