Page 41 of Dark Horse

“It’s good to see him happy. Good to have him back. The only thing that would make it better is having you back.” I press my point a little harder.

“The only thing that would make it better is seeing you and Levi go down hard the same way.” She grins at me.

“You’d wish your fate on us?” I raise my brows at her ill will.

“Nah. You’d never be in this position. You’d never choose someone like Ethan. If you go down, well… Let’s just say I’m excited to meet her and watch the fireworks.” Aspen winks at me and then turns to greet our baby brother.

“Hey, sis! Did you have a good flight?” he asks, leaning into her hug even though his hands are full.

“I did. Hey, Hazel. Can I help with something?” Aspen asks, and I hold out my hands for the stuff Ramsey’s carrying.

“I’ve got it.” Dakota appears from behind the screen door. “You guys catch up! Can I get you anything to drink?” Dakota looks between the four of us.

“You’re the sweetest. I think we’re good.” Hazel nods at Ramsey and then looks at Aspen. “Can we get you something?”

“You know. I’d love a Stockton Shandy.”

“Hitting it hard already?” Ramsey gives her shit.

“I was told we’re spending this week celebrating.” Sheholds out her hands palms up. “Just figured we might as well get started.”

“Someone’s going to have to tell me what’s in a Stockton Shandy.” Dakota looks at Hazel for help.

“I can show you, and we can put this stuff away,” I say, nodding to the door.

“Okay.” Dakota’s eyes lift to meet mine and then look away just as quickly, her lashes fluttering like she’s remembering our last phone conversation. And fuck… now so am I.

It’s gonna be a long fucking weekend trying to pretend like I’m not already on fire where she’s concerned.

FIFTEEN

DAKOTA

“Look who’s here.”Hazel steps to the side of the doorframe, and a six-foot-three football player I last saw when I was in his lap on New Year’s Eve walks through the door. She’s talking to Ramsey, but her eyes drift to me, and she winks.

“No shit!” Ramsey shouts, making his way over to grab Hayden’s hand and pull him in for a terse slap on the back.

“In the flesh.” Hayden nods over Ramsey’s shoulder at his other teammate, Cooper. “Thanks for keeping the secret.”

“Come on in and have a seat.” Ramsey nods back toward where we are, and Hayden’s gaze falls on me. The smile on his face widens in an instant, and his eyes drift up my body and land on my face. His dimples are popping, and I bite my lower lip to keep from smiling any harder than I am.

I’m a little shocked he remembers me because he was very drunk on New Year’s. So drunk that as much as I wanted to go back to his hotel room like he asked, I didn’t feel like I should.

“Dakota…” My name is a gravelly command on his lips, and I stand to greet him. The man is tattooed sin and covered with dozens of bright red flags—the kind I’m drawn to like a moth to a flame. He hugs me, and I’m bathed in the scent of his cologne. “How have you been?”

But when he pulls me in tight, I can see over his shoulder. Two bright-blue eyes are burning a hole into the place where my fingers are running lightly over his traps as I greet him.

“I’ve been good. Didn’t know you were coming.” I put daylight between us, but his hand stays on my side, and his eyes rake their way over the outfit I have on. I dressed way too sexy for a friend’s bridal shower, but then I knew someone whose attention I wanted would be here.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. So good to see you again.” His eyes meet mine for a brief moment before he leans in again, speaking only loud enough for me to hear. “When Hazel said you’d be here—haven’t booked a flight faster in my life.”

“Well, she kept that a secret, but it’s a good surprise—so good to see you again.”

I turn to look at my friend, and she’s beaming at the two of us like it’s Christmas morning. I realize what’s happening. I feel the flush of the obvious setup rush up my cheeks. Hayden Warner is hot as hell, but this heat is because I feel like I’m in some fifth circle of it. It would be this weekend of all weekends that she decides to play matchmaker.

I have no easy way out either. Hayden is exactly my type. It’s why I was in his lap, kissing him when the clock struck midnight at the start of this year. And why I continued to stay there, listening to him drunkenly tell me about the places hewished he could take me. A club he went to once in Aspen. A beach in Costa Rica. A place with the best pasta he’s ever eaten in Italy. We’d had a whole relationship and gone on a world tour while we sat at my bar with our friends. But then we went our separate ways, and I never expected to hear from him again. Certainly not now when I’m otherwise…

What am I really? Grant and I have some kind of game going on. There’s clearly attraction. But besides that, in black and white facts? He’s just a client. One who pays well. One who I like pleasing. But not exactly the kind of thing you can build a future on.

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