Page 79 of Full Court Press

“Hi, Donnie. Can you bring a bowl of chocolate ice cream to my room?”

“Sure thing, Ms. Kiy.”

Kiyanne turned and headed up the stairs. “Night, Dad! If I don’t see you tonight before I go to sleep, I love you!”

I chuckled. “I love you more, baby girl. I’ll be up to say good night in a minute.”

“Okay.”

“Good night, Kiyanne,” Anais said.

“Night.”

“Is there anything I can get for you two?” Donnie asked.

“No, but I’d appreciate it if you’d stop referring to me as a guest. Just because I don’t live here yet doesn’t mean you shouldn’t acknowledge me by name,” she scolded.

My head snapped her way as I frowned. Yeah, she was pissy about Piper’s performance.

“Ana, take it easy on my staff, mama. He don’t mean any disrespect,” I told her.

“I have been coming here for over two years, and we’re about to get married. You don’t think I deserve to be acknowledged as part of the family?”

“My apologies, ma’am,” Donnie offered.

“Anais will do, Donnie,” she corrected.

He nodded. “Very well.” He then looked to me. “Should I prepare the ice bath for you, sir?”

I shook my head to answer him and at Anais’s funky disposition toward him. “I’m actually headed back out.”

“What? Where are you going?” Anais asked with a frown etched across her face.

“Don, that’ll be all for tonight. Thank you.”

He gave a curt nod and walked off.

“I hope you’re not about to run off to see your little halftime girlfriend. Like seriously, what the hell was that?”

“I honestly don’t know what it was. I’m just as surprised as you are. But let me make one thing clear: Do not accuse me of doing something I have no intentions of doing. Since when have you become insecure or started questioning me?”

“Since you got felt up by a masked stripper on the court with a bunch of spectators. I’m sure it’s going to be the highlight of every damn news station by morning.”

She was right, but I honestly didn’t think it was that bad. I was sure, to the people who didn’t know me or Piper, it just looked like the dance squad put on a show for me. But in Anais’s mind, it was much more than that.

And she had every right to feel that way.

It was definitely more to it than what met the eye.

“Why do you care? You’re giving the shit more power than it has to have.”

She glared at me before stepping closer to me. “I’m going to go home tonight. I’m not lying in your bed while you go do God knows what. All I’m going to say is that you’d better keep it out of my face, and once we are married, that shit ends. We meet with the planner tomorrow at noon to go look at venues. I checked your schedule, and you don’t have any meetings, practices, or games this weekend. So I’ll be here bright and early.”

“No can do. I promised Kiy I’d spend time with her before I head to New York on Sunday. I’m sure you can manage since you manage everything else.”

“Excuse me? And what does that mean exactly?” she asked, appalled.

“Whatever you think it means, Anais. I’ll see you later.”