Takes Two to Tackle by Murray Jeanette

Author:Murray, Jeanette [Murray, Jeanette]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Santa Fe Bobcats
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-09-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Play with fire, get singed. Natural consequence. Every parenting book probably has a chapter on it. And yet, here he sat, with scorched flesh, wondering what happened, like a four-year-old, and wondering how soon he could do it again.

He shouldn’t have made that bet. The fact that it flustered her to the point of her not being able to spell her next word—while flattering and a little amusing—was counterproductive. He was scaring her, not enticing her.

He dumped the tiles still on the board into the bag and pulled the cord, cinching it tightly before tossing it into the box.

Maybe this was part of that self-defeating thing they were always speaking about in group therapy, where you set yourself up for failure—consciously or unconsciously—so you didn’t have to face what success looked like. It was why a lot of drunks became alcoholics, and why they relapsed. Success was, for many people, terrifying.

Success on the field? Yeah, he was good with that. Craved that. Needed that.

Success everywhere else? No clue.

Stephen shoved the game back into his closet, marveling at the ruthless organization Margaret had instilled on the small area when he wasn’t looking. And he’d just fucked it up by throwing the game in wherever looked good. With a deep breath, he pulled it back out and found the spot it had originally come from. When he took a step back, he had to admit, it looked better, and was easier to find everything. Though her ninja organizing all over his house was driving him batty, there were worse habits living with someone. With that, he flipped the light off and headed upstairs.

Despite his resolve to leave her alone, he found himself pausing beside her door to listen for movement. There was none. She must have conked out early.

He finished packing what little he would really need—most gear was provided by the team, so it was only his personal items—and set the suitcases down by the bedroom door. Then he turned to his big, comfy, empty king-sized bed.

No. He didn’t want emptiness. He didn’t deserve emptiness. And maybe it wasn’t the smartest choice, but he’d take the first step toward what—and who—he wanted to solve that problem right now, and damn the timing.

His knock on her bedroom door echoed through the hallway, and he winced. If she really was asleep, he didn’t want to wake her. But he had a feeling . . .

A moment later, a wide-awake Mags answered. She’d changed into a thin cotton tank—thin enough for him to see the outline of her nipples—and some short shorts. Her hair was twisted up into some bun thing, and her feet were bare, with pink toenails looking adorable curling into the carpet. She never wore slippers, he’d noticed.

“What’s wrong?” She blinked, taking in his posture leaned against the doorjamb. “Do you need help packing?”

Stephen went to answer, but his throat suddenly felt dry. Sahara Desert dry. He shook his head, since that’s all he could do.

“Ooookay,” she said slowly, leaning back a bit.

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