Page 4 of Deck His Balls

“Don’t.” But there’s a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Ready to put it to the test?”

“What did you have in mind?”

She dribbles the ball slowly, deliberately. “One-on-one. First to twenty-one.”

“Sounds serious.”

“Oh, it is.” She steps closer, and suddenly breathing becomes complicated. “Let’s make it interesting.”

“I’m listening.”

“If I win, you walk away. No more surprise bids at charity auctions, no more showing up at my games with Caress, no more…” She gestures between us. “Whatever this is.”

The stake hits harder than I expected. “And if I win?”

“Then you get what you really came for. A date. A real one.”

“Deal.” I extend my hand, ignoring how my pulse jumps when she takes it.

The game starts fast. She’s quick, but I match her step for step. When I sink my first three-pointer, her jaw drops.

“Lucky shot,” she mutters.

By fifteen points each, we’re both breathing hard. She’s ahead by one when I get the ball for a final three-pointer. As I set up the shot, she moves to block—then crumples.

The ball falls forgotten as I rush to her side, my heart in my throat. “Tricia?”

She looks up at me, eyes dancing. “Guess you owe me that date.”

“You played me.” Relief and admiration war in my chest.

“All’s fair in love and basketball.” She grins, then accepts my hand up. “Besides, you’ve been playing me this whole time too, Mr. I-Need-Lessons.”

My phone blasts Caress’s custom text ringtone. I check the message and look up at Tricia, whose smile hasn’t faded.

“Jasmine’s finally having the baby.”

“What?” She’s already grabbing her bag. “We need to—”

“James is already on his way. Caress called him before texting us.” I reach for her hand without thinking. “He’ll be here in two minutes.”

She threads her fingers through mine and my heart stutters.

“For someone who just lost a game, you look pretty pleased with yourself,” I tease.

“Maybe because I suspect we both won,” she gives back, and I squeeze her hand gently. “Even if I had to fake an injury to make it happen.” Her laugh that follows echoes across the court as we wait for James, and I make a mental note to double my usual toy drive donation this year. After all, sometimes the best Christmas gifts come wrapped in basketball shorts and attitude.

Chapter Three

Joel

“Get there as fast as you legally can, James.” I slide into the back seat beside Tricia, hyper-aware of her proximity after our heated game. Even with sweat cooling on her skin, that jasmine perfume of hers fills the car with a scent that makes my mind wander to dangerous places. “Our friend’s having her baby.”

“Yes, sir.” James merges smoothly into traffic, his eyes diplomatically fixed on the road.

My phone lights up with a text from Dylan, one of my best friends and business partner.

Dylan:

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