Dating the Defensive Back (The Nash Brothers Book 1)

One Kissing Pic a Day is Enough to Keep the Media at Bay

“Kel?” I yell as I walk in the door.

I’m thankful there’s no car at the curb. It means Colin isn’t here, though he may still be in town.

Grayson didn’t kiss me goodbye. I didn’t even get a freaking handshake. I just got a see ya once the valet brought my car around. I suppose one kissing picture a day is enough to keep the media at bay.

It’s not enough for me, though.

“In my room!” she yells back, and I step into her doorway a short while later. She’s sitting on her bed, reading a book. “Where’ve you been?” she asks a little absently, setting the book down beside her.

“Have you seen the photo?” I ask casually.

“What photo?” she asks, narrowing her eyes at me. “Was I supposed to see photos?”

“Oh, only a picture of Grayson and me kissing outside Cravings earlier today.” I brush my fingernails on my shoulder with exactly zero modesty.

“You were kissing? You were kissing! And I’m just finding out about this?”

I plop down on her bed beside her. “Long story short, Colin came to confront me at work, I told him it’s over, we were arguing in the parking lot, Grayson showed up, I kissed him to prove to Colin I’ve moved on, and he took a picture. He must’ve sold it to the media because it’s all over the place.”

“I’ve been grading spelling tests and making lesson plans, so I didn’t see it.”

“That’s what you get for being so dedicated to your job,” I tease.

“But wait…why did Grayson show up?”

I twist my lips as I try to think back to a part of the day that feels like it happened forever ago. “You know, I asked, and we never got back around to it. But Colin took a shot and asked him if he knew I was a virgin, and Grayson told him that I’m not anymore.”

Kelly’s eyes widen to an almost comical level. “Whoa. How’d Colin take it?”

“It was definitely a gut punch, but I think he got the idea that I’ve moved on. Has he been here?”

She shakes her head.

“Okay, good. Hey, you okay?”

She nods. “I was invited to go out with a group of teachers tonight, but I declined.”

“Why?”

She shrugs. “I wasn’t in the mood for all the politics that go along with what’s supposed to be a fun night out.” It’s not the first time she’s said something similar. One of her colleagues turns every conversation into a complaint about the principal, whom Kelly happens to be friends with. She picks up her book. “And I just got to the juicy part, so I wanted to plow through some chapters.”

I giggle. “Book boyfriends beat the real thing every time. Speaking of which, I need your help.”

“With?”

I pull a face before I get right down to it. “How to make Grayson Nash fall in love with me.”

She laughs, but when she sees the dead serious expression on my own face, she grows serious. “Uh…what?”

I run my palms along my jeans-clad thighs. “Long story short, he told my brother we’re fake dating so he can protect me from my ex and protect his relationship with Beck. But even if it’s starting out as fake, I’m looking for a way to make it…you know, real. All the pieces are there. I just need to figure out how to make myself irresistible to him, get him to trust me again, and boom! Before you know it, he’ll be head over heels.”

“That seems like kind of a tall order, don’t you think?” she asks.

I shrug. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

She offers a rather unladylike snort. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

I heave out a heavy breath. “I guess not.”

“Okay. What do we know about him? What’s he like? What does he like?”

“He likes football. He’s athletic and strong. He likes working out.”

“Oh! Get some dumbbells to impress him with your athletic prowess!” she suggests.

I roll my eyes. “I’m not fifteen anymore, Kel.”

She giggles. “Did you really do that when you were fifteen?”

My blush gives me away.

“Okay, not dumbbells.” She sighs. “What else does he like? Did you dig any deeper when you spent the night with him?”

I shrug. “Kinda. Not really.”

She taps her chin thoughtfully. “So you’re in the getting to know you phase.”

I nod. “Right. Even though we sort of know each other, we don’t really know each other. He said he used to pull pranks on his brothers, so maybe there’s something there.”

She wrinkles her nose. “You want to act like one of his brothers?”

“No, but I want to make him laugh. I want to bond with him. I want him to find me funny.”

“By pranking him?”

“I don’t know,” I say, a touch more frustration in my tone than I mean for there to be. “I’m just spit-balling here.”

“That’s such a gross phrase, spit-balling.”

I sigh. “Can we stay focused?”

“Right, pranks. What kind of pranks?”

“I think that’s where I need some help. And you’re a planner, so, you know…help me plan, or whatever.” I’m very clearly not the planner in this friendship. I’m more the bumbling through life hoping for the best kind of gal.

“We should go back to that bar,” she suggests.

“Why?”

“Maybe he’ll be there. And maybe Austin Graham will be, too.” She raises both brows, and I raise both of mine back.

“Austin Graham?”

“What, you can snag an NFL player, but I’m shit outta luck? I think not, my friend.”

“Did we ever talk about how it went when you started talking to him?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “Nope.”

“Well?”

“We didn’t exchange numbers or anything, but we had a nice chat. And I’d like to see if we can chat more again sometime.” She throws air quotes around the word chat.

“Then let’s go.”

Maybe Grayson will be there, and maybe I can get started on this big plan to make him fall in love with me.

But first…

I need to figure out how in the hell I’m going to make that happen.