Page 22 of King of Pain (Damaged Hearts #1)
Let’s Dance
Anthony
The locker room buzzes with the usual post-game energy—laughter, claps on the back, and the occasional whoop of celebration. We played hard tonight, and it paid off. I toss my pads onto the bench, wiping the sweat off my face with a towel as Butters plops down on the bench across from me.
“PacMan!” he calls out. “That touchdown in the second quarter? Thing of beauty, bro.”
I shrug, trying to downplay it. “Just doing my part.”
“Just doing your part?” Butters repeats, throwing on an exaggerated tone of mock seriousness. “My dude, you weaved through half their defense and scored like it was nothing. Own that shit.”
I snicker, but take the compliment in stride. Butters always knows how to turn up the charm, and it’s hard to stay stoic around him.
“Alright, serious question,” he continues. “You coming to the Halloween Bash at Devil House tonight?”
I groan inwardly, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t know, man. I’m not really feeling it.”
“You’re never feeling it,” he protests, throwing his arms up dramatically. “But it’s Halloween, PacMan. Costumes, music, drinks. Live a little, Brocini. You’re not going to let me down again, are you?”
“Brocini, really?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s good, right? My bro, Pacini,” Ryan clarifies, smirking. “Think about it. No pressure. But also, yes pressure.”
“You’re relentless. Fine, I’ll think about it,” I say, which seems to satisfy him for now.
The team continues bantering as we shower and change, Beau Danvers loudly insisting his Halloween costume is going to be better than everyone else’s.
As we head out of the locker room, the group starts to scatter, but I freeze when I spot Chance, Jen, and someone I don’t recognize standing just outside the players' area. What are they doing here?
Jen waves enthusiastically when she sees me. “Pacini! Over here!”
Beside her, Chance is grinning, and the girl with them catches my eye next. She’s absurdly beautiful, and the ink she rocks against her dark skin gives off a mysterious and exotic vibe. She’s laughing at something Chance said, confidence radiating.
“Um, who’s the Caribbean Queen over there?” Beau whispers, stopping dead in his tracks.
“I think that’s Lexi,” I tell him.
Beau pretends he’s been shot and clutches his heart. “I’m in love.”
We approach the group, and Jen says hi to Butters and Beau, her usual smarmy charm in full swing. Then, turning to the mystery woman, she says, “Guys, this is Lexi, Chance’s neighbor.”
“Nice to meet you,” Lexi says, offering a hand.
Beau takes it, his usual swagger replaced by something almost boyish. “Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you too.”
Chance steps forward, his grin widening. “Ant, meet Lexi. Lexi, this is Anthony.”
“Hey,” I manage, shaking her hand.
“Finally, I get to meet you in person,” Lexi says with a smirk. “I saw you from afar once, but Chance is rude and hasn’t introduced us yet.”
My eyes shift over to Chance, who looks a little flustered but brushes it off with a laugh.
Butters nudges me. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to Devil House?”
“Wait,” Beau interrupts, his eyes darting around the group. Then he grabs me by the collar of my shirt and pulls me aside. “You,” he says in a low, urgent tone, “are going to the club tonight. And you’re bringing her.”
“What? No, I—”
“PacMan,” he says firmly, his grip tightening slightly. “Don’t screw this up. She’s a goddess, and I need her to be there.”
I stare at him, “I don’t—”
“I don’t care what your excuse is. You’re coming and you’re bringing her.”
Beau pats me on the shoulder before sauntering back to the group. As I head back, my gaze lands on Chance. He’s still standing with Lexi and Jen, but now his back is to me, and I almost trip over my own feet.
He’s wearing my jersey. My name. My number.
When Chance turns back around, his eyes meet mine, and he flashes me a smile so bright it feels like it’s aimed straight at my chest. The sight of him in my jersey, the way it fits snugly against his frame, the casual pride he radiates from wearing it, it’s too much.
My heart thunders, my belly is an inferno, and to my horror, my dick is crawling down the leg of my pants and getting harder by the second.
Fuck.
Desperate to escape the situation, I blurt out, “Hey, uh, you guys want to hit the Halloween Bash at Devil House tonight?”
Everyone turns to look at me, clearly surprised by the suggestion.
Jen raises an eyebrow. “Look who’s suddenly into clubbing.”
“Yeah, let’s go dancing,” I say quickly, hoping to play it cool.
Butters claps me on the back. “That’s the spirit, PacMan. I don’t know why you always resist. If you guys haven’t seen this man dance, you’re missing out. He just needs a few shots, and off he goes.”
Chance smiles, his eyes igniting. “Yeah, I’m in.”
Jen smirks mischievously. “Well, this should be interesting.”
Lexi grins, crossing her arms. “Alright, I’m down. Let’s see what this Devil House is all about. I’ve never been, but I hear it’s a blast.”
Beau looks like he’s fighting the urge to pump his fists in the air. “Perfect. Let’s roll.”
Walking with my teammates, I steal one last look at Chance as we follow them to the parking lot. My eyes keep bouncing between his ass in those jeans and my name on his back.
Fuck. Me.