Page 59 of Wildcat
“Nope. Just me.” He punches in the code on the garage opener, and it comes alive with a hum. His Jag is parked inside, but Leo hops into the driver’s seat of a golf cart that looks identical to Ash’s.
“We’re taking this to the party?”
“Jack lives up the street.”
“Of course, you all live next door to one another.” I sit on the bench seat next to him. A hula dancer bobble head is stuck to the dash. I glance in the back, where several cases of beer and a box of wine and liquor are loaded up and strapped in. “We’re in charge of bringing the booze?”
He starts out of the garage and makes a right, taking us farther into the neighborhood.
“Yeah it’s my unofficial duty as the newest alternate captain.” He grins and pulls into the circle drive of a house that’s so big it makes Leo’s look like a shack.
“Wow.”
As soon as it’s parked, he reaches over and grips the back of my neck, pulling me closer while he leans in to cover my mouth with his. His thumb strokes my neck as his tongue seeks entrance. He deepens the kiss, and his other hand frames the side of my face.
It seems he’s always pulling back sooner than I want, but I realize why this time when headlights pull up behind us.
“We don’t have to stay long,” he says.
Two guys emerge from the SUV.
He calls to them, “Hey, rookies, little help.”
They come closer and I recognize Johnny Maverick and Tyler Sharp.
“No way Coach Miller’s daughter is partying with us tonight?” Johnny asks. He’s got this likable, genuine smile and a lot of ink.
“I am.”
Tyler is quieter, though something tells me it’s easy to be the quiet one around this group of guys. He says hello and offers a shy wave. They each grab a case, and Leo picks up the box of liquor and wine and carries it with one arm on his hip while holding my hand as we walk inside.
A man at the door is collecting phones and making people sign NDAs, but we move right through with a nod in his direction.
“How come I don’t have to sign away my silence?”
“It’s sort of assumed you being Coach’s daughter and all,” Leo says quietly.
“How does he know who I am?”
“That’s Jack’s agent, James. He makes it his business to know everyone.”
Leo drops the box on the counter in the kitchen. There’s already a healthy amount of liquor bottles to choose from.
“What do you want to drink?” Leo asks as he grabs a beer from the fridge.
“That looks good.”
He hands me his and gets another.
“I hesitate to show you Jack’s back yard.” Leo moves toward an open door that leads outside, where I can see people are gathered around a patio. The music that plays gets louder as I step back out into the night.
“Why’s that?”
“Because it’s better than mine.” He places a hand on my lower back as he guides me.
Heaters are set up around the patio, surrounding a whole lot of outdoor furniture where people sit, while others stand all around the giant yard.
Leo’s not wrong. This is amazing. Everything is bigger and more extravagant. The same pool setup but larger. It has a lane roped off for laps, there’s a waterfall in one corner and a swim-up bar.
