Page 134 of A Little Crush
With a laugh, she wiggles out of my hold, retreats a few steps, and grabs Poppy’s wrist, waving it gently. “Say, ‘Bye, Daddy!’”
“Bye, baby girl.” I follow Rory’s movements into the open locker room, grateful it’s empty. Cupping the back of Poppy’s head, I brush my lips against her forehead beforegiving Rory another slow kiss on her mouth. “Bye, Beautiful.”
“Good luck, Jaxon.” She raises her head, letting me kiss her one more time like she can’t help herself, either, then steps back. With a short whistle, she adds, “Hades, let’s go.”
The sound of heavy footsteps echo from my office as Hades bounds out of the space toward Rory.
“Good boy.” Her attention flicks from Hades and back to me. “Bye, Jax.”
“Bye, Beautiful.”
Hiding her grin against Poppy’s forehead, she holds my gaze for one more tempting second, then turns away, leaving me.
It’s a hell of a game,and we manage to take the W. Six to four. Poppy only makes it to the second period, or at least, that’s what Rory’s text says. I don’t blame her for taking Poppy home so she could get some solid rest in her crib, but it doesn’t make me any less anxious to get home to my girls as quickly as possible.
Pulling out my phone, I send Rory a quick text.
Me
Just finished the last interviews. Want me to grab dinner?
Rory’s response is almost instant.
Rory
Sure! I’m good with whatever as long as it’s quick. I miss you :)
Knock, knock.
The quiet vibration of knuckles against my open doorsteals my attention, and I almost drop my phone before recovering at the last second. Arms crossed, Macklin leans against the doorjamb of my office, inspecting me.
Setting my phone face down on the desk, I close my laptop and motion to the chair across from me. “Hey, come on in.”
His movements are slow as he moves closer before perching on the edge of the seat.
“What’s up?” I ask.
His deep inhale makes his nostrils flare, but he stays quiet.
“You good?” I ask.
“Depends. You gonna tell me what’s going on?”
Blindsided, I lean back in my seat, my mind reeling. Mack’s a laid-back guy. Always has been. Never one to be impulsive or say shit he doesn’t mean. He’s consistent. Dependable. And doesn’t rock the boat or make assumptions. It’s why the underlying tone catches me off guard and leaves me on edge. “Not sure what you’re referring to,” I finally say.
His eyes thin. “Sure, you don’t.”
Refusing to cower under his scrutiny, I tilt my head. “If you’ve got something to say, say it, Mack. Is this about the team? The way I’m running things?”
“I saw you,” he clarifies. His razor-sharp gaze somehow manages to sharpen even more as he folds his arms, daring me to deny it.
First Iris, now Mack? It’s like we’re playing with fire.
I could ask him for specifics. I could deny it altogether. What he did or didn’t see. And if I didn’t care about Rory the way I do, maybe I would. But it’s not like we haven’t been careless. Our late night rendezvous. Our early walks to get coffee. Our meet-ups in my office. Honestly, it’s a miracle Mack waited this long to approach me about it. And even though my body buzzes withadrenaline, and my fight or flight instincts are threatening to kick in, there’s an ember of relief, too. That maybe it’s finally out in the open. Or at least, it can be, depending on how I play this. A not-so-small part of me wishes Rory could be here. To help make the decision. About whether or not she’s ready to publicly launch our relationship or if she’d rather keep it hidden and safe for a little while longer. Or maybe I’m the one who wants to keep our relationship hidden andsafefor a little while longer. Fuck, I don’t even know anymore.
“It was in your office,” Mack clarifies, as if I’m stupid enough to deny it. “I saw you with Rory. Tell me what’s going on.”
Giving in, I thread my fingers in front of me and mutter, “We’re waiting to make things public.”
