Page 21 of Perfect Storm (Toronto Thunder #1)

“Obviously.” Aidan rolled his eyes. But he couldn’t say that anyone had ever done it like Levi Banks had.

Gently poking fun at him, laughing at him but also with him.

Hoping Aidan would laugh, just because Levi was laughing.

There seemed to be no ulterior motive, no hidden agenda, and none of the mercenary crassness that a lot of the women—and occasionally men—employed when they approached him.

To Levi, he seemed to be just Aidan, the older brother of the guy his brother was dating. Not Aidan Flynn, QB1 of the Toronto Thunder and two-time Super Bowl MVP winner.

“Not enough, though, if this is how you take it,” Levi said. “Or is it ’cause I’m a guy?”

Aidan made a face, but he was amused. “No. Don’t mind that you’re a guy.”

“Obviously,” Levi said.

He nodded to the bartender as he set their glasses down.

Aidan was surprised to see Levi pull out a hundred-dollar bill from his clip and slide it across the counter. “Keep the change,” he said.

“Oh, but Mr. Andresen told me everyone’s drinking on his tab,” the bartender said apologetically.

Levi shrugged and stuffed the bill into the cut-glass tip jar on the bar.

“What do we know about this guy?” Aidan asked under his breath.

“Ramsey?” Levi sounded unconcerned.

“Wes told me he’s a hockey player. On long-term injured reserve,” Aidan said, “but that’s it.”

Aidan realized he should have spent a minute googling this guy they were hanging out with. He trusted Wes—who apparently knew him well—but he should have done his research anyway.

Instead he’d spent the two hours after practice before they met up getting a haircut and agonizing in front of his closet trying to figure out what shirt made him look more laid-back than he actually was.

He shouldn’t have worried honestly, considering that Levi was in some egregiously neon-bright patterned shirt. Nobody was even going to notice he existed when he was next to Levi.

Except—Levi might notice, and that was the only person Aidan wanted to look at him anyway.

When they’d all grabbed a drink, Ramsey led the way to their private room.

As promised, it had dark green walls, faintly embossed with a wavy leaf pattern, and at the center of the room, a pristine dark wood pool table.

To one side were the dart boards, closed up in their matching wood enclosures.

The music was lower here, and there were at least two big NFL player–sized couches and a number of comfortable-looking chairs scattered around the space.

“This is a pretty sweet setup,” Levi said.

“Told you,” Wes said a little smugly. “Ramsey’s the best at finding places like this.”

“And you’re not even from Toronto,” Aidan said a little pointedly.

Ramsey just shrugged. “No, but Buffalo’s so close. And Wes is here, so we’ve met up a bunch.” He hesitated. “Especially last year.”

Wes made a face, clear pain flashing across it before it was covered up by exasperation. “Don’t,” he said.

“Chill. I wasn’t going to mention Marcus,” Ramsey said.

Aidan hadn’t even known that Wes’ ex was named Marcus, so it seemed like Ramsey was a very good friend, if he knew that much.

“Wes said you were on injured reserve,” Levi said.

Seemed like he and his new right tackle were on the same page—they both wanted to know more about this friend of Wes’.

Aidan hoped that it wasn’t because Levi wanted in his pants, but then, Levi wasn’t flirting with him. Not the way he flirted with Aidan, anyway.

“Yeah,” Ramsey said. “Concussion syndrome. Had a bad one last year, right after I signed my extension. but I’d had a few before, in college, and this one lingered.” The way he said it made it clear that he’d had to repeat this information many times, in a lot of different situations.

“Didn’t know you could drink with concussion syndrome,” Nate said casually, nodding at the drink in Ramsey’s hand.

It might have been the first time Nate had said anything since being introduced to Ramsey and Aidan thought that was surprising.

Nate wasn’t the most social guy on the planet, but he wasn’t exactly quiet, either.

Ramsey raised an eyebrow, giving him a pointed look. “This? This isn’t vodka. It’s just sparkling water, dude.”

Nate’s mouth thinned into a hard line. “Ah.”

It was surprising how annoyed Nate seemed; he was usually up for a good time, and from all angles, it seemed like both this bar and Ramsey were a good time.

“Hey,” Dawson said, “who’s up for a game?” He grabbed a cue from the rack and rolled it between his palms.

“I’ll play,” Cam said immediately.

“Count me in too,” Lane said, and Trevor nodded too.

“Flynn? Banks?” Dawson asked them.

“I’m good,” Aidan said and Levi shook his head.

