Page 79 of The Love Playbook

“I mean, we did have a deal,” I say. “And I’m not one to go back on my word. Quid pro quo, remember?”

“You know that’s not how relationships work, right?” Chris reaches out and brushes the hair from my face, still holding onto my hand with his other.

I love how whenever I’m in his presence, he always seems to be touching me. Just little things. My cheek, my arms, my hair. It’s like he can’t not put hands on me, and this warm and fuzzy feeling forming in the pit of my stomach tells me I like it is more than a little dangerous.

“What do you mean?” I ask, finding it hard to remember my train of thought.

“Tit for tat? Quid pro quo? That’s not how a relationship is supposed to work. You’re not supposed to keep score. It’s not a business transaction, Lettie.”

I want that to be true, and I get what he’s saying, but I’ve seen firsthand the damage that’s done when a relationship is one-sided, with one party doing most of the giving and the work. Spoiler: It doesn’t end well.

But I don’t say that. Instead, I rock back on my heels, giving his hand a little squeeze. “Well, that’s good, considering we’re not in a relationship.”

“Aren’t we?” His cool blue gaze shifts over my face. “We’re friends, are we not?”

Before today, I might have said no. I would’ve snapped and come back with something snarky. But after the day spent with his family, giving me rides, bringing me tea and breakfast, and fixing my car, I can’t bring myself to deny him. Especially when the truth is maybe even a little more complicated than that, because the growing feeling in the center of my chest tells me there might be even more here than friendship.

And for reasons I can’t explain?reasons I’m sure I’ll lie awake and analyze for hours?I stretch up onto my tiptoes and brush my lips over his in a chaste peck before sinking back down onto my feet again.

He blinks, a hunger in his eyes unlike anything I’ve ever seen before as he dips his head closer, his breath warm against my cheek. A shiver shimmies down my spine when he reaches out, his fingers pulling me even closer until our chests touch. Until I can feel the rise and fall of his chest as the breath leaves his lungs.

“What was that for?” he asks when all I want is for him to kiss me again.

“I didn’t think it would be like this,” I murmur, cursing myself for the tremor in my voice.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Our eyes lock a moment before he reaches for my face, cupping my cheek in his hand. A thumb brushes over my skin, slow and deliberate, as if he’s trying to memorize the feel of me beneath his palm.

“And I’ve always known it would be like this,” he whispers back.

My pulse quickens, and without another word, he closes the remaining space between us, his lips brushing against mine.

The kiss is soft at first, tentative, as if we’re both afraid to cross a line we might not be able to uncross. But then I lean into himwith a breathy sigh, and the kiss deepens, more urgent, more certain.

He tastes of the night air and something sweeter—something entirely him that I can’t place?and in that moment, the world falls away. It’s only him and me, and nothing else. There’s no room for doubt, or thoughts about my mother. All my fears are cast aside, traded for the heady sensation of his touch, the addicting taste of his mouth. And as I sink into him, I think I could be happy like this, right here, right now, if only we could stay like this forever.

Chapter 18

CHRIS

I’m on my way to practice with the boys after lunch when I catch sight of Danger.

“Fucking finally,” I mutter as I halt in my tracks. I’ve been trying to run into him all week. Not that I charmed his student adviser into giving me his schedule or anything.

A brick wall crashes into me from behind, followed by a curse, and a “Dude, what the fuck? It’s called walking.”

I turn, hands on my hips, glaring like a pissed-off parent to find Damon scowling at my back. Arching a brow, I motion to the phone in his hand. “Maybe if you’d stop doom scrolling or whatever the hell it is you’ve been doing on that thing all damn day, you would’ve seen I stopped moving.”

His cheeks color as he shoves his phone back into his pocket and mumbles, “Sorry.”

“That’s more like it.”

“As much as I’d love to stand on the sidewalk and chat all day, ladies, we have practice,” Jace interrupts, motioning toward the stadium. “You wanna move your asses, or what?”

“Wait here just a second or go on without me; I have something to take care of,” I say as I swing my duffle bag off my shoulder and rummage inside for the hoodie I’ve been carrying around with me ever since I stole it from Charlotte’s room on Sunday.

Jace frowns as I straighten again, following my line of sight and zeroing in on Danger. “You gotta be fucking kidding me,” he says with a groan.