“Come on,” I urge. “It can be our secret.”
Our eyes meet, and it’s like all the air is gone from the room.
His gaze drops to my lips, and I can’t help but pull the bottom one in slightly. It feels like we’re talking about more than just his escapades in New Orleans.
“Yeah, our secret,” he says. He shifts slightly forward, his sleepy eyes glued to my mouth.
I can’t look away from his mouth. They’re the most masculine lips I’ve ever seen. They’re thick and flat, just a slight bow on the top.
He’s slowly moving toward me, and I’m in a trance. There’s no way I could move away even if I wanted to.
And I don’t want to.
I can almost feel the soft pressure when, suddenly, the game film is playing again.
I lean back, shaking my head slightly.
What the fuck was that?
He looks as alarmed as I feel—clearly neither of us is thinking correctly this late. Nothing good happens after two in the morning.
But I also don’t want him to leave—can’tlet him leave with that hanging between us.
But I also can’t talk about it with him.
A moment passes before I cough and say, “So, I think you have to tell me, what service costs a grand?”
“She stuck her finger in my butthole,” he answers quickly, like I’m just going to letthatgo.
I stare at him, biting my lips to keep from laughing. “And were you aware that’s what you were getting, or did she just peg you for a butthole guy?” I ask, and it’s like a dam breaks inside me, the laughter surging forth. It appears I’ve hit the level of tired that is roughly the same as being intoxicated.
“Oh, God.” I wipe the tears from my eyes. “Pun not even intended.”
“I guess I just have that look about me.” Embarrassment and amusement war with one another on his face.
I don’t know how many people get to see this side of him, but I know it’s been a very long time since I joked like this with anyone.
We watch the last few minutes of the film, Beckett’s smile never quite leaving his face.
When the video reel Sutton put together fades to black, I stare at the screen, my gaze flitting away when I realize Beckett is slowly getting to his feet on the other side of me.
“Thanks for watching with me, Queenie.”
“And I won’t even charge you a grand for it.”
I can’t be sure, but I swear as he leaves, he mumbles, “I’d pay way more than a grand for this.”
Chapter 18
Beckett
“Thanksfortheride,”Finley says, her long legs reaching the ground as she slips out of my pickup truck and onto the mostly empty parking lot outside the practice football field for the Colorado Stallions.
“We were headed to the same place. It made sense. Plus, that’s what’s best for the environment.”
“The only reason we’d bring Larsen with us.” A pretty smile pulling across her face as she points her thumb toward the backseat.
“Yeah, thanks for the ride, Dad,” Larsen agrees as he and Li both climb out of the back.
