Page 78 of Defending her Heart

I lower my head and concentrate on my food, but that doesn’t stop Walker, who used to respect my privacy, from jabbering.

“My gorgeous wife had her friends over Monday night to watch the game.”

“Hm.” He’s baiting me, but he won’t hook me. I’m not surprised Kendall hung out with Riley, but I’m not about to ask about her.

“You know how women are when they get together.” He slurps his chicken noodle soup, and I’m two seconds away from dumping it on his lap. “They love to talk about their love lives and complain about men. Except for Riley. She has nothing to complain about.”

I glare at him over my ciabatta bread. “Except how obnoxiously loud you are when you slurp your soup.”

“Never heard any complaints.” He lifts his shoulder. “Sex was the hot topic Monday night.”

“Please spare me the details on your love life.”

“My wife’s sex life, as amazing as it is, wasn’t the hot topic.”

I slowly chew the rest of the food in my mouth and swallow. I’m not falling for his trap. I won’t ask what Kendall said.

“Ten bucks says you wanna know what Kendall said.”

My chest rises and falls as I study Bankes and the smug grin on his face. He’s a good guy, but I’m still tempted to throat punch him. But he wouldn’t be grinning at me if Kendall had bad mouthed me. I want to know—hell, Ineedto know—what they talked about.

Bankes picks up his spoon and slurps his soup, then takes a bite of his sandwich. He washes it down with a slug from his water, then asks, “You have feelings for Kendall?”

No beating around the bush for this guy. “What’s it to you?”

“Other than the fact she’s my wife’s best friend and she’s been spending a lot of secret time with one of my teammates?” He shrugs. “Nothing.”

One of my teammates.He better the fuck be talking about me. I push my plate aside and lean back in my chair, folding my arms across my chest.

“You obviously have something you want to say, Bankes. Let’s hear it.”

He shrugs again. “Just wondering if my wife is going to be spending her time helping her best friend mend her broken heart or if she needs to go wedding dress shopping.”

“I haven’t broken anyone’s heart.” Kendall would have to actually care for me for that to happen. “And no one is getting married.”

“So it’s just sex with you two?”

“Christ.” I run my palms up and down my face.

“If you’re just using her, let her go. From the looks of things on my end, she’s getting feelings, and Kendall isn’t one to have those.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Things I know.”

“What things?”

Bankes’s brow lifts. “Not my stories to tell.”

I press my fingers into my forehead. “You’re giving me a fucking headache, Bankes. Can you get to the fucking point?”

“You looked lonely. Thought I’d have lunch with my teammate.”Slurp. Slurp.“And I promised my wife I’d get the tea.”Slurp. Slurp.

“Tea?”

“Gossip.”

“You suck at the tea business. Getting and spilling.”

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