Wicked Games (Denver Rebels) (16 page)

Nadia chuckled. “What should I wear instead? Some granny panties?”

Reid grinned. “Works for me.”

“I only wear those during that time of the month,” she said, her voice tinged with amusement. “Why can’t I wear my sexy thong to the bar?”

“Because the thought of you wearing that around a bunch of strange guys makes me jealous as hell. Have pity on me.”

Nadia laughed. “Well, I certainly don’t want to cause you any mental anguish.”

“I appreciate that.” Grinning, Reid stole a reluctant glance at the clock on the nightstand and then sighed. “I’d better grab a shower and get ready for dinner. Coach York’s always been a stickler for punctuality. If I’m one minute late, he’ll probably ream my ass out like he used to back in college.”

Nadia giggled. The sound made him smile. He was falling for her and hard.

“Good luck on the game tomorrow night,” she said warmly. “I’ll be cheering you on.”

“Thanks, babe. What time do you think you’ll be home tonight?”

“I’m not sure. Why?”

“I’m calling you after I get back from dinner.”

She sounded pleased. “Are you, now?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, then, I guess I’d better make sure I’m home.”

Reid grinned. “You do that.”

She laughed. “Yes, sir.”

“Talk to you later, beautiful.” Reid hung up and grinned harder, counting down the minutes and hours until he was back home with Nadia.

Oh, yeah, he was in trouble.

Serious fucking trouble.

11

T
he next morning
, Nadia woke to the sounds of laughter coming from the kitchen.

Rolling over in bed, she fumbled for her phone on the nightstand and checked the time. She was surprised to see that it was already past ten. She’d slept in late, trying to make up for the hours she’d lost two nights ago at Reid’s house.

Smiling at the delicious memory, she lay back against the soft mound of pillows and sighed. She and Reid had stayed up talking on the phone until Viggo returned to their room, just barely making the eleven o’clock curfew. Reluctant to say goodnight, Nadia and Reid had texted for another hour before she made him get off and go to bed. Afterward she’d lain awake thinking about him and all the things he’d said. When she finally drifted off to sleep, she was still smiling.

She couldn’t wait to see him again.

Just one more day.

Hearing another burst of laughter from the kitchen, she climbed out of bed, padded to the dresser and took out a pair of pink pajama bottoms.

After pulling on the pants, she left her bedroom and headed down the hall, the wood floor cold beneath her bare feet. She stopped in the bathroom to pee and brush her teeth before continuing to the kitchen.

The voices she heard belonged to her brother and Jess. Last night at happy hour, Nadia had mentioned wanting a new outfit to wear on her date with Reid. Jess had gotten excited, and quickly wrangled her into going shopping the next day.

When Nadia reached the kitchen doorway, she saw Nelson and Jess leaning against the counter together, laughing and drinking coffee. Jess looked gorgeous as usual in a fitted pink jumpsuit with stylish wedge heels. Her long hair was swept to one side, falling in loose curls down over her shoulder.

Nelson had already been to the gym that morning. His gray tank was ringed with sweat around the neck and underarms. After weeks of working out with their cousin Lennox, his biceps were getting bigger and more defined—a fact that hadn’t escaped Jess’s notice.

“Look at you getting all cock diesel,” she said teasingly.

“That’s right,” Nelson bragged, lifting his arm to flex his muscles. “Check out these guns.”

“Ooh.” Jess reached up and curled manicured fingers around his bicep, grinning appreciatively. “Very impressive.”

Nadia’s eyes narrowed, an unsettling suspicion taking root in her mind. Deciding she’d seen enough, she walked into the kitchen with a breezy, “Good morning.”

Startled, Jess snatched her hand from Nelson’s arm and smiled brightly at Nadia. “Hey. You’re up.”

“I am.” Nadia gave her an amused look. “Sorry to interrupt…whatever that was.”

A guilty flush spread over Jess’s cheeks. Suddenly she couldn’t meet Nadia’s gaze.

“Mornin’, sleepyhead,” Nelson greeted her. “Jess brought coffee and breakfast burritos.”

“So I see,” Nadia drawled, approaching the counter. “How thoughtful of her.”

“I just figured since I was coming over anyway, I might as well pick up breakfast.” Jess handed a covered cup of coffee to Nadia and gestured to a white paper bag on the counter. “You should probably heat up your burrito.”

“Thanks.” Nadia sampled the coffee. It needed to be reheated as well. “You’re two hours early. What gives?”

