The Bad Boy's Redemption: Too Much of a Good Thing? / Her Last Line of Defence / Her Hard to Resist Husband

‘Because he is leaving in two months’ time. Because he’s not interested in anything but a casual friendship, having someone to hang out with.’

‘So have a casual hook-up with him,’ Mak suggested. ‘It’s not against the law, Lu.’

Lu closed her eyes. ‘I can’t, Mak.’

‘Why? He’s smart, good-looking and successful. Seems like a decent guy. I’m not seeing the problem.’

Lu shoved her fingers into her hair. ‘He is strictly a one-night stand kind of guy and I’m not a just-have-sex type of girl. And I work with him. And I have so much fun with him.’

Lu sipped and shrugged. ‘After work I work on my photos, or I read, or I exercise. I think, plan. Try not to miss the twins. I need to—am trying to—get used to this new life without them, to being on my own. Then, when I feel the walls closing in on me, I call Will and we go out and have an absolute blast. We laugh, Mak—hard. Often. We talk or don’t talk...there’s no pressure and I like that.’ Lu stared at the huge African mask dominating the opposite wall. ‘Sure, I’d like sex, but not if it means sacrificing the fun we’re having.’

Mak leaned forward and touched her hand. ‘Just be careful, Lu. I don’t want to mop up your tears, hon.’

‘You won’t have to, Mak.’

* * *

Casual linen three-quarter pants, a funky brown and gold T-shirt, beaded sandals and new jewellery. Will took in Lu’s outfit as she moved across the staff dining room towards the table where he sat with the older members of the team. OK, different...he thought.

His gaze travelled up her throat. He remembered that the spot between her ear and her jaw was very tender, and that she’d vibrated in his arms when he’d nibbled her just there. Kissing her had been a mistake, he thought, not for the first time. His pants grew substantially smaller. Mostly because all he thought about was doing it again.

Her mouth had been hot and demanding—and, talking about her mouth...good God. What on earth had she stained her lips with? Mulberries? Will leaned back and looked at her properly: too much blusher, smoky eyes, a bottle of mascara. She looked glossy, but she also looked like every other girl he’d ever dated.

Slick, superficial, sophisticated...hard.

He heard the low wolf whistles and the compliments of his two lunch companions: Jabu, the Rays’ captain, and Matt Johnson, whom he knew had the hots for Lu. Would he have to have a chat with Matt about keeping his distance from Lu? Maybe.

Matt needed to know that Lu was way off-limits.

Will looked at Lu and wished he could pull her off to the showers and wash that make-up off her. He wanted his Lu back: clean skin—her freckles were all but hidden now—clear eyes...normal. He wanted her make-up-free, naturally...normal.

Crap.

When a guy started thinking that natural was gorgeously normal he was neck deep in the brown stuff...or about to fall into the brown stuff. Neither scenario was vaguely attractive.

Lu slid down into the empty chair opposite him and reached for the salt to shake over her chicken salad.

‘New look, Lu?’ Matt asked.

‘Experimenting.’

Lu batted her eyelashes at him and Will felt his stomach contract.

‘What do you think?’

‘Hot,’ Matt answered.

He ran his finger over the tattoo of a naughty angel on her shoulder. Will considered breaking his fingers.

‘Cool tat.’

What the hell...? She’d got a tattoo? Not that it had anything to do with him...except he didn’t like the idea of ink on that amazing, smooth, clear expanse of skin. Skin he’d all too briefly explored, discovered, wanted to taste again.

Matt tipped his head back to look at her shoulder again. ‘Ah, it’s just a henna tat—it’ll be gone in six weeks.’

‘Thank the Lord,’ Will muttered under his breath. He ignored Lu’s quizzical look, took a healthy sip from his glass of water and pushed his empty plate away. He stretched out his leg and the inside of his calf brushed her bare foot. He felt the bolt of lust shoot up to his groin.

He raised reluctant eyes and saw his desire reflected in hers—along with a solid dose of irritation. She wanted him but didn’t want to want him. She wanted him to compliment her on her new look but didn’t want him to know that she cared. Will ran his hand along his jaw. This was getting a bit too complicated, a little more intense than he’d bargained for.

And he still wanted to take the make-up off her face. Take her back to natural Lu.

‘Would you mind signing these for me? I’d be so grateful.’ Lu was handing out letter-size photos and dishing out black felt-tipped markers.

