Page 109 of Offside Devil

“You lied to us, too?” Davis screeches sarcastically. “It’s fucking anarchy around here! Someone get Carson back in here so he can publicly shame Daniel, too! We’re supposed to be family!”

Coach calls for attention again. “It’s obvious we have some family bonding to do.” He narrows his eyes pointedly at me. “Next week is our bye week and I expect to see all of you at my house for a barbecue. Bring your families.”

“In other words,” Nathan yells above the crowd, “if you have any more secret kids, wheel them out for this, Whitaker!”

“Also, bring all of your hot nannies!” Davis adds, ducking when I take a light swing at him. “The singler, the better.”

Conversations all around the locker room are devolving into nonsense when Jace finally appears in front of me.

Unlike everyone else, he isn’t smiling.

If it was shame Carson was going for, he should have announced my secret and then locked me in a room alone with Jace. I feel like shit. “Jace,” I breathe. “I’m sorry. I should have?—”

“Told me that you had a secret kid?” Jace finishes. “Yeah. You should have.”

I drag a hand through my hair. “It was a lot to deal with. It happened fast. I didn’t know who I could?—”

“If the next word out of your mouth is ‘trust,’ I swear to God, Whitaker…” He takes a deep breath that doesn’t look at all calming. “You know you can trust me.”

“Yeah, but the only night I had to tell you about Aiden was the one where I was drunk on your couch. I didn’t think telling you I now have a four-year-old to take care of was a good idea when I couldn’t even take care of myself.”

His jaw clicks back and forth as he stares at me. Finally, he nods once. “Gallagher has been begging me to take him to that indoor trampoline park. I’ll let him know that you volunteered to take him and Aiden.”

“Sure,” I agree. “If that makes us even, I’ll take them as penance.”

“We’re almost even.” Jace turns to the team. “Everyone get on the ice before Carson heaves. Daddy here will lead the way.”

Davis cackles. “Hurry up, Daddy. Better get your skates on, Pops.”

“Don’t call me that,” I growl.

Nathan ruffles my hair. “Sorry, Padre.”

I swat his hand away, hitting him with a warning glare. “I’m serious.”

“Uh-oh, Daddy is maaad,” Davis announces, his sing-song voice echoing down the hallway.

“I was right not to trust any of you!” I yell back.

They all just laugh.

43

MIRA

The heat of Zane’s body burns along my back as I try to slice the fig in front of me without chopping my fingers off.

“There's never this much touching on MasterChef,” I remark.

“That’s because you haven’t seen MasterChef After Dark.”

I’m about to wipe the counter in front of me clean and let Zane eat me for dinner instead…

When the instructor of the cooking class we’re taking walks by our table. “Figs are another well-known aphrodisiac,” she croons saucily, smirking at Zane.

I’d be jealous, but she’s in her mid-seventies and I think sex with Zane would break her hips.

As soon as she moves on to the couple to our right, Zane leans over my shoulder. “If this lady doses me with Viagra, I’m suing this place for all they’re worth.”

---