Page 50 of Imperfect Player

I love the excitement in her voice. The feel of her against me.

“You’re amazing,” I tell her, letting the thoughts in my head slip out when normally I can control them. The high of the fucking win has me all over the goddamn place. As does the woman in my arms.

I offer her friend a smile and a greeting.

“Great game,” she tells me, being my biggest fan and all.

“Give me twenty. l am going to hit the showers and then we’re going to get out of here.”

“Where are we going?” Everly asks.

“You’ll see.”

I set her down and press a kiss to her cheek before heading into the locker room.

The glare I earn from Maddox is worth it.

“I thought . . . ”

“That I was going to leave her alone, blah blah blah,” I say as I pull my shirt over my head and drop it to the ground. “You sound like a broken record.”

“So help me God, if you so much as lay a hand on her—”

“You’ll what? Kill me? That would fuck up your season, so we both know that’s not going to happen.” I turn toward him and for the first time look him in the eyes. “I’m not going to hurt her, man. I like her. We’re friends. She’s . . . I promise.”

I don’t owe him shit. Not an explanation. Not a reason. Certainly not a promise.

“I will tell you this, though,” I say. “Don’t let her catch you pulling this shit. She’ll end you.”

“I’m just trying to protect her.”

“That’s the thing, man. She doesn’t need you to protect her. Not unless she asks for it.”

I walk past him toward the showers. There are two beautiful women outside this locker room that I don’t want to keep waiting.

Showered and dressed, I exit the locker room.

“Where’s Chelle?” I ask when I see her standing there alone.

“Something came up.” Her eyes refuse to meet mine as she speaks.

“Guess it’s just the two of us then.”

“Two of us for what exactly?”

“After home games, the team always hits up Bases Loaded. They shut down the place for us and we eat, drink, and laugh in peace.”

“And you want me to come with?”

“A lot of the guys bring their girlfriends and wives.”

“I’m not either of those.”

“Rub in my lonely single life, why don’t you?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure you’re real lonely.”

“Terribly,” I tell her, smiling so she doesn’t see the truth—how truly alone I really am. “Friends can come too.”

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