Page 60 of Make the Play

I wince, grabbing the lime to soothe the assault.

While the tequila shot burns a hole down to my stomach, the front door swings open, letting in a gust of cold air, the scent of overpriced cologne, and a big fucking problem called Chase Walton.

I try to stop my eyes from darting down to his crotch, but fail, noting the way he’sso clearly free-balling itfor all to see. He catches my eye and smirks, then heads straight for me.

Behind him, Logan and Eli are talking animatedly about something they probably shouldn’t be, while Reid already looks like he wants to leave. Jake makes a beeline for Charlie, because the man who has no chill whatsoever.She barely has time to turn in her seat before he’s there, pressing a kiss to the side of her head and murmuring something against her ear that makes her flush.

Logan leans against the booth next to Lulu, shaking his head as he clocks the interaction. “Jesus, Brooks. At leastpretendto be cool.”

Jake doesn’t even acknowledge him, eyes locked on Charlie as he softly brushes her hair back.

I roll my eyes. “Jake, do you need a moment?”

“Maybe,” he murmurs, still smiling as he rests a hand on her bump.

I feel the booth dip next to me and turn to see Chase sliding in next to me. I immediately shift away. He immediately slides closer.

I glare, keeping my voice low. “You are violatingso manypersonal space boundaries right now.”

He ignores the comment, nudging me with his knee as he leans in and slings an arm around my shoulders. “Hey, Zo Face.”

My entire body goes rigid, and I turn to him slowly.

“If you ever call me that again, I will waterboard you with your own beer.”

Chase just sighs happily. “God, I love our relationship.”

Tamara outright snorts. “Right, yourrelationship…”

“Oh my god, can wenot—”

“Okay, prove it,” says Jake, lifting his chin in challenge before kissing Charlie's forehead.

“Prove what?”

“Your relationship. Give us something convincing.”

I feel my knee being nudged again as Chase gestures at Jake. “See? We should do more PDA. People love that shit.”

“If you eventhinkabout kissing my forehead right now, I’ll decapitate you.”

Chase grins. “That’s my girl.”

“Come on, we need to seesomething,” Eli says.

Charlie chuckles and sips lemonade. “We could make it a test.”

“Absolutely not,” I snap, because this is spiraling fast.

But Chase is already moving. He shifts closer in the booth, and before I can stop him, his hand lifts, fingers brushing a strand of hair off my cheek. He tucks it behind my ear slowly, dragging the moment out, but it’s the way his thumb lingers that wrecks me. A barely-there stroke against the skin just behind my ear. My pulse point.

It’s the exact same move he made that night. Afterwards, when we were lying in bed. When everything had gone quiet and tender and terrifying. My pulse slams against his fingertip like it recognizes him, like it remembers.

His voice dips low, only for me. “Still my favorite spot.”

“Careful, Walton,” I murmur, tilting my head so we’re almost eye to eye. “You keep touching me like that, and I might start thinking you actually like me.”

He grins and leans in, but before he can respond, Tamara lets out a loudahemacross the table. “Wow, okay. Do we need to give you two a minute?”

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