Page 24 of Play to Win

“Baby.Shhh.It’s okay.”I stroke my hand up and down her back over my T-shirt.Crying usually freaks me out, but right now I only have a strong urge to comfort her and protect her.“It’s okay.”

I have no idea what she’s crying about.Clearly, it’s not okay, but I don’t know what else to say.

“Tell me,” I urge softly.“What’s wrong?”

“M-my brother.”She shifts onto her side and swipes at her face.“I can’t believe he d-did that to me.”

“Ah.”

I guess it just sunk in, after our night of drunken revelry.What he did was definitely a douche move.

“He sent those guys after me!”She sobs again.“His own sister!How could he do that?”

I have no answer for that, because I want to punch Chris’s face.Repeatedly.

“He’s my only family.”

Her doleful words yank at my heartstrings.

“I thought we’d be there for each other after Mom died.All we had was each other.I didn’t expect him to look after me, but I at least thought we’d have each other’s backs.And then he doesthat!It’s the w-worst thing he could do,” she cries.“Selling me to pay his debts!He had to know what those guys wanted to do with me.Oh my God!”Then she flips and turns into me, burying her face in my chest.“What if you hadn’t been there?What would I have done?”

I wrap my arms around her, one hand cupping the back of her head and holding her close.I don’t want to think about what she would have done if I hadn’t been there.Except ...“I don’t know you very well, but I have faith that you would have been okay, baby.”I stroke her hair gently.“And you know what?I bet Chris had faith in you too.That somehow you’d come through.”

She sniffs and pulls in a juddering breath.“He shouldn’t have done that.He shouldn’t have put me in that position.And I don’t know if I would have been okay.Those guys were serious.Seriously bad.”

“Can’t argue with that.But you’re strong.I know it.Shhh.It’s okay.It’s done.”I keep petting her, trying to comfort her, but damn, her sweet, soft body pressed up against mine like this is distracting me.Arousing me.“You’re safe.You’re here with me.And I’m going to make sure you stay safe.”

“Thank you.”She hiccups.“I’m sorry I woke you.”

“No, it’s fine.You’re okay.”

She nods and her breathing settles down, with the odd sniffle and sigh.And she falls back asleep.

That fucking asshole.

I set the alarm on my phone for noon.I’d planned to leave at noon, but I hadn’t planned to stay up all night, so I grudgingly move back my departure time.I want to get on the road before it gets too late.When I hear the tones of the alarm though, I sure as hell don’t want to get out of bed.

My head is pounding, my mouth is dry and tastes like I licked the bottom of a trash can.It hurts when I crack my eyes open, even though the drapes are drawn.And ...there’s a warm, soft woman snuggled up in my arms.

Lacey.

My wife.

I was pretty hammered last night but I remember everything.We went and got fucking married.Total Vegas cliché, just as I’m on my way out of town.

A groan climbs up my throat.Lacey stirs next to me and rolls her head around.“You okay?”

“I’m not sure.”I reach out a hand and slap it down on the night table to find my phone and shut off the eardrum-rupturing noise.“You?”

She moans and my morning wood takes notice of the sexy sound.“I need some Advil.”

“Me too.”

“I have some.”She rolls out of bed, shoves both her hands into her hair and pushes it off her face, then marches to her backpack sitting on the floor by the desk.She returns with a small bottle and a glass of water from the bathroom.“Here.”

“Thank you, Jesus.”I toss the pills into my mouth and swallow them down, then fall back onto the pillow.“Okay.Give me a few minutes and we’ll know if I’m going to live.”

She laughs softly and climbs back on the bed, sitting cross-legged.Her tits jiggle enticingly beneath my T-shirt and her legs are gorgeous—long, smooth, and tanned.I’d love those legs wrapped around me while I— “You’ll live.Wow.”She shakes her hair back again.“I haven’t gotten that drunk in a long time.”

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