Page 78 of Scoring Eden

I nod wordlessly, feeling entirely out of my depth.

The house I shared with Sebastian once upon a time was nice but nothing like this. It was less than half the size, a mid-century building with an outdated kitchen that Sebastian always promised to upgrade but never did.

So, standing here now on the driveway of a multimillion-dollar property that I will never actually live in, I’ve never felt more like a fraud.

Alex slips his hand into mine as Imani leads us through the door into a bright foyer with light-oak flooring and Victorian paneling.

“The house is newly built. It was completed just last week and hasn’t been listed yet.” We follow behind as she leads us through to the main living space, the clicking of her heels echoing off the high ceilings. “Thankfully, I’m the listing agent, so I was able to get you in before it goes on the market. I’m confident it will sell quickly, so you’ll need to make an offer as soon as possible if you’re interested.”

I nod, though I’m not really listening. It isn’t as if I’m going to play any part in Alex’s decision to make an offer. I’m only here for the optics. And we haven’t even seen all of the house yet, so who knows whether or not he’ll be interested anyway?

That said, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t.

The house is stunning. The kitchen is enormous, with a six-seater waterfall island and dark-wood cabinetry. Vast bi-folding doors look out onto the yard, a sprawling space of green grass, bright flowers, and foliage. I can imagine Macon playing out there, performing musical numbers on the turf and climbing the trees that line the back. I can picture myself sitting at the island in the morning, sipping hot coffee as Alex jogs down the stairs, freshly showered and shirtless. He’d kiss me on the head and take a gulp of my coffee before throwing on a shirt and heading off to practice.

It’s a dangerous fantasy.

Yet, I can’t clear the vision from my eyes. It’s like the house is forcing me to imagine all the things I’d want for myself, if I only just admitted it.

“It’s a popular neighborhood for athletes and other celebrities,” Imani is saying. “The house next door has actually just been sold to a soccer player and his family, so you’ll be in good company here.”

“How interesting.” I throw a smirk in Alex’s direction, who refuses to look at me. “Do you happen to know their names?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t disclose their identities for confidentiality reasons.” Imani runs her long fingers over the back of a walnut dining chair. “But I’m sure you’ll get along well.”

“That’s okay.” I smile at her warmly, trying not to laugh. “I have a feeling we’ll all get along swimmingly. What do you think, Alex? Any guesses?”

That’s another thing about Alex…the way he adores his family. It was evident at the dinner we hosted over the weekend, in the way he interacted with his nieces, chasing them around the kitchen as they giggled and screeched, and how he’d fussed over Brynn when he didn’t think anyone was watching. And now, he’s buying the house next door simply because he wants to be close to them.

I’ve never known someone so fiercely loyal to the people he loves. Brynn was right about that, at least. He doesn’t play when it comes to those he cares about.

Alex huffs a noncommittal sound and changes the subject. “How big is the lot?”

“With the yard, it comes in at just over nine thousand square feet. Five bedrooms, five baths. You’ve got two terraces, a theater room on the lower level, and a home gym. So, there’s plenty of space for entertaining, if that’s your thing, and room for a growing family.”

Alex’s hand twitches in mine. His thumb rubs over my knuckle, our palms a little sweaty, but neither of us makes a move to pull away. “Macon would love the theater room. I could hook up the gaming console in there so we could play Minecraft on the big screen.”

Except, Macon won’t be living here.

With nine months left until the end of the season—ergo, our scheduled breakup—and how long it typically takes to close on a property, Macon will probably never even see the theater room, let alone play computer games in there.

“Yeah,” I answer anyway, the sound a little choked. “He’d love that.”

Imani, oblivious to the thoughts swirling in my head, clicks her heels around the dining table, and takes position by the door. “Would you like me to show you the rest of the property, or would you prefer to explore on your own?”

Alex looks down at me, his thumb shifting from my knuckle to stroke the tip of it over my wrist instead. Such a simple touch, but it has my skin breaking out in goosebumps and my breaths falling a little shorter.

“I think we’re good.” His gaze doesn’t leave mine.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was planning to fuck me on the counter the moment Imani leaves the room. He has the adoring, bedroom-eyed expression down to a tee. And it doesn’t help that I can picture him as the sort of man to enjoy spontaneous acts of passion, whenever and wherever the feeling takes him.

Not that I even know what passion looks like. Sebastian was many things, but passionate was not one of them. In the scattering of times we had sex, he had more of an in-and-out mentality. No making out, no foreplay—unless he was the recipient, of course—and definitely no fucking in public.

I don’t think he has a passionate bone in his entire body.

Alex, on the contrary, appears to have many—one quite generous one in particular, if my memory is to be believed.

“No problem.” Imani nods, the consummate professional. “I’ve got a few calls to catch up on anyway, so if you need me, I’ll be right outside.”