Page 43 of Play For Me
“That sounds like Bee,” I grin, and he runs his finger over my dimple. “She’s been asking for a puppy, and we’ve been talking about how much attention they need.”
“Feel free to dog-sit Gizmo anytime you want. His snoring keeps me up at night, and I could use a good night’s sleep.”
“Considering how she loves him already, I may take you up on that. It would buy me more time on the whole getting a puppy thing,” I softly laugh.
“I should get you back out there,” he sighs and releases his hold on me. “Lyla’s already shooting me daggers from just looking at her friend the wrong way. If I keep you any longer, she’s likely to poison my next muffin she givesme.”
I giggle as he opens the door and quickly go silent when I see Lyla standing there.
“There you two are.” She darts back and forth between us, and even though nothing happened in this room, I’m sure I look guilty as hell. She finally lands on me, and her gaze softens. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. We were just talking. I’m sorry I left Bee for you to watch for so long.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. She and Charlie are having a blast with Jake in the pool. She’s no trouble at all.”
“Thank you.” I look back at Miles, and he’s fighting a grin at the whole situation. Glad someone isn’t uncomfortable in all of this.
“Olivia, why don’t you go grab yourself a glass of wine and sit with the girls. They are dying to meet you. I’ll be right out to join you,” she says, pulling her gaze from Miles to smile at me.
“Okay.” I glance back one more time, and he has the balls to wink at me. I quickly turn and head out the door, leaving him at the mercy of his sister-in-law. Judging by the look she is giving him, he’s in for one hell of a talking to.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
MILES
“You slept with her, didn’t you?” Lyla doesn’t waste any time getting straight to the point once Olivia is out of earshot.
“I didn’t know she was your friend.”
“You didn’t know she was my friend,” she slowly repeats, throwing her hands up in the air. “She’s a mother, Miles. She’s not just some random girl in a bar who you can toss away the next morning.”
“To be fair, I didn’t know until today that she had a child. She never told me.”
“She’s been hurt in the past,” she sighs. “She doesn’t need any more pain in her life, neither does her daughter.”
“Why does everyone think I’m going to hurt them?” I rake my hands through my hair in frustration.
“Your track record isn’t exactly the poster child for commitment.”
“Have you ever thought that maybe that wasn’t by choice? I see the way my brothers look at their wives. They all knew the second they laid eyes on you girls. I’m not about to settle just because I want what they have. I have a past, yes, but I nevergave them all of me. I made that perfectly clear to them from the beginning.”
“Did you make it perfectly clear to Olivia?” She arches her eyebrow and waits for my answer.
“No, I didn’t. She made it perfectly clear tome.”
“I see.” Her lips start to twitch, and I roll my eyes.
“Go ahead and laugh. My brothers certainly find it funny.”
“I’m not going to laugh.” She tries to look serious, but fails. “Okay, maybe a little,” she laughs before sitting down next to me. “You really like her, don’t you?” She asks softly.
“Yeah, I really do,” I sigh. “But apparently until I can be trusted, I’mgood ole pal, Miles.”
“She’s protecting herself and Bee, which is what any good mom would do. If you like her the way you say you do, then you need to prove to her that she can trust you. She needs to know she can rely on you to be there for her and her daughter.”
I nod, knowing she’s right.
“Just promise me one thing, though.” She turns, so she’s facing me.
