Faking It With The Hockey Star

Chapter 7: Sign Here, Princess

Haper’s POV

Heat rushed to my face so quickly I was surprised the windows of Justin’s car didn’t fog up.

For a moment, I seriously considered pretending I hadn’t said anything. Maybe if I stared hard enough at the dashboard, the conversation would disappear. Maybe I could throw myself out of the moving vehicle. Maybe I could simply evaporate.

Unfortunately, Justin Hayes was sitting right beside me. And Justin Hayes looked entirely too pleased with himself.

He leaned back against his seat and folded his arms across his chest. "What was that?"

I glared at him. "You heard me."

"No, I don’t think I did." His eyes danced with amusement.

I immediately regretted calling him. "I asked if the deal was still available."

He tilted his head. "Hmm?"

I groaned. "You are insufferable."

"Possibly." A grin tugged at his mouth. "But I still didn’t hear you."

Before I could react, his arm slid around my shoulders and he pulled me gently against his side. My breath caught. The movement was so natural it took me completely by surprise.

"Justin."

"What?"

"You are teasing me."

"I’m not."

"You absolutely are."

He looked down at me, his expression remaining innocent. Far too innocent, which only made him more suspicious.

"I genuinely didn’t hear you."

"Liar."

His grin widened. Then he lowered his head slightly, bringing his face closer to mine, close enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath, close enough that my heart decided now was a fantastic time to malfunction.

"I still can’t hear you," he murmured. "Try again."

I stared at him, then at the smirk slowly spreading across his face, then back at him. The man was enjoying this entirely too much.

With a dramatic sigh, I leaned closer and lowered my voice. "Is the deal still available?"

The second the words left my mouth, Justin’s eyes softened. Not for long. Just long enough for me to notice. Then something flashed across his face. Something satisfied. Something victorious.

Before I could ask what that look meant, his hand slid to the back of my neck and he kissed me again. My eyes widened instantly. This wasn’t like the kiss outside the locker room. That one had been quick, brief, a performance. This one lingered, not long enough to become inappropriate, not short enough to dismiss. Just enough to leave me completely stunned by the time he pulled away.

For several seconds, I simply stared at him. Speechless. Then my brain finally restarted.

"Why did you do that?"

Justin looked completely unbothered. "Someone was filming us."

I blinked. "What?"

He nodded toward the parking lot. I followed his gaze. Sure enough, a student was standing across the road pretending not to stare at us while very obviously recording.

The realization made me groan. "Are people always this nosy?"

"Welcome to my life."

I sank back against my seat. "Okay, but we haven’t even finalized the deal yet."

"Exactly."

I frowned. "That doesn’t make sense."

"It does." Justin pointed toward the student. "If we’re going to do this, people need to believe it."

I hated how logical that sounded. "You’re already thinking about public perception?"

"Harper, people started shipping us before lunch." Fair point. "Every interaction matters."

I sighed. "This feels insane."

"You’re not wrong."

The student finally wandered away. Justin immediately opened his door and climbed out. I watched him walk around the vehicle before opening my door. The gesture surprised me again. Honestly, I was beginning to lose count.

He extended his hand dramatically. I looked at it, then looked at him, then looked at it again. "Really?"

"Really."

I laughed despite myself and placed my hand in his. He helped me out of the SUV before giving a small bow, the old-fashioned kind princes gave in movies.

"Your Majesty."

I burst out laughing. The sound escaped before I could stop it. For a moment, all the stress disappeared. The documentary. The hospital bills. The internet drama. Everything. Gone. Just for a second.

Justin looked suspiciously pleased with himself. "I knew you could laugh."

"Don’t get used to it."

"Too late."

I rolled my eyes. "You’re ridiculous."

"And yet here you are."

I hated that he had a point.

The smile lingering on my face faded when he suddenly opened the driver’s door again and slid back into the vehicle. When I joined him, his entire demeanor had changed. The playful hockey star disappeared. The serious version returned.

"Time for business."

The words instantly brought me back to reality. Justin opened the glove compartment and pulled out several neatly organized sheets of paper. I stared, then stared harder.

"You actually prepared paperwork?"

"Of course." The confidence in his voice almost made me laugh.

He handed the documents over. I began reading. The agreement was surprisingly detailed. Public appearances. Social media expectations. Events. Interviews. Mutual respect. Privacy rules. Confidentiality clauses. Even emergency contact procedures. The more I read, the more I realized he’d put serious thought into this.

Then I reached one particular section. My eyes widened. I reread it, twice, then a third time. Finally, I looked up.

"Public displays of affection?"

Justin nodded.

I pointed at the paper. "This specifically mentions kissing."

"Correct."

I stared at him. He stared back. Neither of us moved.

Eventually I spoke. "You included kissing in a contract."

His expression remained completely serious. "For realism."

"For realism."

"Yes."

I narrowed my eyes. "You’re enjoying this."

"Possibly." The corner of his mouth twitched.

I shook my head. "You’re unbelievable."

"And yet." His gaze dropped briefly to my lips, then returned to my eyes. "You’re still reading."

The flutter that created in my stomach was deeply annoying. I continued reading.

A few pages later, another section caught my attention. House visits. Team gatherings. Private events.

I frowned. "What is this?"

Justin leaned over slightly. "My teammates practically live at my place during the season."

I blinked. "They do?"

"Most of them." The explanation surprised me. "Why?"

"Because we’re idiots."

I laughed. He grinned. Then his expression softened. "You need behind-the-scenes footage for your documentary."

My eyes widened. "I do."

"This gives you access."

I looked back at the contract. Suddenly I saw what he’d done. Practices. Games. Team events. Private gatherings. Interviews. Everything. He was essentially handing me the exact access I’d been fighting for. More than Ethan had ever promised. Much more.

My chest tightened. Slowly, I picked up the pen resting on the center console. Justin watched me. The atmosphere inside the car shifted. Neither of us spoke. The decision sat heavily between us. One signature. That was all. One signature and my entire life would change.

I lowered the pen toward the page.

And then my phone rang.

The sharp sound shattered the moment instantly. Both of us looked down at the screen. My stomach dropped.

Hospital.

Every ounce of color drained from my face. Justin noticed immediately. "Harper?"

My hand trembled as I answered. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end sounded rushed, panicked. And the second I heard the first sentence, my world stopped.

"Miss Harper, your mother has been rushed to the emergency room."

The pen slipped from my fingers and hit the floor.