Page 29 of On Merit Alone

But Gloria wasn’t the only one who was wary about that idea. The coaches and even Ryan looked like they might not be on board with a bunch of six-eight men dunking on their six-foot female counterparts, though their leader didn’t seem to have a problem with it.

Extending my hand across the table again, I spoke up. “I don’t think boys against girls is necessary?—”

“Because they’re scared,” Merit grumbled. This elicited a series of snickers from her team and outraged chuffs and “yeah, rights” from mine.

I smiled because I couldn’t help myself as I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. Bringing my gaze down to meet hers, I hoped the words in my head got across.

Easy, killer .

“No, because we’re not in elementary school,” I said. She narrowed her eyes on me, and I held them as I continued, “We’re all adults. Grown men and women who know how to share a court. Right guys?”

I didn’t get an immediate answer from my men, so I glanced back and asked, “Right? You can put your egos away for charity, yeah?”

A grumbling “yes” filled my ears, the girls doing the same across the room. Up front, Gloria looked wary but powered through.

“Alright. Well, with that settled, I guess all that’s left is picking teams,” she said. “How does a hat sound?”

Twenty minutes later, I was sidling up to Merit’s side as she talked with Ryan in the corner of the room. Everyone else was dispersing, sporting their very own packets of itineraries and brochures from the foundation. But I had one goal in mind.

“Hey, teammate,” I said to the girl who’d spent the majority of the rest of the meeting pinning me with her serious eyes.

They were no less serious as she flipped a look up at me. “Hey.”

I leaned down. “Don’t be too excited that I’m on your team, Six. People might start to suspect things.”

This softened her a little, my sarcastic teasing pulling at her lips slightly.

A stuffy, pointed clearing of a throat brought our attention to a glare.

For a second, I dreaded that he was demanding attention out of jealousy or a claim of some kind.

But I soon realized it was out of annoyance as he said, “The two of you are a pain in my ass apart. Try to refrain from being one together by injuring yourselves again . ”

“You always say the sweetest things, Ry,” I said, slipping my hands into my pockets.

Merit’s smile was subtle but present as she said, “A game’s a game, Ryan. And we play to win.”

He looked up at the ceiling in exasperation before shaking his head. “Well, try to remember it’s a charity game and keep it together. I have to leave. Are we good with this?”

He was talking to Merit now, brows raised as he scanned her face.

Reaching forward, she gave his forearm a slight squeeze. I found myself getting jealous of the movement. “Yeah, Ry, we’re good. Thanks.”

Ryan returned the contact in the form of a soft pat on her shoulder before pivoting, nodding his head, and walking away.

“So this is all Ryan, then?” I asked, throwing a shot in the dark.

Sighing, she nodded. “Yeah. He’s helping with damage control. All this stuff is to help with my image or something. No one else’s ideas have been too great. But of course, leave it to him to find something that’s?—”

“Sort of perfect,” I scoffed. “Yeah, he’s good like that. Don’t you just hate that guy?”

“Can’t stand him.” She smiled but sighed.

“What’s up with you two anyway?” I couldn’t help asking.

“Up?” she asked, confused.

“Yeah.” I kicked at the ground. “He's nice when he’s around you.”

She snorted. Like, a full on taken off guard kind of snort, followed by a laugh. “Yeah, so nice. No. I just know Ry, and he knows me. If anything, I think he’s meaner to me. He knows he doesn’t have to be on his best behavior.”

Choosing to ignore whatever that could mean and the sour feeling in my gut because of it, I turned to her. “So, teammates, huh? ”

“Looks that way,” she said.

“This is like your dream or something, isn’t it?”

She rolled her eyes. “No. My dream is to not need a guy to step in for my ideas to be taken seriously.”

My smile flattened as I nodded gravely. “Yeah, that was bullshit. I’ll talk to my team about acting like that. I don’t know what's wrong with them.”

She shrugged. “That’s just the way it goes, I guess. I just wish it wasn’t. I’ll step out on the court with anyone at any time, but it doesn’t always mean I’ll be welcomed. I wish I didn’t have that problem.”

I hated the way her little mouth curved in a pout as she crossed her arms over her chest. I hated the way this industry could make her feel like this.

Unwanted, unaccepted, not as good as the boys.

It made me want to wave a flag in the air and tell everyone that this woman was just about the hardest worker and best player I’d come across in all my days as a player. Not like they would listen, though.

Trying to be positive, I said, “But you have a shot to make them listen. Show them that what you have to say is important.”