Jess shrugged. “I had a couple errands to run. And I figured you’d already be up and about. You never sleep in this late on Saturdays.” A sly grin curved her mouth. “Were you and Reid up all night sexting?”

Nadia’s cheeks warmed. “Of course not. He has a game tonight. He needs his rest.”

“I’m sure he does,” Jess drawled wickedly. “Especially since he probably didn’t get much rest the night of your sleepover, as evidenced by your bowlegged walk the next day.”

Nadia blushed harder. “No comment.”

Jess and Nelson laughed.

As Nadia stuck her cup into the microwave to nuke the coffee, Jess said conversationally to Nelson, “So why aren’t you in Boston? Now that you’re covering the Rebels, doesn’t that mean you get to travel with the team for away games?”

Nelson sighed. “I wish. But the paper doesn’t have the budget to cover travel expenses.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Jess commiserated.

“Tell me about it. Anyway, I invited a few friends over to watch the game tonight. You’re welcome to come too. That is, if you’re not too worn out from shopping all day.”

Jess laughed. “I’ll be fine. And I’d love to come over and watch the game. I have to hold your sister’s hand to keep her from having a heart attack every time Reid gets into a fight.”

Nadia grinned sheepishly. “I wasn’t
that
bad.”

“Uh, yeah, you were,” Jess and Nelson chorused, then laughed.

“Whatevs.” When the microwave chimed, Nadia removed her reheated coffee cup and took a careful sip, letting the caffeine infuse her system and wake her up.

“Where’s Bianca?” Jess asked Nelson. “Are you two hanging out today?”

“Yeah,” he said with a smile. “She wants to check out some new exhibit at the art museum. Then I thought we’d go for a drive through the mountains and stop for lunch along the way.” 

“Wow,” Jess exclaimed. “Sounds romantic.”

“Doesn’t it? Bianca brings out the Romeo in Nelson.” Nadia grinned at her brother. “When are we going to start planning her surprise birthday party?”

“Soon. Definitely.” Nelson drank the rest of his coffee, then set the empty cup down on the counter. “I’m gonna hop in the shower.”

“Good idea,” Nadia teased, wrinkling her nose at him. “You smell like a men’s locker room.”

“How would you know?” he retorted with a grin. “Does Reid know you’ve been hanging out in men’s locker rooms?”

“Ha ha.” Nadia flipped him the bird.

He laughed and then winked at Jess. “Thanks again for breakfast.”

“No problem,” Jess said with an almost shy smile.

Nelson sauntered out of the kitchen, playfully bumping Nadia’s shoulder on the way out.

As soon as he was gone, she raised an eyebrow at Jess. “Something you wanna tell me?”

Jess blinked. “Like what?”

“Like why were you flirting with my brother?”

“
What?
I wasn’t flirting!”

Nadia’s eyes narrowed. “Sure looked that way to me.”

“Well, you’re wrong,” Jess insisted. “I wasn’t flirting with Nelson.”

“I hope not. Because he has a girlfriend, whom I happen to really like. I don’t want to be caught in the middle of any drama.”

“There’s not gonna be any drama,” Jess assured her. “I’m not interested in Nelson. He’s like a brother to me. Always has been.”

Nadia studied her friend a moment longer, then took another sip of her coffee.

“So,” Jess said brightly, “did you talk to Reid about Viggo?”

“I did.”

“Well? What did he say? Did Viggo ask about me after we met the other night?”

Nadia hesitated, reluctant to admit that Viggo had actually asked about her cousin Scarlett, whom she probably shouldn’t have mentioned to Reid.

“Nadia?” Jess prompted. “Did Viggo ask about me?”

“Um…Reid didn’t say.”

“Really?” Jess looked surprised, then baffled, then disappointed. “Well, didn’t you tell Reid that I think Viggo’s hot?”

“I did. I asked him if Viggo was seeing anyone special and he said no, but he’s always looking. So I told him about how you’re really interested in Viggo.” Nadia paused. “But now I’m not so sure about that.”

“Are you crazy?” Jess exclaimed. “Of course I’m interested in Viggo! Why wouldn’t I be?”

Nadia gave her a long look. “You tell me.”

Jess blushed, her gaze sliding away to the counter. As if to give herself something to do, she threw Nelson’s burrito wrapper and empty cup into the trash, then washed her hands at the sink and grabbed a paper towel. She took her time drying herself off and examining her French manicure before she cleared her throat.

“So…about today…”

Nadia leaned back against the counter. “What about it?”

Jess hesitated, then reluctantly turned around to face her. “Caitlyn’s coming with us.”

