I side-eye him and nod. “They get it. No strings.”
Easton nods as though he’s starting to see the benefit of it. “What if you don’t want Becca from San Diego when you get there?”
“If I didn’t, I never would’ve reached out. She knows the deal. We hook up while I’m in town, and when I leave, there’s no texting or calls until I’m coming back to town.”
Easton’s eyes are wide. “Fuck, you really are a playboy.”
I sit up straighter. Hayes is smiling and not because he thinks it’s cool, more because he thinks it’s funny that Easton’s mind is churning right now. Hayes was never into that. He was my wingman for that one year, and I kind of pushed away my time with the women because he needed me. Now he’s all happy and half married, so it’s time to stop thinking about Callie and get back to my regularly scheduled programming.
“Why would you say I’m a playboy? I’m not lying to them. I make sure they’re okay with it before we do anything, and if I think one of them is starting to get feelings, I end it before anyone gets hurt. The word playboy pisses me off. Every one of us here has hooked up with women we just met. Calling me a playboy means I’m giving the impression that there might be hope of something more.”
“Eh…” Decker says, clearly not agreeing with me.
Of course he doesn’t. He never does.
“I’m kind of with Deck, man. You’re still a playboy,” Hayes chimes in, and when I give him a cutting look, he raises his hands. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but I wouldn’t want you dating my sister.”
And there it is. What Hayes really thinks of me.
“And me?” Easton asks.
Hayes points from me to him. “You’re one and the same. It’s not about who you sleep with or how many women you sleep with, it’s the fact that you don’t want a relationship. I get that Callie doesn’t take a lot of shit, and she’s snarky as hell sometimes, but she’s my sister. I want her to be with someone who sees her worth. Who will take the time to dig through those hard layers and let her trust him with the softness underneath.”
“Fuck, I’m gonna cry.” Easton blots at pretend tears.
I say nothing because fuck, if I didn’t think I was the man for her before, now I know for sure I’m not. I’ve never been that for a woman, nor have I ever wanted to be. Hell, I’ve never even done it for myself.
“I guess Goldie is it then.” Easton elbows Decker.
“I wouldn’t date a teammate’s sister,” he mumbles, opening his book back up. “It’s not like that with us anyway.”
“Your thigh was on her pussy the other night,” Easton says.
Again, my teeth grind as I remember how he spun her around and how happy she looked. It was what soured me on sleeping with Stephie that night. And when I told her I was tired and would be going home alone after the club, she got upset and grabbed Millie then left. But I’m not telling any of these guys that.
Hayes narrows his eyes at Easton. “Okay, if you’re going to have respect for who Leighton is to me, the same goes for my sister.”
Easton smirks, but nods. “Sorry, Decker’s thigh was very close to her lady parts.”
Hayes narrows his eyes. “Let’s not talk about my sister. Decker said they’re not like that, so let’s just drop the Callie topic.”
I inhale and rest my head on the back of the seat. I’m hoping my night with Becca will be successful in ridding Callie from my head. She’s the complete opposite of Callie. Becca has blond hair, bright blue eyes, and she’s very thin since she’s trying to be a model.
Whereas Callie has dark-brown hair with a slight wave, and her eyes are dark and fierce. And fuck, her curves… her hips were made for my hands. I know from the way my fingers wound around them as I thrust into her. And her tits. Where Becca’s are barely a handful, Callie’s are plenty more than a handful.
So I decided I needed the exact opposite of Callie, so I don’t think of her while I’m drilling into another woman tonight. Then my head will be back on what matters most. Baseball.
Easton puts his headphones in and gets out his phone. Decker goes back to his book, and Hayes turns toward the window, his eyes already shutting. I have no idea how he keeps up with the demands of his life.
I close my eyes too, trying to think about anything but her.
By the time we land, I’ve been unsuccessful, but at least I have a game to prepare for that will serve as a distraction. As we file off the plane and onto the bus, my phone vibrates in my pocket.
Becca. Finally.
I pull her message up and find a picture. Perfect. She’s always good for a great tease of what I can expect tonight.
I open it, and it’s not her in skimpy lingerie or even a titty pic. It’s her left hand raised with a giant diamond on her ring finger.
