Page 129 of Tempting Me

“Does anyone here actually play basketball?” Declan asks. “Outside of knowing the basics?”

We all shake our heads.

“All the more reason to do it.” Linc’s attention turns to his phone just as there’s a knock at the door that makes us all pause.

We all glance around the room as if we need to double-check the count of people here. Hudson, Miles, Dutton, Declan, and Linc. Everyone is accounted for.

Maybe it’s my dad.

I get up to answer the door and scowl as soon as I see the face on the other side.

Leo Parker.

From the corner of my eye, I see Hudson and Miles both stand.

“I’m not here to start anything,” Leo says quickly. “Can I come in?”

This is the first time that he's ever come to me.

I step back and wave him in.

He slowly moves into the living room.

“Are you having a party?” he asks.

I open my mouth to say it’s just a casual hangout, but Linc beats me to it.

“It's boys' night. Want a beer?”

Leo looks over his shoulder at me. His left brow raises, and I can read his expression, exactly the same way I could back in high school.

I let out a small laugh.

“Yep. Boys’ night, but you don’t get a beer.”

“Fair enough.”

“Why are you here?” I ask, not waiting for him to start this conversation.

“I’m here for Shay.”

“Good,” Miles says. “We were just making a plan for Luca to win her back.”

“Miles. Fuck. Chill.”

He laughs, holding his hands up. “Sorry. We were though.”

I kind of miss when he was quiet and broody all the time.

Love does weird things to people.

“I want to help,” Leo adds, shocking us all.

“What?”

He lets out a long sigh. “Look, you dating my sister isn’t ideal, but I’ve never seen her like this, and over the summer—well, before you started working together—anytime I called, she talked about The Marina and nothing else. Her plans for it and how much progress she’d made. Which was great, because she loves that place, but it was her whole life. Then one day, I called and her voice was different. She soundedlighter, and if she wasn’t telling me about something cool she’d done, she was rushing to get off the phone. I’m assuming to see you. Whatever. I could tell something changed. I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was good. Imagine my shock when I caught you with her.”

I rub the back of my neck.

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