Chapter 98 How Do I Stand a Chance
Before Katniss could get a word in, Kieran yanked Cedric aside to lay down the rules and all that jazz.
She tilted her head, eyeing Tristan, who was just chillin' and munching away, not giving a damn about the practice match coming up.
With everything set, she had no choice but to tune into Kieran's rule rundown, barely touching her food.
Kieran couldn't even keep his class going. After scarfing down his meal and rattling off the rules for a bit, he jumped straight into prepping for the match.
Cedric followed Kieran's lead, turning the backyard lawn into a makeshift basketball court. It was small, but it worked.
Katniss had another problem: she was rocking a short skirt and heels—not exactly basketball gear.
She glanced at the father-son duo already warming up on the court and pursed her lips.
"Go grab your clothes from the car and come back," a voice said, and suddenly, a car key was in front of her.
Tristan's hand, all defined and stuff, held the key. It was the car she drove all the time.
She frowned, kinda skeptical, but took the key and headed down the stone path through the lawn.
At the car's trunk, she hesitated for a sec, took a deep breath, and popped it open. Inside was a brand-new women's sports outfit, still in the bag.
It was a hot brand right now, tags still on and everything.
The size was perfect. She grabbed the shopping bag and hopped into the car. The space was tight, but enough to change.
As she was changing, she suddenly remembered the two times she and Tristan had hooked up in the car.
Same car, same spot.
In the dim light, her ears turned red. She quickly changed and got out, only to see Tristan standing there.
A cigarette dangled from his fingers, and he turned his head at the sound of the door.
The sapphire blue sports outfit was pretty conservative, with a logo on the chest like his, but she looked damn good in it.
Her figure wasn't hidden; it was highlighted.
His eyes landed on her slightly red ears, and he raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Let's go," he said.
He flicked the ash off his cigarette and strolled back. As he passed a trash can, he put out the cigarette and tossed it.
Following him, she could faintly smell the smoke on him, and the car still carried his scent.
Katniss took a deep breath, trying to chill out and focus on the upcoming game.
They were so into it, they didn't even notice a car parked at the corner. From the moment Katniss showed up next to Tristan's car, someone had been snapping pics and recording from a half-open window.
After watching Tristan and Katniss head into the Neville family's place, the person in the car even got out to take more shots from outside the fence.
The game didn't kick off right away 'cause Katniss didn't even know how to dribble. Tristan told Cedric and Kieran to take a ten-minute break while he gave Katniss a crash course.
Under the sun umbrella, Cedric and Kieran watched the handsome dude and the pretty lady not far off.
Kieran nudged Cedric and asked, "Dad, you still chasing after Ms. Grey?"
"Forget it" Cedric snapped. "Can't you see what's happening? How do I stand a chance against him?"
He'd figured something was up when Tristan suddenly offered to help Kieran with sports practice.
Kieran leaned in and whispered, "Nah, you still got a shot. I read in the news that Mr. Forbes got married and even had an affair. You're way better than him... Ouch!"
Before he could finish, Cedric smacked him on the head. "Don't talk nonsense. Media reports can be hit or miss. The key is, he's tutoring you now. If you tick him off and he bails, what happens to your studies? We'll talk about it after the exams!"
Kieran quickly zipped it and glanced at the basketball court, unable to help but sigh. "They really do look good together!"
They did look good together. With her hair up in a bun and rocking sports clothes, Katniss looked like a high schooler.
Her delicate and pure features were even more striking without makeup, making Tristan beside her look older by comparison.
But Tristan's charm was still there. Besides looking more mature, his physique and looks matched hers perfectly.
Ten minutes later, the game officially started. Katniss couldn't steal the ball, and whenever she got it, Kieran would snatch it away.
Luckily, Tristan was a beast on the court and kept outshining both Cedric and Kieran.
Before long, Cedric was gassed and asked a servant to make some tea for a half-hour break.
Katniss, dealing with work stuff, went to sit on a bench on the lawn to chat.
As an intern, she had regular weekends off, unlike Cynthia and Brenda, who, as full-timers, had to work in the store.
But next week, Cynthia wanted to switch shifts with her for two days.
After thinking it over, she said no, 'cause she had to tutor Kieran.
Cynthia didn't say much but was clearly ticked off.
She turned off her phone and suddenly noticed Tristan chilling under the pavilion. The trellis above was covered in greenery, and his tall figure leaned against a pillar.
After a moment of thinking, she walked over slowly and asked, "Did you plan these clothes ahead of time?"
