Page 24 of Make Your Play

Because someone has to get you under control.

Nash

You can control me anytime you want.

Riley

Are you drunk right now?

Nash

I haven’t even had a sip.

I half expect her to text me back but I’m pleasantly surprised when I see she decided to go ahead and FaceTime me. I slide my finger across the screen, answering her call as her face pops up in front of me. She holds it close enough that I can’t see past her neck, but knowing she’s naked right now has the blood rushing directly to my cock.

“Happy now?” she asks me, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.

“I am,” I smile at her, rolling onto my side as I hold my phone in front of my face. “How are you?”

She blows a breath out through her lips. “I’m okay. After you dropped me off yesterday, I ended up going into the shop and worked most of the day, and I definitely felt it today.”

Worry floods me. “What do you mean you felt it? What’s going on?”

“Calm down,” she says, clicking her tongue. “I’m perfectly fine. I just get tired easily if I overdo it and I think I overdid it yesterday. I was just trying to keep myself busy instead of spiraling.”

“If you’re ever not feeling good, you’ll let me know, right?”

Riley rolls her eyes. “I’m not going to bother you if you’re hundreds of miles away, Nash. You have your own life and your own things to worry about.”

“I worry about you. I don’t like the thought of you being alone if something happens.”

“Well, I don’t like the thought of bothering you when you’re not even home,” she quips, narrowing her eyes at me through the screen. “If you’re home and I don’t feel right, I’ll let you know. If not, I’ll call Nova or something.”

I purse my lips, mulling over her words before I give in. “If I’m not home, you can let me know after you call Nova.”

“Deal,” she nods in agreement. I hear the water beginning to drain from the bath and I know our conversation will be coming to an end so she can get ready for bed. “When will you be home, anyways?”

“A little over a week. It almost sounds like you miss me or something.”

A smile breaks out across her perfect lips and the sound of her laughter fills my ears. “In your dreams, Simmons.”

She’ll be in them tonight… just like every other night.

“When I get home, be prepared to be sick of me,” I tell her as I roll onto my back in bed, holding the phone above my face. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I don’t like the thought of you being alone in case something happens.”

Her eyes shimmer beneath the soft lights in her bathroom. “And what are you going to do? You can’t spend every waking moment with me.”

“Maybe not, but I’ll spend as many as I can.”

CHAPTER TEN

RILEY

After spending a few hours at the flower shop, I left the rest of the work and closing up to Bethany. She started working for me right before I found out I was pregnant, and I’ve been relying on her a lot these past two months. I honestly don’t know where I would be without her. She’s helped me immensely to keep the shop up and running and she’s going to handle everything for me after the baby comes.

As I pull into my driveway, I notice a sleek Mercedes Coupé parked on the street out front of my house. My eyebrows pull together as I don’t recognize the car. I’m on high alert as I climb out of my car, my eyes glancing back and forth between my house and the unfamiliar vehicle. Just as I’m about to turn to head inside, I see an older woman climbing out of the front seat.

My anxiety lessens as soon as I realize that it’s Nonna Rosa, but I’m equally confused about what she’s doing at my house. For being in her late sixties, she looks exceptional for her age. Her days on the pickleball court keep her in impeccable shape. Relaxing my expression, my lips lift upward as I abandon my trek to the side door and walk around the front to meet her by my front porch.

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