Dare to Play Read online

  Jaxon grinned. “So we have the same taste in food. One more thing in common.” He didn’t mention their compatibility in bed. That was a given.

  He glanced at the bartender. “I’ll have the same thing.”

  Beckett walked over to the pass-through to the kitchen and called in the order before getting back to work doing inventory behind the bar.

  To ease the tension with Macy, Jaxon began talking about his upcoming season and recent trades to his team, sidestepping their problems and his marriage idea for the moment. But the longer he sat making easy conversation, the more he realized he could be with Macy and not feel suffocated. A fifteen-year-old girl in his house? That he wasn’t so sure about, but her half sister would be part of the deal.

  “What do you do for a living? When you’re not corralling a teenager, that is?” he asked.

  “Web and graphic design. When Hannah, that’s my sister, when her mother left her with my dad, I knew I needed to go to a local college and find a job I could do from home so I could help him out. Hannah and I have a thirteen-year age difference,” she explained. “Dad needed me and so did she.”

  “Food, folks.” Beckett slid their plates in front of them.

  “Thanks,” they both said at the same time.

  Jaxon wasn’t surprised that Macy was a good daughter, the kind who stepped up when needed.

  They finished their meals and he’d run out of time. It was do-or-die time, and he had to trust his instincts on what he was about to ask the woman beside him. “Macy?”

  “Yes?” she asked easily, as if she’d either forgotten he’d mentioned marriage or thought he’d dismissed the idea.

  “Marry me and solve both of our problems.”

  * * *

  Macy choked on her club soda, the bubbles going up her nose and down her throat. “I’m sorry. I thought you said marry me.”

  She hadn’t meant for him to take her mention of how marriage would help her custody situation as a hint. And after a little while, he’d stopped questioning her about it and they’d gone on to talk about normal things. Now he wanted her to marry him?

  He patted her on the back, waiting until the tears stopped and she dabbed at her eyes with a napkin.

  “You’re not serious,” she said when she could finally speak.

  “While we were talking, I was sorting through the idea in my mind, and the hard truth is that we both need this. For one thing, my agent and publicist would love the idea.”

  “That same publicist will think I’ve lost my mind,” she said of her best friend.

  He grinned, showing an adorably sexy dimple. “She’ll come around. Everyone in the front office at the Eagles is going to be thrilled. And in return, it will help repair your reputation. I know I’d feel better helping to fix what I caused. And I’ll be there for you in court, and we’ll put up a united front. I’m telling you, this is a win-win.”

  It sounded like insanity to her. Insanity that just might gain her the end result she wanted. Custody of Hannah. “Can I give it some thought? I mean go home, let the idea settle?”

  “Of course.”

  Beckett placed the check in front of him, he paid, and they walked to her car in silence. She assumed he was as lost in thought as she was, considering this insane idea.

  He stopped at her door.

  She was alone with the handsome athlete she hadn’t been able to get out of her mind since last weekend. She’d replayed every moment in his house from beginning to end, orgasm to orgasm, and she’d be lying if she said her stomach wasn’t twisting with awareness again now.

  Especially with the prospect of marriage between them. She looked up, meeting his expectant gaze.

  “Seriously give the idea some thought, okay?” he asked in a rough, sexy voice. “Forget about me, I want to make this right for you.”

  She nodded. “I promise, I will.” She wouldn’t be able to think of anything else, and she couldn’t deny she appreciated the fact that he was taking responsibility for her current situation with Lilah.

  He reached for the door handle, his head close to hers. Without warning, he straightened and backed her against the warm metal of the car, his face and lips close to hers.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered.

  “Reminding you of our compatibility,” he said, brushing his lips over hers and lingering there.

  The move stunned her, but the second he kissed her, she melted like butter in the hot sun. Her lips parted and he slid his tongue inside. Electricity arced between them and her body came alive. The spark of chemistry between them exploded like it had last weekend, and she wanted nothing more than to plaster herself against him, but before she could do more than think, he pulled back.

