Page 40 of A Whole New Trick

My brows lift. “Okay?”

“Yeah.” She cracks a smile. “But I’ve got to warn you, my brothers can be intense. Especially towards guys that I… that I’m dating.”

My lips lift as I take in her pink cheeks.

“Do they know about me?”

“Yes. Well…” She gnaws on her bottom lip. “They know we’re dating. They don’t know it’s fake.”

Interesting.

“Do they know you’re my nutritionist?”

“Yes.”

“What do they think about you dating your nutritionist.”

Her blush deepens. “They… uh… they have opinions about it.”

As any protective big brother would.

“Well, don’t worry, I’ll do my best to put their concerns to rest.”

“I’m more concerned about you.” She huffs a weak laugh. “My brothers aren’t likely to be nice if they don’t like you.”

“Aw, Morgan. I didn’t know you cared about my feelings so much.” I hold a hand over my heart.

She snorts. “Whatever. It’s your funeral.”

The approaching car stops alongside the curb next to us. I walk over and open the back door. With a wink, I say, “If it’s my funeral, at least I’ll go out with you at my side.”

“You’re an idiot,” she mutters as she slides into the sedan.

I’m grinning like an idiot, but I don’t care.

Because I’m pretty sure Morgan Caldwell might like me, and that makes me the happiest son of a bitch on the planet.

13

DANE

The rideto the ranch is wrought with tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. I didn’t expect Morgan to agree to let me tag along. I’m not sure she did, either.

Almost the moment the driver pulled away from the hotel, her jaw clenched, and she stared out of her window with obvious unease. If I were a better man, I would’ve bowed out of imposing myself on her family. But the feeling that this is the only chance I’ll have to scale the walls erected between us is too strong to ignore.

We’re on the cusp of something. What that is, I’m not sure. But I won't forgive myself if I don’t try to figure that out.

We drive fifteen minutes outside the city limits before the driver reaches a private drive blocked by a metal gate. Morgan thanks the driver and slides out of the car.

I catch the guy’s eye in the rearview and dip my head. “Thanks, man.”

“No problem. You played a hell of a game tonight.”

“I appreciate that.” I had no idea he recognized me. I take a hundred out of my wallet and pass it to him. “And I’d appreciate it if no one knew this is where my girlfriend and I came tonight.”

Usually, I wouldn’t be worried about paparazzi showing up. Most athletes aren’t celebrities in the sense that the public doesn’t care about our personal lives beyond the token heartwarming tale of perseverance in the face of adversity or an untimely tragedy.

But my performance in round one has increased the talk of naming me the league MVP this year. Combined with the news that I’m in a relationship after years of not having a girlfriend, the chances a reporter decides to investigate the rumor that I’m spending quality time at said girlfriend’s house is higher than I would like.

---