Page 144 of Playing Dirty

Ian continues grilling me like a damn steak about baseball, the city, my relationship with Theo—basically anything he can think of—before his wife snags him away with a terse smile.

“Apologies, Madden,” Christine offers. “We have other guests to attend to, but it’s good to see you.”

I simply nod, thankful for the interruption more than anything. Except, when I turn to rejoin Theo, Hailey, and Archer…they’re all gone.

Actually, the two betrothed are easy to spot, having moved over to chat with a few people I don’t recognize. But as my gaze flashes around the terrace, hoping I might find Theo somewhere in the midst of the guests, I come up empty-handed.

Well, shit.Where in the hell could my boyfriend be hiding at an engagement party?

I grab my phone and type out a quick text, asking where he went, only to get a sassy little response within a minute.

Theo: You’re the stalker. I’m sure you can figure it out.

I sigh and pocket my phone. This has become something of a game between us now; a never-ending round of hide and seek where I always seem to be “it.” Though, I do thoroughly enjoy the moments after he’s found—especially if they end with one of us sliding inside the other.

Which, come to think of it, might be exactly what he intends right now.

A little jolt of anticipation zips through me, and I head over toward my cousin in hopes he might have some sort of clue as to where Theo’s gone.

Archer’s in the middle of listening to Hailey and one of their guestschat, but I gently rest my palm on his shoulder to subtly grab his attention.

“Not trying to interrupt, but have you seen Theo?” I whisper.

Archer manages to peel his eyes away from his bride-to-be and arches a disbelieving brow.

“You’re not a very good babysitter if you’ve managed to lose your boyfriend already.”

I roll my eyes at the babysitter comment before scrubbing my palm over my face. “I swear, the only downfall of him not being on crutches anymore is him being able to sneak off, and I have no freaking clue until it’s too late.”

Archer laughs and claps me on the shoulder. “Well, I think I saw him head inside. Maybe the restroom?”

I nod briefly, already stepping in the direction he mentioned while calling out a quick “Thanks, man”over my shoulder. Weaving my way through the party-goers chatting and dancing beneath the string lights, I slip inside the double doors in search of Theo.

I open a couple doors—finding the coat-check room and another hall leading to what I assume are offices—before my luck takes a turn. Just as I’m closing the door to the coat room, I spot Theo leaving the restroom like Archer hypothesized. I can’t help the little grin forming on my lips as I duck back into the little alcove, ready to get a bit of payback for him sneaking off.

“There you are.”

He jumps out of his skin when my hand lands on his arm, a little yelp escaping him before I smother it with my other palm. I can’t help the quiet lilt of laughter from slipping past my lips when his gaze meets mine and he instantly relaxes.

Removing my hand from his mouth, I drag him through the door behind me and close us both inside amongst the coats, jackets, andforgotten possessions.

“I swear, your life’s mission is to scare me shitless at every turn,” he gripes as I pull him deeper into the room, away from the door.

“You’re the one who sent me on a wild-goose chase to find you.”

He huffs out a laugh. “I just figured you needed an excuse to escape all your adoring fans.”

It comes out teasing, but it doesn’t ease the guilt already welled inside me as I lean back against the wall. My teeth sink into my cheek while I link my fingers with his and tug him toward me until his feet slip between mine.

“I’m sorry I keep getting pulled away,” I whisper, but he immediately shakes his head.

“It’s not your fault everyone wants to hear all about your wild rise to the majors,” he insists, a little smile lifting his lips. “It’s something you should be proud of. I know I am.”

A small sense of relief washes through me, and I whisper, “Same goes for you, baby,” before pulling him in for a long, slow kiss.

He’s been working his ass off with applications to various media outlets now that we’ve landed in Denver, only to finally nail down an opportunity to write for a sports magazine calledThe Fielda few weeks ago.

And the best part? It’s remote. Meaning I can—hopefully—drag him out on the road with me a little bit next year.