Page 25 of Play to Win

“Me neither.”

She nibbles her bottom lip.“You, ah, remember ...”

“I remember.”I blow out a gusty breath.“I must have lost my mind last night.I donotdo shit like that.”

I fucking jumped in a pool with my clothes on, drinking champagne out of a to-go cup.And then I got married.Jesus Christ.

“Neither do I.Well.Not for a long time anyway.”

My eyes laser on to her face.“You’ve been married before?”

“No!I just meant I haven’t partied like that for a long time.I used to be a bit of a wild child.Then my mom got sick and I had to grow up fast.”

I frown.“Right.You mentioned she’d passed away.”

“Yeah.She had ovarian cancer.She died a couple of years ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I miss her.We had a sort of strange life, but she was a good mom.”

I want to know more, but we need to hit the road.“You want to shower?”

“I’m good.I just need to fix my hair.”She rolls her eyes and ruffles it.“The bane of my existence.”

“I love your hair.”Shit.The words popped right out of my mouth.

“It’s that hair fetish, right?”She smirks at me and slides off the bed.

True enough.I could fantasize a whole lotta dirty things about her and her hair.

She disappears into the bathroom.I just showered a few hours ago too, so I drag my hungover ass out of bed and get dressed, finding a pair of khaki shorts and a T-shirt.I pack what I was wearing yesterday neatly into my suitcase.I just need my toiletry bag from the bathroom and I’ll be good to go.

I sit on the edge of the bed and rub the stubble on my face, then roll my head to ease the stiffness in my neck.I’m afraid to think too much about what happened last night.Except thinking and analyzing is what I do best.

Am I really taking this woman to California with me?I don’t even know her.The doubts from last night prod me again.Do I really believe her?About her brother, about getting fired from her job?Am I once again the biggest sucker in the world?Have I learned nothing?

I can’t trust people—I’ve learned that the hard way.I thought Emma loved me.I thought my brother loved me.They both screwed me over.My dad is pissed because I took this job.Everything good in my life gets yanked away from me.I need to be more careful.

But then I think about the way she was terrified and trembling.Her sobs last night when she was so devastated by what her brother did.She can’t be pulling a con on me.Can she?

Welp.We’re married.I committed to taking her to California.But it’s not forever, and I’m not going to get sucked into anything more than that.She’s not getting half my money, that’s for damn sure, and I’ll start looking into how we get a divorce or annulment ASAP.But just in case she’s really in danger from those assholes—and although my memories from last night are a tad fuzzy, I do remember being pretty convinced they’re scum of the earth—she’s coming with me.

Also, I had a reason for getting married.It may have been a quick decision, but there was a rationale behind it.It’ll be so satisfying to show up with a woman when I have to face JP and Emma.

Lacey comes out of the bathroom wearing the dress she bought last night, her hair back up in a loose bun.She looks fresh and pretty, which is unfair because I feel haggard and old.She also does not look like a con woman.Even so, I need to stay woke.

She eyes my shirt.“Nice shirt.”

I look down it.It reads,i’m right 97% of the time.I look back up with a grin.“Truth.”

I forgo shaving, just brushing my teeth, splashing cold water on my face, and rubbing antiperspirant onto my pits.The pounding in my head is starting to ease.

“We need food,” I announce as I leave the bathroom.I set my toiletry kit into the space reserved for it in my suitcase and zip it up.

“Sure.Want to eat here or grab something on the road?”

“Let’s eat here.”

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