Page 14 of Karma's Kiss

“You look flushed.”

He smirks. “Didn’t you see my homer?”

“Charlotte and I were talking. Sorry I missed it.”

“I didn’t! It was great!” Charlotte tells him, leaning over me to smile at him. “You really should have gone pro.”

Sawyer’s brows rise and he looks to me as if to say,See? She thinks I’m good.

I narrow my gaze out past the dugout. “This field seems small. Are we sure it’s regulation?”

This earns me a light chuckle.

“It’s regulation. Chalked it myself this morning. Think any more about my offer?”

I almost gasp. “Whatoffer?” I ask, playing innocent.

Is he really going to bring it up right here,in front of Charlotte!?Who cares that she’s been drawn into conversation with Lindsey. She still has ears! And if she’s as into him as I suspect, she’s probably eavesdropping right this very second.

I turn toward him and lower my voice. “Your offer is…impossible. I’m not in a good place in my life. Also, I doubt my brother’s going to be okay with it. He’s very protective of me, you know.”

Sawyer leans forward, dropping his elbows onto his knees as he shouts, “Hey, David! Mind if I—”

OH MY GOD.

I clamp my hand over his mouth, then realizing I’ve gone too far—we don’t touch!—I pull away and scowl at him.

“Are you insane?” I whisper-hiss.

From the look on his face, I can tell he’s enjoying this entirely too much. “Tell me the truth about why you’re saying no.”

“I just did!”

Something juicy is happening on the field. Our team is going crazy. For all I know we’ve just scored another home run, but Sawyer and I don’t look away from each other. We’re locked in some kind of unofficial staring contest and neither one of us wants to lose. It’s completely clear to me now that Kendra is right about Sawyer. He’s as cocky and bold as she suspects, a player through and through, and if I have the chance to put him in his place, don’t I owe it to her and to Charlotte and to all the other women off crying into their pillows over him?

Also, selfishly, this might do me some good. I’ve felt like a top spinning out of control since Matthew uprooted my life a few weeks ago. I want my strength back, myconfidence. Maybe Sawyer can give that to me.

“Fine. One date,” I whisper.

His eyes light up. “Tonight?”

I sigh. “If you insist.”

The sooner I get this over with,the better.

CHAPTER 4

What doesone wear for a vigilante mission?

According to Taylor Swift, I should “draw the cat eyes sharp enough to kill a man,” which I’m perfectly willing to do except I don’t know where we’re headed tonight and sitting in a booth at Olive Garden going all out on soup, salad, and breadsticks with eye makeup that dramatic might be a little much.

I settle on a sexy outfit instead and have just finished zipping up the back of my dress when my phone rings on my nightstand. I expect it to be Kendra. She knows I’m going out with Sawyer tonight; I called her as soon as I left the ballfields.

“Hey, can’t talk long,” she warned. “I’m at the park for Nathan’s soccer lessons.”

I thought this sounded adorable. I can’t wait to take a little boy or girl to soccer lessons, or swim lessons, or any lessons, really.

“He’s old enough to do soccer lessons?”

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