  “We don’t want to get caught again. Unless we can say we’re engaged. Then any photo is a good photo. But I made my point,” he said, a pleased grin on his face.

  “And what was that?”

  He tweaked a long strand of her hair. “If we are going to get married, we’re not going to be celibate.”

  She blinked. “Whoa. Slow your roll, Mr. Playboy. I didn’t even agree to marry you yet, let alone have it be a real marriage.” She stared at him, surprised by the understanding expression on his face.

  “You have a lot to think about. And so do I.”

  “Considering changing your mind already?” she asked him, surprised by how panicked she was at the notion.

  Maybe she wanted this fake marriage more than she’d thought. Which was another thing for her to consider. He was the playboy; she was the kind of woman who could fall hard and fast. And that scared her more than the proposal she was considering.

  * * *

  As Macy drove home, her entire body was aware of Jaxon’s kiss and proposal. Having already experienced the magic of Jaxon Prescott in bed, she had to ask herself if she could handle living with him, sleeping with him, and not getting her heart broken in the process when their union came to an end.

  Because Jaxon didn’t want to be tied down and she didn’t do casual sex. Her night with him had been an aberration, one she’d needed, but it wasn’t her MO. To Macy, sex meant something or would come to. This marriage would have an expiration date, and she didn’t trust herself to sleep with him and not end up with her heart engaged. But she couldn’t deny that they both needed the results this union could provide.

  She pulled into the driveway, surprised to see Lilah’s car, and her stomach churned with dread. Though she’d allowed Lilah to pick Hannah up, school had just ended, and they’d barely had time to get home. Wondering why they weren’t out shopping as planned, Macy headed inside, but Hannah and her mother weren’t in the kitchen, the family room, or anywhere she’d expect them to be downstairs.

  As she walked toward Hannah’s room, she heard their voices, giggling and happy. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Hannah to have a relationship with her mother if Lilah could step up as a parent, but she didn’t want Hannah to be happier being with her mother than with Macy. And from the peals of laughter Macy hadn’t heard from Hannah in a while, that was exactly how her sister was feeling.

  She stepped into the doorway and immediately saw the suitcase open on Hannah’s bed, Lilah sitting beside the luggage. Hannah must have been in the bathroom in the hall.

  Worried, she cleared her throat. “Hi.”

  “Well, well, well, isn’t it the star of social media? Or should I say social media slut?” Lilah batted her eyelashes not so innocently.

  Macy narrowed her gaze. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “But a judge might.”

  Hannah came bouncing past Macy into the room. “Macy! Mom said I could sleep over tonight. She’s staying at the Nobu Hotel on Miami Beach. Oh! I need my toothbrush!” she cried and ran for the bathroom off her bedroom, pushing Macy aside.

  Looking pleased, Lilah grinned at Macy before focusing on her iPhone.

  Macy’s stomach twisted, both at Lilah’s accusation and at the confrontation t
o come, because as she looked at Hannah, she saw the loaded cosmetic bag in hand. It looked like she was going for a lot more than one night.

  “Hannah, you didn’t ask me if you could go, and you know you’re grounded this weekend.”

  Her sister stilled. “I assumed me being with my mother was different than going out with friends.”

  “Maybe it would have been if you’d asked permission.” God, was she always going to come out as the bitch when it came to dealing with Lilah?

  “You can’t stop me from sleeping at my mother’s.”

  Lilah, of course, stayed out of it, not without a smirk, of course, knowing it was better for Macy and Hannah to argue to drive a deeper wedge between them.

  Macy glanced at her sister. “Please don’t leave. I’ll be back to talk more in a few minutes.”

  She needed to think strategically. What was best for Hannah? What looked best to the court especially now that her own reputation had taken a hit? God, she needed a lawyer.

  Unsure of who to call but knowing she needed to bounce the ideas circling her head by someone, she pulled out her phone, and after she unlocked her screen, Jaxon’s number stared back at her.

