Page 83 of The Roommate Remodel

He made it so easy to take a chance on him.

When I danced with him that night, I forgot about every logical reason why I should say no. My world became a tiny point of light focused only on him.

But I don’t have that luxury now. I have Sloan to take care of and Alex to please, while raising an army of fans for the Crushers. But that doesn’t mean I can’t chase down the man I’m crazy about and tell him how proud I am.

“Did you hear me?” Sloan jolts me back into the moment. “I asked whether you’re certain Alex left.”

I ignore my sister’s worried expression. “She split as soon as we won. She asked for me to pass on how proud she was of the team.”

“Alex is proud of them?” Sloan’s eyebrows fly up. “I thought she only cares about money. Is it possible there’s a heart beating under that frozen shell of a woman?”

“Maybe.” It gives me hope that if the team keeps winning, Alex will reconsider her plan to shut down the team. Even though the secret is killing me, I can’t reveal it to Sloan, or she’d be furious and tell me to quit.

But I know that’s not the answer. Not when I have stacks of medical bills and a fixer-upper to keep up.

We finally make it to the hall outside the locker room, where a local TV station is interviewing Brax. His eyes flick to mine, and I give him two thumbs up to let him know what a great job he’s doing.

According to Lucian, the local TV station rarely interviews any of the players. This is a good sign that things are changing, and the team is finally getting the attention theydeserve.

Brax glances at Lucian and pushes him toward the camera. “This is our team captain. I’m sure he can answer questions you have about the game.”

As Lucian takes over, Brax strides toward me.

“Great—”

Before I can finish, Brax picks me up off the floor and spins me around, leaving my stomach fluttery.

With his hands still locked on me, he sets me down, and I murmur, “I was trying to say great job tonight.”

“And I was trying to sayI’m happy to see you.” His smile crinkles his eyes, and my heart gallops harder in my chest.

“Aren’t you happy to win?” I ask.

“That, too,” he says, not paying attention to the people swarming around us. “Thanks to you.”

I frown. “Me? I had nothing to do with it.”

“Seeing you cheering was . . .”

“Distracting?” I finish for him.

“I was going to sayverymotivational.”

I laugh. “In that case, I plan on cheering for every game. Anything else I can do to motivate you?”

Brax pulls me tighter against him. Even in public, I don’t mind him claiming me as his. Only the players are allowed back here now that the reporters have left.

Dawson interrupts us with a wide grin. “I think you deserve something better than a hug for that last shot. It was perfectly timed.”

“I agree,” Leo says, looking at me. “It’s the very least you could do.”

The rest of the team immediately starts teasing Brax for not planting a kiss on me.

Brax shakes his head. “I won’t force something on her because you clowns think I deserve it.”

What kind of guy would honor me over giving in to his friends? Only Brax.

“It’s okay,” I whisper. “Just do it so they stop teasing.”

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