Page 68 of The Playbook

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re awfully confident for a guy who smells like he hasn’t showered in a week.”

“Aw, baby. Is that an invitation?”

Damnit.He was relentless and always had to have the last word.Whatever. I could play too.

“Maybe. Are your parents home?”

His eyes widened as he stared down at me. “No.”

He didn’t wait for my rebuttal. He grabbed me by the hand and dragged me into his house and straight to his bedroom.

“Come on,” he said, reaching for the hem of my t-shirt and lifting it up.

I let out a peal of laughter and wiggled away from him, leaving him standing with his mouth open.

“You shower. I’ll wait.”

“Really?” He pouted, looking crestfallen. “You were just teasing me?”

“You were teasing me first,” I said with a shrug as I sat on his bed. “It doesn’t matter though. Sweat grosses me out, no matter how good it looks on someone.”

He smirked again, the look of disappointment gone. “Fine. You stay right there. I’ll be back.”

He rushed into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, leaving me alone in his room. I sat awkwardly on his bed, relieved he seemed to be acting normal now. When he’d gone quiet on me, I’d started to feel nervous and like I’d made a huge mistake, but my nerves were at bay. For now anyway.

After five minutes, I decided it was too weird to be sitting on his bed, so I got up and surveyed his room. He had loads of sports trophies and awards. I ran my fingers lightly over them as I passed by before stopping at a corkboard filled with photos of him and his friends.

He looked happy at the beach, at bonfires, with his team.

My gaze paused on a photo of him and Nikki kissing on the beach. They were totally wrapped up in one another. I swallowed hard and took a step back, bumping into something hard.

Warm arms encircled my waist as Logan pressed a kiss to my cheek.

“I need my girl on my board.” He released me and moved around me. Swiftly, he removed Nikki from the cork, leaving a blank spot behind as he dropped the photo into the trash can. “What do you think?” His arms were back around me.

“Am I?” I asked softly.

Logan and Nikki had a routine of dating, breaking up, seeing other people, then getting back together. It was clockwork with them. Everyone knew they were theitcouple.

“Of course,” he murmured, stepping in front of me, still shirtless but wearing basketball shorts. His clean, soapy smell invaded my nostrils as I inhaled. “Why wouldn’t you be my girl?”

“You and Nikki have a history—”

He pressed a finger to my lips. “Had, Gracie. She and I are history. I wantyou. I don’t even know how to express how much. You could fucking hate my guts and curse me to hell, and I’d still want you. You’ve done something to my heart that I’ve never felt before. I-I don’t want that to end.”

I breathed out as I stared up at him. Only sincerity blanketed his handsome features.

“Do you feel the same about me?” he asked softly, brushing a loose curl away from my face.

I nodded wordlessly.

“Really?” He seemed surprised.

“Yes.” Admitting it felt strange, but so right. I’d fought against my growing feelings for so long, I’d eventually pushed them aside and pretended they didn’t exist. I didn’t realize how big they’d gotten until he’d kissed me in Lana’s bathroom. Until he’d touched me. Until he’d held me in his arms.

“Baby,” he murmured, hauling me tightly to him.

I relaxed against him, my heart happy despite the memory of the nasty shit people had commented on the photo of us before he’d taken it down. I hugged him back and let out a laugh as he lifted me up, carrying me to his bed where he laid me down and crawled up beside me.

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