‘What’s going on?’ he asked as he took his own photograph and a pen.

Lu rested her forearms on the table. ‘You remember that I mentioned Mak has a highly functioning, Down Syndrome son? He’s rugby-obsessed and thinks that I am the luckiest girl in the world to know you guys. You’re his favourite player, Jabu.’

Jabu’s face split into a huge smile. ‘Cool.’

Lu wiped her mouth with a paper serviette and Will was grateful to see a lot of the mulberry stain disappear. Three more layers and that gorgeous mouth would be back. ‘I’ve looked after Deon a lot over the years. He’s a nice kid. But he’s physically small for his age and he’s terrified about starting a new school. He was badly bullied at his last school. He’s about to start at St Clare’s—’

‘But that’s a mainstream school, not a special needs school,’ Matt interrupted. ‘I went there; they don’t have special needs kids.’

‘They introduced a new programme about five years back to integrate kids with special needs into the mainstream school. It’s a huge success. I also know the school well. My brothers attended it. Mak is a bundle of nerves for Deon. He’s trying to be brave but is scared witless...anyway, I said I’d go with them on his first day.’

‘Which is...?’ Will asked.

‘Tomorrow.’ Lu forked up some chicken and waved her fork at the pack of photos. ‘I thought that if Deon ran into any bullying he could offer up some signed photos from his Rays heroes to talk his way out of it.’

Will dashed his signature across a photograph and smiled. ‘No problem.’

* * *

Lu pulled to a stop outside St Clare’s and turned in her seat to look backwards. Deon was looking a little grey, his hands were trembling, and his knee bounced up and down. Mak was looking equally nauseous. He might be tough and forthright, but he was a marshmallow when it came to his son.

Lu touched his shoulder before leaning back to pat Deon on the thigh. ‘I told you that my brothers went here and that it’s a really nice school? Remember that Mr Klimt, the principal, doesn’t tolerate bullying.’

‘Mr Klimt doesn’t go into the boys’ bathrooms,’ Deon said in his slow, measured voice.

Lu sighed. The child might be challenged but he was not a fool. How was she going to get either of them out of the car and up the steps that led into the school? They were both anxiously watching the streams of laughing, smiling chatty kids mingling on the grass, within the school quad, leaning against walls and doors.

They looked confident and happy...no wonder Deon and Mak were terrified. Even she was feeling a bit intimidated.

‘I want to go home,’ Deon said, and dropped his chin to his neck.

She couldn’t cry. That wouldn’t help anyone! Terrified or not, someone had to take charge. ‘Right, let’s get your stuff together, dude.’

Lu sighed as her mobile rang. She picked it up and sighed at the display. ‘It’s really not a good time, Will.’

‘It’s a very good time,.’ Will replied, laughter in his voice. ‘Tell the kid that his posse has arrived.’

‘What?’

‘Look in your review mirror, Mermaid.’

Lu slid a glance to her mirror and laughter bubbled up in her throat. Walking down the pavement, dressed in their Rays training uniforms, looking as intimidating as all hell, were Jabu, Matt and three other prominent Rays players. Will and Kelby walked behind them. Will had his mobile in his hand.

Lu swallowed down her emotion and turned to Deon, her face alight with excitement. ‘OK, Deon, this is a mega big day for you.’ She winked at Mak, who’d just caught sight of the players now coming to a stop outside her car. His jaw fell to his lap. Lu reached over and lifted Deon’s chin. ‘I know this is scary, but some special people thought that you might need someone to see you into school. Say hello to my friend Jabu.’

Jabu ducked his head inside the car and as long as she lived Lu knew she would never forget the look on the little boy’s face when he saw his biggest sporting hero. The back door flew open and Deon tumbled into Jabu’s enormous arms. Jabu held him with ease and calmly ignored his shaking as he introduced him to the rest of his team mates.

Lu looked at Mak, whose Adam’s apple was bobbing with restrained emotion. ‘Did you know about this?’ he demanded.

Lu shook her head and sniffed. ‘Not a damn thing. Will must have organised it.’

Mak pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. ‘I’m really liking this guy, Lu.’

Will looked at the commotion they were causing and grinned. He’d forgotten the enthusiasm kids could display—that wide eyed excitement. He’d felt exactly the same when he’d met his sporting heroes as a kid.

