Page 76 of The Shake Off

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t tell Penn everything. He’d probably send you a case of champagne if he thinks you’re the reason the Ace is pitching so well.”

“Not if he knows I’m the reason Ace broke in the first place,” I grumbled.

“Your secret is safe with me. Plus, Ace is free to sign anything privately, Penn just doesn’t want it to be an official event. You know, like turning up to functions… things like that. But congratulations! This calls for celebration.” She pulled me into a big hug, which I gently eased out of. “Aren’t you happy about it?”

“I am, but I feel like I don’t quite deserve it because it was handed to me, even though I’ve been busting my ass for Susie for eight freaking years.”

Susie Van Maren, in fact, could not have been more supportive at the news of me leaving. Fake supportive, but considering she sent an intern down to help me pack up my office last week, I was taking it. I couldn’t swear the intern hadn’t been sent to spy, but I also couldn’t have given less of a shit if she had because I hate packing, and the intern was good at it.

Annoyance flashed across Beulah’s face. “Sometimes people will keep you down because it’s a benefit to them, not you. You grab any opportunity you can, and if that means you also get to have awesome sex because of it, then I say you fucking rock. We should all be that lucky.”

I turned to her, my forehead creasing. “Youarethat lucky. Your boyfriend is hot.”

“Yeah,” Beulah grinned dreamily, “he really is.”

“Okay,” Lowe began and placed the shirt back on the rack, clapping her hands together, “let’s go and celebrate Payton and Kit. We’ve done enough shopping.”

“Sounds good to me,” I grinned.

“But…” Lowe pointed a finger at me, “Beulah’s right. You have to grab this opportunity and be excited about it. Both of them,” she added with a wink. “The boys are leaving tomorrow night; I say you give Ace a send-off tonight that’ll have him pitching his way into the Hall of Fame.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help laughing at the way Lowe’s face had lit up as she gave a little wiggle of her brows.

“You’re as bad as he is.”

“No, I’m just married to Penn, and I want the Lions to win this year for purely selfish reasons. Therefore, I vote you take one for the team.”

“I’m still not sure this isn’t the dumbest theory ever,” I laughed, opening my purse for my sunglasses. As I did, my phone screen lit up.

Ace:See you tonight, Babycakes.

I looked down at the store bag swinging from my other hand. Maybe I could give him a send-off, and it would be a shame to relegate such pretty lingerie to the back of my underwear drawer so soon.

“Hey,” I leaned into Lowe before I could think too much about it, and dropped my voice, “You couldn’t get me Ace’s address, could you?”

She grinned and pulled her phone up, her fingers flying over the screen. “The Lions will thank you for this one day.”

I wasn’t sure I shared her enthusiasm.

Out of interest, was it possible to die from too many orgasms?

FOURTEEN

ACE

You can never find a vibrator when you need one.

I tossed the couch cushions up and ran my fingers along the underside to see if it had gotten stuck, praying I wouldn’t come across anything sticky… or worse. I found nothing except a PlayStation remote Parker hadn’t been able to find yesterday, and candy wrappers Tanner had stuffed down there.

No vibrator though.

“What are you looking for?”

“Nothing.” I grabbed another handful of wrappers, and held them up to Tanner. “Can you put these in the trash, Tan? Seriously? I know we have a housekeeper, but she can’t only clean up after you.”

He grumbled something I didn’t catch and huffed off to his bedroom as I moved to the other sectional. I don’t know why I was bothering, I never had it out here anyway. I clearly remember opening the package as I came in from the elevator, then walked to the kitchen… and straight to my bedroom, and…

I snapped my fingers – I knew where it was – just as the elevator buzzer signaled a guest was on the way up. That’ll be for… I dunno. One of the boys. We’d all rushed home after the game, and I wasn’t the only one of us with plans for a good night’s sleep.

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