Dare to Play

by Carly Phillips

  Looking into his eyes, though, she realized she’d hurt his feelings. He’d gone out of his way to buy her a ring, and she didn’t mean to seem ungrateful.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just didn’t expect you to really buy me a ring, let alone a Tiffany one. It’s gorgeous, Jaxon, it really is.”

  He pulled out the ring and held it in his big hand. “If you don’t like it, we can get you something else.”

  “No! I mean, I love it. You just took me off guard, that’s all,” she said, softening her voice. What woman wouldn’t adore this ring? Of course, she wouldn’t keep it after the marriage ended. That would be all kinds of wrong, but the fact that he’d thought of buying it at all was touching.

  This man constantly surprised her, from backing her up with Hannah the other night to insisting on a big wedding and real marriage, and now with the ring. He wasn’t the arrogant playboy he wanted people to think he was based on his past behavior. He was a good guy, a decent man, and he cared about what she thought, felt, and wanted. She almost wished his public persona was the real Jaxon Prescott. He would be so much easier to resist.

  “Let’s see if it fits.”

  She held out her hand, grateful for the manicure she’d had last week, and he slid the ring onto her finger.

  “A little snug but better than big. I’d die if I had to worry about losing it,” she said, wiggling her fingers. “God, Jaxon, it’s incredible.”

  He blew out a relieved breath. “I’m glad you like it. So officially, Macy Walker, will you marry me?”

  “Considering I already bought the dress, yes.” She met his gaze and grinned.

  He held her hands in his. “Did you know that you have an amazing smile?”

  She blinked in surprise, feeling his compliment straight down to her toes.

  “And I like kissing your sexy lips,” he said in a gruff voice.

  She liked him kissing her, too. “You don’t say?” Her pulse began a rapid beat and excitement built up inside her chest.

  His slow smile evidenced his intent as he moved in close, his mouth hovering over hers. Before she could back out, she rose and met his lips with hers. Still feeling the heaviness of the ring on her finger that marked them as a couple, she parted her lips, and soon their tongues touched, tangled, and sparks flew throughout her body.

  He wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her roughly against him, the hard lines of his chest pressing against her softer curves. Her stomach twisted with desire, and he clearly felt the same, because his hand cupped the back of her head, and he held her tightly against him as his mouth devoured hers.

  With a growl, he moved his lips, kissing his way down her jawline to her ear, nuzzling the sensitive skin, making her tremble, and her nipples rubbed against his chest, arousing her even more. He worked his way back up to her mouth, their lips joining once more.

  “Eew! Get a room! Is this what I’m going to have to live with?” Hannah stomped into the hallway, making her presence known.

  Though Macy attempted to pull back, Jaxon kept a firm grip on her waist. “I just brought your sister her ring. Want to see?”

  Some of the irritation left Hannah’s expression, replaced by definite interest. “I guess,” she said begrudgingly.

  Macy stepped away from Jaxon and this time he let her go. She approached her sister, holding out her hand for Hannah to see.

  “Holy shit, that’s one huge rock!”

  “Hannah, that’s rude!” Macy chastised but Jaxon merely laughed.

  “It is, isn’t it?”

  She shot him an annoyed glare. Condoning Hannah’s behavior wasn’t going to do them any good. But she had to admit his method worked, because a grin lifted her sister’s lips.

  “Wait until my friends see this ring. It’s all over school, you know. That you’re marrying Jaxon Prescott. It’s making me a big deal.” Hannah sounded impressed and Macy wanted to lecture her sister on the difference between real and fake friends, but before she could speak, Jaxon did.

  “I know the attention must be cool,” he said, walking over and putting a hand on Hannah’s shoulder. “But the truth is, you want friends who like you for you, not the ones who want to be around you because your sister is marrying a pro baseball player.”

  Macy would have said the same thing, but Jaxon’s gentler voice seemed to reach Hannah in a way Macy was having trouble doing lately.

