Page 58 of Power Play

“I…” She tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, her face lighting up with a smile. “Yeah, I’d love to.”

I grin at her in return. “Cool.” I glance at the roses on the table. “You still need to work?”

“I need to finish one bouquet and I’ll be done for the day.”

“Then finish.” My eyes meet Maya’s. “And you and I will finally play together. I’ve been dying to see your toys. Will you show them to me?”

Suddenly, Maya plants a kiss on my cheek. All the words disappear from my mind, all the sounds. This fuzzy, pleasant feeling forms in my stomach, spreading warmth across my skin, sewing it right into my veins, injecting it into my bones.

I finally find my voice again. “Let’s go, Princess. Let your mommy work while we play.”

As I leave the room with Maya in my arms, I sneak a glance at Layla. She’s watching us, so many emotions crossing her face. I wink at her, and she smiles.

I’ve never felt this happy in my life.

Never.

I want to feel this way forever.

Chapter 20

They Just Don’t Know It Yet

CLAY

Now, September

Layla isbeside me in the passenger seat, her elbow resting on the window trim. Wind rushes in with a whooshing sound, swirling around the car and tugging at her hair. Its rhythmic hum mixes with the music in my car and the game Maya’s playing on Layla’s phone in the back seat. Strangely, it doesn’t create a ruckus or an uncanny cacophony. It’s nice, natural, and I can’t stop myself from smiling. Not that I try.

Layla’s eyes are closed as she enjoys the seventy-five-degree day and the sunrays on her skin. I continue to sneak glances at them both, not quite believing that I managed to make them come with me. Or that I kissed the love of my life for the first time in several years.

It all feels unreal, but I’m not complaining. I feel so happy now.

“I’ve been thinking about it since yesterday, after you left,” Layla says, opening her eyes and turning in her seat to me. “Why Monterey? Couldn’t you find anything closer?”

I smirk. “I could, but I didn’t want to.”

“Why?”

“I made quite a few friends in Chicago—outside the team, I mean—and one of them is Ethan. He owns a bar I used to hang out at. When he found out I was moving to Santa Clara and that I was taking my car with me, he suggested his uncle’s car shop if I ever needed anything, including a tune-up. I trust his judgment, and I love supporting my friends, so here we are.”

Layla smiles gently at me, her fingers brushing her hair away from her face. “You’re still a good friend, Clay Rodgers.”

“I am,” I confirm. “Though people like Ethan make it easy. He’s a great guy. I’d love for you to meet him and his wife one day.”

“He has a wife?” She blinks, her eyebrows knitting together for a brief moment. I nod, and Layla chuckles. “I have no idea why that surprised me. Maybe because you said he owns a bar.”

“Ethan met Brooklyn at his bar, and they were friends before things started to change,” I explain, remembering how their relationship started right in front of my eyes. They went through so much shit together, but it only made them stronger. “I was at their wedding,” I add quietly.

Layla’s gaze bounces to me, and I notice the column of her throat twitching as she swallows nervously. “In January? Almost five years ago?” Her voice is cautious and quiet, and I nod, confirming my answer to the question she doesn’t ask. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.”

“That’s okay. It was your final year of college. I knew you were busy.” With her studies—with that asshole she’d been fucking on and off. Weirdly, I don’t remember his name or what he looked like. Just that he was a douche and didn’t deserve her.

“Yeah…” Layla trails off, her finger drawing circles on the bare skin of her thigh as the skirt of her dark blue dress rides up. “I’m really sorry, Clay. I mean it.”

The feeling of comfort, completion, fills me up and flows deep in my veins. We have so many things to discuss, so many questions to ask, so many answers to get. If I want this to work, we will need to be honest with each other, to open up about all the mistakes we made. But not now. Not today. It can wait.

This trip is supposed to be fun and light. A chance for us to spend some time together, to get to know each other from scratch. It’s a chance for me to build a relationship with Maya.

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