Playing For Keeps by Stephanie Morris Page A

to be in control. So far, he was definitely doing a good job of it. She looked over at Kristen, who was deep in thought. Maybe her sister’s thoughts would get her mind off Eric.

    “What is on your mind?”

    Kristen grinned. “Eric.”

    Keirra’s eyebrows rose. “I may be a little new to this, but isn’t that where my thoughts should be?”

    Kayla gave her sister a teasing glance. “Are they?”

    Keirra gave Kayla a look full of impatience. “No more than you are supposed to be thinking about James Feldon.”

    Kayla winked. “You won’t get an argument here.”

    Kristen shook her head at the two of them. “Some things never change.”

    Kayla laughed, and Kristen took one last bite of her honey mustard chicken and pushed the plate away. Keirra ate the green beans that she had left behind on her plate. A few minutes later, Kayla pushed her plate away.

    “So what do you two have planned for the rest of the week?” Kristen asked before taking a sip of soda.

    Kayla shrugged. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

    Keirra nodded. “Same here. Why do you ask?”

    Kristen grinned. “I was thinking of spaghetti night on Wednesday for dinner if you guys can come over to the house.”

    Keirra rubbed her stomach in anticipation. That sounded good, and they hadn’t had spaghetti since Kristen had moved out. It wasn’t that they couldn’t cook it themselves. It was that Kristen made the best spaghetti.

    Keirra could already taste it. “That sounds good.”

    Kristen graced her with her scheming smile, and Keirra began to have a sinking feeling.

    “Good, but there is one condition.”

    Keirra could feel her stomach begin to tighten in anxiety. Whenever Kristen’s issued stipulations it was never a good thing. “What is the condition?”

    Kristen’s smile grew. “You have to invite Eric.”

    Keirra closed her eyes and groaned. She might have dropped her head on the table, but it would have caused too much racket. One of these days she was certain her sisters were going to kill her or make her an emotional wreck, if not both.

Chapter Ten
    “Will you stop that,” Keirra snapped at Eric under her breath.

    He had been doing his best to irritate her all night. Her best guess was that her sisters had put him up to it, but she had no way of proving it. She was starting to get pissed off because he was making it hard for her to enjoy her sister’s spaghetti. He looked over at her with the innocence of a two-year-old.

    “What?”

    She started to tell him exactly what to stop doing, but she remembered other people where at the table with them, and they would only be amused by the situation. Maybe this was her fault because she had chosen the wrong outfit to wear. She had thought the ivory print tank dress would be safe.
    Sure, it was a little form fitting, but it was knee length at least until she sat down, and Eric was taking advantage of the length.

    “Are you always this beautiful?”

    She looked at him as though he’d lost his mind. Actually, she was pretty certain that he had. He whispered the comment, but evidently, Kayla had heard him because she snickered. Keirra groaned and dropped her face into her hands. Eric smiled. She didn’t want to admit he made her feel beautiful. She was an attractive woman and heard the words quite often but not from men that meant it. At least not from someone who meant it simply because it was how he felt, not because he was trying to talk her into bed. Not that she would mind being in his bed. She paused when she realized where her thoughts were going. She might need to have her head examined. Looking over at him, she realized that he was watching her expectantly. His confidence could be maddening at times.

    “You haven’t seen me in the morning,” she grumbled.

    He smiled wickedly. “Is that an invitation?”

    She gave him an appalled look that he would even make such a suggestion. Then again, she shouldn’t be surprised considering he was a man, a virile