Page 124 of Mr. Charming

“I know, Tweetie. I know I’m more important, but you playing where you want is more important to me. I love you so much, I want this for you.” She leans forward. “Secrets can be fun.” She kisses me on the neck. “Sneaking around.” She kisses my jaw, then her lips are millimeters from mine. “We know what we have. We don’t need to share it with the world to know it’s true.” She presses her lips to mine, then draws back, waiting for my answer.

And fuck, of course I want to stay in Chicago. Especially if we win the Cup. I want the last years of my career to count.

“Okay,” I agree, but I remind myself if this goes south, I’m tugging Tedi into a life raft and we’re getting the hell out of Dodge.

This time, I’ll save us before anything touches us.

Fifty-Nine

Tedi

There’s a knock on my door, so I stop in my second bedroom and peek my head in. “Are you ready?”

“Just grabbing my lip gloss,” Lyric says with a smile. She looks beautiful in the dress that Eloise picked out when I told her Lyric was flying in from New York to be Tweetie’s date to the gala.

“You look great. I’ll get the door.” My heels hang off my fingers as I pad across my apartment and open the door.

The girls all thought I was crazy when I first mentioned Lyric being Tweetie’s date. Tweetie isn’t exactly on board either, but he needs some kind of cover after he put that picture of my tattoo on his socials. And Lyric is my best friend in New York, and I trust her implicitly. She knows my past with Tweetie, and I’ve filled her in on everything going on. She’s more than happy to help us.

I swing the door open and have to hold back a gasp. Tweetie looks so handsome in his tuxedo. His normally wild tresses have been slicked back off his face. He takes his time taking me in, his eyes slowly roaming over my body and back up.

Then his smile drops. “I don’t like this.” He steps into my apartment.

I look down at my dress. “That wasn’t exactly the reaction I was going for.” I blow out a breath, shutting the door before a hand pops out and stops it.

“He made me wait down the hall because, to quote him, ‘I wasn’t gonna see his hot-ass girlfriend before him.’” Decker steps into my apartment, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Thank you again for doing this,” I say to Decker, then eye Tweetie, who shakes his head. His mouth is a tight line.

“Sure, and don’t worry, I was already given the rules on the way up,” Decker says.

“What rules?” I ask, looking at Tweetie again.

“No dancing. No touching. Definitely no kissing. Not even on the cheek. Honestly, I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to act like we’re two awkward teenagers at a church retreat.” Decker looks at Tweetie. “Did I cover it?”

“Tedi,” Tweetie whines.

I walk over to him and wind my arms around his neck. “You look very handsome.” I kiss him.

Tweetie unwinds my arms, taking my hand, and tugs me down the hall. He doesn’t give an explanation to Decker as he leads me to my bedroom, shutting the door behind us. He sits on the edge of my bed. “I don’t like this.”

I sit next to him and place my hand on his thigh. “It’s one night, and it’s not like we’re not going to be together. We can be the foursome who are stuck together like glue.”

“Do you really expect me not to touch you?” His eyes narrow. “And seriously, look at what you’re wearing. My dick is already at half salute.”

I giggle, and he growls. “It’s kind of a turn-on when you get all broody. I think it’s because you’re usually not like that.”

He stands and shakes his head. “Please, Tedi, let’s just say fuck all this and run away together.”

I meet him in the middle of the room. Picking up his hands, I place them on my hips and fiddle with his tie. “I’m yours. Just remember that tonight. I’m coming home with you. You’re going to be the one who unzips this dress. The one who watches it fall to the floor. The only one who will know what my skimpy black thong looks like. You’ll be the one who gets to kiss every inch of my skin.” I rise on my toes and kiss him. “Only you.”

He blows out a breath and seems to calm a little.

“Now, how do I look?” I do a little twirl.

“Breathtaking.”

I smile and tilt my head. “There you go. Thank you. Come on. Let’s just get this thing over with so we can come back here.”

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