Page 203 of Vegas Heat

“One week,” I echo. One week to brace ourselves…and one week to worry and fret over what his reaction is actually going to be.

CHAPTER 44: COOPER

It seems like so much is hanging in the balance. Christine thinks she knows something about Gabby and me. Mackenzie and Joanie do know along with Nick, Rush, and Danny. It’s secrets piled on top of secrets, and it’s starting to feel like lies piled on top of lies. I’m ready to just get it out in the open so we can stop the madness and get a start on living our lives.

Between meetings with the Heat brass and player research, the next week both flies and drags. It flies because I’m so busy, but it drags since I don’t get to spend much time with my girl.

In fact, I haven’t spent the night with her since the day her mother arrived in town, and I haven’t had the chance to enjoy her naked body for even longer.

I’m getting antsy.

It’s not just the draft, and it’s not just the fact that we agreed to tell her father about us the morning after the draft.

It’s that I haven’t gotten my Gabby hit, and I’m struggling without it. Withouther. It feels like it’s affecting everything.

So when draft day rolls around, it’s no surprise Troy calls me on it.

“What’s going on with you, man?” he asks as I pace Mike’s kitchen. We just finished a catered breakfast—Mike and his wife spare no expense to keep us happy, and we’ve spent the majority of our time at the GM’s house over the last week.

If we were at Troy’s, at least I’d have the chance of running into her. Here, though? Not so much.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow we tell him. Tomorrow the secrets and lies will end.

I can’t fucking wait.

The draft tonight is being held on a newly constructed stage outside a popular hotel on the Vegas Strip. I’ll be there along with Mike, Troy, a couple assistant coaches, and Pete, though Pete will be the one making the official calls. It’s being broadcast on ESPN, of course, because why the hell wouldn’t it be since the World Series just wrapped a couple weeks ago and there’s no new baseball news to cover at the moment.

I blow out a breath. “Just ready for the draft. Ready to kick off this whole thing,” I lie. “Ready to get our team in line and start running drills and winning games, man.”

He draws in a deep breath and nods. “I know what you mean. I’ve had this strange feeling since late last night.”

“What kind of strange feeling?” I ask, happy to deflect the attention from myself.

“Just nervous I think. Exhausted from all the planning. I’m not the young buck I once was.” He wipes his forehead with his napkin and tosses it in the trash. “And my back is stiff today. I think I just slept all wrong.”

“Deep breaths, Coach,” I say. “And lots of H-two-O.”

“I know, I know. Nothing to worry about here, but I have a gut feeling about our last three picks. I need to touch base with Pete.”

“I haven’t seen him yet, but you know he’s been skipping breakfast to sleep in.” I put air quotes aroundsleep insince he just got married a few weeks ago. We all know what he’s really doing with his mornings.

The same thing I’d like to be doing with mine, if I’m being honest here.

I think for a beat about what it would mean if we told Troy. Would he always assume that’s what we were doing if we didn’t show up to breakfast? Or if Gabby spent the night away from home?

Troy and I aren’t exactly shy around each other. Back in the day, we’d share stories about our conquests. But we’re both different men now. I’ve settled down…and he’s a father now. I guess he was then, too, he just didn’t know it.

And then there’s the whole sex club that isn’treallya sex club angle, where he does the things he does that are typically reserved for private, intimate moments in front of anyone who wants to watch.

So how would he really feel about his best friend sleeping with his daughter?

Would it make it any better to know that we’ve actually fallen in love? That there are real feelings here that go far beyond just sex?

I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.

Pete shows up and steals Troy away, and we hammer out the final details before we each head home. I take a quick shower since I need to get down to the Strip, and I’m shocked when I step out of the bathroom and into the bedroom wearing nothing but a towel only to find Gabriella Rose Grant lying on my bed.

And she’s wearing nothing but a smile.

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