Page 7

“Why haven’t I seen her before?”

She looks at me straight on for the first time all night. “Because I forbid her to hook up with any hockey players.”

I laugh. “Seriously? Why?” I give her a slow smile. “Trying to keep us to yourself, Sunshine?”

“Don’t call me that. And God, no.” She blanches. “Nadia’s a… well, to put it bluntly, a jersey chaser. High level.”

“Yeah, I got that vibe.” And thereisa vibe. It’s in the clothes, the comfort level around athletes, the confidence.

The extreme opposite of the girl in front of me.

“I just didn’t want her to, you know…” She makes a face. “Do her thing where I work.”

“Gotcha.” Makes sense. Things can get messy, and I don’t know much about Twyler, but it’s obvious she’s dedicated to her internship and working with the team. “So, why tonight?”

“Reid’s blue balls,” she admits, pushing a lock of that long hair behind her ear. “She realized he’s single and she’s always had a crush on him. I told her she gets one chance—one guy—and no one-night stands.”

I take another glance toward the house. Reid isn’t wasting his time cozying up to her friend. “You think she’ll hold up to the deal?”

“The only certain thing about Nadia other than her desire to be a trophy wife, is her loyalty. She won’t screw me over.”

I nod, hoping she’s right. Being on the cusp of something big changes people. “I get that. Loyal friends are important.”

“Well, I guess I’ll see you at practice.” She gives me a tight smile. “I’d appreciate it if you don’t let this go too far.” She gestures to the party. Jeff is on the patio playing quarters. Axel, as usual, is shirtless and has two girls sitting on his lap by the firepit. The other guys are hanging out with a group from Zeta Sig, which usually means trouble, but what the hell. What’s the point of all this hard work if you don’t get to have some fun? “Hangovers make for mistakes and mistakes lead to injuries.”

“I’ll take care of it,” I reply, but she’s already walking off, headed toward the back gate. “Hey, you need a walk home? I can send a rookie.”

She rolls her eyes. “Nah, I live in the teal house. It’s just down the block.”

That close? I’d never noticed. “Well, thanks again.”

“Any time.”

Up on the porch, Ginna is still waiting on me, her pink nails tapping on her phone. I walk over and pick up my beer from the porch rail.

“Who is that?” she asks, wrapping her arms around my waist. Her body presses into mine and I remember what we were planning before we were interrupted.

“Team trainer.” I glance at Twyler, watching her back as she crosses the yard. A tug of guilt gnaws at me. My mother would kick my ass if she found out I let a girl walk home alone from a party in the dark. “Shit,” I grimace. “Gin, do me a favor, head upstairs? I need to do something real quick.”

Her hand travels below the belt, grazing over my cock. Blood rushes downward. “Don’t keep me waiting too long, Captain.”

I smile down at her. “I won’t.”

Once I’m out of the gate, I can see Twyler half a block away. I jog after her, calling out, “Hey, hold up.”

She doesn’t turn and I grab her by the shoulder, but she jerks away, like my touch burns. “What are you doing, Cain?”

“Walking you home.”

She turns and eyes me. “I know you’ve got the Captain America thing going on with the team—they think you’re a superhero--but I can walk myself home. You may have just realized that I’m a girl, but I’m still an undateable girl, so I should be fine.”

I frown. “The guys were just messing around—no one thinks that—"

“Trust me, Cap,” she says, something dark and different flickering in her eye, “I learned a long time ago that the scary shit out there isn’t hiding in the dark. It’s right in front of you.” The moment the words are out of her mouth, the intensity in her eyes vanishes and her expression shutters again. “Forget it. I’m fine. My house is right down there.”

I open my mouth to argue, but she turns on her heel. After a beat, I do the same, heading back to the Manor. This girl isn’t my problem. She’s not even my friend. I have no obligation to anyone but myself and my team. What I do have, is a half-naked girl waiting for me up in my room, and that’s exactly where I plan to spend the rest of my night.

3