Page 100 of The Game Plan

Only now do I realize that Sienna has gripped my thigh, squeezing my muscles through her embarrassment. And I swear this woman has laser superpowers because her touch is blazing through me. Not just my cock, like I might expect, but everywhere the blood runs through my veins.

“You’re not going back to work for that dick, Sienna. You know that. You’re better than him. I’ve worked with you and you’re fucking brilliant. You don’t need someone who I can’t even pick out of the crowded room. You’re the face of that company. So fuck him. I’d follow you, and the guys would come to you, too. Start again on your own.” I gently rock into her shoulder and say, “Wise, Athena.”

She laughs so hard she covers her lips and holds up a hand in apology to the room. “From where, Dionysus? There aren’t many librarians and middle-grade teachers in Winnipeg who need a PR exec, Jax. I can’t just set up a company in New York, my visa wouldn’t allow it, even if I could financially… Life isn’t simple. Sometimes, we have difficult choices to make. But thank you. It’s sweet of you to say you have confidence in me.”

Fuck, I hate this for her. More than that, this indigestion gets worse when it dawns on me that she could be moving back to Canada, when I’m just getting to know her.

I mean, she’s fine. She’s cool. Major nerdy vibes. Determined. Motivated. And yeah, fucking hot. Why wouldn’t I want an awesome hot chick in my life?

As we leave the ceremony, I tell her, “You’re wrong by the way. I’m not Dionysus, I’m Zeus. The King of Gods.”

She bites down on that beautifully plump lower lip, back in her own clothes now, and says, “Big opinion of yourself there, Zeus. But if that’s the case, then I’m Aphrodite.” Her eyes sparkle like gemstones catching the light when she smiles at me. Rare, precious, highly desirable stones.

Then she’s swept up by Mitch and Lauren. I slow down. Time seems to slow. Like, I’m not functioning properly, limbs not working. I think I’ve forgotten how to put one foot in front of the other.

“Am I having a stroke?” I ask my brother as he appears beside me.

TJ looks at me like I have ten heads and I start scratching the only one I think I have to check.

“You okay?” he asks. “It’s not like you to be the space cake after a few drinks. You’re not taking gummies, are you? It’s too close to season to be risking weed.”

“No.” I rub my fist against my chest, right above my heart. “Maybe I’m having a heart attack.”

“The fuck, Jax? Are you serious right now?”

I stop on the sidewalk, vaguely aware that Vegas is buzzing around us, but the sound is muffled; the buildings are spinning and blurring.

“TJ,” I say. “I think I’m in love.”

He bursts out laughing, folding forward and holding his ribs, drawing the attention of the entire cast of this ten weddings day in front of us.

* * *

Sienna

We’re all wasted. Every single one of us. I’ve lost count of how many ceremonies there’ve been. I think there’s one left but how drunk we are probably means we’ll all be seeing the same ceremony and at least three duplicates.

But I feel incredible. Invincible. Free and amazing. I’m too drunk to care about all the mess at home that I’ve left. I’ve laughed so hard, my torso felt like it was going to blow apart.

Everyone is in good spirits but for hours, I’ve been joking around with Jax.

My professional goals have been obliterated by the TNT of alcohol. Jax the player, the horny bachelor, the unrelenting prankster, seems like a genuine, fun guy. A man who knows all the Elvis songs I was brought up singing in the garage with Dad while he upcycled old furniture. A man who knows Greek mythology and thinks I’m capable of running a business on my own. Who is so much more than hockey.

I’m too wasted to even care that tomorrow I’ll have to play the role of the consummate professional who works for these players again.

I don’t care because no one else in this group is in a fit state to remember that I did exactly what Jax told me to and let my proverbial hair down.

We’re taking a moment for a group photograph in front of the infamous Bellagio fountains. “About You” by The 1975 is playing through the outdoor speakers and forcing my hips to sway in time to the beat.

Jax has been piggybacking me up and down the strip between ceremonies as I’ve carried my luxury designer shoes everywhere with me and now, he hoists me like I’m feather weight onto his shoulders for a group picture.

“This is the one and only time your head will be between my legs, Jax Harris,” I say into his ear, thighs pressed decadently against his warm cheeks.

“I highly doubt that, Sienna.”

God, the way my name sounds on his lips is like chocolate hot sauce drizzled over ice cream.

I chuckle in response but his words have my panties firmly in a twist because for the last while, every time we’ve touched, I felt an inferno through my whole body. The way he’s looked at me like he wants to devour me is reciprocal.