Page 23 of In It to Win It

Why is she laughing at his stupid comments? Annoyed, I drink more wine.

“Mastiff,” he says. “Remember, Théo here needs a big dog to . . . compensate.”

“Fuck you,” Théo says. “Besides, isn’t that what your Jag is for? Compensation?”

“The bigger the car, the smaller the penis,” I comment.

JP narrows his eyes at me. “My Jag’s not big.”

I wave a hand. “A small penis car doesn’t have to be big. It can be any fancysports car–type vehicle. Usually driven fast, with loud music blaring.”

“Hmm.” Théo cocks his head, clearly trying not to laugh. “If the car fits . . .”

“Boys, boys.” Lacey waves a hand.

JP gives me a pointed, fulminating look, and I know just what he’s thinking—I’m very aware that he has no need to compensate.

“Get a Chihuahua,” Théo says to Lacey.

Lacey claps her hands. “Yay! So you’re saying wecanget a dog.”

“No! That’s not what I . . .” Théo sighs. “Fine.”

My eyes meet JP’s in a mutual look of “we knew it.” I have to fight back a smile and I tip my glass to my lips again to hide it. Shit. I don’t like him. I don’t want to share amused looks with him. Or any looks with him. Except the stabbing kind.

I don’t know exactly why I feel so angry with him.

The guys are finished eating, so Théo stands and picks up his plate.

JP stands too. “Can I give Byron some steak now?”

I want to say no, but I love Byron, and he loves steak, and depriving him of a treat just seems mean, so . . . “Okay. A little.”

I unclip Byron’s leash and he happily dances after the men as they disappear into the kitchen.

“What’s with you and JP?” Lacey immediately whispers urgently.

I give her a blank look. “What?”

“We haven’t talked since the wedding. What was going on?”

My eyes flick toward the kitchen. “I don’t want to talk about this right now.”

“Oh my God.” Her eyebrows fly up.

The men return, Théo with a beer in his hand, JP a bottle of water.

“On the wagon now?” I ask him. “Maybe that brawl was because of overindulging?”

He sits back down and casually leans back. “It wasn’t a brawl.”

“What would you call it? Saturday night?” I give myself a mental high-five for that one. “You’re a hockey player. Just a normal thing for you.”

A muscle tics in his jaw.

“Oh yeah, training camp started today!” Lacey exclaims.

“Yeah.” JP holds up his bottle. “That’s why I’m drinking water. And why I can barely walk.”

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