room.”
His eyes focus on Tatum and then mine, the flush of his cheeks endearing. “Told you I was your best option.”
“The fact that you beat out a cat lady, a sex offender, an escort, and a dude with a blow-up doll, I wouldn’t be too cocky.” I shift Tatum to my other hip and unintentionally lean toward him like the freaking magnet he is. What the hell is with this guy? Why does my body want to be so close to him? “The stakes really weren’t that high.”
“Regardless. I’m the best option.” He makes eye contact with Tatum, and to my surprise, she reaches for him. I’ve never seen her do that. While I know it’s a ploy to get down and pick up that popcorn in hopes of eating it off the ground, Cason takes her in his arms.
My eyes about bug out of my head. What the hell? He’s holding her? And she’s not crying or freaking out that a stranger is holding her? Did he drug my baby with his scent? Because she’s completely content in his arms. Goes to show you the trance this guy has on people. He brainwashes all females—no age limitations.
Cason smiles at her onesie and steps back, his feet in the dirt, players all around him. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
Tatum lifts her head, but her eyes are on the field behind Cason. “Loretta.”
Ez walks up behind him and grins at Tatum twirling one of her curls around his finger. “Aren’t you the cutest thing in the world?”
She stares at Ez but doesn’t say anything.
“That’s not her name,” I add, still trying to figure out why she’s content in his arms.
Ez leaves to talk to Remi, and Sadie and I continue watching Cason and the way his muscles pop out with the weight of Tatum in his arms.
Tatum scowls at me, and I half expect her to lay her head on Cason’s chest. It’s late for her, the white glow of the stadium lights shining brightly on her tired eyes. “Yes, it is.”
“She’s going through a phase,” I tell him, trying to clarify the confusion.
“And that is?”
I shrug, reaching for Tatum when she decided she’s had enough of Cason. He wouldn’t let her run around the field, so that killed the reason for letting him hold her. “Loretta.”
He smiles at her and hands her a ball Ez tosses at him. “Here you go, Loretta.”
I focus on his hand, his strong fingers, and the things those fingers can do for me. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I’m so screwed.
Regardless, I sigh. “The room is yours if you want it.”
He nods. “I’ll stop by in the morning before I have to be back here.”
Right. He has a game tomorrow night too.
With a sigh of uncertainty, I step back. “By the way.” He lifts his eyes to mine when I pause. “Good game.”
A chuckle leaves his lips. “Not 105, but still…”
“Still amazing. Impressive. You’re much better sober.”
A beautiful, the most infectious smile I’ve ever seen, better than Remi’s, graces his lips, and I can’t imagine how any woman could ignore him. “Thank you.”
His name is called from someone in the dugout. He twists his head at the sound, and I’m offered the strain in his neck, a reminder of our time together when he threw his head back when he came.
Annoyed with myself, I step back further and hand off Tatum to Sadie, who takes her to the bathroom, again.
I remain rooted in place to see what Cason might say next.
He nods to whoever is talking to him in the dugout but then turns back to me. “Tomorrow?”
“Yeah, come by whenever.”
“I’ll bring you some coffee.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to.” He shrugs one shoulder, chewing on his lip, his hair matted to one side and beading with sweat. I want to lean in and smell him.
Awkwardly, I raise my hand. “Well, thanks for the tickets.”
“Thanks for the room.”
With another smile, he ducks his head and into the dugout, disappearing and leaving me wondering what the fuck I’m thinking letting this guy move into my house. Technically, above my garage.
Thank God it’s not attached to the house.
A player who can play several different positions. Also known as a “versatile player.”
SYDNEY
Saturday morning, Nahla draws up another lease agreement for me, and with a six-month lease, I should be able to keep the house from foreclosure.
I can’t, however, keep leasing my shop downtown. Given the circumstances of Collin’s death, they let me out of my lease.
Walking around the garage