“My balance isn’t what it used to be. I can usually make do with darts, but not pool,” Ramsey said wryly.

“Dude, that sucks,” Levi said sympathetically. “So what’s it like, long-term injured reserve? Know what it’s like in football but not hockey.”

“Get paid. Do nothing. Try to recover so I can play again. That’s what it’s like,” Ramsey said. “Hardest part is staying busy. Which is why I’m up here. Wes was tired of me whining about being alone in Buffalo.”

“He was so depressing,” Wes said earnestly.

“And we’re there for each other.” They exchanged glances, loaded with some kind of emotion—Aidan was pretty sure it wasn’t sexual or romantic, but then, he was shitty at figuring out feelings anyway.

There was a reason he was struggling with the whole thing with Levi.

“Adorable,” Nate said dryly.

“We’ve known each other a long time,” Ramsey said, jaw jutting out a bit. Aidan had a feeling he wasn’t really defending himself but Wes.

Honestly, what was Nate’s problem? Aidan was naturally kind of suspicious of new guys—especially new guys who weren’t football players—entering their circle, but Ramsey was a pro, too. And Wes was vouching for him.

“Yeah?” Aidan asked casually, but sending a pointed look in Nate’s direction. He wasn’t Nate’s captain—that was Sterling. But he was a veteran and a leader on this team, and usually his teammates listened to what he was laying down.

“We went to Portland U together,” Wes said.

“Hockey player and football player becoming friends? That’s unusual,” Dawson said, as he finished racking up the balls.

“Not that unusual,” Ramsey said. “We’ve got friends who ended up together. Dean plays football for the Riptide and Brody could’ve gone pro as a hockey player. Was drafted and everything but he decided to go to med school, like the fucking overachiever he is.”

“You’re still torn up about that,” Wes teased. “Brody picking science over hockey.”

“Well, yeah,” Ramsey said flatly. Like he couldn’t imagine anyone picking anything over hockey.

Coming from a guy currently not playing, it hurt. It hurt to look at him, and not just because he looked like the kind of guy who belonged on the cover of GQ.

“You’re gonna get there, bud,” Wes said, patting him on the arm. He pulled him over to the dartboards a moment later, along with Nate, and Aidan and Levi were left to their own devices.

Aidan settled down on the end of one couch, where he could see both the pool game and the dartboards, and he wasn’t surprised at all when Levi joined him.

He was surprised that Levi settled down right next to him and then slung an arm across the back of the couch, his fingers brushing Aidan’s shoulder. He didn’t pull Aidan against him, but he might as well have.

Aidan swallowed hard and glanced around the room but nobody was paying attention to them. Maybe they’d already noticed and just assumed Levi was touchy-feely like that.

And Levi was. Aidan had seen him hugging Griff and the other linemen. Pulling Trevor into an embrace. Casually resting a hand on Nate’s back or Wes’ arm.

With him, though, it felt like more. Especially when the tips of Levi’s fingers lingered along his shoulders. Practically stroking him.

“You good?” Levi asked, leaning in a fraction closer.

Aidan told himself to stop overthinking—to stop thinking, period—and just enjoy it, like it wasn’t a big deal. Because clearly, Levi didn’t think it was a big deal.

“Yeah. Should probably be asking you that, after today’s practice.” Aidan took a sip of whiskey. It was warm and smokey on his tongue.

Levi chuckled. “Told you, Flynn. I’m tougher than that.”

And he was tough, for sure. No question about that. But he wasn’t just tough; he was soft, too. Not just good at putting people at ease, but caring enough to do it.

“Bet Ross wishes you were a little less tough,” Aidan said.

Levi sighed. His fingers stroked with more purpose, like it wasn’t just an incidental touch, but entirely on purpose.

“It might get ugly, at some point,” Levi pointed out carefully.

“What’s gonna be ugly is if I spend the next twenty weeks with my ass on the turf,” Aidan said, trying to keep his voice light, but it was impossible to keep the dread out of it.

If that happened, they wouldn’t win very many games.

They definitely wouldn’t be going to the Super Bowl, never mind winning it.

It might even cut his career a year short.

“I promise you that isn’t going to happen,” Levi said.

Aidan almost said that was impossible; there were too many factors to consider besides Levi’s sheer fucking will, but when he looked over, he could see the certainty shining in Levi’s eyes. He believed it, and that made Aidan want to believe it, too.

He felt Levi’s whole hand cup Aidan’s shoulder. It comforted, but it also sent a spike of longing through him.

