Page 15 of Make the Play

“Manifest it into the universe, Corie girl. It will happen.” He gives me a soft smile, and I’m glad I’m sitting because I know my knees would be weak, and I’d embarrass myself further by falling on my ass because of a single look from this man.

“Hey, hey!” Sloane calls out. She’s wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a tank top. I can see the strings of her swimsuit around her neck, and she has a bag in her hands as she makes her way to us.

“Took you forever,” I tell her.

“Well, it’s a good thing Knox was able to keep you company.” She looks between the two of us. Her eyes twinkle with mischief, and I know she will drill me with questions.

“I know we were supposed to cook, but Landry insisted on picking up Chinese,” I tell her.

“Please tell me you ordered me some sweet and sour chicken. That sounds so good right now.”

“Yep,” I say, smiling up at her.

“You are the bestest best friend in the entire world.”

Knox and I both laugh at her. He turns to look at me and smiles. “Yeah, Corie’s pretty great,” he agrees with my best friend, and my heart gallops in my chest.

No. It’s more than a gallop. It’s more of a trample. Think of a herd of elephants running. That’s what it feels like in my chest right now. “Oh, go on,” I tease as I wave my hand in the air, and we all laugh.

“Food’s here!” Landry calls from the patio door. “In or out?”

“In!” Sloane and I call back.

Knox tilts his head to the side in an unasked question.

“It’s hot out, and no one likes to eat when they’re all sweaty.”

“Air conditioning is a beautiful thing, Beckett,” Sloane tells him. “Besides, our girl here looks a little pink. I think it’s time for her to take a break from the sun. Corie, your cheeks are rosy,” she says.

Her tone tells me she thinks she’s being sly, but we all know she’s calling me out on my tinted cheeks, because it’s more than just the sun, and there is no hiding that from either of them.

“We better get you inside,” Knox says as he stands and offers me his hand. “We can’t have that gorgeous skin getting burnt.”

I glance at Sloane, and her mouth hangs open, showing her surprise. She quickly grins and winks before turning and heading into the house. I place my hand in his, allowing him to help me stand from the lounger. Before I can pull my hand from his, he traces my knuckles with his thumb, and that simple act lights me on fire. I feel that soft caress everywhere.

“Th—Thanks.”

He swallows hard and nods before dropping my hand. I quickly grab my phone and smile up at him. “We’d better get in there before they eat it all.”

“That just means we’d have to go out to dinner,” Knox says as he falls into step beside me.

“No, no, we can’t have that. You have game tape to watch, mister,” I say, trying to lighten the mood.

He doesn’t say anything until we reach the back door. One hand grabs the door handle while the other lands on the small of my back. “Something tells me that I’d have no regrets.” His hot breath hits my already-heated skin, and I shiver.

Knox doesn’t seem to be the least bit affected as he pulls open the patio door and leads me inside. Once we’re both over the threshold, he drops his hand from my back, and I miss the feel of his heated palm against my skin.

I ignore my body’s reaction to Knox, take a seat at the table next to Sloane, and dig into my food. I need to get control over this. I’m a grown-ass woman acting like a teenager. Knox has always been my crush, but that doesn’t mean I can lose my mind. He’s just a man. A man who is also my brother’s best friend. He’s never been a viable option for me. That doesn’t change just because he’s now more accessible.

“Thanks for this,” I tell my brother.

He nods and keeps chewing. The guys start to talk about the upcoming season while Sloane and I are content to sit and listen to them. When we all finish eating, I jump from my seat and start to clean up. I reach for Knox’s empty container, but he pulls it toward him, which makes it just out of my reach.

“It’s empty,” I tell him, amused. What? Does he plan on licking the container clean?

“You don’t have to wait on me. I can get it.” He winks and takes mine and Sloane’s containers out of my hand before I realize what he’s doing. He grabs Landry’s and heads toward the kitchen to throw them away.

“Is he always this stubborn?” I ask Landry.

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