  Hannah blinked and nodded. “I get it. Because all of a sudden Hailey Claiborne and Victoria Mason are paying attention to me and including me at lunch.” Hannah bit down on her lower lip. “I’ve been leaving my best friend, Ruby, to eat with them. I guess that’s not cool, huh?”

  Jaxon shook his head. “Nope. Not cool.”

  Amazed at how easily he’d reached her sister when Macy had been struggling, she just stared at the two of them in shock.

  “But the guys are talking to me, too. That’s okay, right?” She looked up at Jaxon with something akin to hero worship.

  “It is … as long as they treat you with respect and aren’t just being nice to you in order to get to meet me, only to dump you after. That said, once you’re settled at my place, you could have a few friends over, if it’s okay with your sister.”

  Hannah looked at Macy with longing in her eyes. Though she wished this was a conversation she’d been prepared for, she understood how quickly it had come up and how huge it was that Hannah was revealing things about her life to Jaxon. Macy wasn’t about to blow it now.

  “It’s fine. I already said you could have friends over, so it’s all good.”

  “The guys, too?” Hannah asked, a tinge of disbelief in her voice.

  “Outside at the pool.” Not in the movie theater basement. Macy had to draw the line somewhere, and as long as she could see what was going on, she’d agree.

  Besides, this conversation had sidetracked Hannah from thinking about catching Macy and Jaxon kissing, and that was a plus.

  “Yes!” Hannah fist-pumped her approval.

  “Have you started packing?” Jaxon asked.

  Not that he knew it, but Macy had put suitcases in Hannah’s room, which she’d deliberately ignored and left empty against the wall.

  “I’m going to start tonight.” She sheepishly met Macy’s gaze, knowing how nasty she’d been about moving. “After I call Ruby and apologize.”

  “Perfect,” Macy said with a smile. Jaxon had worked miracles, and she wasn’t about to argue with success.

  “Hannah, what do you say we exchange phone numbers, and if you have any questions about the house or your room, you can call and ask me.”

  Her eyes opened wide and her phone was in her hand in an instant. They made the number exchange, and Hannah beamed, grinning from ear to ear.

  And as Macy watched Jaxon earn her sister’s trust, she lost the first piece of her heart to Jaxon Prescott.

  * * *

  Jaxon had to admit he admired his technique. Getting Hannah’s phone number had been easier than he thought but only because he’d bonded with the teenager. He understood Hannah on a level very few people could. Between his uncle Paul, who owned the Miami Thunder, and his brother Austin, who’d been an All-Star wide receiver, he knew what it was like to be used for who you knew. The idea of anyone taking advantage of Hannah in any way pissed him off and turned his stomach. If she was going through a rough patch with Macy, the very least he could do was provide support and understanding while they were a family.

  The word family didn’t choke him as much as he’d have thought. It helped that Macy beamed at him, obviously pleased with how he’d handled her little sister, and a part of him puffed up, knowing she saw him in a positive light.

  Hannah had headed to her room, supposedly to start packing, and now he sat in the kitchen while Macy prepared dinner, a roast chicken, red potatoes, and broccoli topped with Parmesan cheese. She’d already invited and convinced him to stay.

  As she easily moved around the room, they’d talked about Bri
’s wedding ideas and laughed at how easily they’d both agreed to her plans. In Macy’s case, she said she didn’t want to be difficult and there was nothing her friend had proposed that she’d disliked, and for Jaxon, he knew better than to argue when Bri was in tornado mode.

  “I need to bring up something awkward,” Macy said while the chicken roasted in the oven. She sat down beside him at the island on one of the barstools beside him.

  “Go for it.”

  She swallowed hard. “I want to sign a prenup. I don’t want anything from you and I don’t want you to think I do.”

  Her words took him off guard. Yes, he was having a legal document prepared despite believing she wasn’t in this for a money grab, but for her to bring it up first? To confirm his gut feelings? That said something about her character and reinforced what he’d thought about her all along.

