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CHAPTER TWELVE

John

“What the fuck,” I scream, not knowing if I’m having a nightmare or if it’s reality.

My erratic movements toss the creature from my arm.

I jump to my feet on the skinny little mattress.

Creepy crawly things scare me shitless. Bouncing on my toes, my head nearly hits the ceiling fan. ‘Where are you mother fucker?”

Becca shoots upright in her bed, instantly awake. But I can barely make out her face. “What the hell do you have on your face?”

“It’s a mask to help me sleep with cooling gel.” She sighs, removing the mask, as her eyes search for me in the dark. “Why are you standing on the bed screaming?”

“There’s a snake or something in my bed.”

“John, I’m tired and not falling for your little innuendos to boost your ego.” She falls back down on her side. “Go to sleep.”

“Damn, you can be demanding and believe me, you can boss me around… Any. Other. Time.” I kick my soft pillow and the creepy little shit goes flying. “There it is. Turn on the light. Now.”

She clicks the switch, and incandescent light floats over the room. “What is it? Where is it?” she asks, frustrated .

“Right there.” I point.

When she sees it, she leaps over to my bed, lunging for me. I admit it feels good for her to need me even if I’m as scared as she is.

“That’s a big freaking lizard,” she says, squeezing my arm. “Grab a golf club and shoo it outside.”

I look down at her, catching a glimpse of her small cleavage and have to shake myself out of all the thoughts streaming through my mind. “Okay, you jump down and open the patio door, and I’ll hit him with my club.”

“No, no, no. Don’t hurt him. Just make him go outside.”

“Sure, he’ll listen.”

I slide the golf club out of the bag while she moves quickly to slide the door open and jumps back on my bed.

I tap the pitching wedge on her bed, and the green reptile slithers under her pillow, so I run the wedge under the pillow, and it takes off down the side of the bed onto the floor.

I keep guiding it out until eventually, I have to put my feet on the floor, shooing him the rest of the way out and close the glass behind me.

We’re breathing heavy because of a fucking lizard instead of the reason I dream of.

“I can’t wait to tell everyone that you’re scared of lizards.” Her melodic laughter floats through the room.

I take her by the waist, swinging her down to the bed. She kicks and giggles, trying to get away. I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as her without makeup. Stella was right about one thing; Becca is precious to me.

When the laughter dies down, she fills the void by teasing me once more as her golden hair fans out over the mattress, making her look like an angel with a devil’s mouth. “The Godfather is a scaredy cat. Oh, I wish I had that on video.”

“Don’t test me, Bex.” I snatch the phone from the nightstand, hit the camera, and take a pic with me on top of her. “We’re in a compromising position.”

She breathes hard. “You wouldn’t. Corbin would kill you. ”

“I’ll take my chances. Here are my conditions.”

I dangle my phone between two fingers, letting her glimpse the blurry image of us, me sprawled on top of her, but sexy enough to give her brother the wrong idea.

“Maybe I will show this to Corbin. Maybe he’ll be happy you’re in bed with a jock instead of an accountant,” I say quietly, more teasing than threatening.

Goosebumps rise on her arms, and the tension is off the charts.

I expect her to snap or shove me. Instead, she just glares, with her hands on my chest to keep a safe distance, almost daring me to follow through.

I’m keenly aware of how close we are—not in the photo, but right now. Instead of laughing or what I really want to do—kiss the fuck out of her—I mutter, “Keep me safe, and your secret is safe with me.”

“And how do you propose I do that?” she asks.

“Sleep with me.”

I take a mental snapshot of her face. With the moonlight streaking in through the glass, creating dancing shadows, she looks innocent, yet sexy as hell. That is until she opens her smart mouth meant only for me.

“It’s a little soon; you just moved in.”

My cheeks twitch. Blood rushes somewhere it shouldn’t.

What do I do?

I sit on the edge of the twin bed, with my knees spread, and hold her hands in mine. Clearing my throat, I say, “I’m serious. I need to be on top of my golf game tomorrow. Sleep only, I promise.”

