Page 59 of Win Big

My jaw drops. “You lie.”

He regards me with a puzzled notch between his eyes. “No.”

“Your privilege is showing,” I mutter, forking up a piece of beet. “You don’t know what the pressure on women to look good is like.”

“I guess I don’t.” He nods. “You don’t have to be perfect, you know.”

I pause.Oh yes I do.But I just shrug. “Can I try your potatoes?”

“Sure.” He moves his cutlery out of my way.

I reach over and fork up some potatoes, lifting them to my mouth. I close my eyes as I savor them... seasoned perfectly, crispy on the outside, melting soft on the inside. “Mmm. So good.”

When I open my eyes and look at him, he’s staring at me with a hungry expression and dark eyes. “Christ,” he mutters, then bends his head and stabs another sausage.

Oh. That must have sounded . . . orgasmic.

Oops.

12

EVERLY

“I guesswe should be clear about what we’re doing,” I manage to say, my face hot.

“What do you mean?”

“These ‘dates’ we have to go on. They’re just for show. Right?”

“Wrong.” He eats his sausage, meeting my eyes with a bland expression.

“What? What do you mean, wrong?”

“Okay, they are for show. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun together.”

“Oh no.” I shake my head, waving my fork. “This isn’t about fun. It’s about saving the team and the league from bad PR.”

“Come on, princess.” He leans forward, his lips curving downward in annoyance. “Why are you so against having fun?”

“Fun is dangerous. That’s what got us into this mess, remember?”

One corner of his mouth hitches up.

“Fun is only safe if it’s carefully planned and controlled.”

“That’s bullshit.” He calmly takes a bit of toast.

“Nope. Those are my rules.”

“I don’t think you’re in a position to be setting rules here.”

I gape at him. “What do you mean?”

“I’m the one who doesn’t care what happens with this little incident. You, however, do. Therefore, you need to play by my rules.” He smiles.

My breath sticks in my chest. My heart bumps against my breastbone. God, that smile...

“You know what Vince Lombardi said,” he continues.

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