The house is quiet. It’s just her waiting to greet me. I flop down onto the couch next to her. She’s wearing an oversized Knights hoodie—mine—and a pair of skin-tight biking shorts.
“They didn’t pull out that ridiculous nickname again, did they?” I groan.
She nods, resting her hand on my chest and giving me a kiss. “I’m not going to lie, I like it. Mr. Playmaker.”
“Stop it.” I fist a hand in her shirt and pull her over onto my lap.
“Oh, I’d like to see these plays you’ve got.” She waggles her eyebrows at me. Her hair flows down over her shoulders. I want to wrap my fist around it and pound into her.
“Would you now?” I fire back at her. “I didn’t think you’d be impressed with them.”
She drags a finger down my chest. “You don’t need to do anything more to impress me. But…”
“Yes?” I drag my nose along her neck, inhaling that sweet scent of hers. One that I’ve found I’ve quickly become addicted to.
“Remember my secret talent?” Stevie asks. Her knees shift, brushing against the outside of my thigh.
“Secret talent?” I ask.
“You remember. I always win at board games.”
“That’s not a secret talent,” I tell her, bursting out into laughter. “It’s all luck.”
“Hey. It is. I’m great at board games.” She pokes at my chest. “And tonight, I am going to prove it to you.”
“Oh yeah?”
She nods. “We’re going to play a game of Sorry. No bets, because I don’t want you to lose after winning your game tonight.”
“Wow.” I shift her off my lap and we both stand. “You are really feeling yourself, aren’t you?”
Stevie walks backward, grabbing the game off the coffee table and heading toward the kitchen table.
“Yes. And I am going to prove to you just how good I am.”
Grabbing two waters from the fridge, I take a seat at the table and adjust the board so my four yellow pieces are in front of me. “Remind me how to play?”
Stevie gives me a cocky smile as she explains the rules. I could listen to her talk all day. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have this woman land on my doorstep, but I’m glad it was her and not anyone else.
“Think you got it?” Stevie asks.
“I got it.”
We start, and Stevie lets me go first. No luck getting out, but she does on her first draw.
Taking turns, she moves around the board, all of her pieces getting out while I have only one out.
“I don’t understand how you’re so good at this.”
Stevie sips her water. “Because I’m amazing at board games.”
“It’s all luck!” I tell her, throwing down a card that doesn’t let me move. “How are you so lucky?”
She waggles her eyebrows at me as she pulls her card to get another piece into the safe zone.
“Sorry. I’m just good.”
I give her a playful glare as I take my next turn, finally getting another piece out. Not that it’s going to do me any good at this point. Unless she draws every terrible card in the deck, I’m going to lose.
