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Declan:Yeah, that’s not fucking happening. Keep dreaming.
Coop:Fuck off, asshole. I’ll see you next month.
Declan:Stay safe, Coop.
Coop’s out of his damn mind if he thinks I’d ever let him have a shot with Annabelle. There’s only one Sinclair for her, and that’s me, even if she doesn’t know it yet.
When Belle answers her door that night, she’s wearing a pair of black leggings and an old worn Bon Jovi concert tee hanging off one bare shoulder. Fuzzy cream socks are on her feet, and her caramel-colored hair hangs down her back. I stand outside the open door, momentarily stuck in place while I drink her in. It may have only been a few days since I’ve seen her, but that was a few too many.
I itch to touch the bare skin peeking out at her shoulder. Lick it. Suck it. Bite it... I’m torn from my quickly turning X-rated thoughts by her voice. “Hey, Dec. Want me to take that?”
Oh, shit. Yeah. The pizza. “No, I’m good. Just point me in a direction.”
Belle leads me into the kitchen, giving me the perfect view of her delicious ass as we go. I place the pizza box and bag of cheese fries on the counter. When I look around, I realize the house is quiet. “Hey, where’s my date for the night? I don’t hear Tommy.”
Her smile ignites something in me, and I shove my hands in my pockets to stop from reaching out to touch her. I’m determined to show her I can be her friend, and showing her my hard dick might not really help my cause here.
“He’s in his room playing on his iPad. Probably has his headphones on.” Annabelle hops up onto the counter next to me, putting her at the perfect height. “I swear he blocks out the world when he has those things on.”
Damn, what I wouldn’t give to move between her legs and kiss her right now. I settle for leaning against the counter next to her.
“So...” she sighs. “You ready for the game this weekend? When do you guys fly out?” I guess we’re gonna talk shop.
“Yeah. It should be a tough game. Dallas is good this year. We fly out late tomorrow morning.”
She kicks me softly. “How about you give me the uncanned response? I’m not a reporter, Dec.”
I blow out a deep breath. “Well, let’s see. Scarlet Kingston is working with my agent to pick what interviews I have to do. ‘Have to do,’ being the operative phrase. I have no choice in the matter. I talked to Hunter, my agent, earlier today, and I lost the battle on sponsorship deals.”
“Oh, no. Your sponsors dropped you?” She grabs my arm.
I place my hand on hers. “Nope. They’ve been trying to get me to sign for three months, and I wasn’t ready to sign. My hand’s being forced now,” I groan.
“Declan, listen to yourself. You sound like a little boy having a fit because he’s not getting his own way. Man up.”
I turn so I’m looking into her pissed-off eyes. “The hell, Annabelle?”
“Listen to me. I’ve been there. It’s not the same as football, but I’ve had to deal with the media circus when I danced in New York. It’s all part of the game, Dec. I get it. You hate this part. But you need to own it and control it yourself. Stop giving power to Scarlet Kingston. Her priority is the team. Take control and make yourself your own damn priority.”
Belle jumps down off the counter when we hear the heavy thumping of feet running down the stairs, followed by Tommy’s voice. “Belles, Belles, Belles, is Dec here? Is the pizza here? Is the movie ready?”
By the time he makes it to us in the kitchen, I think I’ve gotten over the wake-up call I’ve been handed and manage to focus on Tommy. This kid’s energy runs at a crazy high level.
He skids to a halt when he sees me, zips his lips, and looks over at Belle before grabbing paper plates out of the pantry and dropping them down next to the pizza box and white paper bag. He picks at the masking tape holding the bag closed. “Are there cheese fries in there?” he asks Belle, who shrugs before running her hand through Tommy’s hair.
“I’m not sure.” The patience in her voice was certainly not there a minute ago. Jesus. I’m jealous of a kid. “How about you ask Declan?”
I know they’re always working on eye contact, so I try to catch his eyes as he asks, “Are there fries in there, Declan?” His focus darts over my shoulder as quickly as it came.
“Yeah, bud. They’re in the bag. Cheese on the side, just like you like it.”
Tommy grabs napkins and puts them next to the plates before he gets three bottles of water. Definitely a routine he’s done before.
Once Annabelle gets his pizza and fries on his plate, he turns, asking, “Can we have a picnic with the movie now, Belles?”
“Slow down, little man. Tell me again what we’re watching tonight?” I ask, trying to get him to talk to me.
He huffs out a little sigh, and the attitude plastered on his face is 100 percent all Anabelle. Impatience is radiating from his body. “We’re watching Jurassic World. Not to be confused with Jurassic Park. This one’s better ’cause it has an Indominous rex.” He spins on his heel and marches into the family room.
I watch, taken by his methodical movements. He places his plate and water on the coffee table while he lays out a blanket on the floor, plops down, and turns to grab his food and drink from the table. “Hurry up, guys.”
Belle hands me a plate and a bottle of water. “You don’t want to keep your date waiting, Dec. Patience is not a virtue Tommy has.”
I reach over and tuck a lock of her soft hair behind her ear and then lean in and whisper, “If I remember correctly, patience isn’t a virtue either Hart sibling possesses.” I watch her green eyes dilate and try to hold back a smile.
She reminded me all week that this date is for Tommy and me. It’s her way of telling me I’m supposed to stay on my side of the fifty-yard line. She doesn’t realize all the best games are won in inches, not yards, and I’m gonna earn this win inch by inch.
