Page 19 of Tempting

“Hey now,” Nix whispers. “You want to get out of here?”

I push my shoulders back and shake my head. “I promised Wren I’d show up for the practice tonight. I just really don’t know how long I’m going to last.”

“How about...” Nix’s full lips tip up on one side—lips I want to feel pressed against my skin.

Women pay good money to have the kind of full lips and long lashes this man has been blessed with, only in no way do they look the least bit feminine on him. Nope. Not. At. All.

Nixon Sinclair’s picture should be in the encyclopedia next to the phrase alpha male.

Encyclopedia . . . ?

Who the fuck even uses an encyclopedia anymore?

“What do you think?” he asks me, and I realize I totally blocked out whatever he just said. My God. I need this day to be over. When I just look at him blankly, he laughs. “Come on. Have some fun with me tonight, Mac. Pick a code word. If it all gets to be too much, just say the word, and we’re out of here. But at least try first, okay?”

Holy hell. Did this man have a whole conversation with me while I was busy wondering what his lips would feel like on mine? “Like a safe word?” I squeak.

“No,” he chuckles, and the sound is deep and gravelly and way sexier than it should be. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Hayes. Like a you say the word and we leave word.”

I shrug. “Sounds like a safe word to me.”

Nixon’s hand skims up my neck, and his callused thumb brushes along my jaw, sending delicious shivers dancing down my skin. “Baby, if you want to play with safe words, we can leave now.”

My jaw all but hits the floor, and Nix takes a step back and drops his hand. “Yeah... let’s stick to code words, Kenz.”

Kenz. He never calls me that.

“Nixon,” a beautiful woman I’d recognize anywhere glides over to us. Annabelle Sinclair was one of my favorite people in the world growing up. Maybe because something about her always reminded me of my mom in a way Jules never could. Not that Juliette didn’t do everything in her power to take care and love Easton and me after our mom died, but it was different. Jules is our cousin. I grew up loving her and looking at her as a cousin... before she morphed into a surrogate mother. She was never my mom. After Mom’s death, Jules tried to love me enough for her and my mom, but it was always going to be different.

Annabelle was my best friends’ mom, and she was, and still is, just one of those moms you knew loved being a mother. She made it look easy, and if you were one of the lucky kids her kids loved, then she embraced you like you were hers.

I used to love being at the Sinclairs’ house.

“Oh my goodness, Mackenzie...” she gasps and steps between Nixon and me, then takes my hands in hers and looks at me. “Look at you.” She smiles warmly, and out of the corner of my eye, I catch Nixon talking to his father, who’s also come over. “I heard the girls mention you were home. How are you, sweetheart?”

“I’m great, Belle. It’s good to finally be home.” I give her my go-to answer and watch her eyes narrow. She knows there’s more, but she’s kind enough not to call me out on it here.

“Well, we missed you, so we’ll take it.” Finally, she glances over at her oldest son before looking back at me. “And why didn’t I know that you were both coming to tonight’s event?”

Nixon leans in and kisses his mother’s cheek. “Sorry, Mom. I meant to stop by the house earlier in the week, but time just got away from me.”

Annabelle’s eyes dance between the two of us. “It looks like there’s quite a few things that you got away without telling me, Nixon.”

“Leave the kid alone, Belle,” her husband practically croons her way as he places a hand on his wife’s hip. “He’s coming over tomorrow for dinner after the Kings game.”

“Am I?” Nix asks before he realizes what his father just did and shakes his head. “Well played, old man.”

Annabelle beams, and Declan smirks. “I might be old, but I know exactly how to get my wife what she wants. See you tomorrow night, kid.” Then Declan leans in and kisses my cheek. “You should come too, Mackenzie. I heard Jules and Becket are in DC for the week. Bet it’s been a while since you’ve had a home-cooked meal.”

“Takeout sweetheart.” Annabelle pats Declan’s chest. “Don’t get their hopes up.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I’m on call tomorrow,” I tell them, unsure whether they know Nixon and I aren’t together.

“Honey, you have to eat, and our house is closer to the hospital than the condos are.” She links her arm through Declan’s and smiles like the issue is settled. “It’s a one o’clock game. Dinner will be at six, and I expect you there. Now, I see Max Kingston, and I think since he’s got two of my sons on his team, I might be able to get a big donation from the Revolution. If you’ll excuse us.” She tugs Declan with her, and I watch as the two of them cross the room to Max.

“Your mom is a force of nature,” I tell Nix in awe.

“She’s something.” He palms the small of my back and guides me to our table. “She also knows exactly how to get her way. Could you even imagine trying to wrangle five kids and my Uncle Tommy if she didn’t?” He pulls out my chair and waits for me to sit before taking his own seat. “Hope you didn’t have plans for tomorrow night because you know she’s going to expect you there.”

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