Page 44 of Mister Rival

This is very bad, but oh so very good. I’ve only ever seen Ali as my rival, never someone I could share my life with. My, how things have changed in such a short time.

After we clean ourselves up and she successfully locks up the building, we unfortunately have to go our separate ways.

“I still can’t believe I did that,” she says as she piles all of her messed up papers and briefcase into her car.

“It was a first for me.” I shrug.

Her eyebrows raise in surprise “Really?”

“Yes, really. I’m never this cavalier, but with you, it’s different.” Fuck. The spell she already had me under seems to be getting stronger every second I spend with her. I don’t even know if I want a way out of it anymore; I want a way in.

She wets her lips momentarily and blinks up at me. “It feels different with you, too. How are we going to navigate this? I mean, it started on Friday, it’s only Wednesday.”

We both share a little chuckle.

“I’ve no fucking clue. But will you have dinner with me this weekend? The best restaurant in town awaits.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“My place.” I grin like the cat that got the cream, and right now, I am just that.

She gives me a withering look. “Really?”

“Hey, I have a full set up at my place. I even have a pickleball court.”

“Ooh, should I bring my tennis skirt?”

I laugh heartily. She’s so fucking cute. “Oh, yes. But I warn you, that’ll only give me dirty ideas.”

“No doubt.”

I reach down to peck her on the lips, realizing we’re out in the open, but right now I don’t fucking care. She reciprocates the kiss but looks up at me again with those dazzling eyes that are just reeling me in like I’ve never been reeled in before.

How did this happen from just a few days ago? I’m in way over my head and I don’t even care anymore. “We can talk,” Isay, sobering for a moment. “Figure out if we are going to stay away from each other or not.”

“We haven’t done very well at that so far.”

Little does she know, I don’t intend to stay away, not if she wants me. I tried it for a few days… and it felt like a fucking eternity.

Saturday rolls around quicker than I can blink. I told my boys Ali was coming over for dinner, at first I tried to brush it off as us just having a business dinner. Though, that kinda fell short when Noah reminded me in his not-so-subtle way that they all already knew something was going on with me and Ali from the reunion. There is no real point trying to deny shit anymore. Not if we intend to keep seeing each other.

I admit, it does feel strange having her here on my turf. I’ve been wondering if she would even show up; I know she’s nervous about letting someone in again. And we may have just jumped in with both feet straight into bed, but I want to know every side of her. Not just the frisky side, which I adore.

I want to know what she likes in and out of her work and being a mom. These are the things I’m willing to get to the bottom of.

Bradley was right, it really is time I let myself love again.

So we make a day of it. I show her around my property and my beloved gardens with the trees waving in the gentle breeze. They make a sound I’ll never get tired of hearing; a soft lull that calms my nerves.

She even entertains me in a late afternoon game of pickleball, again, something that I never thought I’d be doing with her. Turns out she really is a lot of fun outside of work.

Not quite the ballbuster she portrays in her everyday life.

I’m making us a chicken casserole for dinner with homemade sourdough we can dip into the sauce. It’s a simple dish, but I know it’s a winner.

I pour us a glass of wine as the sun is setting. Ali sits up at the kitchen island, admiring the renovations. “You and your brother did a wonderful job,” she comments appreciatively. I know from what she told me this afternoon she has an old renovated cottage inMalibu, something I’d like to see someday soon.

“Ah, we had many people help us,” I say. “But thank you.”

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