Page 75 of The Love Playbook

“Hey, I was distracted,” I say, grinning at Charlotte when she meets my gaze. “I can’t be held accountable when I have her staring at me from the scrimmage line.”

“Sounds legit,” Joey says, giving her the once-over.

“Eyes off.” I scowl, pointing at him, and he laughs.

“Plus, Quinton definitely got me with an illegal elbow to the ribs,” Bailey says, rubbing his side.

“Did not!” Quinton stomps toward him, clearly offended.

I press my mouth together stifling a laugh while Charlotte meets my gaze.

“Plus, that touchdown of ours was totally in,” Tuck chimes in. “We should’ve won ten minutes ago.”

“Alright, alright,” I say as Charlotte’s smile spreads, and I keep my eyes locked with hers. “Why don’t we call it a tie?”

She arches a brow. “A tie?”

I shrug. “That touchdown may or may not have been in.”

“I knew it!” She steps forward and jabs me in the ribs, but I catch her hand, holding it to my chest.

“Wanna settle it with a wrestling match?” I ask, my tone husky.

“You don’t wrestle,” Tuck says beside me, scratching his head.

Tyler groans. “He doesn’t meanthatkind of wrestling, you dope.”

Charlotte smashes her lips together, stifling her smile.

“What kind of?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Joey cuts him off as he ushers my brothers toward the house. “Let’s get you rugrats cleaned up for dinner. Mom will be home soon.”

The slam of the garage door follows, letting me know we’re finally alone. “So . . .”

“So . . .” Charlotte smiles. “Your brothers are a riot.”

“Oh, yeah? I thought you didn’t like kids?”

She lifts a shoulder, her cheeks pinkening. “Mostkids, but they’re special.”

I try not to let her see how much her words affect me, but warmth floods my chest at her comment because my brothers mean the fucking world to me. “It’s chaos here,” I admit, glancing around me. “But it’s also pretty amazing. Now you see why I was running home every chance I got during the summer.”

“Yeah, I guess I would have too if I had this.”

I watch as her gaze rakes over the muddied yard and the torn-up grass, a wistful look in her eyes that speaks of a sadness I’m not privy to, and I wonder if she’s thinking of her mother, if she’scomparing her own family to mine. Whatever it is that’s ghosting across her face, I want nothing more than to erase it.

Screw waiting to kiss her.

I’ve regretted not seizing the opportunity ever since we left the garage with my brothers, so I reach out, placing my fingers beneath her chin as I tip her face to mine.

When our eyes lock, my heart thrums in my chest, a fine-tuned engine as I dip my face to hers. I’m determined to make this kiss even better than the last, a damned hard task if there ever was one, because our first kiss was fucking perfect.

The warmth of her breath fans over my face as my lips hover just above hers, testing the waters and giving her time to pull away.

I can practically taste the cherry Gatorade on her tongue, feel the warmth of her touch, when a familiar voice shatters the moment. “Chris, is that you?”

My stomach sinks as I drop my hand, cursing as I take a step back.

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