Page 6 of The Players Next Door

"About?" I play dumb, but the look Deacon gives me cuts through the crap.

"You know what: Holly," he says, and that one word is heavy with a thousand unspoken thoughts.

"Look, I know the deal with Sawyer..." My voice trails off as Cam runs a hand through his hair, a telltale sign of his own internal battle.

"We're all thinking it," Cam finally admits, eyes locked on mine then shifting to Deacon's. "Sawyer is family, and we made him a promise. But damn man. I want her. I can’t stop thinking about her.”

“Cam’s already one step ahead.” Deacon laughs. “He got to touch her sexy little panties, didn’t you, big guy?”

“So, we all want her?” I ask.

The three of us stand there, caught in an unspoken agreement. Holly Hawthorne is stunning—a walking contradiction that hooks you deep. And we're all snagged on the same line.

“Sharing’s never been our issue. I know I’ve been jerking off to thoughts of her all week, so you’ll get no complaints from me.”

“It’s Sawyer’s sister. One night of debauchery with the three of us feels…wrong somehow. But I’m not sure I’m thinking with the right head here.”

"Definitely not," Deacon agrees, a ghost of a smile lifting the corner of his mouth. "But she's...different."

"More than different," I counter, leaning back against the cool brick wall. "She's a game changer. Sawyer's sister. Our broadcaster. It's not just a bad idea—it's the worst."

I’d say I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I do. It's desire—reckless, relentless desire. And it's leading me straight to Holly Hawthorne.

There is so much that can go wrong here, so much at stake. I should be running in the other direction. Instead, I’m adjusting my half-hard dick and debating if I can even wait until tomorrow to go after what I want.

Because I want her. Plain and simple.

"So what's our play?" Deacon's gray eyes are calculating, already plotting the moves he wants to take.

"Full offense," I say, pushing off from the wall. "We go in together. No secrets, no holding back."

"Are we seriously considering this?" Cam asks, but his eyes betray him; they're already lit up with the fire of the hunt.

"Looks like it." Deacon's voice is calm, a stark contrast to the beat of my heart, loud in my chest.

"Tonight?" There's a finality in my tone, a decision being made despite the alarm bells ringing loudly in my head. “One night. We get it all out of our system, and we all move on.”

"Tonight," they echo, and we straighten up, a united front ready to face the most dangerous game we’ve ever played.

"Let's make our move," I say, and we step out of the shadows, drawn to the light that is Holly Hawthorne.

The bar's neon lights cast a kaleidoscope glow over Holly's face, her blue eyes sparkling like the ice back at the arena. She stands alone now, her laughter still ringing in my ears even though she’s all the way across the crowded room. The beat of the music thrums through me as I take that first step, flanked by Cam and Deacon.

Fuck, she’s beautiful. She’s not like the puck bunnies hanging on our every word. There’s no skin-tight dress or caked-on makeup. She’s not begging to jump on my dick in hopes she can ride it into a better life. This girl is real. And that should terrify me.

Instead, it just makes me want her more.

"Hey," I say, keeping it simple as we close the distance.

"Hi, Jaxon," Holly says, her smile warm, unaware of the storm she's about to be caught in. I see the flash of desire in her eyes before she shutters the emotion. Yeah, she’s feeling this too. The question is, what’s she going to do about it?

"Fun game tonight." Deacon leans against the bar casually, like he's talking about the weather instead of the firestorm inside us.

Fuck. Now that we’re close enough, I can smell her. She has this sweet vanilla and cinnamon scent that I just can’t get enough of. I shove my hands into my pockets to keep myself from reaching out for her. But I can’t stop the way my body sways in her direction, desperate for just one touch.

"Your plays were...impressive," Holly adds, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink.

"Thanks, Hol," Cam chimes in, his grin easy but his eyes intense. "But we've got something more...exciting to discuss."

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