Page 5 of End Game
“That’s what I’m here for. To make you happy.”
“This is why I love you,” I say, patting her on the shoulder.
With each roll of the tires, my problems drift a little further away and memories of my childhood roll in. Summers filled with flip-flops, hamburgers grilled on the back porch, s’mores, and lightning bugs come flittering back, making my cheeks ache.
The windows go down as butterflies scatter from the tall grass lining the driveway and the glistening water appears in front of us. It’s the color of the sky before a storm—a deep, dark blue. Waves splash happily against the shoreline, and I close my eyes and just revel in being here.
Poppy pilots the car to the front of the house and shuts off the ignition. “Oh, this is gorgeous.”
“It so is,” I sigh, opening my eyes and pointing towards the lake. “Look at how peaceful the water is today.”
“Uh, I was talking aboutthat. . .”
CHAPTER 3
LAYLA
“You’re right, Layla. I’m going toloveit here.”
“Shut up,” I hiss, trying desperately to take my eyes off the chiseled, sweaty man standing in the middle of my lawn next to my brother. “Who the hell is that?”
“That would be your hottie brother. And, damn, girl, he looks even better in the off-season when he’s not quite so leaned out. That ass . . .”
“Not Finn,” I groan, leaning forward to get a better glimpse as Mystery Man moves, the sun ricocheting off his drenched body. “Who is with him?”
“I don’t know his name, but he looks like a damn good time.”
They look our way and I slump back in my seat. “These windows are tinted, right?”
“If not, I’m fairly certain we aren’t making a great impression,” she laughs. “I’m assuming Finn isn’t expecting us?”
My head bobs side-to-side as I watch Finn’s friend. A pair of bright blue mesh shorts riding low on his hips, his thick, muscled body widening as my gaze travels up to his shoulders.
Finn says something to him that makes him throw the football he’s holding towards my brother. He laughs, and although I can’t hear the sound, it makes me smile too.
“You’re fucked.”
“Yes, please.” Clearing my throat, I try to thrust my way back to reality. “Okay. Enough. We are all adults here.”
“Which is why we need to stop gawking at their ridiculous bodies and imagining what their sweat tastes like and?—”
“Really, Poppy?”
She laughs, picking her sunglasses up from the middle console. “You were thinking it.”
“Here’s the thing,” I say, feeling some sense come back to me, “whoever that is was brought here by my brother. Between that and the way his body screamsathlete, that means one thing.”
“That his sex appeal is off the charts? Because I concur. If that man wants to give me babies, I’ll take them.”
I flip her a look. “It means that he’s trouble. A football player. The kind of guy you just told me I need to stay away from.”
“You do. Doesn’t mean I do,” she says, putting on her glasses and stepping out of the car.
“Damn you, Poppy.” Heaving a deep breath, I open my door and step into the warm afternoon air. “Hey, Finn!”
My voice is a little wobblier than I’d prefer and my gaze a little too weighted on my sibling, but I can’t look past him. My peripheral vision is catching enough movement to keep me feeling like I’m being swamped by the waves of Lake Michigan.
“What are you doing here?” Finn comes my way, his grin stretched ear-to-ear as he tosses the ball back to his friend. “I didn’t know you were coming up.”