The gentle sincerity in my voice has her running her thumbs over my fingers.

“No funny business.”

“Bex, I promise it wouldn’t be funny. You would be screaming my name, not laughing at my XL.”

“You almost had me, Basilio. Now go to sleep.” She scoffs as she gets back in her bed.

I shake out the sheets and blanket before straightening the bed and slide in. This time, she turns out the lights, but an hour later, I’m jostled awake by her hand. “John, scoot over.”

I scoot over with my ass hanging over the side, but I lift the bedding, and she wiggles into me.

Too tired to ask why she changed her mind I decide to pull her under my wing and hold her tight.

A peaceful calm breath escapes her lips, and I’m hoping it means that Becca feels like I do—there’s no place she would rather be.

Eventually, I quit thinking about my future and caress the present. My eyes are closed with my arm enveloping her and hand tucked under her side.

When morning comes, her body faces me. Her head is nestled under my chin with her hands under the side of her face. And her knees are in dangerous proximity to my package. One wrong move, and I’ll be doubled over in pain, so I open my knees and pull her top leg between them.

I breathe in the sweet smell of coconut as my nose sinks into her hair, and I listen to the occasional tranquil sounds from her chest, as they lull me back to sleep.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

The noise of the group chat dings regardless of how much I wish it away. I would love to stay in bed with Becca all day, all night and start all over again.

I attempt to sneak out of bed since she’s out cold. But this bed is tiny, and any move I make is heavy. So, I brush the hair from her face and say, “I have to get in the shower. We’re going golfing this morning.”

“Hmmm.”

Damn she’s cute.

“I have to go.”

“No. I’m comfortable.”

Yeah, this is why Becca and I would never work out. Anytime she asked me to stay home from a workout or practice, I would choose her every time.

“Five more minutes, please. I didn’t sleep last night. ”

I know she did, but I’ll pretend so I have a reason to stay. “Okay.”

With one hand, I send a group message.

“Give me thirty minutes.”

I turn off the notifications, so the responses don’t wake Becca up again.

Corbin: Why?

Reed: Because he’s too big for a twin bed.

Dane: I can’t imagine.

Reed: Your knees would be hanging off the bed.

Corbin: Get your ass up.

Somehow, I scooch out of bed and take a few seconds to soak in the sight. When I get out of the shower, the group chat messages are still rolling in.

Logan: You’re fine. I’m just now picking up Hagan and Adalee from the airport.

Flynn: Bets on who will be yelling “fore” the most.

Coleman: Easy, Corbin.

Corbin: You can barely swing the stick, much less a club and hit a tiny ball.

Bryce: Remember golfing on the university course? Coach thought it was a good way to bond, and he found out it was a good way for me to make a ton of money.

Dawes: Fuck off, I’m the best golfer on the team.

Laughing and shocked emojis roll in.

Reed: Thought you were friends.

Federberg: We are. Laughing to his face is the ultimate sign of friendship.

After I’m dressed, I find the resort notepad and pen.

You can thank me later for keeping you

safe last night.

~ J

Me: I’ll be in the lobby in five.

My clubs rattle as I pick them up, and Becca shifts. I tiptoe out of the villa and when I get to the lobby, only Corbin is there.

“Hey, where’s everyone else?” I ask.

“Grabbing some breakfast sandwiches and drinks. How did it go last night?”

I wasn’t expecting him to ask. He should just trust that we can handle ourselves. On the other hand, I’m certain he knows how I feel about his sister even though I’ve never said the words aloud to him. Or her for that matter.

“Other than the lizard that bit me.” I lift my elbow, showing him the bite on my arm. “It was good.”

“Damn, man, that looks like it hurts. ”

Thank God for the lucky lizard since it diverts the conversation away from Becca and me. The spotted red and green lizard is the reason we ended up in bed together.

“Hurts like hell.”

