Page 14 of The Anaconda Downstairs

I grinned and waggled my eyes at her because I had the perfect solution. No one was getting naked. “Get dolled up, Pen. We’re going out.”

Her eyes widened. “What? Now? But it’s late, and you have a game tomorrow... curfew and all that.”

“Exactly,” I said, leaning against the doorframe. “Which means no one will suspect it’s me. This is the perfect opportunity for your first lesson, and we’ll get to do it in the real world. We’ll hit a bar, no sports bars, maybe some kind of club. Miami is littered with places to go out. I can watch from the sidelines and give you real-time tips.”

She bit her lip, hesitating. “A club? The music is always so loud no one can hear each other talk.”

“Come on,” I coaxed, ignoring the voice in my head screaming that this was a terrible idea. “All the other ladies have already snuck out. You going to let them have all the fun?”

Penelope’s eyebrows shot up. “How do you know that?”

I chuckled. “Let’s just say our boys aren’t as sneaky as they think they are. Now, are you in or out?”

She looked at me for a long moment, and I could practically see the wheels turning in her head. Finally she sighed, and I almost pumped my fist in victory. Got her.

She waved me into the enormous suite Kelsey had booked for them. “Give me ten minutes to get ready.”

This was good, I told myself. This was what we’d planned. It really was the perfect opportunity. I was just being a good coach, nothing more. I was doing the right thing. Totally. Absolutely. For sure.

In less than ten minutes, Penelope came back out of the bedroom and stood in the doorway fidgeting with the hem of her t-shirt. She was wearing a pair of heels that made my head spin, jeans that hugged her curves perfectly and a crop top that revealed a tantalizing sliver of midriff.

I stepped behind the suite’s island bar to hide the instant hard on pressing against my jeans. Holy fuck. I was in so much trouble here.

“How do I look?” she asked, her voice uncertain. “I’m worried the jeans are too tight, and I’m not sure I can pull off a crop top. But I’m trying to practice Kelsey’s body positive messaging and doing my best to feel confident, you know?”

I stood there, momentarily stunned. The jeans were tight, and just right, accentuating her ass in a way that made me forget my own god-damned name. And the crop top? It showed just enough skin to be enticing, playing peek-a-boo with my fucking one-track mind. But it wasn’t just the outfit. It was the way her red curls framed her face, the nervous but determined look in her eyes, the slight flush on her cheeks.

She was so gorgeous, and I was so dead.

“You look...” I paused, searching for a word that wouldn’t give away how affected I was. I ridiculously gave her a thumbs up. “You look great, Pen. Those guys at the bar won’t know what hit them.”

She beamed at me, and I felt my heart, my stomach, and my balls do a little flip. This coaching in real time thing was the absolute worst idea I’d ever had in my entire life.

“And bring whatever lip gloss you’re wearing right now. That’s going to be our secret weapon tonight.”

We found a bar that wasn’t too packed—perfect for Penelope’s foray into the world of flirting. We walked in and I could feel the nervous energy radiating off her.

“Relax,” I said, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “You’re a beautiful, sweet, and sexy woman. You’ve got this.”

She blinked at me a few times like she was surprised I’d say that. Did she really not know how hot she was? “I really don’t think I do.”

I scanned the room, noticing plenty of eyes already on her. But a brand new group of guys walked in just a minute after us, and they were perfect. Looked like accountants, or IT guys, or some other kind of job that bred less competitive, beta kind of men. My girl needed to swim in the shallows and not with some sharks. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. You see those guys over there?” I nodded in their direction. “Go sit at the bar and reapply your lip gloss.”

Penelope’s brow furrowed. “That’s it? How is that supposed to help?”

She had no idea. I was going to be beating men off with a stick.”First of all, trust me. Drawing attention to your pretty pink lips will bring them panting. They’ll come to you, and then all you have to do is flirt a little. We’ll call it a success when one of them buys you a drink.”

Which would probably be in six seconds flat.

She still looked skeptical but nodded. “Alright, if you say so.”

“But at any point if you feel uncomfortable, even a little bit, just give me a signal and I’ll swoop in and pull you out of there. Okay?” If any douchepotato in this place made her eventhe slightest bit twitchy, they’d be singing soprano for a lifetime after my knees sent their balls back into pre-pubescence.

“Oh, secret hand signals I can do. Like this?” She tugged on her ear, tapped the side of her nose twice, and swiped her finger across her forehead.

It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen in my life.

“Whoa, don’t go crazy with the hand signals there, Sparky.” I barely kept my chuckle in. “Just a wave will do.”

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