If so, he must've planned to bring her along for basketball before they even got here.
"Is there a problem?" Tristan turned around and shot her a quick reply.
She instinctively shook her head, causing her bun to come undone, with a few strands of hair falling onto her shoulders.
Even after resting for a bit, her cheeks were still flushed, and there was a fine sheen of sweat on her nose.
She habitually kept her small mouth slightly open to breathe, her sexy lips glistening.
"Thanks," she said dryly.
Tristan's throat tightened, and he strode forward, his fingers threading through her hair as he pressed his lips hard against hers.
She was too tempting; he could never resist her accidental allure.
Plus, it had been too long since he had touched her, and his body was crazed with desire for her.
Katniss stumbled back a couple of steps, her body leaning against the pillar due to inertia, his hand separating the pillar from her back.
His breath enveloped her, and she could sense his urgency and desire for more.
Her hand, instinctively placed on his waist, gently pushed him as a reminder not to lose control.
He lowered his head, their foreheads touching, his eyes filled with lust.
"Mr. Neville made some tea; you should go have some," she whispered.
After a long pause, Tristan turned and sat down nearby, saying, "I can't drink it."
She looked down just in time to see him adjusting his sports outfit, pulling his shirt down.
Seeing her gaze, he propped his elbows on his knees, leaning forward to completely cover his lower body.
She awkwardly looked away, standing there without moving. Tristan's "embarrassment" was so obvious.
But she was no exception; although it wasn't visible, her face was very red, and she was probably not much better off.
Cedric was very tactful, drinking tea for half an hour without calling them. It wasn't until half an hour later that they started playing basketball again.
Only then did they come out, and by that time, both Tristan and Katniss had returned to their normal complexions and rejoined the game.
They played until evening, then dispersed.
Katniss and Tristan left the Neville family together, and he handed her the car keys directly. "Let's go back together."
She hesitated for a moment before taking the car keys and getting into the car, only to find that Tristan hadn't gotten in.
She rolled down the window, and he pointed in a direction. "Wait for me at that corner."
"Okay." Even though she had no clue why, Katniss went along with it.
Tristan, hands in his pockets, strolled to the opposite corner and stood outside the driver's side window, giving it a knock.
The window rolled down, and Ryan grinned at Tristan. "Mr. Forbes."
"Let me see it," Tristan said, holding out his hand.
Ryan hesitated for a few seconds, then reluctantly opened his phone and handed it over.
There were nearly a hundred photos, all of him and Katniss, capturing their moments while playing basketball.
Including that kiss under the pavilion he couldn't resist.
"Not bad, send me a copy," he said, handing the phone back to Ryan.
Ryan was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, "Okay!"
"And you know what to do next, right?" Tristan's challenge followed.
Ryan's face showed some reluctance. "Mr. Forbes, I managed to get these photos with my skills. I can't just provide nothing to Mrs. Forbes."
'Skills?' Tristan raised an eyebrow, looking at him leisurely. "If you provide nothing, at most, you're just incompetent. But if you can't even find me, then you're useless."
He could easily dismiss or sideline Ryan, making it so that Ryan couldn't even see him.
"Okay, Mr. Forbes, I'll send the photos to your email later and delete the rest," Ryan said promptly.
"Don't follow me tonight," Tristan warned before leaving.
Ryan, like a deflated balloon, sat in his seat, watching Tristan's lazy departure, unable to understand him.
He had a mysterious wife at home, a flamboyant mistress Bella outside, and now a hidden Katniss.
Katniss only waited for Tristan for five minutes before he returned. In those five minutes, countless thoughts crossed her mind.
'Is he going to my house?' Katniss thought.
To say she wasn't expecting it would be a lie, but what made her nervous was that he was coming for a transaction.
She pursed her lips, her brows lightly furrowed, and finally, at the intersection of Oakwood Hills and Serenity Estate, she asked, "Mr. Forbes, are you going to my house?"
"Not welcome?" Tristan's eyes already told her everything; he was going.
She smiled softly, her eyes reflecting the green signal light. "Of course not."
She decisively turned the steering wheel toward Oakwood Hills and stepped on the gas to go home.
As soon as the car stopped at the entrance of Oakwood Hills, before she could even unbuckle her seatbelt, he leaned over, pressing her small body hard against the seat.
The obstructive seatbelt was unfastened by his well-defined hand, making a dull sound.
Her wrist was caught and placed on his waist, his urgency and impatience almost overwhelming her.
But they couldn't do it in the car, right? Her voice spilled from their lips. "Let's go inside."
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