Page 31 of Hard to Break

“Fuck.” Miles rubs a hand over his face. “I’m sorry. I bet you didn’t have sitting by my bed for two days in your plans for the week. I heard you never left my side.”

“All kinds of crazy things can happen to a defenseless man in Vegas.”

“Well, I’m glad you happened to me first, Brooke Ellis.” His crooked grin makes my heart skip.

No one has ever been this thoughtful before. Everyone asks me to do things for them—Kevin, my sorority sisters, my mom, even my brother.

“Speaking of which, I’m feeling exceptionally well rested,” he goes on.

I lift my chin, brushing my fingers along the stubble of his jaw. “Then you’ll be able to practice with the team as planned.”

“Not thinking about the team right now.”

A little shiver ripples across my skin.

Since we first got together, the longest we’ve gone without hooking up was a four-day road trip. I was seriously distracted and, according to Miles, he was in “actual hell.”

At least we had video calls to tide us over.

Over the past week, I’ve been deliberately cautious around him physically because he was supposed to be recovering. He’s been trying to drag me into bed with him, and I’ve resisted, insisting he’s supposed to rest so he can get back to playing ball.

His phone rings, and he glances at it. “Agent,” he says and answers it.

I play with Waffles while Miles talks.

When he hangs up, his smile is gone.

“I can’t go to New York today.”

“You can’t come on our date?” It should be impossible for a girl who thought she was getting evicted or dumped or both two minutes ago to sound this incredulous.

“We have to meet my shoe sponsor this morning.”

I turn it over. “Then we won’t go. I don’t want to spend it without you.”

He scoops me up in his arms and kisses me. I thread my fingers into his hair.

“I have an idea. Take Ruby. I’ll meet you there once I’m done.”

“You got that great idea while you were kissing me?”

“I get a lot of great ideas when I’m kissing you.”

“I hopethis is up to your standards.”

“I was covered in blood six hours ago. This is very civilized,” Ruby says as we get up from the first fashion show, collecting the gift bags we got when we entered. She turns over a makeup compact in her hand. “Givenchy? Nice.”

We head for a cute lounge that’s already packed thanks to the week’s activities. Ruby shifts onto a seat at a high-top table. Herblack pantsuit is perfectly chic. No matter what she says about living in scrubs, she cleans up impeccably.

“Did you decide about the new job?” I arrange myself on a stool across from my friend and we order drinks. It’s fun to get dressed up and rub shoulders with a fashionable set.

“I’m going to take it.”

“That’s amazing!”

“I’m finishing out the month here, then I’ll start in March with the new role. I’m still afraid it will eat into my already-limited free time.”

Around us, tables of patrons buzz. I catch snippets of conversation—behind us, magazine editors are discussing a new shoot.

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