Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 44850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“I don’t preach,” I deny, refusing to acknowledge I’m actually blushing.
“Girl, please.”
“You know what, Kage? I think I liked you better when you were shy around Green’s family,” I mutter, lying through my teeth.
“I was never shy,” she laughs. “I was quiet because I figured most of you thought I was con artist—which okay, I guess I was. Still, I wasn’t ever as bad as Green made me out to be, the asshole.”
“You love him.”
“I do, with all my heart, but he didn’t make it easy, that’s for sure.”
I let out an exhaustive breath. “I don’t want a relationship. I’m too busy figuring out my life. I don’t want to be with someone and must figure out how to fit them into my plans. I’m just not ready for that.”
“So, tell him that and offer him a friends with benefits kind of thing. All the good stuff with no strings.”
“You want me to tell Slater Daniels, player extraordinaire that we can hang out and bang?”
“Hang out and bang,” she repeats and laughs. “Yeah. I mean, why not?”
I frown. “You think he’d go along with that?” I ask, feeling uncomfortable.
“Girl, have you seen the way that man has been looking at you all night? He’ll agree to anything you want—guaranteed.
“Here he comes,” I whisper, breath shuddering through my lungs as nerves almost get the better of me. Then, I put my game face on. I might be in new territory when it comes to Slater—but he doesn’t need to know that.
Slater doesn’t speak, so I start to. It ends up a squeak as he walks to me and gathers me in his arms and lifts me up in the air. “What—”
The word muffles against his lips as he kisses me, his strong arms holding me so tightly that you would think it would be painful. It’s anything but that. It’s perfect. In that moment I feel beautiful in a way that I never have before. His lips are somehow soft but firm, harsh but tender. I don’t know how he pulls it off. I also have no idea how one kiss can be so heated that it brands you on the inside, but I have a very strong feeling that Slater is doing that to me and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
When the kiss ends, he keeps me in his arms, my feet dangling off the ground, holding onto him completely.
“We won,” he says, his voice throaty and soft, his beautiful inky eyes sparkling with happiness.
“I saw,” I breathe, wondering if I’m dreaming all of this.
“I had my best game of the season,” he adds.
“Congrats.” It’s a lame response, but I’m not sure what to say—he just seems so happy.
“You’re my good luck charm, Marigold.”
“Are you going to put me down?” I ask, a goofy smile on my lips.
“I’d rather keep you in my arms all night,” he says instead.
“Put my sister down, asshole,” Green says, coming up to join us.
Slater rolls his eyes and for some reason, I find it adorable. I even grin at him. I expect him to let me go but he doesn’t. Instead, he lowers his face back to mine. My eyes close as I wait for his lips to touch mine and instead, he places the sweetest kiss on my forehead before easing me slowly to the floor. I sigh as emotion hits me. For the first time in my life, I feel cherished.
Is that normal?
What is it about Slater that draws emotions from me that I never expected to feel.
“You ready to go, Mary?” Green asks and I shake my head and try to focus on my brother.
“Go?”
“Yeah, aren’t you going to dinner with us tonight? We’re picking up the kids and headed to Pizza Land.”
“Oh. I will have to take a raincheck. I promised Slater I’d go to dinner with him tonight.”
“But the kids have been looking forward to it all week. You know how they love their Aunt Mary.”
I look at Green like he’s lost his ever-loving mind. I just saw the kids yesterday and spent hours with them.
“Green, I—”
“It’s okay if you have plans, Ace,” Slater says, confusing me. He’s been coming on hot and heavy and just backs down. When I look up, he’s studying Green. Is he backing down because he doesn’t want to make waves by dating the coach’s sister? I mean, I can understand that mindset, I guess, but that doesn’t mean I like it—or even expected it.
“It is?” I ask, and I doubt I’ve managed to hide the fact I’m annoyed right now—mostly because I’m not trying to.
“Yeah. I don’t want to interrupt your time with family. The team has the next two weekends off and if you let me know your schedule, we can set something up,” he says, and I frown.
“My schedule?”