Page 143 of Playing Dirty

His grin covers his entire face as he closes the distance between us and wraps his arms around my neck. “Serves him right, making me share a bed with you for an entire week against my will.”

“And now I can’t seem to get yououtof it,” I tease while slowly backing him toward the bed.

To further prove my point, I give him a gentle shove backward. He bounces on the mattress, a string of laughter falling from his lips as my body descends over his. But the laughter is quickly smothered when I mold my mouth to his in a slow, tantalizing kiss that has my dick stirring behind my jeans far too easily.

Theo breaks away first, his eyes glittering with a mixture of amusement and filthy ideas.

“Oh yeah. Seems to me like you’re tryingveryhard.”

His hands snake down my chest before grabbing the hem of my shirt, only to drag it toward my neck. But rather than letting him peel it off, I remain locked in place with the fabric bunched up beneath my arms. As much as I’d love to hole up here for the night and do dirty, unspeakable things to him, unfortunately, we have prior obligations standing in the way. Ones we really need to get ready for.

“We need to change for the party,” I remind him, but Theo is ever insistent.

“Yeah, I know. I’m trying to help you with that.”

His hand moves to open my belt and unzip my jeans, but when he goes to slip beneath the waistband of my underwear, I snag his wrists andpin them to the mattress above his head.

“The only thing you’re trying to help me with is being late,” I murmur before pressing my lips to his and then peeling my body away.

I know damn well if I don’t put distance between us soon, I’ll end up giving in to his incessant desire for sex. Because, let’s face it, I’m a huge pushover when it comes to Theo Greyson.

I can feel his glare on me as I grab my bag and start pulling out my clothes, and when I finally meet it, I find him still flat on his back with a frown on his perfect lips.

“You’re a tease.”

“And you’re incorrigible,” I rebut with a smirk. “So as a compromise, why don’t you get that fine ass of yours in a suit, and I’ll promise to rip it off you later?”

His brows hike up, and he immediately hops off the bed to grab his suitcase, slapping my ass along the way.

“Well, then. You’ve got yourself a deal, MadDog.”

An hour later, the two of us are clad in suits and heading out to one of the terraces the resort rents out for parties and events during the off-season. Of course, it took an hour because Theo insisted on taking his time getting dressed—likely in hopes I’d renege on my deal and strip him down before Archer’s engagement party instead.

He wouldn’t be Theo if he wasn’t constantly trying to tease or goad me, though. It just means I get to pay him back for it later.

The party starts off great. Theo meets various members of my extended family and mingles with them as we slowly make our way to chat with the guests of honor, and everyone gets along swimmingly. But asmore time passes, I start to feel a little guilty about constantly being pulled into conversation with anyone looking to catch up, the same questions being asked and answered on a loop.

It’s exhausting, and I can’t imagine he’s enjoying it any more than I am. Only an hour into the event, and I already feel myself wearing thin from all the peopling a family event like this requires.

Where the entire Hastings side of my family is more laid back and relaxed, Archer’s family—the Rhodes line—are definitely more…structured. It always takes me a minute to adjust to being in their presence, and even once I manage, I always tend to feel like I’m under a microscope of scrutiny with every answer I give.

But somehow, we manage to escape most of the vultures, and I do my best to keep Theo and myself posted up at one of the cocktail tables near the terrace railing that Archer and Hailey have been lingering at.

Unfortunately, it’s not enough to stop me from being pulled aside numerous more times, the latest culprit being Archer’s father, Ian Rhodes.

“So how’s Denver?” he asks, starting with the same question everyone else has this evening.

I force a smile and nod. “It’s good, yeah. Theo and I are moving into our new apartment downtown when we get back from this trip.”

“And the team?” he presses, arching a brow. “It’s a shame you weren’t able to get further in the playoffs, but—”

“Honestly, I was floored to even be part of their post-season run.”

It was the last thing I expected after being drafted by the Denver Coyotes back in July, only to report to their farm team in Salt Lake the following month. But when the Coyotes’ starting catcher was taken out with a broken clavicle near the end of the regular season, things just kind of fell together for me to take his place.

It was the wildest moment of my life, getting that call. After all, it’s not often a newly drafted rookie gets called up without at least one full season with a farm team. And though I’m trying not to keep my hopes up, from the way Coach made it sound, he intends for the spot to be mine come April too.

Pending Spring Training goes well.