Page 96 of Playing the Field

He watches me for a long moment. “Yeah.” His voice is quieter now. “Me too.”

I shift slightly, crossing my arms. “Did you sleep?”

He smirks. “I don’t sleep.”

I sigh. “That’s not healthy.”

“I’m aware.”

I roll my eyes but let it drop. We’ve had this conversation before. It never goes anywhere.

Instead, I exhale, turning back toward the field. “You know, when I took this job, I didn’t expect to feel this… invested.”

Graham tilts his head slightly. “In the team?”

I hesitate.

Then, quietly— “In everything.”

His gaze sharpens. “Everything?”

I swallow, my heart picking up speed. “You know what I mean.”

He studies me for a beat, then nods.

And suddenly, the air feels charged.

Like we’re on the edge of something neither of us knows how to name.

I shift, forcing myself to focus. “You should head inside soon. The guys will be looking for you.”

He doesn’t move.

Neither do I.

A long breath stretches between us, the weight of all the unsaid things lingering in the air.

Then, finally⁠—

“You know why I bought this team?” he asks.

I blink, caught off guard by the shift in conversation. “Because you’re a billionaire who ran out of hobbies and has more money than sense?”

His lips twitch, but there’s something serious in his expression when he turns fully toward me.

“Because I needed something that mattered,” he says, voice low. “Something that wasn’t just another acquisition. Something I could build.”

Something flickers in my chest.

I nod slowly. “And do you think you found it?”

He watches me carefully. “I think I might have.”

The words settle deep, sending warmth curling through my stomach.

I swallow hard, forcing myself to keep my voice steady. “Then go prove it.”

His gaze doesn’t waver. “And you?”