Dare to Play (Dare Nation 3)

Her words made sense, but he wished she’d told him so they could discuss it together. Which meant he was thinking more like a real couple than two people sharing a house and a bed.

First he’d been worried about missing her when she was gone, now he was wanting a more genuine relationship. Shit, he was a mess, and he deepened his frown at his thoughts.

“I’m going to the ladies’ room,” Macy said, oblivious to his emotional confusion. “I’ll find you when I get back.”

He nodded and headed to the bar for a glass of Scotch. After he ordered and picked up the glass from the dark wood bar, he took one step and ran into his brothers.

“Austin!” He’d expected Dare Nation to have a presence here. “Braden? What are you doing here?” he asked his sibling who, though he’d shaved enough to show up with only some scruff tonight, he also appeared uncomfortable in the monkey suit they were all required to wear.

Guilt swamped him. Ever since Braden had returned, Jaxon had been busy with his wedding, honeymoon, and new life. He should have reached out to see how his sibling was doing and resolved to do better.

Austin placed a hand on their sibling’s shoulder. “I’m introducing the doctor around. If he’s going to stay home, he’s going to need a job.”

Jaxon raised a brow. “You’re staying in Florida?”

“Considering it,” Braden said.

“But if he’s offered a job, then he’ll be motivated to stick around. So here we are.”

Braden shot Austin a wry smile. “He’s always trying to run the show.”

“You can say that again,” Jaxon muttered.

“So where’s your beautiful wife?” Braden asked, taking a sip of the drink in his hand.

“Ladies’ room. She should be back any minute.”

As they continued to talk, he kept an eye out, and when he caught sight of her, her glow and easy smile were gone.

As soon as she joined them, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

She met his gaze. “I’m so sorry.”

“What? For what?”

Her knuckles turned white as she gripped her handbag. “Hannah had a party at your house that got out of hand. Someone called the press.”

Austin groaned. “More press. The very thing we were trying to avoid.”

“Oh, God.” Macy’s shoulders sagged in defeat.

With a glare at his brother, Jaxon wrapped an arm around Macy’s shoulder. “Let me go explain what happened to my manager. He’s got teenagers. He’ll understand.” He used that opportunity to shoot daggers at Austin again for making Macy feel guiltier than she already did. “Then we’ll get home and handle things.”

“I’ll call Bri,” Austin said, pulling out his phone from his breast pocket.

Jaxon shook his head. “No. Not until I have a handle on what happened. And if she calls you, tell her to sit tight until she hears from me.” He slid his hand down and clasped palms with Macy. “I want to know what happened, and her sister’s privacy comes first. Do you understand?”

He was telling Austin to put Macy and her sister first before protecting his own reputation. In no time, these two women had come to mean something to him, and he would safeguard them, even at his expense.

Austin met his gaze, his own expression as serious as Jaxon had ever seen it. “I understand. I just hope you do.”

Jaxon did. He cared about Macy and Hannah, and it scared the living shit out of him. But he turned his focus to Macy. “Let’s go make our excuses and get out of here.”

She squeezed his hand in reply and what he sensed was gratitude. What she didn’t understand was that he knew what it was like to be a team. And he was coming to feel like they were one.

* * *

Macy wanted to throw up. She’d married Jaxon not just to help retain custody of her sister but to keep him out of the press. They’d left Hannah alone for the first time at Jaxon’s house, and she’d gone and had a party that could destroy his career. Yes, his manager had been understanding, but she’d seen the look on the team owner’s face at the word viral. The man was pissed, and Jaxon was going to take the brunt of her sister’s actions.

She didn’t speak on the way home, her fury at her sister simmering inside her. Jaxon merely held on to her hand and his temper. He hadn’t once launched into a tirade over Hannah’s behavior, while she was ready to throttle her sister.

And when they pulled into the driveaway and saw Lilah’s car, Macy’s anger skyrocketed. “What is she doing here?” She unhooked her seat belt and grabbed the door handle.

“Wait.” Jaxon grasped her wrist. “We need a plan. And it starts with staying calm and finding out what happened before you go off on her.”

She expelled a long breath. She turned to face Jaxon, who’d unhooked his bow tie and opened the top of his dress shirt. Even disheveled, his hair messed from running his hand through it and his suit undone, he was handsome and sexy. He was also much more relaxed than her.