Page 21 of Play to Win

“So you’re going to work for your grandpa ...and your dad’s team will be one of your opponents.”

“Yep.”

“What does your dad think of that?”

“Now he’s pissed at metoo.Fraternizing with the enemy.”

I study the way his jaw has tensed.“That must have been a tough decision.”

He rubs the back of his neck.“Yeah.It was.”

“Your dad will get over it.”

He shakes his head.“You don’t know how my dad holds a grudge.”

“But you’re his son.”I bump his shoulder with mine.

“Eh.Who knows.Meanwhile, I have a job to do.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Isn’t that young to be running a team?How old is Jeff?”

Théo’s lips curve.“Jeff’s forty-five.There’s only been one other GM in the league who was under thirty.”

“That’s impressive.Or did your grandpa just hire you to piss off your dad?”

His entire body tenses, and I slap my hand to my mouth.“I’m kidding!Of course he didn’t do that.”

“Not so sure,” he mutters, dropping his head.“Although he did talk a good game when he came to recruit me.I either have the most amazing opportunity ever or I’ve been completely suckered.”

“You don’t strike me as a sucker.”

“Kinda felt that way when my girlfriend was cheating on me with my brother behind my back.”

Right.He’d mentioned that earlier.“That doesn’t make you a sucker,” I say firmly.“That makes them jerks.”

His smile warms me and he leans into me.“Thanks.”

I eye Théo.He rescued me from those thugs earlier.Twice, sort of.He seems like a good guy, maybe a little nerdy, but that’s not a bad thing.His body is anything but nerdy, though, and I’m finding him more and more attractive.

And he feels like a pathetic loser because of what his skanky ex-girlfriend did.I run my tongue over my teeth.I can’t wait to meet that bish and make her realize what she lost out on.

“Oh my God!”I throw my hand out toward the lightening sky.“The sun is coming up!”

“Happens every morning,” he agrees.

“We’ve been up all night!”

“Yep.”

“When are you leaving?”

“I plan to leave at noon.It’s about a four-and-a-half-hour drive.”

“Oh my God.You must want to get some sleep before we go.”

---