Page 97 of Tempting the Player
Beside him, Maddie relaxed a fraction. “I know. I’m really happy for him. He deserves this, right? He’s so nice that any other girl would take advantage of that.”
“He does.” Chase’s gaze flickered off the road. She was staring at him still, and he hated that the sunglasses blocked her eyes. He had no idea what the little terror was thinking behind those dark shades. “Lissa’s a good girl. She’ll do right by Mitch.”
Maddie sucked her lower lip in and then said, “Mitch will do right by her.”
A small smile tugged at his lips. “That is true. Though, marrying? Never thought I’d see the day when he settled down.”
“I really don’t want to hear about his escapades.” She ran a hand over her hair, smoothing the few loose strands that had escaped her chignon. “I haven’t eaten yet.”
“Would a full stomach be better?”
She snorted.
“Remember that girl he was dating his sophomore year in college?”
Her eyes went wide, and his grin spread. “Oh, God—the one who actually started naming their kids on the first date?” she said, laughing. “What was her name?”
“Linda Bullock.”
“Yes!” She popped up in her seat. “She had Mitch scared to death, calling him at all hours of the night. He got so mad when you told me about her.”
“She camped outside our dorm after one date.” Chase shook his head. “Pretty girl, but man, she was crazy.”
They were coming up on the vineyards quickly. Before he knew it, Maddie would be surrounded by those who loved and cared for her, and he’d be back with his brothers, watching them troll the guest list for the ladies.
As if she were reading his thoughts, she glanced at him. “I bet you and your brothers couldn’t be happier.”
“Why is that?”
Her lips formed a tight smile. “It’s a wedding, which means easy pickings.”
“Are you saying I need easy pickings?”
“Maybe.”
He chuckled and said, “I think you know better than that.”
A red blush stained her cheeks under the sunglasses. Seeing her face flame attractively was almost worth going there with her, rehashing memories that needed to stay memories.
“Okay,” she said. “You don’t need easy pickings. I’m not saying that.”
“Then what are you saying, Maddie?”
Frustration rolled off her as she ran her hand across the buttery leather of the car seats in long, languid strokes that made his dick twitch. “Lissa has a lot of pretty friends. Not the Banks twins, but still.”
Chase nodded and then reached up for the sun visor, pulling out his own sunglasses. “She does.”
“So, like I said, you and your brothers are going to have fun.”
“Maybe.” He reached across the seat, tapping his fingers off her forearm to get her attention and point out the long rows of grape vines slicing through the valley on his left. Immediately, she jerked back, and he raised his brows, kind of offended. “Touchy?”
“No. Sorry. Too much caffeine.”
Then it struck him. Sometimes Chase forgot that their relationship wasn’t like it used to be, and damn if that didn’t suck.
She cleared her throat. “So, when are you guys going to get married?”
Chase barked with stilted laughter. “Good God, Maddie.”
