Page 5 of Play Maker

A tiny growl escaped my throat. “I admit no such thing.”

“Fair enough. Let’s make a deal. We’ll both be authentically ourselves, no performing or hiding. We can be real with each other, whatever that ends up looking like.”

Adam slid off his stool and offered me his hand with his brows raised. Did he think I was afraid of touching him? With a matching expression, I slapped my palm into his and let him pull me off the stool.

“You aren’t what I expected,” I told him.

He shrugged at my comment. “I get that a lot. You want another shot at cornhole? My skills extend far beyond the football field.”

I blinked at the sudden change in him. “How do you fit your giant head through doorways? I feel like it must be a challenge.”

He opened his mouth, and I knew—Iknew—he was about to make a dick joke. Instead, he nodded toward the backyard. “Let’s get your revenge, then you can help me fend off the ball bunnies while we enjoy a nice, relaxing afternoon in the sun.”

“Okay, but I can’t stay all afternoon. I have dinner plans.”

His gaze sharpened. “Big date?”

A short laugh burst out of me, laced with bitterness. “Something like that.”

Rob would certainly enjoy forcing the evening in that direction. Though I’d rather light myself on fire than date his son.

Adam eased me closer, his hand tightening on mine. “I don’t like that unhappy look on your face. If you need an out, text me. I’ll come up with an appropriately dramatic exit strategy. Unless you want me to handle things in person for you. Have muscles, will travel.”

His sudden protective streak did things to my equilibrium. I couldn’t find my footing with him, so I did what I always did when confronted with an unstable situation. Retreat.

“I don’t think that will be necessary, Adam. I can handle myself just fine.” I tugged, but he didn’t let me go.

Instead, he shifted closer and gripped the back of my neck, holding me in place.

“There is one thing I should probably tell you, in the spirit of realness.” He dropped his mouth to my ear, lowering his voice and making my pulse take off again. “I like the way you say my name.”

His lips brushed my cheek, then he was gone, somehow already across the room at the doors to the backyard. I forced myself not to cover the spot where my skin tingled. The gesture couldn’t even be considered a kiss, and I refused to react while he watched me with dark eyes.

As for his words, there was no denying the sex in his voice, but Adam liked to push boundaries. Eva had told me as much, and I’d seen it for myself over the last few months. Declaring our friendship hands-off probably triggered his baser instincts. He wanted what he couldn’t have.

Adam opened the sliding glass door and gestured for me to go first. I held my head high as I walked past, ignoring the pounding of my heart and the urge to drag his mouth down to mine. The tingles were new, but they’d fade soon enough.

I didn’t have many friends before Eva, and I wasn’t about to screw everything up by giving in to an ill-advised fling. Even if Adam was the only one who’d ever made me burn with a touch.

The Texas heat blanketed me as I crossed onto the patio, and I briefly considered simply leaving. Letting Adam find something—or someone—else to distract him for the summer. Except I couldn’t forget the sadness in his eyes.

Eva didn’t want to talk about him, but she wouldn’t want him to be sad.Ididn’t want him to be sad. A sigh escaped me. How hard could it be to just enjoy his company without making things complicated?

Courtney waved from her spot by the stupid beanbag game, but her gaze flicked to the brooding football star walking close behind me. When her smile turned predatory, my muscles tensed with an unfamiliar surge of protectiveness.

He’d asked me to fend off the ball bunnies, and here I was, leading him straight to a large group of them. I didn’t enjoy cornhole, and I had no desire to make up for my poor playing if it meant subjecting Adam to the kind of attention he wanted to avoid.

I switched directions so abruptly he almost ran into me. His large hand caught my waist, and he gave me a tiny smirk as I led him to a deserted seating area around the unlit fire pit. Unlike every other instance in my life, I knew exactly what that look meant.

I’ll follow your lead, Sunshine.

I could almost hear his voice in my head. The deep timbre of my imagination making me shiver despite the sweat running down the middle of my back. Annoying.

A quick peek assured me Courtney had gone back to her game. Mission accomplished. I ignored the prick of feminine pride at successfully staking my claim and collapsed into the flimsy patio chair. Adam took the seat next to me, stretching his long legs out to cross his ankles on the edge of the stone circle. With a quirk of his eyebrow, he offered me the water bottle I hadn’t seen him carry out here.

I took a long swig, then handed it back. My gaze clashed with his as he tipped the bottle at me in a salute and raised it to his mouth. He watched me watching him, his lips touching the same spot mine had seconds ago.

The stupid tingles started up again, and I dropped my eyes to the column of his throat. “You are stupidly attractive, and it’s going to be really annoying if I have to chase away women wherever we go.”

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