Page 14 of Make the Play

“She’s on her way now.”

“Knox won’t be far behind. I’m going to run out and pick up dinner. I’m going to get Chinese. Do you know what Sloane likes?”

“We were going to cook dinner,” I tell him.

He waves his hand in the air. “Take the night off. Besides, I know Chinese is one of your favorites. Tell me what to order so I don’t mess it up,” he tells me.

Accepting defeat, I rattle off her order and mine, which is the same thing—sweet and sour chicken. “Thank you, Landry.”

“I got you.” He winks. “If Knox shows up, keep him company until I return with the food. Don’t be alarmed if he comes on in. We do that at each other’s places, but I’ll talk to the guys now that you’re back home and let them know they need to knock.”

“Don’t do that on my account. It’s not as if I’ll be roaming the halls naked.”

Landry shudders at the thought, making me laugh. “Yeah, let’s not do that.”

“Be safe,” I tell him, enjoying his discomfort. I’ve missed having time like this with him. Mom passed away, and within a few months, I was moving to college. Our normal, or what used to be our normal, is no longer relevant to us. We’re both adults now, and now that I’ve spent more than a few days with him, I realize how much I’ve missed him. I missed the sense of feeling like I’m home. This house doesn’t feel like home, but being around my brother, that’s as close as I’m ever going to get to that again.

Closing my eyes, I rest my head against the lounger and again soak up the feeling of the sun's rays shining down on me. However, that feeling doesn’t last as another shadow falls over me.

“You’re blocking my sun,” I tell my best friend without opening my eyes. She doesn’t reply, so I keep going. “I know you’re attracted to me, babe, but I don’t swing that way,” I tell her with a soft laugh.

Coughing starts, followed by a low, deep chuckle. I still and slowly open my eyes. It’s not Sloane standing over me. Not that the low, deep chuckle didn’t already tell me this. Instead, it’s Knox fucking Beckett standing there looking like sex on legs. Seriously. He’s wearing a charcoal-gray fitted shirt that does nothing to hide his defined biceps and abs. He’s in khaki cargo shorts, and his hair is mussed. I imagine it looks like it would if he and someone—not me, because that’s not allowed—would look after a round of sweaty sex.

I sit up and clear my throat. “I thought you were Sloane.”

He nods. “Still pretty accurate, though.”

“What?” I ask, my mind still trying to accept that it’s him and not my best friend staring down at me.

“I’m a man, Corie girl. Of course, I’m attracted to you. Have you looked in a mirror lately? Although, I am sad to hear I’m not your type.”

“What?” I say again. “No. I mean, yes, you’re my type. I mean, not you. But men. I like men. Not that I have anything against women who don’t, but I do. I really, really do,” I ramble before clamping my mouth shut. I just need to stop talking.

Knox laughs. It’s a low, throaty sound that I feel between my thighs. How is everything this man is and does sexy? “Good to know.” He winks.

“Landry went to pick up food,” I tell him.

He nods and takes a seat on the edge of my lounger, exactly where my brother sat not ten minutes ago. We’re not even touching, but it feels intimate.

Forbidden.

“Sloane’s coming over,” I say, because apparently, when it comes to Knox Beckett, rambling is all I’m capable of.

“Nice. You ladies have big plans for the evening?”

“Just a chill night in.”

Knox nods. I wish he’d take off his sunglasses so I could see his eyes. I can’t see them, but I feel them as they take me in. “How’s the job search coming?”

“Meh. It’s not, really. I’ve been applying, but no hits yet.”

He places his hand on my thigh, and the heat of his skin and the feel of his rough, calloused fingers feel better than they should. “Something will come up,” he says with all the confidence in the world in his tone.

“I hope so.”

“It will.”

“I wish I had your confidence. I’ve been applying for jobs for a month now, and nothing.”

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