Page 1 of Make Your Play

PROLOGUE

NASH

EIGHT MONTHS AGO

Ishouldn't be staring at my sister's best friend, but I can't seem to take my eyes off her.

Riley moves her body across the dance floor, holding up the bottom of her lilac dress so she's careful not to step on it. She lost her heels at some point in the evening and now she's dancing around with bare feet. The music pumps through the speakers and I lift my glass to my lips to hide my grin. The cool liquid tingles on my tongue before it burns my throat on the way down.

"You and Riley, huh?" Lincoln questions me as he bumps his shoulder against mine. I glance over at my best friend and my eyes travel across his Armani suit before landing on his dark eyes.

I shake my head at him, pushing away the lingering thoughts of her in my brain. "We're just friends."

"Famous last words," he says with a chuckle as he takes a sip of his own drink. He gives a subtle shake of his head as his own thoughts swirl around in his mind. “Does your sister know you have a thing for her best friend?"

Lifting an eyebrow, I give him a look. “Not sure what you’re talking about because I don’t have a thing for her.”

Lincoln shrugs with simplicity like it's nothing. "Fair enough," he says as he looks out at the dance floor, tilting his head to the side as he watches Nova and Riley. “So, you wouldn’t mind if someone else asked her out?”

The thought has my blood boiling. My jaw clenches and I glare at the side of Lincoln’s face. His movements are slow as he turns to look at me, and a smile cracks across his face as his gaze meets mine.

“Well, never mind that idea.”

His laughter fills the air as Nova and Riley both saunter over to us. Lincoln steps away from me, immediately moving to Nova as she wraps her arms around the back of his neck. He sweeps her off her feet, whisking her onto the dance floor without another glance in my direction.

"I like seeing Nova happy," Riley says softly as she links her arm through mine and rests her cheek against my arm. The top of her head is just beneath my shoulder. She lets out a soft, dreamy sigh as she watches Nova and Lincoln dancing across the floor.

Her hands warm my skin through my dress shirt. "Are you happy?" I ask her as I turn my head to look down at her.

Riley pulls her face away from my arm, her soft green eyes slowly searching mine as a smile lifts her lips. Taking a step away from me, her hand slips into mine and she tugs me toward her as she begins to walk backward to the center of the room where everyone else is dancing. "Dance with me?"

I can't help myself as a smile moves across my mouth and I follow after her.

I don't really dance, but for Riley, I will do anything she asks me to do.

She starts to shift her hips, her shoulders dipping, and we step into the center of the room. We're in the middle of the crowded floor and no one seems to notice us. I don't really notice any of them as our surroundings begin to fade away. The music shifts from a faster paced song to a slow one. Riley reaches for me with her other hand and I grab her, tugging her toward me. She tilts her head back to look up at me as my hands fall to her waist. Her hands are soft against the back of my neck as she laces her fingers together and holds on to me, her body flush against mine.

Her lips part slightly and my eyes drop down to her throat as I watch her pulse moving erratically beneath her skin. "Thank you," she says quietly, her voice barely above a whisper as we move in slow circles.

My gaze steadily trails up her neck, over her jawline and across her high cheekbones before resting on her eyes. "For what?"

"For dancing with me," she says softly as her eyes burn holes through my own. Her plump lips are tinted pink and they move over her straight white teeth as she smiles sheepishly. "I know you don't like to."

"I do with you."

Her eyes widen and surprise passes through them. She leans into me more, enveloping me with her warmth. I could stay here forever with her. My gaze is trained on her mouth as she drags her teeth across her bottom lip. My fingers tighten, digging into her flesh instinctively as I hold her against me. I force my eyes back to hers and I can feel the heat from the flames in her irises as she stares back at me.

"Nash," she whispers, my name rolling off her tongue like that's exactly where it's meant to be. My face inches closer to hers. I watch her eyelids flutter shut, her breath hitching as my mouth nears hers. "What are you doing?"

Something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember.

“Should I stop?”

Riley pulls back, her gaze meeting mine. There’s a mix of conflict, lust, and guilt deep in her eyes. “There’s this guy I just started talking to.” She pauses, her lips parting as if she’s going to say something else. Sadness and regret wash over her expression as she stays silent.

My breath catches in my throat. There it is. The painful reminder that Riley Harris has a life outside of these four walls. The reminder that I have no idea what she’s been up to because I’ve been so focused on keeping my distance from her. She’s only here as my plus-one because Nova insisted I bring her to the Aston Archers Gala.

“I don’t see him anywhere,” I murmur, my gaze dropping to her lips, then back to her eyes. It’s an asshole move, but fuck it. I’ve been watching Riley from the sidelines since she moved to Aston when we were teenagers and she became best friends with my sister.

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