“I guess. That’s if they even care that we’re on the court at all next to you guys,” she grumbled.

“Oh, they’ll care,” I scoffed. “I don’t think you can step into any room, let alone on a basketball court, and not turn heads, Six. You’re commanding,” I said. I couldn’t not say it. It was the truth.

She stared up at me, trying to decipher my expression. I don’t know what she saw, but after a while she looked away. “I think you should coach.”

I choked. “What?”

She looked up at me again. “Does that surprise you?”

“Well, yeah,” I said, my hand going to the back of my neck. “I’ve never been a coach before.”

“Except you have. With me,” she said. “You give great advice and see past the generic first answer when looking at a problem. You see a lot actually. It’s impressive. Plus, everyone likes you.”

I didn’t let myself ignore the fluttering feeling her words gave me. I embraced them. Recognized that it was there because of her, because of the words she gifted me without even batting an eye. With no expectation for flattering words in return.

I didn’t comment on the feeling, though. To do so now in the middle of the busy tunnel would only serve to open me up to an embarrassing rejection or, even worse, something else that I wasn’t sure I was ready for.

No, I wouldn’t explore a feeling I’d never felt before here. Here, I would keep things safe in that lane of teasing and joking that we’d been playing around in for weeks now. Nudging her, I raised my eyebrows suggestively. “Everyone, huh?”

“ Almost everyone. I’m still making my assessment,” she joked. “Anyway, I gotta go. We’re hitting the road for Nash tonight.”

“Right, right. No more good luck, Merit,” I said, and I couldn’t quite help the slight disappointment that lined my voice.

I couldn’t explain it, but I liked having her there watching me.

It felt private in a way, even though it was literally anything but in a stadium of so many.

After sharing parts of myself and my game with her, it almost felt like we were in it together.

Like she was an honorary part of the team.

My team. “We’ll be missing you at the game. ”

“Oh, I doubt it,” she smiled as she turned away. “Maybe you’ll actually focus without me there.”

“Hey, wait!” I said before I could stop myself. She turned back to me with expectant eyes. “No good luck anything?”

“What, like a good luck kiss?” Another snort escaped her, and I found my lips tugging up with the noise. I never thought I could amuse her so much. It was sort of addicting. While everyone else puts her on edge, I could make her smile. Laugh. Be herself.

If I’m being honest, I loved it. And it made me wonder what other unusual reactions I could squeeze out of her .

Raising an eyebrow, I took a step forward. “You want to kiss me, Six?”

“What?” she startled, her head cocking back. “I didn’t?—”

“You did.” I moved even closer. “You just said?—”

She laid two hands on my chest to stay my advance. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“There’s not much you can misunderstand about a kiss,” I said. “And now that you said yours are good luck… well, I’m gonna need one of those.”

“Ira...” My name fell off her lips in a soft, stunned, cautious way. And damn did she look cute, all flustered and big-eyed.

She didn't look away from me. Didn’t back away, not even as I took another step forward, bringing us toe to toe.

Dipping my head, I got in her line of sight.

I could smell her this close up—clean like laundry and something else.

Citrus? No, maybe sage again. Whatever it was, it brought me the rest of the way to her.

Luring me, just as much as her slightly parted lips did.

Her surprised eyes bounced around my face for answers, but her body did not retreat.

Only when I was close enough that our next move would determine what happened—close enough that if someone were to bump me or if we were to lose balance, we would crash into each other’s mouths—did she find her voice again.

Confusion mixing in with the distinct sound of… excitement?

“Ira?” she asked again in a whisper.

Noise from somewhere down the hall caused the woman in front of me to jerk, so lost in whatever she was thinking as she stared at me that the sound of voices jolted her out of some sort of trance.

I was still lost in the trance of her, though.

Still lost in her face and her smiles and this damn smell that I was sure would drive me crazy.

I was lost enough that as she jolted, rocking backward in sheer surprise, I caught her by the waist and pulled her closer to me, descending my mouth the rest of the way down .

Beside her ear, I whispered, “It was a joke, Six. When I kiss you, it’ll be for more than just good luck. It’s for keeps.”

Pulling away, I let my eyes wander down her stunned face in full appreciation of the effect I had on her. Then, in a movement I hadn’t quite planned, I reached up and twirled her hair. “See you around, Six.”

I walked away to the subtle sounds of my annoying friends shouting, “Let’s go, superstars! Quit making eyes in the tunnel!”