Page 46 of Play to Win

There’s a beat of silence.“Sorry.”

“Jesus, don’t apologize!I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad.I was just saying ...”

She leans over and brushes her lips against my cheek.“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I was disappointed when Manny showed up and interrupted us.”

My dick stirs in my loose athletic shorts.I consider the plan for the day and am briefly tempted to abandon it.Sonot like me.

What is this woman doing to me?

I focus on the food and not on her bare legs and gorgeous messy hair and what she’s wearing under my T-shirt.My normal self-discipline serves me well as I make breakfast and we sit and eat it at the counter.

After we’ve eaten and cleaned up, I grab my phone to check for emails and sports scores and business news while Lacey goes to shower and get ready to go out.There are several business emails, the score from the game last night, news about the other teams in the playoffs, and a text message from my mom.

Hope you are settling in.We’re having a welcome home party for you Saturday night.

Great.I text her back, thanking her for everything she did to get my place ready and saying I’ll see her and Dad Saturday night.I assume JP will be there ...ugh.Maybe with Emma.Double ugh.And what about the rest of the family?My uncle, Dad’s brother, will likely be there.They’re probably not impressed with my career choice either.And maybe my cousin Riley will be there—she works for the Eagles farm team as a goalie coach and lives here too.

I respond to some emails and then Lacey arrives wearing the same sundress she had on yesterday.She glances down at herself and grimaces.“Can’t wait to get some new clothes.”

“Let’s go then.”

In the car, I let my GPS guide me to a shopping mall not too far away.“My mom’s having a party Saturday night,” I tell her.“So get ready to meet the fam.”

“Oh yay.”Then she wrinkles her nose.“This is where I earn my keep, I guess.”

I laugh.“Yes.”

“That means I’ll need to buy something to wear.”She taps her chin.“Will it be a fancy party?”

“Yes.”

Her eyes widen.

“No.I’m kidding.The only one in my family who likes fancy things is Chelsea.”

Her brows knit.“Who’s Chelsea?”

Gah.“Guess I didn’t mention her name.My grandpa’s wife.”

“Oh, right.”She nods.“Will they be at the party?”

“I doubt it, since my dad and my uncle aren’t speaking to him.Or maybe I should say, they’re speaking to him, but it’s usually yelling and swearing.”

“Sounds like so much fun,” she murmurs.

“Well, remember, they’re not really your family.You just have to pretend for a while.”

“Right.So your brother and Emma will be there, I gather.”

“I assume so.”

“I’ll buy something really sexy to wear and engage you in embarrassing PDAs all evening.”

I cough.“Uh, we don’t have to go that far.Just be yourself.”I glance at her.“You’re pretty charming.”

“I am?”She smiles.

“You know you are.”

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