Page 80 of Their Greatest Strength

With a quick wink, he palms my waist and pushes up, his front flush with my back. “Nah, I’m not. With you in my lap, how could I be?”

It’s an act for his family. I know that, yet it still has my heart racing and heat blossoming low in my belly.

“Well, hello to you, Jamieson. We were actually in the middle of a conversation,” Gracie says.

“What, you can’t continue it with me here? Were you talking about me?”

“You wish. We were discussing the wedding and how the planning was going,” Avery states.

Jamie nuzzles his face into my hair, his nose bumping the back of my ear. “Oh yeah?”

I shiver against his body and avoid the curious stares around us. He’s doing this shit on purpose now, and I’m not one to be played with. Alone or surrounded by his family members. At least not without a heads-up first.

Scooting back, I make sure to drag my ass over his crotch while turning into his body. With a pointed finger, I drag my nail along the underside of his jaw and up to curl in the messy blond hair behind his ear.

His eyes thunder as he presses his fingers into my waist and swallows hard. I bat my lashes and take a page from his book, tipping his head back and drifting my mouth over his cheek.

Keeping my voice too low for everyone but him to hear, I whisper, “Don’t toy with me, or I’ll toy back.”

I’m not ready for him to callmybluff.

Turning his head, he brings his mouth to the corner of mine, leaving it there. When his lips part, I can almost taste his words.

“Don’t tease me, wife. I like it too much.”

“Should we get a room?” Gracie teases.

The question reminds me of what we’re doing, and I pull back, blinking heavily. Jamie chases my gaze. I let him hold it.

He smooths his hand from my waist to the curve of my stomach and adjusts the both of us, seating me lower on his lap.The stiffness beneath my ass follows our movements despite his efforts, only intensifying the burn in my gut.

His dick is hard because of me.

“You don’t say anything when Ollie mauls Avery,” he says, propping his chin on my shoulder.

Avery flushes. “He doesn’t maul me.”

“Hey, I’m not judging. Just pointing out the obvious.”

“Let’s move back to what I was saying,” Gracie urges, tapping her legs excitedly. “Wedding dress and flower shopping.”

I fall back into the conversation, this time with Jamie here to provide a sense of backup that I don’t need but have grown to appreciate.

The same way I have him.

The designer sweaterdress moulded to my curves and knee-high nude boots should have me feeling like a supermodel. The vibe is more like playing dress-up instead.

I didn’t even recognize myself when I saw the aftermath of hours being done up like a doll. My hair is shiny and curled elegantly down my shoulders, freshly washed and frizzless. I haven’t worn this much makeup in my entire life. Not one patch of unevenness is showing beneath the expertly laid concealer and foundation, and the precise black line along my lashes makes my eyes pop. The lashes are fake, but you’d never know unless you were in the room while they were glued on.

Soft and comfortable, the high neck of the dress rubs my skin with every nervous shift of my body as I walk the rest of the way to the football field. It’s silent this time, nobody here but me, Jamie, the photographer that I have yet to meet, and the security team lingering.

I was almost expecting Jamie to be waiting outside of the lounge when I was finished getting ready. He wasn’t. One of the security guards was instead. I would have told him to leave me be if I wasn’t at least ninety percent sure that my husband-to-be had told him to walk with me.

Everything here looks so much bigger and intimidating without the fans and players all around. It almost feels unnatural to be here right now.

The moment my boots meet the turf, I find Jamie standing at the centre of the field. He looks completely at peace, unintimidated by the silence and emptiness.

It makes sense. This place is his second home.

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