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Authors: Paige Rion
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if it took this…thing I’m doing to give him the courage to ask me out.” Straightening, Callie lowers her hand, letting the heat of anger recede. “And I happen to think it’s sweet.”
“Sweet? Ahh!” Dean presses his face into his hands for a moment, still holding his beer. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” His head whips toward Todd and he shoves his free hand into his thick, dark hair. “Come on, man. You’ve got to know what I’m saying. Tell them what you think. This guy…he sounds phony. Bad news. I mean, what kind of guy pays five hundred fucking dollars to go on a date?”
Todd’s eyes dart from Dean to Jinny. “Um. I don’t know,” he mumbles.
“Dude…” Dean says, desperation clear in his voice.
“Listen, I’m not sure…It does sound kind of weird.” Jinny and Callie both shoot Todd a warning glare, and he quickly adds, “But I’m sure Callie knows what she’s doing. She can take care of herself.”
“There. See?” Callie crosses her arms over her chest. “It’s fine.”
Dean turns to her, and the despair on his face is palpable. Callie knows he’s been overprotective of her since she lost her parents. The pain she went through was unlike anything she’d experienced before—something she hoped to never experience again—and Dean and Jinny had witnessed it all. They were there to see her through her darkest moments. They helped her through her grief. But it’s time he starts seeing her as a twenty-two-year-old woman, not a distraught, grieving teenager. She realizes he’s only doing what he thinks is right in trying to protect her, but…
She drops her arms, softening her stance. “I truly don’t think you need to worry.”
But his expression remains unconvinced, and a thought dawns on her. Something that would reassure him and get him off her back. “Hey, you know the guy, actually.” She smiles. “I almost forgot, but you should know him fairly well. He plays basketball, too. In fact, I’ve seen you hang out with him before. That’s probably how he knows who I am.”
Dean cocks his head. “Who is it?”
“Your teammate Jason.”
CHAPTER SIX
DEAN
The moment the words leave Callie’s mouth, all the wind is knocked out of him. He can’t breathe. He can’t speak. He’s frozen. His mind is the only thing moving, and it’s galloping like a racehorse at full speed, picturing Jason’s cocky face in his head. The face Dean would like to smash into a million pieces. The one he just saw that morning. And all he can hear is Jason’s voice in his head, loud as gunfire. I’ll win the next one. And this time the stakes will be higher.
Fuck. No…no…no… He couldn’t have meant Callie, could he? Even Jason isn’t that much of a prick.
Hell, who am I kidding? Of course he is.
Anger flashes through him, white hot, and he recalls what Callie said about it. That she thought his phony crush was sweet. Not only is he going out on this date with her to get back at Dean, but he’s selling her his story—the one he must’ve overheard in the coffee shop. Or a twisted version of it, anyway.
“No,” Dean growls. He steps forward and grabs Callie’s arms. “There’s no way in hell you’re going out with that ass-hat.”
“What the—get off me,” Callie says, shaking his arms off her. “Seriously? What is your problem? I really think you’ve gone postal. You’re on some weird overprotective-psycho-brother overdrive.”
Jinny stands up and moves to Callie’s side. “I agree. You need to back off now, Dean.” Her eyes flash a warning, but Dean doesn’t care. Maybe he has finally lost it.
“You don’t understand!”Dean shakes his head.
I have to get her to call off the date. She can’t go out with Jason.
“He’s a self-serving, cocky, rich asshole who thinks he can get anything he wants. He—”
“Wow. Sounds just like you, minus the rich part,” Jinny spits.
Dean grits his teeth and stares down his sister.
I’ve had
“Sweet? Ahh!” Dean presses his face into his hands for a moment, still holding his beer. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” His head whips toward Todd and he shoves his free hand into his thick, dark hair. “Come on, man. You’ve got to know what I’m saying. Tell them what you think. This guy…he sounds phony. Bad news. I mean, what kind of guy pays five hundred fucking dollars to go on a date?”
Todd’s eyes dart from Dean to Jinny. “Um. I don’t know,” he mumbles.
“Dude…” Dean says, desperation clear in his voice.
“Listen, I’m not sure…It does sound kind of weird.” Jinny and Callie both shoot Todd a warning glare, and he quickly adds, “But I’m sure Callie knows what she’s doing. She can take care of herself.”
“There. See?” Callie crosses her arms over her chest. “It’s fine.”
Dean turns to her, and the despair on his face is palpable. Callie knows he’s been overprotective of her since she lost her parents. The pain she went through was unlike anything she’d experienced before—something she hoped to never experience again—and Dean and Jinny had witnessed it all. They were there to see her through her darkest moments. They helped her through her grief. But it’s time he starts seeing her as a twenty-two-year-old woman, not a distraught, grieving teenager. She realizes he’s only doing what he thinks is right in trying to protect her, but…
She drops her arms, softening her stance. “I truly don’t think you need to worry.”
But his expression remains unconvinced, and a thought dawns on her. Something that would reassure him and get him off her back. “Hey, you know the guy, actually.” She smiles. “I almost forgot, but you should know him fairly well. He plays basketball, too. In fact, I’ve seen you hang out with him before. That’s probably how he knows who I am.”
Dean cocks his head. “Who is it?”
“Your teammate Jason.”
CHAPTER SIX
DEAN
The moment the words leave Callie’s mouth, all the wind is knocked out of him. He can’t breathe. He can’t speak. He’s frozen. His mind is the only thing moving, and it’s galloping like a racehorse at full speed, picturing Jason’s cocky face in his head. The face Dean would like to smash into a million pieces. The one he just saw that morning. And all he can hear is Jason’s voice in his head, loud as gunfire. I’ll win the next one. And this time the stakes will be higher.
Fuck. No…no…no… He couldn’t have meant Callie, could he? Even Jason isn’t that much of a prick.
Hell, who am I kidding? Of course he is.
Anger flashes through him, white hot, and he recalls what Callie said about it. That she thought his phony crush was sweet. Not only is he going out on this date with her to get back at Dean, but he’s selling her his story—the one he must’ve overheard in the coffee shop. Or a twisted version of it, anyway.
“No,” Dean growls. He steps forward and grabs Callie’s arms. “There’s no way in hell you’re going out with that ass-hat.”
“What the—get off me,” Callie says, shaking his arms off her. “Seriously? What is your problem? I really think you’ve gone postal. You’re on some weird overprotective-psycho-brother overdrive.”
Jinny stands up and moves to Callie’s side. “I agree. You need to back off now, Dean.” Her eyes flash a warning, but Dean doesn’t care. Maybe he has finally lost it.
“You don’t understand!”Dean shakes his head.
I have to get her to call off the date. She can’t go out with Jason.
“He’s a self-serving, cocky, rich asshole who thinks he can get anything he wants. He—”
“Wow. Sounds just like you, minus the rich part,” Jinny spits.
Dean grits his teeth and stares down his sister.
I’ve had
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