Page 16 of The Players Next Door

"Time to change the game," Jaxon adds, the corner of his mouth ticking up, his dimple making a rare appearance.

We're in sync, a unit ready to face whatever comes next. Because when it comes to Holly Hawthorne, playing solo isn't an option anymore. Not for me. Not for us.

Maybe not ever again.

The crowd parts like we're on a power play, and she's the net. She's back, leaning against the bar, sipping her drink, all business-sleek but with that wild spark in her blue eyes. She's got us skating circles, and she doesn't even know it.

"Looking good, Hol," I say when I finally reach her. Her smile is like a hit of adrenaline.

"Thanks, Deacon. You're not so bad yourself." Her eyes sparkle as she teases me.

"Been thinking about you," I tell her, low enough only she can hear. "A lot."

"Is that so?" She tilts her head, looking up at me through those big blue eyes.

"I’ve been thinking about how one night wasn’t nearly enough." The words come out raw and honest. Holly’s breath catches, and that’s all the answer I need.

Jaxon leans closer, his voice low. "It's stuck with us. Like a highlight reel we can't stop replaying."

Her laugh is a clear note above the bar buzz. "That sounds...intense."

"Intense doesn't cover it," Cameron chimes in, his shyness shed like last season's stats. He's never been one for the spotlight, but Holly does something to him. To all of us.

"Here's the deal." Jaxon isn't dancing around it now. "One night wasn't enough. We want more. With you."

"More?" The word hangs between us, a puck mid-air before the faceoff.

"Another night." Jaxon’s being bold as a breakaway.

“An unforgettable night,” Cam hums.

“And another,” I add. “All the nights.”

"We want to date you, Holly."

"Date?" Her eyebrows shoot up, and I swear the whole room holds its breath. "All three of you? That’s…how would that even work?"

I step closer, close enough that I can smell her perfume. It’s sweet and spicy like cinnamon. "How's it any different from the first time? You, us—it worked."

"It is different." Now there's a flush creeping up her neck, and I'm not sure if it's from anger, embarrassment or excitement. Maybe it’s all three.

"Sharing isn’t a problem for us," I say, my heart hammering a slapshot rhythm.

“No, I don’t imagine it is.”

I can see it, the moment we start to lose her. Her eyes are shuttering, hiding all that emotion behind a thick wall. Shethinks she’s one of many, a commodity we trade in all the time. But she’s so fucking wrong it’s not even funny.

“We’ve shared plenty, Holly. Wins and losses. Our lives, our space. And, yes, girls. But we’ve never shared like this.”

I step into her until we’re chest to chest, and I can feel the heat of her skin against mine. It’s intoxicating. I can feel her pulse quicken under my touch, her breath hitching as she meets my gaze. The air crackles with tension, a charged silence enveloping us like a warm embrace. I run my thumb gently over her bottom lip, the softness of it sending a shiver down my spine.

"I know this is a lot to take in," I murmur, trying to convey the depth of my feelings through the proximity of our bodies. Holly's gaze wavers, uncertain, but there's a flicker of curiosity in those bright blue eyes that gives me hope.

Jaxon and Cameron flank us, a united front as we finally find the courage to ask for what we want: her.

“I know it isn’t what we promised. But we want you. We want more than one night, Holly. We want all of the nights.”

"Are you willing to take a chance on us?" Cameron’s voice quivers with anxiety.

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