Page 67 of Play the Game
I shrug, stroking a thumb over her cheekbone. “I’m a calm sort of guy, and I’ve been focusing on taking care of you. Making sure you have everything you need. I figured we could sort out the wholewhat to do with the kidthing when she’s actually here. But if you ever want to talk about it, I hope you’ll talk to me. It’s okay to be scared, uncertain, confused, or pissed as hell, but let’s do it together, okay? Talk to me, Rhodes. I really like the sound of your voice.”
Evan blows out a breath and smiles. “Okay. Thanks for that. And for what it’s worth, you’re a gold medal caretaker. The bagels alone would have won you that award, even if I ate so many of them I kind of don’t want to look at another bagel for the rest of my life.”
I grin, lifting her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. “I’ll make you anything you want. I wouldn’t make that offer to anyone but you.”
She lifts an eyebrow. “I mean, you definitely wouldn’t because no one knows you’re, like, a savant in the kitchen. But if you’re offering, I wouldn’t say no to cookies. Peanut butter chocolate chip is a personal favorite.”
“You got it.” I point at her. “But keep it to yourself, Rhodes. Gotta maintain the ruse.”
She laughs, and warmth trickles through me despite the cold morning air. I absolutely love this day. When the front door opens, we both turn to my mom, who is standing there in the same pajamas Evan and I both wear under our sweatshirts, grinning maniacally. “Well, isn’t this the coziest little morning for two I’ve ever seen.”
I roll my eyes and wink at Evan, who flushes a pretty shade of pink. “Morning, Mom.”
“Good morning, my babies. If you’re done out here, breakfast is almost ready, which means it’s about time for me to see which one of my children bought me the best present this year.”
Chuckling, I squeeze Evan’s hand. “We’ll be right in.”
When my mom goes back inside, I turn to Evan, stroking a thumb over her cheek. “What do you think? Want to go dive headfirst into a Wyles Christmas?”
She cocks her head to the side. “I don’t know…what’s in it for me?”
I grin, standing from the swing and holding a hand out to her. “A nosy mom, a potentially psychic grandma, three brothers who live to give each other—and me—shit, three women who treat gossip like a sport, and your former work nemesis turned guy who kind of, sort of, really likes you.”
Evan laughs, putting her hand in mine. “Sounds perfect.”
As the sun starts to rise, we head inside to have Christmas with family.
And it’s the most perfect day.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
EVAN
“Fucking finally,” I mutter, tossing my phone onto the coffee table littered with drink glasses, the remains of seven different kinds of takeout, assorted snacks, and the sparklyHappy New Yearhats and glasses that Jo bought for everyone. The movie is long over,New Year’s Rockin’ Eveplays in the background, and we’re all sprawled around Jordan and Jo’s living room, pillows and blankets everywhere and the lights on low.
It’s the coziest New Year’s Eve I’ve ever had.
“Everything okay?” Cooper asks, sitting down and handing me the bowl of candy popcorn he refilled for me in the kitchen.
I reach in and grab a handful, the salty sweet of the popcorn and M&Ms the most perfect snack. I went from not being able to eat anything to wanting to eat everything, so that’s been a real flex. “Yeah, just Austin being his normal asshole self. The first draft of the memo I sent him wasn’t good enough, so he demanded a rewrite.”
Cooper rolls his eyes as Elliot walks by the couch, slapping him on the back of the head before plopping down on the floor and tugging Amelia into his lap. “You’re making your girl workon New Year’s Eve? Do it for her, dude. Don’t you work on the same team or whatever?”
“I’m not his girl,” I say automatically, immediately met by seven grinning faces, Cooper’s included.
“I remember saying something like that once.” Amelia grins at Elliot, who grins right back and kisses her like there aren’t six other people in the room.
“Yet,” Cooper says with a smirk. “You’re not my girl yet. Although there has been a lot of kissing, so maybe we can renegotiate?”
I roll my eyes because I would rather die than admit that my chest warms and butterflies swarm my stomach at the thought of all that kissing. Since Christmas, Cooper hasn’t let it go any farther than that, almost like he’s been winding me up, holding us on edge for what we both know is going to happen later tonight. It’s fucking working, especially since pregnancy hormones are doing weird things to my sex drive now that I’m feeling better, but I’m not admitting that either. “I don’t know, Cooper…what are the terms of that renegotiation, exactly?”
The heated look Cooper gives me has arousal pulsing between my legs. Dammit.
“I’m not sure we can discuss those terms in a room full of my brothers. They’re very confidential.”
Cooper’s eyes are dark, and I get so lost in them that, for a second, I forget we’re sitting in Jo and Jordan’s living room surrounded by his entire family. Noah’s amused voice breaks me out of my trance.
“This is some strange fucking foreplay, you guys.”
