Page 16 of Truth or Tequila (Grand Slam 1)

I take her face gently into my hands. Her eyes close as I lean down and touch her lips. “Go to sleep now, Sophie.”

She turns and buries her face in the pillows. “I won, Sep,” she mumbles.

“Yeah, you did,” I say as I pull the blankets up a little higher.

When I turn around, I see Maisie standing by the door.

“Are you going to make sure she doesn’t die tonight?” I frown as she takes a few more steps into the room and closes the door.

“That’s been my job since we were like ten,” she says, walking over to the bed. She tilts Sophie’s head up, so her nose and mouth are free of the pillows. Sophie lets out a deep breath.

“Well you suck at your job. You’re lucky I’m the one you dared her to kiss. Someone else might have taken advantage of this situation. Do you know how dangerous this is?”

“You know, from your reputation,” she says, moving the trash can to the side of the bed, “I’d think you’d be the one I’d have to worry about—”

“Don’t believe everything you read,” I growl as I head toward the door.

“Her last name is Banks if you ever want to call her. Sophia Banks.”

I whip around. “You let her get in this condition and now you’re trying to pimp her out?”

“I’m not trying to pimp her out.”

“Could have fooled me—”

“Despite what I’ve read about you and what I’m seeing at this very second,” she says, “you seem very sweet and I can tell you like her. Sophie needs somebody sweet after her last boyfriend.”

“I’m not that sweet,” I say, turning back toward the door. “Believe me.”

She follows me out into the suite’s sitting area. The rest of the group have made it back and are draped over the furniture.

“Oh my God!” The loud one in the orange dress jumps up from the couch. “Seb Miller’s in my suite!”

She pulls out her phone. Joe swipes it away from her and points at the other women who slowly drop their phones. “No pictures,” he barks.

“One group picture is fine.” I turn to Maisie. “If you want one.”

“That would be nice. Thank you.” She smiles at me. I smile back. She seems okay.

“Take it so it doesn’t look like I’m in a hotel room with five women,” I say, turning to Joe.

“What? Am I new to this job?” He laughs. “Up against that blank wall.”

Orange shirt pushes another woman out of the way to get next to me and then snakes her arm around my waist, letting her hand sink to my butt. “Sophie’s going to be so jealous she missed this picture!”

“I doubt that very much.” I step away from her quickly after Joe takes the picture.

She follows me. “Wait, did you close the deal? Did you kiss her? Or did you do even more than that?”

I glare at her. Maisie gets in between us and starts pushing me toward the door. “No, he didn’t kiss her. He was a perfect gentleman. He just helped me get her up to the room.”

As I step into the hallway, I turn back around. “What’d you say her last name was again?”

“Banks,” Maisie says. “Google Sophia Banks. She has a consulting firm. You can call her on her business number.”

“Or you could just give me her cell number,” I say, smiling as I hold up my phone.

“If you want that, you’re going to have to earn it yourself.” She smiles as she backs into the room. “I don’t pimp out my best friend, remember?”

“Right,” I laugh.

Joe closes in on me. “We’ve got to go, man. Media in the building.”

I look back to the suite’s door. As Maisie disappears behind it, I hear her say, “Goodnight, Sep.”

* * *

---