Page 61 of Merry Mischief List

After we’ve eaten our weight in Dragon Wok and had gingerbread man cookies,and their dicks, for dessert, we settle into the couch and Andi forces me to watchThe Grinch.

About a half hour in Who-ville, I reach next to the couch, grabbing the tiny bag I hid earlier. “I have something for you.”

“Really?” She perks up, pausing the movie. “You didn’t need to get me anything.”

“I know,” I say, handing it to her. “But I saw it at the mall, and it reminded me of you, so I wanted you to have it.”

She pulls the tissue paper out and unwraps her gift. A small pink rocking horse ornament rests in her palm, and her sweet laugh fills the room. Her warm eyes find mine, and she shakes her head. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” I say, shifting in my seat.

“It’s not a house key, Porter,” Andi says, smiling softly. “But it’s not nothing.Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I say, and she presses a warm kiss to my lips.

“I’ll be right back,” she tells me, and goes to the kitchen.

A few minutes later she returns, two glasses of red wine in hand and a coy smile on her face. I stand and take a glass from her.

“I wanted to thank you for making sure my Christmas didn’t suck,” she says, tipping the glass towards me.

“I think the only one sucking this Christmas wasyou,” I point out, and she rolls her eyes as we clink glasses.

“Technicalities,” she teases, taking a sip and grabbing the remote to pull up YouTube on the smart TV. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” comes over the speaker.

“Care to dance?” she asks, and I pluck the wine from her hand, then set our glasses on the coffee table and tug her to the middle of the room. I take one hand in mine and settle the other on her waist while she rests her free hand on my shoulder.

I glance into her beautiful eyes, wondering how the hell I’ll be able to forget the way she’s looking at me right now.

“You’re harder to get out of my system than I thought you’d be,” I admit.We’re supposed to be blowing off steam, not catching feelings.

“Back at ya, Coach,” Andi says, resting her head on my chest. “So I guess tomorrow is our last day before we head back to reality and pretend this never happened?”

Because that’s going to be so easy.“It’s probably for the best.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Especially after the article,” I remind her.That stupid damn article could’ve put me in deep shit.

“I realize it probably would have been bad if you were recognized,” Andi says.

“It definitely wouldn’t have been ideal.”

“Well, how about this: we spend the rest of our time really, and I meanreally, getting it out of our systems. And then at practice, you can go back to forgetting I exist and try not to think about what I taste like or the little sounds I make.” She smiles playfully, and I tap my forehead to hers.

“You’re not gonna make this easy, are you?” I ask, already picturing her naked and spread out for me.

“Maybe, maybe not.” She shrugs.

“I’ll manage, but do you think you’ll be able to look at me across the field without remembering how my tongue made your legs shake?”

Her jaw tightens. “Looks like two can play at this game.”

“I play to win, Cupcake.”

“Then game on, Coach.”

22

---