  “Macy–”

  “Wait. I need to say this. Please.” She met his gaze and he saw serious intent, so he nodded, and she went on. “I realize we’re each getting something out of this marriage, but it’s not financial for me. Okay, there’s some financial gain, obviously. I mean, we’ll be living with you and–”

  “Hold on.” Seeing she was working herself up, he held out a hand. “Yes, we’ll sign a prenup. I have one in the works, but I’m going to make sure you and Hannah are taken care of when the marriage ends. It’s not like I can’t afford it, and you’re doing something for me in all this, too.”

  She leaned closer, elbow on the counter. “Are you sure? Because it’s beginning to feel very one-sided.”

  “I am absolutely positive. This morning, I received a call from my coach. He wanted to congratulate me on my upcoming marriage and to let me know how pleased upper management was to know I was settling down and my playboy and hopefully brawling days were over,” he said, using air quotes around the words. “So believe me when I say this situation is very equal.”

  She blew out a relieved breath. “I’m glad to hear we’re on the same page. And you really don’t have to give us anything when things end.”

  Why did it bother him to hear her mention things being short-term? That was the point, after all. Pushing the gnawing feeling in his gut aside, he kept things light. “You’re going to learn that I usually get what I want. So don’t argue, okay?”

  She smiled. “Okay. Do I need a lawyer to look over the paperwork?”

  “It wouldn’t hurt. You should always have someone taking care of your personal interests. Speaking of lawyers, did you call Johnathan Ridgeway about the custody case? I’m sure he can handle the prenup, too.” He lowered his voice so Hannah wouldn’t hear.

  She nodded. “I have an appointment on Thursday at ten a.m.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t have to go out of your way for me.”

  “In this together, remember?” Reaching out, he squeezed her hand, enjoying the feel of her soft skin and remembering the taste of her mouth and lips.

  Her fingers tightened around him. “Stop looking at me like that,” she whispered.

  “Like what?” he asked in a gruff voice.

  “Like you want to jump me right now.”

  His entire body was rigid with desire, the need for her surpassing what he normally felt when he wanted a woman. Which struck him as odd. Different. Because he was used to the kind of female who overdid everything from her hair to her makeup and whose voice always held a come-on.

  Not Macy. She was who she was, no artifice or pretense, although she wasn’t wearing a bra and he’d had to do his best to ignore her perky nipples showing through her dress. But the fact remained, he wanted her more than he’d ever desired another woman. Warning bells went off in his brain. Again he got the feeling this fake marriage wasn’t going to work out exactly as he’d planned.

  So when she noted his lust-filled look? Well, she was right. “What if I do want to jump you right now?”

  She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, and he followed the movement, his cock rising as she licked.

  “Then I’d tell you that you have to wait until our wedding night,” she said in a taunting voice.

  “Tease.”

  “Not usually. You seem to bring out the lighter, more fun side of me.”

  He grinned. “Glad to hear it. Because you bring out the lighter side of me, too.”

  “So we’re a good pair.” At the very least, his new life wouldn’t be boring, he thought as she called her sister down for dinner.

  * * *

  The next couple of days flew by, and soon Macy was walking into the lawyer’s office downtown. Jaxon had insisted on picking her up and accompanying her to hear what Jonathan Ridgeway had to say about the legal process and her chances for custody of her sister. He also explained that he’d possibly have to testify before the judge, and the more he knew, the better prepared he’d be. He wasn’t wrong.

  Macy was nervous about what the lawyer might say. Despite Macy being a blood relative, Lilah was Hannah’s mother, and Macy knew how much weight that status carried. But she had every intention of fighting because she understood Hannah needed stability in her life, and Macy knew she could provide it for her. Much more so than Lilah.

  As they followed a secretary to a conference room with a dark wood table and comfortable-looking chairs, Jaxon slipped his hand into hers, and she squeezed tight, needing the reassurance.

  A good-looking man greeted them. With dark brown hair and green eyes, wearing a European-cut suit, he looked the epitome of a high-powered attorney.

  “Ms. Walker?” he asked.

