Page 72 of Behind the Net

Understanding passes over her features, and a small smile lifts on her face. “That’s why you take care of everyone.”

I just shrug. “I have no choice.”

She reaches across the table, covers my hand with hers, and gives it a warm squeeze. Her skin is soft, and my hand tenses under hers so I don’t haul her into my lap like at the wrap party.

“Sorry,” she whispers, yanking her hand back at my grim expression.

This is going all wrong. We eat in awkward, tense silence, and when we’re done, she gets up to clear the plates, but I stop her.

“I’ll do it.” My tone comes out sharper than I wanted.

She takes a seat on the couch and picks up her guitar again. She plays another song while I clean the kitchen more thoroughly than ever. If I stop, she’ll stop playing, and I’m desperate to hear her voice. Her singing on the couch makes this apartment feel like a home.

Her song ends and she glances over at me with a small smile. “I think you got that spot.”

I look down to where I’m scrubbing the spotless countertop.

She bites her lip, her nerves written all over her face. “Sit with me?”

My feet are already moving to the living room. I can’t say no to her, it seems. I drop down in the chair facing her.

She pauses, offering me a hesitant look. “Are we okay?”

I jerk a nod. “We’re fine, Pippa.”

She studies me, chewing her bottom lip, and I can’t stop thinking about what that bottom lip felt like between my teeth as I kissed her at the wrap party.

Fucking hell, what I wouldn’t do to experience that again.

Silence stretches between us before I shoot to my feet. I’m on edge, and I’m going to do something stupid if I sit down here with her.

I make it all the way to the hall outside my room when her voice stops me.

“Is this about the toy you bought me?” She climbs the last of the stairs, folding her arms over her chest.

My gut drops. Of course she figured it out. “Pippa.” I drag in a breath. “I’m so sorry.”

She stares at me. I can’t read her expression. “Why?”

I shake my head, feeling sick with nerves. “It crossed a line. You told me that in confidence and—” I cut myself off, frustrated. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I had too many beers and I’d been thinking about you all day.” Shit, I didn’t mean to say that. “Because we’d been texting. I’d been thinking nonstop about what you said at the wrap party.” My eyes meet hers, and heat roars in my blood. “I like you being here. I like you playing music in the apartment and I like you coming to my games.”

Her mouth tips up into a smile. “I like going for walks with you, and you making dinner.”

My heart aches. All I can do is nod. I can’t believe I almost fucked this up because I was horny.

She tucks her hands in the sleeves of her sweater. “And I like going to your games and hanging out with your mom.”

Now we’re just listing more reasons why I shouldn’t have done what I did.

Her tongue darts out to wet her lips. “I used it.”

I stifle a groan at the memory of listening to her coming all over the toy. I can only imagine what it looked like. I can’tstopimagining what it looked like.

I can’t lie. “I know.”

“You do?” Her eyes go wide.

“This place isn’t soundproof.” I rub the bridge of my nose. Now that she knows, maybe she’ll be more careful so I don’t have to walk around with an erection all day.

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