Page 54 of Make the Play

“Play us some music,” he says, handing me his phone before opening up the sunroof in his truck and rolling down the windows.

“What are you in the mood for?” I ask him.

“You sitting next to me. Anything else, I have no preference.” He glances over at me with a wink before turning his eyes back to the road.

For the next thirty minutes, I play DJ. We belt out the lyrics of every song at the top of our lungs. The wind is blowing through our hair, and through it all, Knox never lets go of my hand. It’s not until we hit the city limits for Ashby that he lets go to turn down the radio.

“I’ve gotten most of my ink done in this little town,” he tells me.

“Really?”

“Yeah, great group of guys over at Everlasting Ink. Maddox and his wife, Brogan, own a place on the edge of town, right on the river. I’ve parked there a few times to fish.”

“You fish?”

He laughs. “Yeah, baby, I fish. What, you think football is all I know?”

“No, I mean, maybe.” I grin. “I just can’t imagine you fishing.”

“I grew up in a small town like this one. I went fishing with my dad, uncles, cousins, and a few buddies all the time.”

“Knox Beckett, fisherman extraordinaire,” I tease.

“That’s it. One day, I’ll take you fishing.”

“That’s not what we’re doing?”

“Nah, I just want to stop down by the lake and have dinner together. I know we can’t be seen out and about. Maddox is chill, and he’s not someone who will run to the tabloids. And yes, he knows we’re coming.”

He pulls into a long gravel drive, and a beautiful house sits off to the right, but we veer left to a dirt path that leads down to the water. “It’s so pretty,” I tell him, looking at all the leaves changing colors.

“Yeah, it’s a nice place to just be without all the noise of being spotted.”

“I like the way you think, Mr. Beckett.”

He parks the truck and unfastens his seat belt. “Wait for me. The grass is high.”

“I can walk in high grass,” I counter.

“Yeah, but you have me, so you don’t have to. Stay put.” He points his finger at me, and I swat at it playfully. His laughter follows him out of the truck. After opening the back door, he grabs the blankets and pillows that I didn’t notice, too focused on where we were heading. He tosses them around in the back of the truck and leans his head in through the open back window. “Pass me the food and drinks, and then I’ll come and get you.”

I don’t bother reminding him I’m completely capable. Instead, I do as he asks, pass him what we’ll need, and wait for him to come to my door to get me like some spoiled and pampered princess.

He tosses me over his shoulder, shuts the truck door, and carries me to the truck bed. He sets me down before hopping up on the tailgate next to me.

I look out over the water, enjoying the calm, serene beauty. “It’s nice here.”

“It is. Come on. Let’s eat.” We tear into our food as if we haven’t eaten in days. When we’re both finished, Knox ties off the bag and tosses it through the back window of his truck to handle later.

“Now, the good part.” He moves back to settle on the blankets, propping his head on the pillows. “I’m awfully lonely over here without you, Corie girl.”

Not needing to be told twice, I kick off my flip-flops, setting them to the side, and lie next to him with my head on his chest.

“Perfect,” he says, and I feel his lips press to the top of my head.

We lie in silence, and neither of us needs to fill the air with chatter. Knox gently traces my spine, and it’s soothing, but it’s also turning me on. Lifting my head, I meet his gaze before leaning forward and kissing him. It starts lazy, neither of us is in a hurry, but he pulls me closer and slides his hand beneath my T-shirt.

That changes things.

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