Play Along(48)

I slowly run my palms over his abs, curving over his obliques.

His breaths grow ragged as he steps into me.

Slipping my hands around to his back, Isaiah wraps his arms over my shoulders in a hug.

“That feels good,” he says quietly, his cheek curved into mine.

“Yeah?” I slowly move my palms up and down the length of his spine, rubbing his back.

“Mm-hmm. You don’t have to wait for me, Kenny. You can touch me whenever you want, okay? Don’t overthink it.”

I nod against him.

His hold on me doesn’t loosen to let go. Instead, he closes me tighter in a hug.

I don’t remember the last time someone hugged me. Maybe last season when Miller threw her arms around me in the training room. That was nice. Unexpected, but nice.

This is different from that hug. That felt like I was someone’s friend. This feels like I’m someone’s everything.

Keeping his arms folded over my shoulders, he moves his lips by my ear. “I’m glad you’re coming out with us tonight.”

“You might change your mind about that when you realize having your wife around is probably going to be a total cockblock for you.”

He doesn’t laugh at my joke. “That’s perfectly fine by me. I’d rather be hanging out with you all night, anyway.” Isaiah presses his lips to the top of my head. “But now I need to go take a very long and very cold shower after having your hands all over me, so thanks for that.”

With that, he releases me from his hug and heads into the bathroom.

I don’t know how true that statement really is that he’d rather be hanging out with me, but I like the possibility that it could be. Because, admittedly and shockingly, Isaiah Rhodes is far from my least favorite person to be around.

I wait until I hear the water running before I take the navy-blue sock from the pile of clothes on the bed and search for its partner in Isaiah’s suitcase, folding them together. Then I grab the rogue black one and place it on the bed for him to wear tonight.





Chapter 15


Isaiah


The blues club in the Delmar Loop hosts a contemporary R&B night once a week. It just so happens to fall on Cody’s birthday, and of course the birthday boy knew all about it when planning his own night.

Travis and I attempted to take over coordinating, but Cody insisted, not trusting either of us with the job. I don’t blame him. He is our team planner after all, always having something fun for the boys to do on our days off.

The dark and moody club is packed, but thankfully there’s a roped-off corner for us to have our own space.

That’s where I’ve been all night. Sitting back on a velvet couch with a perfect sightline to watch my wife in the crowd, swaying those pretty hips, a smile plastered on that perfect mouth. She’s dancing with Miller and thanks to my friends and teammates surrounding the two of them, no one has tried to invade her space.

Her safe little bubble to have fun in.

This past week has been torture since Kennedy asked me to touch her. What alternate reality am I living in that my fake wife, who I very much have feelings for, asks me to touch her?

I’ve been tempted to every second of every day for the past week, but she’s been so on guard, so on edge, that nothing about it would feel natural if I did. If she knew I was going to kiss her, she would have done her typical Kennedy thing of overpreparing and overthinking.

She wants to learn so she can be better prepared to date other people.

Fuck that.

She may think I’m okay with that plan. She may believe I’m happy to help her, but she doesn’t need to learn to be comfortable with another man touching her.

The way I see it, no other man ever will.

And to top it all off, when I got out of the shower, she explained the colors of the clothes I picked to wear tonight and pulled out other options for me in case I wanted to choose something else. She’s not even trying to keep me from falling for her.

“Hey, man.” Kai takes the seat next to me, handing me a beer. This is my second and last of the night, seeing as we play tomorrow. “You look happy.”

“I’m always happy.”

“No, you’re not. You may always look happy, but you’re not always happy. Tonight though, you are.”

I find my favorite redhead in the crowd with plenty of space around her. She seems like she’s out of her head for once tonight, and that alone brings a smile to my face.

“I think you’re right about that.”

Cody slides onto the couch on my other side. “I just made out with the bartender.”

“Okay, birthday boy!”

“He used way too much tongue, but now I’m getting free drinks for the rest of the night.” He pops his shoulders in a shrug as if it’s the most common thing in the world for him.

People love Cody, and Cody equally loves them, but the guy will never settle down with one single person. Says he’s got too much love in him not to share it.

We’ve been the two on the team who have never had a problem with getting attention, but the difference between him and me is that I always knew I’d want to have something serious and lasting one day. I want what my brother has, but the only person I ever had any interest in was engaged to someone else.

Until she wasn’t.