Page 24 of The Playboy's Playbook

“Alright, you two. Go play,” Luke says, ushering the boys away. He turns to me and mouths an apology, which I wave off.

“Luke’s working with him on his…I’m sorry. I tried to find an excuse.” Matthew shakes his head in disappointment.

I stand from the table to collect our dishes. “Matthew, it’s fine. He’s a kid and he’s curious. I’m sure he’s asked your other…friends the same question.”

Matthew takes the plates from my hands and throws them in the trash bin before returning with a towel to wipe off the tables.

“Well, considering you’re the first girl I’ve brought around them…” he trails off.

I furrow my eyebrows and pop my hip against the table. “You’ve never brought a girl around your best friend and his kids?”

Matthew returns to his full height and I can tell behind his sunglasses that he’s eyeing me very carefully. Finally, he shakes his head.

“Never.”

This boy is full of surprises, but I’m not quite sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. He’s always had a girl on his arm, so the fact that I’m the first one he’s brought around his best friend and the two boys he clearly loves so much has me feeling a lot of things – specifically things I don’t need to feel.

Matthew takes a deep breath, plucking his sunglasses off of his face and pushing stray pieces of his hair off of his forehead. He steps closer to me, his gaze falling to my lips before shooting back up to look me in the eyes. My chest rises and falls with anticipation.

We’re so close now, our lips only inches apart. My chest continues to rise rapidly and Matthew brings his eyes to my breasts and the beautiful light blue darkens with lust.

“I’m, uh,” I stumble over my words as we continue to gravitate toward each other. Shaking my head and regaining my senses, I quickly think of a way to get out of this situation.

“Where’s the restroom?” I ask, taking a step back.

Matthew lets out a ragged breath. “Uh, it’s the first left down the hall. Laila, I–”

Before he can finish his sentence, I turn around and bolt inside the house and make my way to the bathroom. I hear the sliding door close and the sound of Matthew’s heavy footsteps, so as soon as I reach the bathroom, I shut and lock the door.

“Oh, I’m fucked,” I whisper as I lean against the counter, tilting my head to the ceiling. I brace my hands on the counter and try to catch my breath. Sure, it’s hot but I am sweltering – every inch of my skin is on fire.

A quiet knock sounds on the door. “You okay ma’am?”

I crack a smile at the sound of Clay’s tiny voice on the other side of the door.

“I brought you water. Uncle Matty said you didn’t feel good.”

I take a deep breath and open the door, giving Clay a forced smile. “That’s very sweet of you. Thank you, Clay.” I take the water bottle from his tiny hands and he holds out his hand for me to take.

“Follow me, ma’am! I’ll show you where I like to sit when I don’t feel good.”

I take his hand and we walk back down the hallway to the living room, but we pass it and go to the sun room. I noticed it when I first arrived and was immediately drawn to it.

“This is a pretty spot, Clay,” I say as I take in the surroundings.

“Daddy and Uncle Matty built it. They build a lot of things. I like it because sometimes it’s too hot outside, but it’s not so hot in here.”

Clay and I sit on the little swing that’s in the corner and he quickly snuggles into my side, throwing me off guard. I don’t know what to do, so I just rest my arm around his shoulders and listen to him talk about his summer school class, swimming lessons, and the new show he and Jen are watching.

Just as Clay is about to tell me a story about a beach trip, the door opens and Matthew walks in. His eyes are much calmer, but he looks guilty – ashamed even. He nervously tucks his hands into his pockets and looks down at his feet. He looks small, tucked into himself. I don’t like that he’s feeling like this.

“Hey, Clay. Can you give us a minute to talk? You can tell me about the beach trip later, okay,” I say as I move my arm to help him down from the swing.

“Yes ma’am!” he exclaims before running past Matthew to go join his dad, brother, and Nola wherever they are.

Matthew lets out a deep sigh and walks over to sit in the chair directly in front of me. He clasps his hands together and keeps his eyes on the ground to hide his emotions.

“I’m really sorry, Laila. I shouldn’t have done that. I won’t do it again. I hope I didn’t ruin your day.”

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