“Okay,” Aidan said, and Levi smiled. It was that same camaraderie that he’d learned over the years you could share with a teammate, but it was more too. Because the smile wasn’t just a smile. It made Aidan’s insides heat up until they felt sizzling hot. Practically caramelized.

“I got you, baby,” Levi said under his breath, squeezing Aidan’s shoulder.

He had teammates, of course, that he could rely and depend on. That had always been true. But before Mo had left for Vegas, he’d been that extra-special support. The guy that Aidan could trust more than he could trust himself.

Aidan had told himself so many times that nobody could ever take that spot.

And Levi wasn’t, not really. It was like he was in the middle of carving a new one, right next to Aidan.

Not just next to him, but slightly angled to the front.

Ready and prepared to take the hit before Aidan even registered it was coming.

That was new.

The baby was also new.

Aidan wanted to crinkle his nose and demand that Levi never call him that again. But if he did, he’d probably call him something worse. Like sweetheart or honeybunches. Or God, bro.

They finished their drinks in silence, watching as Cam cleaned everyone out at pool, and surprisingly, Ramsey owned Nate and Wes at darts.

“Hey, I said I was better at darts,” Ramsey said as Nate bitched about him cheating.

“Yeah, if you don’t like losing, don’t play him at cards,” Wes said seriously.

“Noted,” Nate said, shooting Ramsey an almost dirty look. Nate was a bad loser, sure—they all were—but Aidan still wasn’t sure what Nate’s big issue was with the new guy.

“Hey, it’s almost like I’m in trouble for being awesome,” Ramsey said, laughing. The almost dark look in his eyes that had been lingering before was gone. He slung an arm around Wes. “We better get you home, get you to bed. Big day tomorrow.”

“It is?” Wes questioned. “I thought we had the day off.”

“Yeah, exactly. You have the day off before the run-through for your first big start.”

Aidan wasn’t going to say it, but Trevor said it anyway. “Dude, it’s a preseason game.”

Ramsey smacked him upside the head as Wes made a face. “Dude, I’m being a supportive friend, even though football sucks.”

Everyone looked at him at the same time. “What?” Ramsey asked, shrugging. “It does. It’s not hockey, that’s for damn sure.”

“Can I get pissed at him now?” Nate muttered under his breath.

“No,” Aidan said firmly.

A harder hit or a landing that wasn’t quite as smooth as it should’ve been, and he’d be Ramsey. Haunting someone else’s house, just so he didn’t have to be alone and contemplate the pointlessness of his existence.

It would probably be Riley’s house, and as much as he loved his brother, that would’ve been hell on earth.

“I like you,” Ramsey said, moving his arm from Wes to Aidan. “You’re not what everyone says you are.”

Aidan raised an eyebrow. “What does everyone say I am?”

“Don’t listen to him, bro,” Trevor interrupted earnestly. “You’re the best.”

“No, no, I really want to hear this,” Aidan said. It couldn’t be any worse than the teasing comments Levi directed his way regularly. Even if those did sting less, delivered in that flirty voice like Levi always used. Knowing that, despite all his flaws, Levi liked him. At least as a friend.

It suddenly occurred to Aidan that he wanted Levi to like him more than that, though.

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

“Hey,” Ramsey said, glancing at him, because Aidan had clearly tensed up, “are you alright? I don’t have to—”

“No, tell me,” Aidan said forcibly. Maybe absorbing Ramsey’s semi-offensive opinions about his reputation would distract him from Levi.

Ramsey shrugged. “Nothing bad. Just serious. Intense. Works hard. Never takes a break. No fun.” He grinned then. “But you’re kinda fun, actually.”

“Don’t tell him that. It’s just gonna go to his head, and his ego’s already big enough,” Levi said.

Aidan wondered if he was imagining the way Levi’s gaze narrowed at Ramsey’s arm rested so casually around Aidan’s shoulders.

He shouldn’t want Levi to be jealous. That would be petty and childish and ridiculous.

But he wanted it, anyway.

“My ego’s the perfect size,” Aidan said, adopting the smug tone that everyone believed came easily to him, but didn’t quite sit as comfortably on him as they thought. Fake it til you make it, or something.

“Oh, it is, baby,” Levi teased.

Ramsey’s eyebrows crept up, and for a second breathless moment, Aidan thought maybe he’d figured it out. Not that there was anything to figure out. He and Levi were teammates. Friends. Co-stepbrothers-in-law or something like that.

But Aidan caught Ramsey’s knowing look as they headed out towards the door, and Aidan wasn’t quite sure that was all they were. Not anymore.