Nadia blinked, her cup halfway to her mouth. “Come again?”

Jess bit her lip, looking guilty. “My cousin Caitlyn’s in town visiting her parents this week. Aunt Sheridan told my mom that she’s been moping around the house feeling sorry for herself and snapping at everyone. Mom thought a girls’ day out would do her some good. So she asked me to let her hang out with us today.”

“Oh, God, do we have to?” Nadia groaned. “No offense, but Caitlyn isn’t the most pleasant person to be around. She’s like the queen bee of mean girls. She has no filter whatsoever, and she always ends up rubbing me the wrong way.”

Jess sighed heavily. “I know.”

“I mean, the last time we were with her, she couldn’t stop throwing shade at black women who wear weaves. Then she doubled down by bragging about her rich white husbands and saying how white men don’t want ‘regular’ black women. Despite the fact that, quiet as it’s kept, white men have been lusting after black women since the days of slavery—pre weaves, pre relaxers, pre colored contacts, pre cosmetics. Despite the fact that it was a white man’s love for a black woman that brought about
Loving v. Virginia
. Despite the fact that several prominent white men are married to black women. Despite
all
evidence to the contrary, Caitlyn would have us believe that no white man desires black women. What next? Aliens ain’t checking for sistas either?” Nadia snorted in disgust. “Sorry, but I’m not here for her bullshit.”

“I know, girl,” Jess said grimly. “Offending people is Caitlyn’s MO. She takes after her mother. And she’s even worse these days. Twice divorced, got rejected by her childhood crush, lost custody of Ally. She’s angry and bitter as hell.”

“All the more reason to avoid her like the Ebola virus,” Nadia retorted.

“I know.” Jess sighed. “I wish I could.”

Nadia snorted. “
I
can. She’s not my cousin.”

Jess stared at her. “What’re you saying?”

Nadia set her cup down. “I’m saying I’d rather go shopping by myself than with you and your catty cousin.”

“Please don’t be like that,” Jess entreated, grabbing her shoulders. “If you bail on me, I’ll be stuck with that miserable bitch all day, and we’ll probably end up killing each other. Is that what you want?”

“Well, no, but—”

“Please don’t ditch me, Nadia. I’m begging you.”

She groaned. “C’mon, Jess. I really don’t—”

“
Pleeeaaase
. I need you!”

Nadia rolled her eyes in exasperation, then heaved a resigned breath. “All right, all right. Caitlyn can come with us.”

“Oh, God, thank you!” Jess gave her a relieved hug. “I owe you
big
time!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Nadia drew back and wagged a warning finger at Jess. “But I’m telling you right now. The second that chick says something outrageously offensive, I’m outta there.”

Jess laughed. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“Uh-huh.” Nadia gave her a knowing look. “Now I know what the coffee and burritos were for. You were trying to bribe me.”

Jess laughed, looking sheepish.

At that moment the doorbell rang.

Nadia and Jess traded questioning glances.

“Expecting company?”

“Not that I know of.” Nadia left the kitchen and made her way to the front door. When she opened it and saw who stood there, her eyes widened in shock.

“
Scarlett!
”

Her cousin laughed. “I’m back, baby!”

Nadia squealed excitedly, then pulled Scarlett into her arms and hugged her long and hard. “I missed you!”

“I missed you too!”

Nadia drew away, beaming from ear to ear. “What’re you doing home? You said you wouldn’t be back for another week!”

Scarlett grinned. “I know. I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, mission accomplished!” Nadia grabbed Scarlett’s hand and pulled her inside the loft.

As she closed the door, Jess emerged from the kitchen and waved. “Hey, Scarlett.”

“Hey, girl. Good to see you.”

“You too.” Jess grinned. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks,” Scarlett said warmly. “It’s good to
be
home.”

Nadia snorted. “For now. It won’t be long before you’re feeling restless and itching to get back on the road.”

Her cousin laughed. “Probably.”

With her rich brown complexion, sultry dark eyes and pouty pucker, Scarlett Warner was one of those natural beauties who looked stunning without even trying. Her thick, curly hair had a purple streak that hung over her right eye. It was styled in a funky Frohawk, the sides slicked upward with gel. She had four rings in each ear and a tiny diamond nose ring. She wore a fitted leather jacket over a cropped black T-shirt with the word
Conformity
crossed out in white. Her tight ripped jeans clung to her every enviable curve, and the ice-pick heels of her studded ankle boots added several inches to her five-six frame.