  He wasn’t her friend, not really, but he was the person who’d offered to insert himself in her life and help her sort out her issues. She wondered if he really meant it, and as she tapped his name, she knew she was about to find out.

  She listened as the phone rang, surprised when he picked up almost immediately.

  “Macy?”

  “Hi.” She bit down on her lower lip. “If you were serious about our situation, I could use some backup right now. And afterwards we can discuss my answer to your proposition.”

  “Just tell me where to go. I’ll be right there,” he said without hesitation.

  She gave him her address and hoped he could help her make the right decision tonight for her future.

  Chapter Five

  Call him intrigued. Since Jaxon had just seen Macy a short time ago, he wondered what had her reaching out to him so quickly.

  He pulled into the driveaway of the modest house, a little smaller than the one he and his siblings had grown up in, and cut the engine of his Range Rover. A red sport convertible sat in the driveaway, which he doubted belonged to Macy. He’d walked her to a Jetta earlier, and she didn’t seem the type to have a sports car on the side.

  Since leaving her, his heart had been racing and his anxiety high as he wondered what his future held. On the one hand, he was petrified of losing his bachelorhood and lifestyle, and he had to keep reminding himself that their arrangement wouldn’t be permanent. Besides, there was a lot to like about Macy, which calmed some of his fears. She was easy to be around, low-maintenance, and she knew going into the marriage that he’d be on the road often once the season started.

  The one thing he didn’t worry about was sexual chemistry. They had it in spades. Now he just had to convince her to make their marriage a real one. He wasn’t kidding when he said he didn’t plan on being celibate. And he wasn’t a cheater, which meant they were going to have to agree on a true marriage.

  He parked the SUV, climbed out, locked the door, and walked up the path leading to the front door, passing the well-kept foliage along the way. He rang the bell and waited, hands in his front jeans pockets.

  Macy opened the door, looking worried, and he had the sudden urge to pull her into his arms and reassure her everything was going to be okay. “What’s going on?”

  “Come in,” she said, stepping aside so he could enter the house.

  He walked into the foyer with white and light pink faux texture on the walls and a pretty landscape of photographs hanging in the hall.

  She stepped closer, the scent of her floral perfume a reminder of how hot she was in bed.

  “Thank you for coming.” She spoke softly.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She drew a deep breath. “My former stepmother is upstairs, and she’s planning to take my sister, Hannah, with her to her hotel. Hannah said it’s for the night, but she’s packing as if it’s for much longer. She’s a rebellious teenager. If I forbid it, I’m going to alienate her even more. If I allow it, I risk not being able to get her back, and it doesn’t help that Lilah brought up our one-night stand and the social media attention it got.” She appeared pale and shaken.

  “What’s your gut telling you?” he asked.

  “That I need to see a lawyer.”

  He nodded. “I agree. But in the meantime?”

  She sighed. “I’m inclined to let her go. Act as reasonable as I can but insist she come home tomorrow, and give Lilah a chance to prove she’s not fit to be a mother or, better yet, let her get bored of the responsibility.”

  He grasped her hands in his. “Then trust yourself. Now another question. Why did you call me?”

  A wry smile pulled at her lips. “Because I need backup from my fiancé to make sure my ex-stepmother from hell understands she has to bring Hannah back tomorrow. Or else.”

  His heart pounded harder in his chest. So this was a go.

  “Once Lilah realizes that I got caught leaving my fiancé’s house and not some random hookup, she’ll realize who you are and the resources at your disposal and think twice about trying to walk all over me.” Macy straightened her shoulders. “Not that I’d let her, but I’ll take all the leverage I can get. And you, Mr. Famous Baseball Player, give me power I wouldn’t otherwise have.”

  He looked at her, her porcelain skin and pink lips surrounded by gorgeous light brown hair, staring at him with hope and trust in her brown eyes. “Is the offer still on the table?” she asked of their fake marriage.

  He drew a calming breath and nodded. “It is.”

