He shook his head. “Not hungry. Just want coffee now.”
She walked out, heading for the stairs, to go make the kids’ beds and tidy their rooms.
In her next life she was coming back as a man, with a big dick, too.
* * *
An hour later, Sarah rapped lightly on the master-bathroom door and then opened it. Boone was naked, save for the towel wrapped around his lean hips, and leaning toward the mirror, shaving. He almost always shaved before games.
“Leaving soon?” she asked.
He nodded, drawing the blade down his cheek and over his jaw in a clean, smooth stroke. “Meeting up with some of the guys from the Rays for breakfast.”
She watched him shave another section. “Will Jeff be there?”
“Probably.”
Sarah crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t like him.”
Boone tapped the razor in the sink before moving to the next section. “He’s never done anything to you.”
“You watch your friends’ backs. Why can’t I watch mine?”
“I don’t want to fight with you right now.”
“You want to fight later instead?”
His gaze met hers in the mirror and held. “I don’t want to fight at all.”
Sarah bit her lip, struggling to contain her anger. She kept thinking about what a man’s world it was. At least Boone’s world was. She despised it. And him.
Because he didn’t have to take Jeff’s side. He could have taken Alyssa’s. He should have taken Alyssa’s.
“She was going to come here for this series,” Sarah said, chin lifting. “We’d planned for her and the boys to be here.”
“You discussed it, back in June, before you moved,” Boone retorted, rinsing his razor, “but you never discussed it since. It was just talk.”
“You don’t know that!”
“I do.” His gaze met hers again, and she saw the anger in his eyes. He’d been hiding it earlier, but it was there now. He was still pissed off with her. “And I’m not going to discuss Jeff and Alyssa’s marriage anymore. I’m sorry they’re having problems. Marriage isn’t easy. Now I’ve got to finish shaving, so if you’ll excuse me . . . ?”
Sarah didn’t budge. She wasn’t going anywhere. She wasn’t about to be dismissed like a naughty child. “You can’t shave with me standing here?”
“I can’t shave and argue.”
“So let’s not argue.”
“Great. Let’s not argue.”
She watched as he drew the razor down in another long stroke before running the blade up the other direction, beneath his jaw, making sure the right side of his face was smooth.
He didn’t even glance at her as he finished shaving the left side. Nor did he glance at her as he took a hand towel and wiped off the last foamy bit of shaving cream.
“Can you put the kids and me on tonight’s pass list?” she blurted, not even sure why she asked since she hadn’t even thought about attending the game until this very moment.
Boone dropped the towel into the hamper and faced her, expression incredulous. “You’re not going to the game tonight.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not a good idea.”
“Why?”
“It’s where I work, and I don’t need you making a scene.”
Sarah’s hand clenched. She could have smacked him just then. “Why would I make a scene?”
“Because it’s what you do.”
“What?”
“I know you’re going through my things, checking up on me. Digging through my pockets, reading my e-mail—”
“I don’t read your e-mail!”
“You do, too.”
“I don’t. How could I? I don’t even know your password.”
“But if you did, you’d be snooping there.”
“Probably,” she flashed, defensive and pissed. “And yes, I check up on you. Why shouldn’t I? You didn’t even tell me about Jeff and Alyssa and you knew. You knew how much I liked her and yet you never once said anything—”
“What was I supposed to say? Make an announcement that your friend’s husband was screwing around on her?”
“Yes!”
“And what would you have done?”
“Told her! Protected her. She deserved to know, Boone.”
“But it’s none of your business.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Friends look out for friends.”
“Exactly!” He was in her space, in her face now. “Jeff wasn’t just a friend of mine, he was a teammate. We worked together, and we’re paid to win.”
“So?”
“So creating controversy isn’t part of my job description. Creating controversy creates conflict that hurts the whole team. And I’d be one hell of a selfish player if I didn’t try to protect my team.”