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“Harder on whom?” I demanded.
“Come on, Cash—we weren’t happy. Don’t pretend you’re the victim here.”
“You slept with my best friend and I’m not the victim? How does that work, exactly?”
She sighed dramatically. “I already apologized for the way you found out. Can we part as friends?”
“No. We can’t.”
I turned on my heel and walked out.
Now I’m heading down the corridor toward the lounge and feel a weird sense of déjà vu.
Maya isn’t Shandy.
I repeat that to myself a few times as I walk into the lounge.
No. No, she’s not.
The smile on my face is genuine because Maya is being…Maya. She’s on her knees behind the daughter of one of my teammates—I think her name is Sophie—putting her long hair in some fancy braid.
“Hey.” I walk over and inspect her work. “That looks really pretty.”
“Thank you!” Sophie beams at me. “Miss Maya is really good at hair stuff!”
“And I’m next!” Jayne’s little sister Lindy, whom she and Bodi have custody of, announces.
“Let’s give Miss Maya a minute to breathe,” Jayne says gently.
“There you go.” Maya ties a pink ribbon at the bottom of the braid and then gets to her feet.
“Thank you!” Sophie hugs her legs tightly and then runs to go show her father.
“Hi.” Maya gazes up at me sweetly. “What a game—you were on fire.”
“Thanks.” I hesitate for just a fraction of a second and then lean down to kiss her. Her lips are soft and warm, and I feel her sigh against me.
“What?” I ask quietly.
“We haven’t had a lot of time to…kiss.”
That’s for sure.
“I’ll make that up to you,” I whisper, kissing her again.
She responds in earnest this time, wrapping her arms around my neck. The kiss itself is still chaste, here in front of all the kids, but her need for me echoes my own. I haven’t wanted to rush the sex because she told me she gets attached.
But I think the time for waiting has ended.
“If I had the option,” she whispers against my ear, “I’d jump you right here and now.”
I love a confident woman who takes control.
She did the same thing the night we met.
Except this time, I’m not letting her disappear.
“Baby, there are always options.”