Then Will looked at Lu’s face as she climbed out of her car and grinned at the emotions crossing it. Wonder, amazement, joy. Yeah, this was so worth organising.

Kelby jammed him in the ribs. ‘Take that goofy look off your face, Scott. You look like a sap.’

‘I don’t do goofy,’ Will said through gritted teeth.

‘Well, you sure as hell are doing something!’ Kelby grinned as they stood a little way off from the rest of the team. ‘So what prompted this, mate? I mean, I’m not complaining...’ he gestured to a couple of sports photographers who were walking across the road towards them ‘...it’s great publicity. But it’s way out of your scope as caretaker coach.’

‘Uh...’ Will tugged at the collar of his shirt.

‘Could it have anything to do with the fact that you are doing my press photographer, who obviously has a very special relationship with this kid?’

Will shuffled on his feet. ‘I’m not sleeping with her; we’re just friends, Kelby.’

Kelby roared with laughter and slapped Will on the back. ‘Yeah, right! You’ve never done anything like this before.’

Will gritted his teeth. ‘Kelby, we’re friends...like you suggested. That’s it.’

Kelby’s laughter faded, surprise dominated and he shook his head. ‘Oh, my poor, confused young friend!’ He grinned again and slapped Will between his shoulderblades. Again. ‘You, dude, are ass-deep in woman trouble. I love it!’

Will was thinking about punching him when he felt Lu’s approach. He looked around when a small hand rested on his bicep.

‘You arranged this, didn’t you?’ Lu asked, tears in her eyes.

God, he did one nice thing and everyone got soppy!

‘Jabu and I had a chat about it. He was bullied at school so he knows what it’s like. The Rays also promote anti-bullying on their website,’ Will replied.

‘Thank you. I’m overwhelmed.’

‘No worries. It was easy enough to do,’ Will said. He caught Mak’s eye and shook his hand, brushed off his gratitude.

It seemed as if a good portion of the school’s pupils were gathered around them when Jabu raised his hand and the crowd quietened. ‘OK—any rugby boys here?’

Hands shot up into the air. ‘Who is your favourite team?’

‘Rays! Rays! Rays!’

The Rays players smiled and after a minute Jabu lifted his hand again. ‘This is Deon. He’s a new boy here today and he’s our number one fan. We need our fans’ support, and sometimes our fans need our support. Deon needs our support today because it’s not easy walking into a new school. So, while we might not be here every minute of every day, we’re going to be looking out for him. And for when we’re not here we’re appointing our own boys to make sure he finds his way around OK.’

Jabu bent down and had a quick discussion with Deon.

‘Eleven-year-old rugby players, step forward!’ he bellowed, and a number of boys belted out of the crowd to stand eagerly in front of Jabu and the rest of the huge players. ‘You show Deon the ropes and we’ll arrange that your team gets to train with us, at our field, once a month for the next three months. Deal?’

‘Deal!’ The piping voices bounced back.

Lu lifted her hand to her heart and looked up at Will with shining eyes. ‘You’d do that?’

‘Apparently Kelby’s been asking Carter to do it as part of a community service programme but he wasn’t prepared to consider it. Old school. The other clubs do it with different schools all the time.’ Will shrugged. ‘It’s for an hour. It’s nothing.’

‘It’s everything to the kids,’ Lu said as the bell rang.

But the children didn’t move. They were too busy jostling for the players’ attention and demanding autographs.

Will grinned when he saw two boys, obviously St Clare rugby players, standing on either side of Deon to protect him from the crowd. ‘I think our work here is done.’

A shrill whistle broke their eye contact and kids and adults all froze as a short, round man bustled down the steps, his face red with what Lu knew was fake annoyance.

‘What is going on here? Why aren’t you in class?’ Mr Klimt roared, but Will saw his face soften as her eyes swept over Deon and his new bodyguards. He placed his hands on his hips. ‘What are these big men doing here? Who are they?’ he demanded, faking displeasure.

A collective groan rose from the crowd. One brave soul eventually dared to answer him. ‘Mr Klimt, they are Rays players! Jabu and Matt.’

‘Really? I thought they were ballerinas! Mr Johnson? Is that you?’ The crowd fell silent as short Mr Klimt looked up—and up—into Matt’s face.

‘Yes, sir.’ Matt over-exaggerated his grimace and some of the kids snorted with suppressed laughter.

‘And what are you doing on Friday afternoon, Mr Johnson?’ The principal demanded.

