Page 103 of Risky Game

He stopped in front of her. The rest of the room had circled around, giving them space. He still held his familiar, permanent scowl and Hailey looked up at him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Nothing happened. He didn’t so much as twitch and when Hailey whispered his name again, filled with concern, he dropped to his knee.

And oh. My. Goodness.

The man hit his knee in front of her like she knocked him on his ass.

Without preamble, without kindness, and almost like he was annoyed, he said, “You didn’t want to elope, and it was hell talking you into moving in with me, but I’ve waited as long as I can, Hailey Parillo. I want our life together, a home with babies and friends and family. I want it all with you, and I swear to you if you don’t agree to marry me today, I’m going to lose my damn mind.”

Hailey laughed and started to cry.

He reached into his pocket and held open a box. “Marry me, Hailey. Let me love you forever with you being my wife and not just my girlfriend and give me all the dreams I started having the day I met you and the chance to create and conquer more dreams together.”

It was the rudest, most honest proposal I’d ever seen and tears burned my eyes.

She had someone who didn’t give a single shit what anyone thought. Of him. Of their relationship. He didn’t care if the entire team saw him act like a fool.

I was grinning as the room erupted in cheers as he finally convinced Hailey to say yes, but there was pain burning in my eyes.

As if Molly understood, she reached out and squeezed my hand.

Our situations were different, but was it so wrong to want that? So wrong to not want to be hidden any longer?

The door opened and Logan walked in. He was wearing his Steel baseball hat, the same black three-quarter zip shirt he always wore to his game. His gaze stopped as he took in Hailey and Dawson, the cheers ringing through the room and the happy faces. Understanding dawned and he clapped along with the rest of his team.

But when he reached me, met my gaze, he had to see the pain in them.

His smile fell. He took a step toward me and stopped. His eyes widened and scanned the room.

He was frozen. Stuck there.

There was nothing he could do, and we both knew it.

But I was starting to wonder, even if he could, if he was ready to take that step anyway.

Chapter 28

Logan

I hurt her and it was the last thing I’d wanted to do and certainly not what I ever intended to do. And it sucked because she stood across from me, an entire room of family and friends celebrating Dawson and Hailey as he kissed her like they were the only two people left on this planet, looking at me like I’d slapped her.

Shit.

I was the one who pushed the honesty. I was the one who stood up to her brother a month ago. He was still pissed at me, rarely talked to me at all anymore. He certainly didn’t hit the field and ask me how my sister was doing, and I knew from talking to Ruby, curled in my arms almost every night, both of us spent and sated, she was hurting from that as well.

But as for the rest? I hadn’t done a damn thing. We’d agreed to wait, but how long was enough when she was sharing my room?

She was still a secret. Still sneaking out of my bed before there was the chance Amelia would wake up. And even though I convinced her to stay the weekend while my parents were in town, she’d gone back to her room.

We hadn’t discussed it, and I was almost relieved when she made that choice.

I didn’t want my parents to know I was sleeping with my nanny before they had the chance to meet. Before they could fall in love with her like Amelia had done in less than ten days. Like I was afraid I was well on my way to doing in less than a couple of months. If Ruby could get me thinking of a future, of dreams of a larger family and more children, and sharing a life with her, my parents would easily be head over heels for her by the time they left Tuesday night.

And when she slipped into the back passenger seat of the Yukon I was letting my parents drive while they were in town and told them I’d meet them back at the house, the fact she didn’t look in my direction once terrified me.

By the time I got home and had my Audi in the spot next to the SUV, I was prepared to do anything. Hire a skywriter. Send a mass communication email to the rest of the coaches and players. I hadn’t so much as checked my contract for the details of the morality clause I knew was there, but I’d do anything to ensure that pained look never again appeared on Ruby.

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