Page 67 of Double Fault

“I’m not.” My cheeks feel hot.

Finger pointed at me, she wiggles in her seat, her face alight. “But you want to.”

I bite my tongue.

She claps her hands, then clutches them to her chest. “I knew it.”

“It can’t happen,” I tell her, just like I’ve been telling myself. “He’s my boss and I need this job.”

Brows quirking, she leans in. “But you want it to.”

“Yes.” God, does it feel good to admit it out loud, even if I have no plans of doing anything about it. “He drives me halfway insane, but…”

“But he’s hot and you’re hot and the two of you could have hot sex.” Lucy is practically vibrating in her seat.

With a shake of my head, I laugh. “Yeah, sure.”

Alyssa hasn’t said a word through this entire exchange, her face an expressionless mask.

“Why are you so quiet?” Lucy asks her.

Lips twisting, she studies me. “I’m not sure any of this is a good idea.”

Though her tone is kind, I flinch.

“I’m sorry,” she says, forearms resting on the edge of the table. “I just don’t want to see this end poorly. Noah’s a good guy, but losing Annie put him in a bad place, and I don’t want to see you get caught up in that.”

I take a sip of wine and swallow down the hurt with it. “I understand.”

She’s right. It is a bad idea. But no matter how many times I’ve told myself that, I can’t stop thinking about our encounter that night in the hotel.

“It’s temporary anyway.” Lucy waves her hand like she can swat away Alyssa’s common sense like a pesky fly. “Would it really be that bad if they had a little fun?”

Wine in hand, Alyssa presses her lips together.

Her silence speaks volumes.

My appetite disappears.

The worst part is, I can’t even lie to myself and say nothing will happen with Noah again, because stupidly Iwantit to.

What’s wrong with me?

CHAPTER 18

NOAH

“Youownthis place?”

As Maddie darts up the stairs to her room, I lean against the wall and try to hide my amusement. Sabrina normally keeps her emotions carefully guarded, but right now she can’t hide her awe.

“Yes.” I slide my hands into my pockets. “A lot of players keep places in Monaco. It’s nice to have a home base nearby while we’re playing in Europe.”

“I knew you had a place here, but I didn’t expect…” She spins again, drinking it all in, then stops in front of me. “How richareyou?” Her question is laced with amusement, yet it’s almost accusatory too.

“Very.”

I’m not going to get into the specifics of my finances with her, but I’ve won a lot of tournaments and championships, and I’ve landed some lucrative sponsorships over the years. With some smart investments, I’ve set myself and Maddie up to live more than comfortably.

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