‘I don’t believe I’m doing anything, Mr Klimt...sir.’

‘Good. If I am not mistaken, I believe you still owe me two hours of detention.’

SEVEN

Later that afternoon Lu was in the players’ lounge, working on her laptop, when she heard low, masculine laughter and Will, Jabu, Matt and Kelby walked in. Everyone but the suited Kelby was now dressed in casual clothes, their hair wet from the shower.

Lu was getting to know their weekly schedule; it was Wednesday, so that meant that after they’d returned to the stadium from St Clare’s they’d spent the morning watching a video analysis of their opposition for the weekend’s game and then they’d hit the field. Full-contact rugby and Will had been in the thick of it.

She could see a scrape on his knee and a bruise forming above his elbow. He did not believe in shouting instructions from the sideline. He put his body on the line practice after practice. And, judging by the satisfaction she could see in his eyes, he loved it. Despite their deal to keep it friendly, he made her heart go flippity-flop every time he sent her that engaging grin, and with the way his eyes heated when they settled on her face. Lu closed her laptop lid as he took the seat opposite her and offered her a taste of his just-opened soda.

Lu took a sip and handed it back. ‘You look like you took a couple of hits on the field.’

Will rubbed his shoulder. ‘I did. Jabu is the human equivalent of a Sherman tank.’

‘Thanks for what you did this morning. Again.’

‘No problem. Again,’ Will answered as the others sat down around them.

Lu greeted them and asked what their plans were for the evening.

Jabu yawned. ‘Nothing more exciting than an early night. Training was brutal this afternoon; Wednesdays are the worst day.’

Will grinned. ‘Whiner.’

Jabu lifted a lazy middle finger and yawned again. Looking over Lu’s head to the television mounted on the wall, he sat up and reached for the remote control on the table in front of him. ‘Hey, Will—your ex is on.’

Unlike the others, who immediately looked at the screen, Lu looked at Will. His face tightened instinctively, his lips thinned and his eyes darkened. Jabu adjusted the volume control and Lu reluctantly looked over her shoulder.

Beautiful. Lean and long, finely muscled. Long blonde hair, big blue eyes, legs that went on for ever. High cheekbones and a quirky mouth completed the package. How and why had Will let her go?

‘Do you mind if we watch it, Will?’ Matt demanded. ‘Your ex is a fox!’

‘Knock yourself out,’ Will replied, looking for all the world as if he didn’t give a damn. Which he so did. She could see it in his flattened mouth, in his tapping finger on the side of his thigh.

They listened to Jo talking about her training schedule, her fitness regime. Lu cast the occasional look at Will and sighed every time. His face was a mask of control, his body seemingly relaxed but his eyes radiating tension and frustration.

The interviewer was asking another question. ‘So, Jo, you’re now ranked at number two in the world, but there was a time when your off-court antics garnered a lot of news.’

Lu saw the flash of panic in Will’s eyes but still he didn’t react.

‘Yeah, it’s not a time in my life I’m proud of...’

‘Shortly after your divorce you turned your life around. You embraced religion, cleaned up your act. Why do you think it took Will Scott so much longer to do the same thing?’

Everyone else in the room inhaled and Will forced out a laugh. ‘Because I was having too much damn fun, jackass.’

His friends laughed, relieved when they heard his jokey tone. Only Kelby, Lu thought, might suspect that he was acting his socks off.

‘It was only two years—and I wouldn’t presume to talk on Will’s behalf,’ Jo replied.

‘Your marriage was characterised by fighting and making up. When you were happy you were ecstatic—when you were fighting it was obvious. Despite that, the world thought your marriage would survive. So what precipitated your divorce?’

‘God, why do people still care?’ Will demanded. ‘Aren’t there any twenty-year-olds behaving badly these days?’

‘Not as many as we’d like.’ Matt shook his head sadly. ‘And few of them are as good entertainment as you and Jo were. You two rocked!’

‘Until I nearly lost my career because I couldn’t come to work sober or at the very least not hungover,’ Will said, speaking over Jo’s reply. ‘And talking of that...while I’ve got the CEO, the Captain and the Vice-Captain here all at the same time, with no other ears listening, you guys need to do something about Campher. He’s on something. Drugs, booze, pills, steroids—I don’t know what, but it’s something.’

Jabu swore. ‘It hasn’t popped up in the drug tests.’