  “Call me Macy, please.” She held out her hand and he shook it. “And this is–”

  “Jaxon Prescott,” he said, obviously recognizing him, not to mention he’d been the main referral. “It’s a pleasure!” The men exchanged handshakes as well. “Alex and Madison are good friends. I already read the papers you forwarded to me, but I want to hear it from you. What can I do for you?” he asked.

  Jaxon tipped his head, deferring to Macy. “She’ll explain.”

  “Let’s sit.” Gesturing to the chairs, Jonathan pulled out one for Macy, and Jaxon made sure to settle in beside her.

  When they were all seated, she began, explaining how her father had married Lilah and they’d had Hannah. How Lilah had found being a parent a nuisance and that she’d ultimately left with a wealthy single guy she’d been cheating on her father with, leaving her daughter behind.

  “Five years passed with maybe one email and a birthday card, and then she shows up driving a sports car and taking Hannah shopping for all sorts of things she doesn’t need to buy her love and affection. And because I’m the person who gives her rules and guidance, she’s always mad at me.”

  Jonathan remained silent for long enough to make Macy anxious. “It’s bad news, right?”

  He rolled a pen between his palms. “Taking away parental rights is tough.”

  “Even though she signed her rights away to my dad and he named me as Hannah’s guardian in his will?” She gripped the arms of the chair and nearly leapt out of her seat, but Jaxon grabbed her hand, and she knew he was trying to calm her down.

  Pulling in a deep breath, she tried to relax in the seat. “Okay, I’m listening.”

  “I think we can use all of your stepmother’s past actions as proof of her inability to give Hannah a stable home. That’s the premise of our argument. I understand you two are getting married?”

  “In two days. And then they’re moving in with me,” Jaxon said. “We’ll be a family and give Hannah the stability she needs. We’re bonding,” he said proudly.

  Actually they were. After Jaxon had left the other night, all Hannah could talk about was how cool Jaxon was and how she couldn’t wait to see his house and bring her friends over. Which bothered Macy on one level, because she didn’t want to buy her sister any more than she liked Lilah attempting to do it.

  “We’re going to have to fight the perception of a quickie marriage after yo
u were served custody papers.”

  “It’s a real marriage,” Jaxon said. “If you ask Hannah after living with us, she’ll tell you the same thing. We’ll be sharing a room. We’re a couple.” He squeezed her hand tighter.

  And though she didn’t want to lie to her lawyer, she realized everything Jaxon had told him was the truth.

  Jonathan nodded. “Okay, look. I’d like to meet with Hannah, too, though it can wait until after the wedding. I’m sure the judge is going to want to ask her who she would prefer to live with, and at fifteen, that could hold sway.”

  Macy hadn’t seen that coming. “Oh, my God. She’s going to say she wants to live with her mother. I’m going to lose my sister!” Jumping up, Macy began to pace in a full-blown panic, and Jaxon stood and wrapped an arm around her.

  “You don’t know that. Give Hannah time to adjust to your new living arrangements, and she’s going to love it. She’ll want to stay with us.”

  “He’s right,” the lawyer said. “We have plenty of time before the custody hearing in three weeks. Use it wisely. In the meantime, would you agree to hiring an investigator to look into Lilah and see if we can uncover more to back up our claim that she’s an unfit parent?”

  God, Macy thought. Between the lawyer fees and private investigator cost, this could eat up everything she had. “Do it,” she said. Keeping Hannah was worth anything she had to spend.

  Jonathan smiled. “Good. As for the prenup agreement you had sent over earlier in the week, you’re good to sign. I’m sure you’ve read it, too, and it’s more than fair to you.”

  “Thank you.”

  He rose to his feet and shook her hand. Beside her, she felt Jaxon’s steady presence and support. No matter what happened, she would be eternally grateful to him.

  As they started for the door, Jaxon turned to Jonathan and whispered something Macy couldn’t hear, and together she and Jaxon walked out of the office.

  Macy waited until they were on the street before drawing in a deep breath of air. Jaxon placed a hand on her back and waited for her to calm down before pulling her into his arms. “It’s going to be okay. Trust us together, okay?”