  “Logistics to be determined,” she added, “But–”

  “Macy, what’s the holdup? I want to get going,” an adult female voice called out from another part of the house.

  Macy slid her hand in his. “Let’s do this.”

  Every time Jaxon stepped onto the field, he wrapped himself in his All-Star persona to put on a show. Telling himself this situation was no different, he rolled back his shoulders, squeezed Macy’s hand for reassurance, and let her lead the way.

  He followed her down a short hall and into a room, stopping at the chaos before him. There were clothes everywhere, no space to walk, with garments hanging out of open drawers and shoes added to the mix on the floor. Tiny lights were strung around the room and outlined a tapestry over the double bed. And like Macy had told him, a huge suitcase sat on the mattress, stuffed full for a much longer time than one night.

  A teenager with a pink stripe in the front of her hair stared at him open-mouthed, and her mother, a woman dressed younger than her years, with heavy blonde highlights, lips with filler, and enough Botox to prevent muscle movement, also stared with obvious recognition in her eyes.

  “Macy, what in the world? What is Jaxon Prescott doing here?” the woman asked.

  Jaxon lifted their entwined hands, then let go and pulled Macy against him, liking the feel of her soft body against his. “We’re engaged.”

  “What?” Hannah shrieked. “I thought that picture meant it was a one-night hookup. Oh, my God!”

  Macy leaned into him, playing the role. “It all happened so fast, but that’s what happens with…” She hesitated then said, “Love at first sight.”

  Lifting Macy’s hand, he kissed her knuckles. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hannah. I’ve heard a lot about you. And you must be Hannah’s mother.” He turned to the woman with calculation in her eyes.

  “Yes, I’m Lilah.” She extended her hand for a dainty shake.

  “Obviously you know all about us. But we know nothing about you. Macy, how could you spring this on your sister?”

  “I was planning on sitting Hannah down and introducing them this weekend, but you’re here, and you said you were taking Hannah for the night, so I called Jaxon to come over now,” Macy explained, not missing a beat.

  Lil
ah glanced between Macy and Jaxon, the wheels obviously turning. She was looking for any angle to help herself or figure out Macy’s plan.

  “I want to go with Mom.”

  Macy was unable to hide the full-body flinch her sister’s words caused.

  “And you can’t stop me from taking Hannah.” Lilah pulled her daughter closer to her.

  “Actually, I can prevent you from leaving. I have custody.” She glanced at Hannah, her gaze softening. “But I won’t as long as you’re home in time for dinner tomorrow.”

  “But–”

  “It’s called compromise,” Macy informed her sister, but Jaxon knew she was communicating with Lilah.

  “Fine,” the other woman said through clenched teeth.

  “Hannah, finish packing. Lilah, a word?” Macy tipped her head toward the door, and Lilah dutifully headed into the hall.

  Macy shut the door behind her before either of them spoke.

  “Lilah, what is it you want? Responsibility for a teenager can’t really be it.”

  The other woman paused, and for a moment, Jaxon thought she was going to admit to something beyond wanting her daughter back. But he could see the minute she changed her mind and decided to continue her charade, whatever it was.

  “I want my child. And I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but marrying a partying baseball player isn’t going to win you custody.”

  “Oh, no? A stable family who can afford to take care of her?”

  “Not to mention a safe home with two adults who have her best interests at heart,” Jaxon picked up where Macy left off. “We’ll be meeting with a lawyer and you can expect a fight.”

  Ice formed in Lilah’s gaze. “A quickie courthouse wedding isn’t going to convince a judge you’re the right place for Hannah.”

  Pulling Macy close, he savored her floral scent before he grinned at Lilah. “Who said anything about a quickie courthouse wedding? My bride deserves the best, and that’s what she’s going to get.”

  Beside him, he felt Macy stiffen in shock. He was pretty surprised himself, but something about this woman pushed his buttons and annoyed him to the point where he was all in on this wedding and everything it entailed.