Page 28 of Force Play

“You’d what now?” Brianna looks from Mia to me.

“That first night I stopped in the restaurant with Mia, she told me I should get your number,” I offer.

“The two of you were making eyes at each other all night. Like this.” She half turns toward Dean looking up at him like she’s about to drag him back to the hotel.

“Let’s not,” Hendrix groans.

“Don’t even start. Kitchen fucker,” His sister says, shocking the hell out of all of us and making Dean chuckle against her neck.

Hendrix opens his mouth, presumably to defend himself, but Poppy just slaps a hand over it. “You deserved that. Now take it like a man.”

“But you didn’t get my number that night,” Brianna reminds me, pulling my attention back to her from where it strayed to the set of amber eyes that look more troubled than I’ve ever seen them.

“Also my fault,” Mia chimes in again. “Well, actually, Dean’s fault,” she says, tilting her head towards her boyfriend. “She didn’t want to rub it in my face while I was heartbroken over this one.”

“Guilty.” He doesn’t even try to defend himself. Not that he could. The man was a giant asshole to everyone while he got his shit together. In the end, he needed that time to be the man Mia needed.

“I came back the next week for take-out and you gave me your number before I could ask.”

“What was your plan if I hadn’t been working?”

“I guess I would have been eating a lot of Indian food,” I joke.

“Fuck,” Xavier groans at the opposite end of the table, snatching his phone and standing. “Sorry guys. I’ve got to go deal with Kristy.”

“I’m going to make sure he’s okay.” Dom’s lips turn down in a frown and he stands, following Xavier to the alcove near the bathrooms.

“Fucking Kristy,” Hendrix grumbles under his breath.

“Shush.” Poppy nudges him.

“I’m just saying, she’s looking for a meal ticket.”

“Don’t you think you might be a little biased?” Mia asks her brother.

“Biased, or qualified to call it like I see it,” he retorts. “She literally only gives him the time of day when she needs something.”

“She was a lot to handle in Telluride,” I admit. Something about her rubbed me the wrong way, so I kept my distance from her and the house, spending most of the trip either with the girls or out exploring on my own. Although, Kristy’s antics weren’t the only thing keeping me away.

Every time I turned around, there was a reminder that Dom was nearby. His shoes by the door, the crisp scent of his shampoo in the bathroom, the coffee that was ready for me every morning—he was inescapable. So I did what I’ve done since the morning after we slept together, only this time I physically ran as an escape from the tension in the house.

“Everything okay?” Cruz asks when Dom comes back over.

“Not sure. He’s all out of sorts, but he wouldn’t let me leave with him.” He props his elbows up on the table next to Hendrix. His eyes sweep over Brianna, who’s standing behind my tall chair with her arms wrapped around me from behind.

“I’m going to use the bathroom,” she says, dropping a kiss on my neck before she skips away.

Not surprisingly, Dom is by my side before the door to the bathroom has even closed, leaning in close so that I can’t escape the minty smell of eucalyptus that I find undeniably sexy, no matter how much he annoys me. Admittedly, it’s a little harder to be irritated with him than usual after he put in a good word with Lara for me. No matter how terribly I treat him, he just keeps trying—talk about emotional stamina.

“Lara said you called and you two are getting lunch soon. My favorite way to be thanked is f—”

Without thinking, I slap my hand over his mouth, silencing him. Under my palm, his lip spread in a smile before he nips at my hand. I tear it away from his face, shaking it off like it’ll undo the zings of heat through my body.

“Why are you the way you are?” Something inside me begs him to never stop at the same time I will him to shut up. Logically, I know better. He can be playful and kind all he wants, it won’t make a difference.

“Probably the same reason it’s so hard for you to keep your hands to yourself when I’m around.” He smirks.

I snarl back. “That was to stop the never-ending stream of stupidity that comes out of your mouth. Do you save it all for me? Or are you inappropriate with everyone?”

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