“I need to go,” he rasped, lips at mine and his chest heaving, his arousal evident at my lower stomach. “I need to get to the arena to get the rest of my gear ready for our crew to load on the plane, but we’ll pick this back up when I get back.”

I huffed a laugh and then was silenced by another breath-stealing, hard kiss.

“Fuck, Emmersyn.” Kane’s forehead settled on mine as we both settled ourselves down. “I’m kind of pissed I’m riding in with Alix. He’s going to give me so much shit if he can see how hard I am right now.”

A laugh burst from me, and I gave him a kiss. “You’ll manage,” I teased.

“Until I get back,” he assured me, and after another soft, lingering kiss, he bent down and picked up his suitcase, resettled his carry-on and grabbed his keys.

“See you soon,” I told him and gave him space to get to the door.

“You bet your sexy ass you will.”

He left, and long after the door was still closed, I was still attempting to pick my jaw up off the floor.

Sophie laid back and rested her head on the float. “This was the best idea you’ve had yet,” she said and lifted her bottled water in the air.

Sitting next to me in the small wading area of the pool, Paige laughed. “I think maybe marrying Kane was a better idea. I mean, without it, we wouldn’t be able to pre-party for tonight’s game in this lovely little oasis.”

I wanted to point out I was sure they’d done this dozens of times at Gabby and Joey’s house, or even Sophie’s because I knew she and Braxton had a pool as well, but I kept my mouth shut.

Mostly because before I could speak, Sophie splashed water at us, kicking it with her feet. “Shut up. You know what I mean. And besides, that’s all pretend anyway.” She tipped up her sunglasses. “Right?”

“Right.” I sipped my own water. We had wine for later, when Gabby would join us after she got off work. Lizzie was staying home with the twins, said she’ll need help and company later in the season once she reached her wit’s end, but for tonight, she was looking forward to relaxing alone.

Other women were coming, too, and how it’d turned into everyone meeting at Sophie’s to me hosting in a house that wasn’t technically mine, kind of snowballed.

Mostly because I’d hesitated when Sophie asked me to come, and she invited everyone over here, instead.

I was pretty sure she was trying to make me feel included and comfortable, but the question she asked made me feel anything but.

Because what would happen in a year and Kane decided we were over?

“Uh-oh…” Paige poked me in the hip. “Problems.”

“No. No problems. None at all.”

I spoke too fast. My cheeks heated too quickly.

Sophie clamored out of her float so fast she ended up falling into the knee-deep water. “What happened? Did something happen? Because you’re all blushing and you have to tell us… WAGs’ rule.”