Page 150 of Biggest Player
I’m not the guy who’s going to let you down ...
My mouth lingers on hers, savoring the connection. The way her breath mingles with mine. The quiet reassurance that speaks louder than our argument.
Margot’s initial rigidity slowly dissolves, her hands tentatively moving their way up my chest. Up, up her palms go, settling on my collarbone, and her kiss softens, becoming more responsive. It’s as if she’s finally letting herself be swept away by me; it’s as if she’s letting her guard down.
I pull back just enough to look into her eyes, seeing her surprise and something else. The beginning of forgiveness? Please say that’s what this is ...
I would miss her if she told me to fuck off and never contact her again, I seriously would.
“Look,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper, hands on her shoulders. “I know this thing with my agent was fucked up. I’m not perfect, but I don’t pretend to be.”
She cocks her head and purses her lips, so I rush to say more.
“I can apologize until I’m blue in the face, and like you said, words don’t mean shit if I can’t show you I mean them. So. I’m just gonna have to ask you to trust me—no more fuckups.” I search my word bank for a phrase I’ve heard Landon throw around. “Total transparency from now on.”
My shoulders sag with relief when she slowly nods. “Then I should tell you that my parents have been actively campaigning to meet you.” Margot nibbles on her bottom lip. “My dad is a good judge of character—so maybe I should let him decide if we continue dating.”
“Does your dad like football?”
She nods again, snorting. “You think you’d get brownie points because you play football for a living? Puh-lease. I’m his baby girl. If he catches one whiff of shit, you’re toast. And if I told him everything that’s happened, oh my God. I’d be the least of your worries.”
I cock my head. “You want me to meet your folks, hey?” That’s a big step, but we’ve already jumped in headfirst. The whole world knows we’re dating.
“Yes, I think we need to have dinner with them. They’ve obviously seen the news, they’ve seen the pictures. They’re the only people who have been there for me since Wyatt was born, and it doesn’t seem fair to keep this from them.”
“Okay, let’s do it.” I can do dinner with them. I ain’t got nothing to hide anyway, so how hard can it be? I rub her shoulders, fingers pressing into the tension located there. She relaxes when I concede to meeting her parents, melting into me. “When does Colton have Wyatt next?”
“The plan is for me to drop her off on my way home tonight—his nephew is having a birthday party, and they live in Tucson, so he wants to head out early.”
Ah. Nice.
I exhale, about to take a giant leap. “Do you want to do a sleepover at my place tonight? We can put on jammies and do each other’s hair. Get to know each other better. I can rub your feet.”
Feet.
Back, tits.
Whatever.
Margot’s eyes widen slightly, but a warm, amused smile plays at her lips. She tilts her head, considering my offer. “A sleepover at your place? That’s quite a shift from our earlier conversation.”
I try to maintain my casual demeanor despite my nerves. She makes me so fucking nervous sometimes.
“Yeah, I know it’s a bit of a curveball, but I think it could be good for us. Just a chance to unwind and be ourselves without any pressure. Maybe take a bath.”
“A bath?” She raises an eyebrow, clearly still cautiously deciding if she wants to join me. “And this is your grand plan to prove you’re serious about things?”
“I mean, it’s not the best but it’s a start. I can feed you, too—there are a few meals in the fridge.” Not meals that I made, but meals just the same. Ha!
I kiss her on the forehead. “So what do you say? Drop Wyatt at her dad’s and then head over so I can spoil you?”
Chapter 34
Margot
He wants to spoil me?
I mean—if he insists . . .
