Page 69 of Room 4 Rent

I’m disappointed the entrance to the room above the garage isn’t through the house. I’m dying to tease her with a “Honey, I’m home” line I know might spark the smile I’ve been obsessing about these last few days.

Breathing in deeply, I glance around the backyard and notice Sydney, Tatum, and Sadie are outside near the fire pit. Tatum’s jumping from the hot tub to the pool and then back again like it’s a game.

Sadie motions to me. “The boy’s here.”

Sydney looks over her shoulder and smiles at me, wine in her hand. “Oh, hey.”

I step forward, my bag on my shoulder, sliding my hat around backward. “Ladies.”

Sydney stands. “Fourteen strikeouts?” She holds up her hand for a high-five. I return it and hate the way I want to take her hand and shove it down my jeans. I’m obsessed with her. Everything from the way her blue eyes look under the warm lighting and the shine of her brown hair. And that she smells like sugar cookies. It’s weird to smell like sugar, but I love it and want to take a bite out of her.

“Are you sore?” Then her mouth clamps closed, as if she didn’t want to ask that. I realize now, she’s wearing a bikini under a sheer black cover-up. “There’s a hot tub if you want.”

“I’m getting more wine.” Sadie disappears inside the house.

Dropping my bag on the ground, I slowly remove my shirt at the same time she takes off her dress. “I could use a good soaking.”

Knowing the kid is present, I control myself and don’t touch her, even though every inch of me is dying to.

Tatum pops up out of the hot tub and runs over to me. “Boy, you have bumps on your belly.”

Hey, at least I know now her dad wasn’t much to look at. Pride rolls through me. “Really?” I slide my hand down my stomach that is honed to perfection. I work hard for this body and spend nearly every day in the weight room to remain on top of my athletic ability. You’re only as good as your dedication to your craft. Winking at Sydney, I push out my stomach to make it look like I’ve got a beer belly. “What if I go like this?”

Tatum quirks her head to the side. “Do you have a baby?”

“That might be hard to explain. Unless the burrito I ate earlier impregnated me.”

Sydney laughs. “He has muscles, sweetie.”

“Oh.” She’s dripping with water and shivering. “Can I watchFrozen?”

Sydney nods, wrapping a towel around her. “But then it’s bedtime, okay?”

Tatum nods, but it’s clear she has no intention of going to bed. She disappears inside the house where Sadie went, and I’m pleased to find myself alone with Sydney.

I step toward her. “Wanna get wet?” I reach out and brush the hairs dancing on her cheek from the wind.

“It’s probably a bad idea.”

“Then it’s a good one. Bad decisions have the best stories.” I start to unbuckle my belt, and the clanking draws her eyes lower. There’s a spark in her eyes, maybe a distant memory from our night together, but her body resists, and she backs up.

“For a few minutes. Then I have to get Tatum in bed.”

“I got it,” Sadie yells out the back doors.

Sydney groans. “Okay, but hands to yourself. This is a no touching area.”

Ha. Not happening.

I don’t have swim shorts with me, so I strip down to my black boxer briefs, knowing that when I get out of here, they will be clinging to me. It might be the perfect plan for me.

I can barely stand to watch her slowly immerse herself in the steaming water across from me. She offers me a beer, which I drink only because I don’t have a game tomorrow. We sit there in silence, staring up at the stars, the only sound is the hiss from the jets of the hot tub.

With water beading off my lashes, I glance over to see Sydney staring at the same sky. “Are things easier now?”

She turns her head. “What do you mean?”

“Financially. Now that you’ve rented the room out.”

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