Page 12 of The Shake Off

“Well, there isn’t. She didn’t leave me her number.” I took the plate Lux was holding out and loaded it up with scrambled eggs, waffles, and bacon. “And there isn’t a debate. She had a great time; I’d know if she didn’t.”

“You said she’s besties with Penn Shepherd, so maybe she’ll be at the charity thing tomorrow. You can ask her then,” Parker added.

Maybe he wasn’t my best friend after all, especially with that shit-stirring grin he was wearing.

“Maybe we’ll all ask her,” smirked Tanner, throwing his head back in a guffaw as I snarled at him.

“If she’s there I’ll ask her, and the three of you aren’t going anywhere near her.”

“We’ll see about that,” he shot back. “Now eat up. We have to be at the ground in two hours, and I can’t be late for batting practice.”

But I wasn’t listening.

My mind was firmly back on Payton, and the chance that I might see her again.

Not to mention the added task of keeping these three morons away from her.

THREE

PAYTON

“Excited about seeing your new boyfriend?” snorted Murray, as I climbed into the back of the Range Rover and settled into my seat.

My head snapped around to Kit, my newly former best friend, and I pinned her with my hardest glare. It was a look I’d perfected over the years. It usually resulted in the recipient combusting into a fiery flame, but she’d known me too long and it didn’t have the desired effect. She just shrugged and only looked marginally guilty.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it. Murray made me tell him.” She held her hands up in defense.

“How? How did he even know you had something to tell?”

Her mouth held in a straight line, keeping up with the guilty expression as best she could, as Murray’s driver hit the gas and drove us away.

“I got home right after you told me, and he could tell I had juicy gossip. He forced me.”

I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t about to askhowhe forced her. I didn’t need any details about their sex life before I’d had a drink, because I knew it involved sex.

“So…” Murray continued, waggling his thick eyebrows at me. “Ace Watson. I’ve heard he has excellent pitching skills.”

“If you’re talking about hisactualpitching skills, then yes.”

“Did he let you touch his bat? Did he get a home run?”

“Jesus,” I muttered, as Murray snorted loudly and threw his head back with a loud laugh.

“Does that mean it was hard and fast?”

I nudged Kit. “Make him stop. I can’t take a whole car ride of this.”

“No way,” Murray interrupted before Kit could speak. “This is what baseball was made for. Come on, did he show you his curve ball?”

I forced myself not to grin at the expression on his face, the one that said he was inordinately pleased with himself.

“Murray, leave her alone,” Kit warned, though I didn’t fail to notice the smirk she was wearing as she did.

“I can’t believe you told the blabbermouth. You two are as bad as each other,” I grumbled as we surged through the set of lights into the next block of traffic.

“Sorry,” Kit replied, not sounding the least bit sorry.

“Please tell me you haven’t told anyone else.” I pinned Murray with the look I’d tried on Kit, to see if it was more effective.

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