‘I’m telling you he’s on something,’ Will said. ‘I’m only here for another eight weeks. You still have the rest of the season with him. I’ll order a comprehensive drug screening, but I wanted to run it past you first.’

Three heads nodded their agreement and then turned back to the television screen.

‘Are you proud of what he’s done? Achieved?’

The interviewer was still talking about Will.

‘Sure. I always knew that Will was destined for great things. We both just took a detour, lost our way for a bit. Why are people still wanting to hear about it?’

‘You were good entertainment value. So, let’s talk about your sponsorship deals, Jo.’

Matt jabbed his finger upwards. ‘You see—he agrees with me! Now you’re just old and boring, Scott.’

Will stood up and swatted Matt across the head. ‘Funny—you didn’t say that when I face-planted you this afternoon. I need to do some paperwork before I leave, so I’m going to head off.’

He hadn’t even made eye contact with her, Lu thought as she watched his departing back. Yep, he was good at concealing his emotions—but so was she, and she knew what to look for.

* * *

Will had instinctively headed for the far corner of the gym, avoided the fancy equipment and yanked a pair of gloves from the shelf on the far wall. Jamming them between his knees, he pulled off his T-shirt, divested himself of his trainers and socks and left the pile of clothes on the floor next to an exercise mat. Pulling the gloves on, he proceeded to punch and kick the stuffing out of the dangling bag.

Kelby had made him do this years ago. Every time he’d felt out of control and frustrated he’d found a bag and pummelled it. At one time he’d been spending so much time with the punch bag that he signed up for Thai kick-boxing and learnt to do it properly.

He only ever did this now when he was feeling particularly stressed or when...punch, kick, punch...he felt out of control.

What was it about watching Jo this evening that had pushed every button he had? She was a prominent personality but he’d learnt how to hear about her, see her on the screen, read about her, with a detachment that came from a decade apart. Why now?

It had nothing to do with Jo, he realised, and everything to do with the life he’d led when he was with her—the person he’d been. Fun, crazy, spontaneous...out of control.

Being with Lu, spending time with her, reminded him of that person he’d once been. Oh, there was no alcohol or drugs involved this time, no dancing on bars and wrecking cars, but like during the best times he’d had back then they did have fun. They laughed. They talked.

They didn’t screw like bunnies.

And they were rapidly becoming friends—proper friends. Instead of just finding her to be a fun person to hang with he was finding that he wanted to tell her things, open up. And that scared him to death. Sex would have been so much easier. This? Not so much.

Being with Lu made him feel like the best version of who he’d been as a young man. Fun. Spontaneous. Curious.

Alive.

He’d been all of that and more. He’d been touted as the most promising young player in a generation—a team man, an amazing talent. Then he’d met Jo and had—oh, so willingly—fallen into the wild life she’d embraced. They’d married on a whim in Bali, and their life together had been fuelled by booze and dope and causing as much chaos as they could. They’d been untouchable, arrogant and superior. He’d started to work less and believe his own press more, had become enamoured of the adulation and adoration of fans and groupies. For a long time he’d thought he was a special person with a talent for rugby. It had taken Kelby to make him realise that he was just an ordinary guy with a special talent for the game.

As for their marriage...he’d been bored with her within three months and hadn’t been able to understand why. Sure, she was smoking hot—but she was also bright. Something he’d frequently forgotten. She could be hysterically funny, had superior mattress skills and a personality as big as the sun. There had been no reason to get bored with her. She was everything he’d ever thought he’d wanted but...

The spark had died. Quickly.

Could he be blamed for having doubts about his ability to stay in a relationship, to commit to a relationship? He’d been handed everything any guy anywhere in the world would sell his soul for and he hadn’t wanted it. But he’d kept it going—and he suspected she had too—because he’d earned big bragging points for being married to the sexiest woman in the world. And he’d liked the attention.

He hadn’t had the balls to break it off...until she did. Apparently there really wasn’t any good excuse for having an Argentinean woman in your room at three in the morning when you were married.

Will snapped a full round-house kick at the punching bag and followed the kick with an upper-cut when the bag came roaring back towards him. He’d been a yellow-bellied coward and after the divorce, instead of putting up his hand and saying sorry, he had bounced from affair to affair, party to party, bottle to bottle, making more of an ass of himself every month, losing a little more respect for himself every day.

If it hadn’t been for Kelby...