Christ.
“Um…if you need to handle your guests, I can totally come back another time,” Cassie said, starting to edge off her barstool.
I shook my head and reached out to touch her arm. “Stay. This will just take a second.”
I can kill five girls quickly, right?
When I whipped the door open, Lexi was standing on my porch with her arms crossed and a devilish smile spread across her face.
“Evening, Coach Dub.”
“What do you want, Lexi?”
She smiled wider. “Do you have a cell phone charger I could borrow? Mine’s dead.”
“Borrow one from one of your teammates,” I said, stepping back to close to door.
She reached out and used her hand to keep the door propped open. “Fine. Then I need a thermometer.” Her hand covered her mouth as she pretended to cough. She didn’t even bother to sound convincing. “I think I’m coming down with something.”
“Lexi, I don’t know what kind of shit you guys are pulling, but—”
I felt a hand hit my lower back as Cassie slid past me to get through the door.
“Hey, this has been fun, but I’m going to head out. I have an early shift tomorrow.”
I shook my head and reached out for her. “No. Stay.”
She smiled and waved her phone in the air. “It’s cool, the Uber driver’s already a minute away. I’ll catch you around town sometime.”
She waved over her shoulder and headed down the gravel drive without a second thought. I couldn’t blame her. In the ten minutes she’d been in my house, I’d had three different people come and knock on my door. I’d treated each one with more disdain than the last, and if I were her, I would have left too.
Lexi shot me a self-indulgent smile. “Actually, I feel better now. Maybe it’s a miracle? I should start going to church again.” She turned and hopped down the porch steps. “See you at practice tomorrow!”
A few yards behind her, nearly hidden in shadows, Brie stood with her arms crossed. Her chin was raised; her shoulders were back. She was wearing a smirk that matched Lexi’s and the gleam in her eyes—shining in the moonlight—conveyed how proud she was of herself.
When Lexi reached her, they fell into a fit of giggles and turned to speed back to the guesthouse in tandem.
“BRIE!” I boomed.
She stopped dead in her tracks. Lexi tried to pull her forward, but she wouldn’t budge. She knew better.
“I need to talk to you,” I said, lowering my voice to a subtle shout.
She said something to Lexi and then turned to assess me. Lexi continued to the guesthouse, glancing between; she was clearly worried to leave her friend with me, but Brie stood confident.
“Then talk,” she shouted across the yard, locking her arms across her chest.
“In private,” I said, walking back into my house and leaving the door open for her.
I poured myself another glass of wine, then thought better of it and poured it down the sink. I corked the bottle and stuck it back in the fridge, slamming the door closed in time to hear Brie’s footsteps hit the hardwood.
“Shut the door,” I said, turning to assess her.
The cool girl standing in the shadows a moment earlier was replaced by the softer version I’d seen in my kitchen that morning. Her hair was still damp from a shower and when she turned, I noticed she wasn’t wearing any makeup. She was nothing but soft tan skin and wide brown eyes.
“What do you want?” she asked with a skeptical tone.
“That was quite a stunt you just pulled,” I said, stepping around the kitchen island and cutting the distance between us in half.
She braced herself, steeling her shoulders and fisting her palms as I grew closer. She glanced away, pinning her attention on my couch, and shrugged.
“I don’t know what you’re t—”
“Cut the bullshit. What is your goal here?”
It was a long few seconds before she finally answered, and by then I was only a foot away from her, close enough to inhale the sweet scent of coconut from her shampoo.
“We just don’t think it’s appropriate for you to bring girls back to the house. Surely you can find somewhere else to fuck them.”
My lips twitched as the expletive left her lips, but that wasn’t the word I focused on.
“Women,” I corrected.
“What?” she asked, her gaze snapping back to me.
“I fuck women in my house. Not girls.”
Her eyes narrowed and I felt desire grip my cock like a warm hand. Those damn eyes. If they weren’t slicing me in two, they were begging me closer, promising to devour me.
I took another step closer. “You’re upset I brought my date back here?” I leaned in close so she couldn’t miss my words. “Guess what…” My voice was low, nearly a whisper. “This is my house and I’ll fuck here whenever I want.”
Her nostrils flared in anger.
“You’re supposed to be our coach! I just don’t thi—”
“I don’t care what you think,” I argued, cutting her off. Her back hit the front door as she tried to get away from me, but I conquered every inch she ceded. She thought she could manipulate my life, thought she could send her teammates over to do her bidding and there wouldn’t be consequences?
Wrong.
“Why don’t you say what you’re really mad about,” I continued.
The game was a diversion. Brie wanted Cassie gone, but she wasn’t being honest about her motive. She didn’t give a fuck about propriety; she was upset that Cassie was here for another reason…something she’d rather keep secret. I smirked, knowing full well what she was trying to keep hidden.