Page 62 of Play Fake
“How are you feeling?” I ask.
“Like I got plowed over by a truck.”
I laugh. “Sounds accurate.”
“Why do people think this is fun?”
I lift a shoulder. “The hangover is never fun. The loss of inhibitions, the recklessness, the feeling like it’s okay to do whatever the fuck you want to do…that’s the addicting part.”
She wrinkles her nose. “I must’ve had too much too fast because I don’t remember any of that. I remember feeling loopy, not being able to focus on my phone, and some dude dancing against my butt.”
I’m the only dude allowed to dance against your butt.
I don’t say the words that rush through my mind, though I’m tempted.
“Thank you again for coming to get us. I didn’t realize we needed to be saved, but you did, even though it was sort of a miscommunication on my part.”
I set my water bottle on the counter and turn toward her. “I’ll always come running the second you call, Ains.” I surprise evenmyself with those words, but the bigger surprise is how much I mean them. My voice is low, and she blinks as her eyes meet mine before they flick down to my lips.
I take a step toward her, and I realize I’m sweaty from my run this morning, but I don’t care. I slip my arm around her waist and pull her in closer to me, and she doesn’t move to stop me.
“God, I want to kiss you,” I murmur, my voice strained.
“Even after last night?” she asks, surprise in her voice.
My lips lift in a bit of a smile, and instead of answering with words, my mouth moves to hers. She moans a little as she sinks into me in that way she does, and I’m about to open my mouth to deepen this kiss when I hear a voice just around the corner.
“Dex, do you have any extra towels?”
Ainsley jumps away from me, and I casually grab my water bottle and pretend to screw on the cap like that’s what we were doing this whole time.
“Should be some in the hallway linen closet,” I say just as my sister rounds the corner.
“Thanks. Mine from yesterday is still wet since I took a shower before bed last night. Anyone want to do brunch once I get out?”
Ainsley raises her hand, and I nod.
“Jack and I are in. But I need to shower first.”
“I can handle the baby if you want to go,” Ainsley says, and Ivy looks between us as if she can’t believe what she’s seeing.
I’m not sure I can believe it, either. If someone would’ve told me a month ago that I’d be teaming up with my little sister’s best friend, that I’m starting to fall for her and I want to keep kissing her in between taking turns caring for my baby, I would’ve laughed in their face.
But somehow, that’s my reality.
Especially thefall forpart. I’m falling for Ainsley Riggs, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.
We head out to brunch, and it’s more near misses and almost-kisses over the next few days as my sister wears out her welcome.
Look, I love my family as much as the next dude, but I love that they live in Chicago and I’m out here by myself in Vegas.
Except Archer. He’s here, but we don’t really talk. He’s a baseball player, and we just have different schedules. That and I’m a dick who isn’t great at returning calls, and he has more or less disassociated with all of us.
Sometimes I wonder if we could be closer, more like the way Madden and I are, especially since we live in the same town, but I get the feeling he feels kind of the same way about family as I do. I want them to be there when I want to be with them, but otherwise, I kind of just want to be left alone.
Though I wonder if all that is going to change now that I have a son of my own. I’m nurturing a family of my own, and I’m starting to change my outlook on the whole idea of family.
Though the moment I have that thought, it’s like my father has some sort of ESP to change my mind right back.
