The Romantic Pact (Kings of Football)(79)

Crew’s phone rings on the nightstand and I grab it for him. It’s his mom, FaceTiming. I quickly hand him the phone and step away, not wanting to be seen in a towel with her son.

“Hey, Mom,” Crew says. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, baby boy.”

“Merry Christmas,” I hear Porter say, his voice so similar to Crew’s, it’s scary. The apple really didn’t fall far from the tree. Not only do they sound the same, but Crew is a carbon copy of his dad. It’s why I still get a little weak in the knees around Porter Smith. Yup, I’m that girl, and I’m not even ashamed.

“Hey, Dad. How are you guys?”

“We’re good. Enjoying a nice, peaceful Christmas without you,” Porter says, making me chuckle.

“You really know how to speak to the heart, Dad.”

Porter chuckles. “We miss you, boy. Are you having fun?”

“We are,” Crew answers, including me, which I think is sweet. “It snowed about a foot here. Luckily, we were able to get to the hotel last night before it got too bad. The staff here is amazing, especially since it’s Christmas.”

“That’s good. Pops called around a lot to make sure there’d be a place for you guys to stay during Christmas and be taken care of.”

“How much time did he spend on this trip?” Crew asks, his voice softer. “Did you help?”

“I helped a little,” Marley answers. “But it was mostly Pops. He really wanted to make sure you replicated the trip he went on many years ago, or at least, as close to it as he could get. Isn’t it beautiful?”

“It is. It might sound corny, but it feels as though we’re in a storybook.”

“That’s what I kept saying,” Porter says.

I finish putting on my clothes, and just in the nick of time, because Crew walks out into the bedroom with the phone.

“Say hi to Hazel.” Crew hands me the phone and then drops his towel, turning away from me, giving me the perfect view of his backside. Damn him. I feel my cheeks redden as his parents say hi to me.

“Hey, Hazel, is our boy treating you nicely?” Marley asks, looking pretty, as usual. She has such natural beauty, and doesn’t need anything more than mascara to bring out the beautiful hue of her eyes. No wonder they produced such a handsome son.

“He’s been an awful hag,” I say, which pulls Crew’s attention. He whips around to scowl at me, wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs now.

“He has been known to be a little haggish at times,” Porter says, making me laugh.

“I’m not being a hag,” Crew calls out. “I’m being a gentleman.”

That makes my cheeks redden even more. All I can think about is him saying he lets me come first—because that’s the gentlemanly thing to do.

“Is that true?” Marley asks me.

Swallowing hard, I plaster on a smile. “That’s true. He has been quite the gentleman.”

“Some might say an energetic gentleman,” Crew says, wiggling his eyebrows at me as he slides a pair of sweats on.

“So, how’s your Christmas?” I ask, not wanting them to respond to Crew’s inappropriate comment.

“It’s great. We’re excited to see the both of you soon,” Marley says. “And hear all about your trip.”

“Oh, I didn’t know I was going to see you,” I answer, confused.

“Yes, we’re all meeting up at the farm. Didn’t Crew see that his return ticket doesn’t go to LAX?”

“Probably didn’t pay attention,” Porter mumbles. “Just like his father.”

“Wait, what?” Crew comes up next to me and takes the phone so he can angle himself into the screen. “I’m not going straight home?”

Marley shakes her head. “No, we’re having a small gathering when you return. Uncle Paul will be there.”

“Is this another intervention?” Crew asks, annoyance in his voice.

Porter and Marley laugh. “No,” Marley says. “We want to visit the farm, visit with Hazel, see how the trip went, and see where things go from there.”

See where things go from there?

What does that mean?

It clearly doesn’t strike a chord with Crew, because he says, “Okay, sounds good. Well, we’re going to crack into some Schneeballen.”

“Oh, babe, remember those?” Porter asks. “So good. Enjoy.”

We all wish each other well, then Crew hangs up and tosses the phone on the bed, only to turn toward me and say, “You’re wearing far too many clothes for my liking. I demand you put my shirt back on and take off your underwear. I’m going to need easy access for the rest of the night.”

Before I can say anything, he lifts me up and tosses me on the bed, only to hop on top of me and start ravishing my body once again.





Chapter Fourteen





CREW





Hey Kiddos,

This is the second-to-last town you’ll be visiting. After this, it’s one more place, and then you’re back to Munich, where you’ll be flying home. I’m sad just thinking about the trip coming to an end, but trust me when I say I left the best for last.