Page 102 of Brooklynaire

“Were you tempted?” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them. “Never mind. I retract thequestion.”

“Not much,” she answers anyway. “I mean—Castro is a cutie, and he’s genuinely nice. But it just wasn’t worth exploring. I can either be the office manager that players listen to, or the office manager that seems like she’s only there to ogle the players. Women don’t get the benefit of thedoubt.”

This shuts me up, because it makes more sense than I care to admit. “Bec?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s funny how I really couldn’t understand until just this minute. When you used Castro as an example instead ofme.”

“Ah.” I can feel her smile even though I can’t seeit.

“I get it now. I understand why you’rereluctant.”

“It’s worse, you know. Doing the boss. The opticsstink.”

“Except the team already trusts you.” Becca is loved by everyone, and respected,too.

“Sure, but we have new people all the time. To them I’m gossip at best or a spy. ‘Watch what you say to her, she’s sleeping with theowner.’”

I make an unhappy noise. “But you’re doing it anyway.Why?”

“No idea,” she says immediately. “Maybe because you’reirresistible.”

“You flatter me,” I say. But I don’t know if she hears it, because my phone dies. There’s a beep and then the screen goesblack.

Shit.

I jump up and plug it in. But fuck it. Becca thinks I just hung up on her, so that won’t do. I throw on some sweats, shove my feet in my shoes and grab my key card. Then I head for theelevator.

Becca’s room number is 805. I saw it on the travel manifest when the travel coordinator was looking up mine. I’m tiptoeing down the eighth floor corridor when the door opens and she steps out, wearing sweats and carrying her keycard.

I wave. Her eyes widen and then shegrins.

Reversing course, Becca goes back into her room. I follow, close the door behind me, and then guide her back toward the bed, where I fall on top of her and kissher.

“Did your phone die?” she asks against mylips.

“Yes.” I kiss her nose. “But I wasn’t done talking toyou.”

“You’re going to ruin my reputation.” She says this, but she’s grabbing my ass with bothhands.

“First of all, I’ll leave at hung-over-o’clock. No player is getting up before seven. Secondly, I have a ready excuse if someone sees me leaving your room.” I kiss her jaw. She tastes like candy. I don’t want tostop.

“What’sthat?”

“What’swhat?”

“This terrific excuse for why you’re leaving my room in themorning.”

“I just had to see the playoffs budget in sweatpants with sexhair.”

She buries her face in my neck and laughs. “You won’t have sex hair,remember?”

I climb further on the bed. “Snuggle hair. Bedhead. Whatever. Get under the covers.” I sit up and remove myshirt.

She does the same thing, and I’m treated to another one of Becca’s silky teddies. This one is red with a deep V in the front, showing off hercleavage.

Annnnd I’m hard. “You have the bestunderwear.”