Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
A door closes and then he shoots off. “I left a perfectly good bed with a perfectly fine woman, you realize that?”
He won’t get any sympathy from me.
“I need your help with something.”
“This couldn’t have waited until the sun came up?”
I don’t even feel bad. So what if it’s barely past 6 AM?
“How many people did you know at that party last night?”
“Not many.”
“Any girls?”
“Sophia, her friends. That’s it. Why?” he asks, curious now.
“Did you see the brunette I was talking to by the bar? The one I disappeared with?”
He curses under his breath. “Listen, I’m happy in my relationship. Almost engaged, in fact, but it must be some life you lead with a face like that. You just walk around getting ass or what? No, I didn’t see you disappear with a brunette, but if I know you, she was fucking gorgeous.”
“She was.”
“She there with you at your place now? Are you calling to rub it in, because there’s no need—I prefer the redhead in my bed.”
“No, you idiot. I said I need your help, remember? I have no idea who she was and I have to figure it out.”
“You didn’t get her name?”
“It’s complicated.”
He laughs like this is comedy gold.
“What’d she look like?”
“Well she was brunette, like I said, but her hair wasn’t that dark. Medium brown, chestnut. A little past her shoulders. Her eyes were lighter than her hair, hazel I think, with these long lashes. She was petite. Did I already say she had freckles? Just a few dotting her nose and cheeks, but they were cute as hell.”
“Did this girl have dimples?” he asks, sounding wary.
“A matching set. They were really pronounced when she smiled.”
He sucks in a sharp breath.
“What was she wearing, Navarro?”
He sounds deadly serious, and now I’m frowning.
“A black dress.”
“Oh god. Oh, fuck me,” he mutters, then when he speaks again, his voice is loud and clear. “Listen to me. Hey, are you listening? Put that girl out of your mind. Erase her from your memory.”
“Why? What’s going on? You know who I’m talking about?”
My pea brain chooses to ignore the dread circling our conversation and focus instead on the positive. Josh definitely knows her. My mystery brunette is a mystery no more.
“Who is she?”
“You think I’m kidding, but I’m not. Forget whatever happened last night and move on. End of story.”
“Who is she?” I bite out with a slow, threatening tone. I’m seconds from racing over to his place and shaking the answer out of him. I’m not above it.
“Tate Allen.” He laughs pitifully. “Name ring a bell? Yeah, you’re fucked. That’s Luke Allen’s little sister. You better pray you didn’t lay a hand on her or there’s going to be hell to pay.”
My phone slips away from my ear as my hand drops. Meanwhile, Josh keeps talking. Whatever he has to say, I don’t care.
Tate Allen.
Luke Allen’s little sister.
Luke is the most veteran player on the Pinstripes roster. He’s also a walking legend. Not that it matters—he could be the greenest rookie we have and I would still respect him enough to keep my hands off his sister. You don’t mess around with family. The girl from last night is officially off limits.
“Fuuuuuck!”
My curse rumbles out of my chest so loudly I’m surprised I don’t wake the whole building.
FIVE
TATE
The morning after the party, I’m lying in my bed, too chicken to get up and face my roommates. Too chicken to face myself, even. I have to pee, but there’s a mirror in the bathroom I’d like to avoid. I don’t need my reflection taunting me about last night’s mistakes.
How’s that plan working out for you now, huh, Tate?
I feel like I’ve done something wrong, like I behaved very, very badly. Only I’m not totally sorry for it. I almost…almost wish I’d stuck around to find out what would have happened if I hadn’t pushed away my mystery man last night. We could have made full use of that gym. Exercise ball? Bounce bounce, baby. Yoga mat? Unroll that sucker. Full-length mirrors stretching the length of an entire wall? I wouldn’t have survived.
My bedroom door whips open. No knock. No gentle introduction.
Daphne leaps onto my bed, nearly inverting my knee on her way to cuddling beside me. She steals half my blanket and half my pillow.
“Is Sophia still with Josh?” I ask.
“Here!” Sophia says, hurrying in to join us, tucking herself in on my other side. At least she had the decency to bring a spare pillow.
“I thought you went home with Josh last night?” I ask her.
“I did, but then he got a call at the crack of dawn and had to rush out to help his friend with something. So here I am…”
She lets her sentence dwindle, and then they both stare at me expectantly.
I play dumb. “What?”
“We want details,” Sophia says. “And be quick about it. I have work in a bit.”