Page 15 of The Illicit Play

Well, shit. There goes my eye candy for the evening.

Not that every other man at this table isn’t something to look at. Except my brother. Gross.

But there’s something about Grady that gets me going in a way no one else has. Maybe ever.

I dated a few guys in high school, nothing too serious, and I got pretty hot and heavy with a couple of guys in Chicago, but none of them hold a candle to the Nolan U Cougars running back.

My lips twitch just thinking about him standing in the bathroom staring at me, the top half of his hot bod on full display. Ooooo, mama.

“Ty, no phone.” Zoey points across the table at the towering center. He’s been texting ever since we sat down to eat, frowning down at his screen and quickly replying,then trying to catch up on the conversation before his phone buzzes again.

“Zoey.” Sienna laughs, lighting touching her daughter’s hand. “It’s okay.”

“No phone, Mommy.” Her sticky little finger points to Zander. “You say no phone table.”

“That’s true.” Sienna picks up a fish stick and holds it out for her daughter. “But different families have different rules, and you’re not the boss of this table, so…”

“Me boss.” She points at her chest, making Zander laugh. She pouts at her father, then looks back at Tyrell with a stern frown. “No phone table.”

I can’t help a snicker as I share a glance with Wily, who is grinning at Zoey with the cutest, most adoring smile.

“Better do what she says, man.” Wily raises his eyebrows. “Don’t want to piss off the boss lady.”

Tyrell slips the phone into his pocket. “Sorry, lil’ one.”

“She is not the boss,” Sienna clarifies, then grins at her daughter. “Eat up, kidlet.”

Zoey takes an aggressive bite of her food, chewing it between huffs while Nylah distracts us all with a story about fish that she learned in class today.

This leads into a discussion about conservation that I find pretty interesting. Bottom trawling should seriously be banned around the world. It’s destroying our ocean floors.

“Have you guys seen that David Attenborough documentary on the ocean?” Nylah asks the table. “It’s so good. Grady recommended it to me.”

“And you made me watch it.” Carson’s upper lip curls.

Nylah laughs at his expression, quickly kissing hischeek. “You loved it, caveman. Don’t tell me you didn’t find it interesting.”

He gives a noncommittal shrug.

“And thank God we did watch it, because Professor Moore put me on the spot in class today.”

“Ugh, I hate it when they do that.” Satch shudders. “Thatall eyes on mefeeling is the worst.”

Wily glances at his girl, brushing his hand down the back of her hair and winking at her.

She blushes, smiling back while Nylah agrees with her, then starts looking all triumphant when she gave an answer that had the professor “Nodding her approval. It was like getting a gold medal, because that woman is hard to please.”

“Moore?” Zander asks. “Yeah, she’s a hard-ass.”

“You’re so lucky you’re doing your classes online until spring break.” Satch smiles across the table at me, like she’s trying to draw me into this conversation.

She really doesn’t need to do that, but I force a smile when she does.

“You don’t have to be put on the spot like that.” Her cute little nose wrinkles.

“Yeah, it’s pretty easy this way. I like that I can watch the lectures in my own time.”

“You managing to keep up with everything okay?” Sienna glances at me before darting out her hand to catch a flying sippy cup.