Page 79 of False Play
Hayes
Open upppppppppp.
I went to get the door, but stopped and turned until I found our fake dating contract placed front and center on the fridge. With the ridiculous piece of paper I was still trying to hold on to—though I was starting to hate it—in a safe place, I opened the door and found Val, Owens, and Hayes carrying a bunch of food trays.
“This is heavy as hell, get out of the way,” Val complained.
“I told you I got it, but no, you wanted to prove something,” Owens mumbled.
“Shut up, Nico,” Val retorted as they all strode into the kitchen and placed the trays on the counters.
“My God, this is a ridiculous amount of food,” I said.
Hayes snorted a laugh. “Kenny, we’re hockey players. I bet you twenty bucks we will end up ordering pizza or something.”
The door of Henry’s room opened, and he was staring at his phone with a frown as he read something. His gaze snapped up, and when it landed on all of us, his brows furrowed even deeper. “What’s going on?”
“Surprise! Impromptu team dinner.” Hayes wiggled his hands in the air.
“We usually do those at Donovan’s,” Henry commented.
With an easy grin, Hayes threw an arm around me. “It was your girl’s idea to throw it here.”
Henry’s piercing blue gaze landed on mine with a quizzical expression.
My face heated, and I shrugged one shoulder with a small smile. “Wanted to do something special for you guys.”
“You going softie on me, Kenny baby?” Henry asked, his voice light, a boyish grin tugging at his lips.
“Never, pretty boy,” I quipped, though there was no denying the way my pulse thrummed loudly in my ear as my body practically shouted at me, “Liar.”
“Where’s my child?” Hayes suddenly asked as he shoved his hand into one of his jeans pockets and took a small twinkle star plush out of it.
I held back a laugh at his randomness. I didn’t know why it surprised me. Wesley Hayes was the literal definition of a golden retriever. Well, except for the trail of broken hearts he left behind in every city he traveled to. Yeah, it was safe to say Hayes had a reputation. You would never have guessed it based on his sunshine personality and innocent forest-green eyes, but I was almost certain the innocent look he carried was what attracted so many women in the first place.
Though there was no denying a man like him was certainly handsome, he didn’t hold a candle to Henry. His beauty wasraw and almosttoooverwhelming. The type of beauty that dulled your senses and threw your logical way of thinking out the window, simply by orbiting around you. The type of handsomeness that was impossible to ignore. Believe me when I say this because I had beentrying—and failing miserably.
“You meanmychild?” Henry cocked one of his dark eyebrows. “He’s probably in the latest cat tower you bought him.”
“Say less,” Hayes said while striding into what we called Sush’s room. “Where are you, Sush? Uncle Wes missed you,” he shouted.
With a shake of my head and a laugh, I headed to the pantry in hopes of finding disposable cups and plates. I was sure we had to have some around.
“Need help with anything?” Henry’s voice boomed through the small room, causing goosebumps to spread across my body at his smooth tone.
I looked over my shoulder and found him leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. The simple pose made the muscles of his arms pull the fabric of his hoodie taut, and a throbbing sensation pounded between my legs at the sight alone.
I was losing my damn mind.
“I’m looking for some disposable cups and plates because there’s no way ours are going to make it if we use them. I’ve known you all long enough to know how rowdy you all get,” I said.
His deep laugh echoed as he strode closer and reached for something above me. His tall frame enveloped me, and my traitorous thighs clenched involuntarily.
Once he found the items, I expected him to pull away. But when I turned around, he was standing so close, I could visibly count every freckle that dusted across his chiseled face andcrooked nose. My fingers itched to trace them, and I curled my hands into hard fists, fighting the ridiculous urge.
“Thank you for doing this,” he whispered.
“Like I said, I wanted to do something nice for you guys.” I smiled.
