Page 81 of Just Say Yes

Giving us both space, I walked into the bedroom to throw on a fresh pair of underwear. I stopped to stare at the bed. It was turned down with a small plate of chocolates on one pillow.

“I think we forgot to put theDo Not Disturbsign on the door,” I chuckled, plucking a chocolate from the pillow.

MJ stepped up beside me. “Benedict is eerily quiet.” She looked around the room and out the French doors before tightening the towel around her breasts. “Do you think he’s still around?” she whispered.

I shook my head but grabbed my phone anyway. “Nah, I doubt it, but I’ll message him in the app that we don’t need anything until morning.”

She smiled and dressed in pajamas while I slipped into the bed. Her skin carried the scent of honey and lavender from the bath, and I pulled in a deep inhale.

She settled in beside me, her eyelids puffy from crying, but her smile was soft and her shoulders looked relaxed.

Satisfied, I leaned forward and brushed a kiss on her forehead. “Good night, Julep.”

She blushed and closed her eyes. “Good night.”

* * *

I couldn’t shakethe knot in my gut. Trent had been my closest friend for years, but now I wondered whether I ever really knew him. The things he’d said about MJ ... I clenched my fists. There was no excuse for any of it. She deserved better. I wanted to protect her from that kind of cruelty, even if it meant reevaluating a friendship that had once felt unshakable.

I had played rugby at the Olympic level, pushed through injuries and bloody knuckles, busted lips, and swollen eyes. Still, nothing had ever been more difficult than sleeping beside MJ and not touching her.

Fine. When we woke up, tangled in each other, my hand was full of her left tit, but that barely counted.

“Mmm,” MJ groaned and stretched against me. She sighed and rolled over to look at me.

“Morning.” I tried to angle my face so my morning breath didn’t totally kill the vibe.

She hid her mouth behind her fingertips. “Morning.”

For a moment we just stared at each other, smiling. The rapid beeps of my alarm stole the moment from us, and I reached over to turn it off with a groan.

She seemed lighter this morning, her laughter more genuine, though the shadows of yesterday still lingered in her hazel eyes. It wasn’t like her pain had disappeared, but maybe she was starting to let herself breathe again.

“Big day today.” MJ blinked at me with a sleepy smile, and it was easy to forget that anyone outside of that hotel suite existed.

Only they did.Trentdid, and he was expecting to show up for my match. “Yep.”

MJ stretched, her smooth leg rubbing against mine before she laughed. “What a waste of such a great room.”

I knew she was talking about the fact we hadn’t fooled around. “I don’t know ... I thought it was a pretty good night.”

She grinned. “Me too. I hope the rest of the team didn’t get too wild last night.”

I rolled to my back and rubbed my eyes. “If they did, it’ll be a lesson they won’t soon forget. Taking a hit when you’re hungover is punishment enough.”

Beside me, MJ hummed, but a soft sigh followed closely behind it. “You’ll have to let me know how it goes.”

I propped myself up. “Why wouldn’t you see for yourself?”

MJ looked up at me. “I just thought ...” She blew out a breath. “With Trent going, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be there.”

I frowned down at her. “He isn’t going. He mightthinkhe’s going, but he’s wrong. I want you there.”

The slow bloom of her smile squeezed my chest. “Really?”

I leaned down, not caring that both of us had morning breath, and kissed her. “Yes, really. I need my lucky charm out there today. Now get dressed before we’re both late.”

I stared into her eyes, searching. Neither of us acknowledged that it was a hell of a lot more than some ridiculous superstition. Because it wasn’t just superstition. With MJ in the stands, I played better, more focused. She grounded me in ways I hadn’t experienced before. Her presence was a reminder of everything I was working for.

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