Federberg and Dawes come back with a bag of sandwiches and hand them out. Flynn and Reed do the same with mango and passionfruit boba tea, except for Dane. He has a venti Starbucks coffee in hand.

Bryce does a head count, ever the captain. “We’re all here. Logan and Hagan will meet us on the back nine. Let’s go.”

For this round, my foursome is Corbin, Bryce, and Reed. They tee off first and as I check my phone, Reed asks, “Expecting a call from someone?”

“Since it’s just us. The Rattlers offered me an extension. Three years, twenty-four million.”

I let that sink in. I’ve always been the low man in terms of pay compared to these guys. Of course, Bryce and Reed are league champions and have several MVPs under their belt, but I was always considered a role player.

“Pick your jaws off the floor boys. I’m worth every penny.”

“It’s about time you believe it too. Basilio, you never had to live in your dad’s shadow. You made it to the league because of your skills. Glad the team recognizes it,” Reed says as he slaps my back. “Did you accept?”

“I did, much to my dad’s chagrin. I may pay for it later. He wanted me on the West Coast, and I wanted to stay in Dallas or be traded somewhere in the South or East Coast. I’m waiting on the digital documents to sign. Ewan said I would have them this morning and to sign immediately.”

Corbin pinches his eyes and looks at me. “Mamaw’s working her magic. She always loved you. Always thought you were soooo charming.”

“What do you mean by ‘thought I was charming?’ I am charming.”

“Maybe to a lizard,” Corbin jokes. “It’s your turn to tee off. ”

Something amazing happens. I drive the ball three hundred fifty yards down the center of the fairway.

“Damn, that lizard must be lucky,” Bryce says, shaking his head.

By the fourth hole, my phone dings. I head to the golf cart so I can see the document without the sun’s glare reflecting on my screen.

I skim the document, knowing Ewan’s propensity for perfection.

He’s highlighted in yellow the items he wants me to read carefully so I can request changes if necessary.

It’s straightforward; I get two games off during the season to use for personal days.

Ewan had that added. There are incentives for reaching the playoffs.

The bonuses increase as you make it to the next round.

I sign the contract, drop it in the Dropbox, then text Ewan, “Done.”

After nine holes, we wait at the “Windy Watering Hole” for the rest of the crew, happy to see Logan and Hagan are here. Both are guzzling a protein drink. Hagan is Harper’s twin brother, which is how Logan and Harper met.

“Good to see ya, man. It’s been a couple of years,” I say to Hagan.

We embrace, squeezing. “Living my best life. Just moved into Kodiak Kove, next door to my older brother and some old timers who played for the Kodiaks.”

Logan laughs. “They’re like five to ten years older than you. Tackett is the same age as us.”

Hagan and Harper’s family owns the Sarasota Sharks and the Chicago Kodiaks professional baseball teams.

“I’m surprised you moved away from Harper,” I say.

Hagan seems to mull it over like he’s sad. “We still have a house next door to them in Lexington but now that construction will be starting on the new Kodiak stadium, Adalee and I need to be onsite for a year. But we’ll be back and forth. Our kids are best friends.”

“How many do you have? ”

“Two, one boy, one girl. Both already playing baseball, of course.”

It reminds me that I’m lightyears behind my friends in the personal area.

“Great, show me pictures later. We’ll see ya after the round.”

Logan and Hagan wait for Flynn and Dawes to play the back nine.

The fifteenth tee is a par four, meaning you should be able to put the ball in the hole in three strokes. When I make it in two, it’s the first eagle of the day for our group. The guys holler like we just won the Stanley Cup.

While the others finish up, I take my phone out and see a message waiting for me.

Becca: You kept me safe?

Me: Sunshine, we need to find that lizard. He’s my lucky charm.

Becca: That’s not what you thought last night.

Me: I think we need to sleep together again.

Becca: Not a good idea.

Me: What if he returns to the scene of the crime?

Becca: I’ll tuck him in right beside you.