Page 10 of Wanting the Winger

A tall man with brown hair and a handsome face ignores Bash’s jab, putting a hand on my shoulder.“Lainey, I’m Carter.It’s great to finally meet you.Sorry about our pushy swine.”

“Are you kidding?I love him.”

A beautiful woman with her light-brown hair in a messy bun approaches us, her smile radiant.

“Lainey, at last we meet.”She hugs me and I catch a hint of her light floral perfume.“I’m Suki Stanton, Carter’s wife.”

“It’s so nice to meet you.”

I feel at ease already.After hugging me, Suki puts an arm around my shoulder and leads me into the main living area of their home.

It’s beautiful.The gray and navy leather furniture is modern but still looks comfortable.Framed artwork that looks like it was made by children decorates the walls, one of the pictures of Darling, the pig.There are a few big tropical plants in corners and a shelf with pothos trailing down both sides, the potted plants on the shelf in colorful pots.

Laughter sounds from another room.

“Don’t doubt me, foolish mortal!”

The playful comment—made by a man—makes me smile.Suki rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling, too.

“My friends are kind of a lot.”

My smile widens.“Perfect.I’m kind of a lot, too.”

She turns to Bash.“I like her.”

“What’s not to like?”

Suki folds her hands and puts them beneath her chin, giving me a hopeful look.“Do you, by any chance, like trivia?”

“Are you kidding?I was on the scholastic bowl team for six years and I’m a total science nerd.Ilovetrivia.”

She hops up and down in a little dance.“I knew it as soon as I saw you!Come meet the other Smartinis.”

Bash lowers his brows, confused.“The who?”

“You already know all of them; it’s my trivia team.”

“Ah.”

Suki leads me into their home’s formal dining room, which has modern navy and white decor, the rectangular farmhouse-style table seating twelve.Two men, a woman and two girls are sitting at the table, and they all look over as we walk into the room.

“Guys, this is Lainey.Lainey, this is Harry, Mara, Dex, Charlotte and Hallie.”

Harry, Mara and Dex all get up to hug me and greet me warmly.Then, the younger girl pushes a curl out of her face and comes over to hug me, too.

“I just love Darling,” I say.

“Me too.He’s my best friend.”

I melt.“And you’re...Charlotte or Hallie?”

“Hallie.You can be on my team if you want.”

“I’d love to.”

I lock eyes with Bash, who’s standing on the other side of the table, and he winks at me.The butterflies flutter in response, but I tamp them down.

It’s just a habit for me to swoon over his very existence.He was my crush for years.I have an entire notebook I was using as a diary as a teenager that’s filled with dreamy Sebastian Stone musings.

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