“Yeah.”
I groan. “Slater, do I look like I play sports?”
Chapter 14
Tessa
I regret the question immediately. His gaze drops and runs the length of my body and then meets my gaze. There’s an intensity to his eyes that unnerves me. “You know what? I don’t want an answer to that.” I blow out a breath. “All right. Let’s get this game over with.”
“We haven’t even started yet,” he says in an amused, quiet voice behind me.
“I know.” I slip my sneakers back on and follow Slater outside. Evie and Zane come out behind us, and Reid and Quint are already getting the game ready. Everybody gathers together in the center of the huge backyard. “I’m on Slater’s team,” I call out before anybody can make teams.
“Wow, a little anxious there to be on our boy’s team, Tessa?” Quint says with a huge grin.
“I’m not stupid, Quint. We’re playing soccer. I want to be on the star soccer player’s team. That way, I can just stand back and let him do his thing.”
The guys laugh, but Quint shakes his head. “You have to actually play, Tessa, or it doesn’t count.”
“Fine. I’ll be goalie.” I look over to Slater. “Keep it away from the net. Deal?”
He smirks. “Got it.”
“I’ll be on their team,” Reid offers.
I beam. “Perfect.”
Quint turns to the others. “Are we going to allow this?”
“Leave her be,” Slater says. He and Reid walk over to where I’m standing. “You really want to be goalie?”
“Do I want to run back and forth a hundred times in this backyard? No. So, yes. I want to be goalie. Just...do your thing. Dazzle us with your soccer brilliance.”
Reid chuckles, and Slater scowls. “I don’t dazzle.”
“You do, Pretty Boy. Now go out there and win for us.”
He stares down at me. “I am not a pretty boy.” His words are almost a growl. I notice Reid hides a grin behind his hand. I shrug. “Well, I’m pretty sure that’s why all those girls attend your games. You dazzle them with all your pretty boy tricks.”
He scowls at me. “You’d better get ready,” he says, nodding at the goal.
I grin at him. “Will do, Pretty Boy.” I swear he growls in his chest, and I laugh as I make my way over to the goal. Evie walks over to where I stand in front of the large soccer net.
“What’d you do to Slater?”
“I called him Pretty Boy.”
Her eyebrows knit together. “Slater is like the opposite of a pretty boy.”
“You know that, and I know that. But guess who isn’t bugging me about playing and is letting me just stay here by the net.”
Evie laughs. “I don’t get you. You love sports, like more than any person I know, especially college sports.”
I agree. “I do; but I lovewatchingsports, not playing them. Big difference.”
“Evie!” Zane shouts, waving her over.
“Have fun losing,” I tell her with a grin.
