Page 33 of Play Action Pass

“What if you cheat?”

He threw her a quick glance. “What ifyoucheat?”

“I’ll have you know that I don’t believe in cheating,” she said firmly. “If you feel like you’re going to cheat, then just break up with the person you’re with.”

“We happen to be in agreement on that,” he said calmly. “I think it’s the second most important thing in a relationship.”

“What’s the first?”

“Respect.”

She liked that answer. “Like I said, we don’t know each other very well.”

“True. But that’s what relationships are all about. I can’t do long distance. It never works.”

“I’m warning you right now, my past relationships are plastered all over the Internet,” she said. “My great, great, great … well, I’m not quite sure how many greats they were, but my ancestors were smart enough to buy a lot of land in New York City, back when it was known as New Amsterdam.”

“Fuck. American tycoons?”

“Pretty much. I guess I’m what you’d call a socialite. Or, at least I was.”

“What are you now?”

“I am what I told you.” She took a deep breath. “A sister mourning her brother. However, I used to be one of those girls who thought about nothing more than clothes, jewelry, and anything else that lacked substance. Drinking. Partying. I’ll be the first to admit I wasn’t the most conscientious person.”

“Thomas had to kick my ass once or twice because I was a horrible brat,” he said.

“Thanks for trying … oh, shit,” she gasped.

“What?” he demanded.

She pointed at the limo in her driveway. “My parents are here.”

Chapter Nineteen

Crew came to a stop. “How are we going to play this?”

“Can we go hide out at your place?”

“Do you think they’ll go away if we do?”

“Probably not,” she muttered. “They’re persistent assholes, to the say the least.”

“Hey,” he said, placing a hand under her chin and bringing her gaze to meet his. “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

She grasped his hand and linked their fingers together. “They’re horrible people. Don’t think less of me because I came from them.”

“Never,” he whispered and bent his head to place a kiss on her lips. “Together?”

Suddenly, things shifted. A dynamic formed between them that hadn’t been there before, like they were true partners. Puzzle pieces suddenly fitting together. A united front against the world that would try to devour them through the media. She’d had some run-ins with paparazzi, and she was sure so had he. Where she’d been alone in a world that had turned on her after Jacoby had died, along with the parents who acted like they didn’t give a shit. Cole—no,Crew—understood in a way no one else could possibly imagine. With him she felt safe. Protected. Emmie immediately became addicted to the intoxicating emotions, in all the right ways, and she had this vision of the future where she was happy. No, not just happy. Fulfilled. Loved. That’s all she had ever wanted.

Emmie drew in a lungful of air, lightheaded after holding her breath for the past year.

“Are we doing this?” she answered the question with her own.

“Damn right we’re doing this.”

He kissed her knuckles and then continued, pulling intoher driveway a moment later. Only after they both exited the car, did her mother step out of the limo. Her father walked around it to join her. A wall of self-righteous entitlement against their wayward daughter.

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