Ballers: His Game (Ballers Series Book 1)(4)

“So what made you want to be a lawyer,” I hear rumble from beside me.

I turn and narrow my eyes at him. “I have not had enough to drink to sit here and tell you my life story. So let’s not and say we did,” I say and turn back to people watch.

From the corner of my eye I watch him signal to the waitress and she brings him another beer a few minutes later. An hour later he is still sitting beside me having gone through beer after beer. Stacey has not returned yet. I have finished the champagne and have started on the second bottle that arrived. I should feel bad that I am drinking the expensive bottles and ignoring this guy totally, but I am a little too annoyed with Stacey to care.

“So are you ready to talk yet,” he says beside me.

I look over at him and his impish smile and laugh. He is seriously waiting for me to drink enough to talk to him. I’m not sure if I should be annoyed, flattered or alarmed. I turn toward him and cross my legs leaning my elbow on my thigh and placing my cheek in my palm.

“Okay Dimples, what do you want to talk about,” I say with a small smile.

He laughs and lifts a brow at me. “Dimples?”

“Yup, that’s what I have named you. No names remember,” I shrug.

“Okay Counselor,” he chuckles. “What made you want to be a lawyer?”

“This again,” I sigh. “Okay, my dad was a lawyer and then became a judge. I’ve wanted to be one too for longer than I can remember. Why football?”

“I never said I play football,” he says looking amused.

“You didn’t have to, your neck and forearms gave you away,” I reply with a laugh.

“You checking me out Counselor,” he says with an air of confidence.

It is my turn to throw my head back and laugh. I laugh so hard my belly hurts and a tear slides out the corner of my eye. He looks at me with mock shock then gives me a half grin.

“You’re very pretty when you laugh, but I don’t think you checking me out is that funny.”

“Aw, Dimples I’m sorry,” I say trying to bite back my laughter. “My brother used to play until he injured his knee, my uncle played for Atlanta for years, and one of my best friends was not only married to a Pro but her father played for years. So I know a player when I see one.”

“Sorry about your brother,” Dimples says with real concern.

“He’ll be okay. He hasn’t been healing the way we all expected so he is going all organic and holistic now and it seems to be working much better.”

“That’s great. A few of the guys on my team eat organic and all that. I thought about it but coach isn’t big on it so I haven’t done it yet,” he muses then takes a pull of his beer.

“It’s made a difference for my brother. So… why football?”

“My dad and brother have tossed a ball around with me back on the ranch for as long as I can remember,” he says with a reflective smile. “Don’t tell anyone but I suck as a ranch hand so I was never going to be any help to my dad. I guess I always wanted to play ball. I love the game.”

I laugh again and give him a genuine smile. His eyes search mine as I laugh. Then his eyes dropped down to the twins that are sort of on display with the way I am sitting. I reach to place my fingertips under his chin and lift his head, bringing his eyes back to mine. “Up here Rookie,” I snort.

His brows furrow and he reaches for my fingers wrapping my hand in his. “How do you know I am a rookie?”

I am shocked by the surge of electricity I feel from his touch. I snatch my hand back and wrap my arms around my middle. I shrug and shake my head to clear it.

“It’s in the sparkle in your eyes. It hasn’t jaded you yet and it hasn’t changed you yet. You still talk about the game with love not like a job. You’re built but not Pro built and you are still wearing that baby face, which says you just came out of college. You’re good enough to play because when you said you won it wasn’t just a, my team won, you said it with pride like you had a part in it.” I shrug and bite back the smug smile trying to make its way to my lips.

“That is amazing,” he laughs. “So how is a woman like you still single?”

“And who says I’m single?” I challenge.

“There is a lack of sparkle in your eyes. You are celebrating something great and if I were your man there is no way I wouldn’t be here celebrating with you. There’s no ring on your finger. As beautiful and amazing as you are, any sane man would brand you in any way he could to claim you as his own,” he replies with a heated stare.

I feel his words down low. I clench my thighs and squirm a little. Why in the world is it suddenly so warm in here? I fill my glass and gulp it down before looking at him again. He licks his full lips and I find myself staring at them. I think I have officially had too much to drink, but damn if his lips aren’t full and sort of sexy. Okay, really sexy.

“Relationships are distractions. Women like me can’t afford those kinds of distractions. As soon as you set out to accomplish goals a man just gets in the way. So I made myself a promise to swear men off until I graduated from college, passed the bar exam and landed my dream job.”

“So I know you accomplished two of those, how are you doing on the other one?” He asks as his eyes rake my body.

“That would be a checkmate,” I say with a smile.