Page 10 of Pucking My Grumpy Accidental Husband

"Professional," Jamie repeats slowly. "Is that what we're calling it now?"

"Calling what?"

"Whatever's happening between you and our hot new sports psychologist."

The words are out before I can stop them: "She's not hot."

Jamie stares at me like I've just claimed the earth is flat. "Are you fucking kidding me? Dax, the woman looks like she stepped outof a magazine. She's got that whole sexy librarian thing going on, and those legs?—"

"Don't," I interrupt, my voice coming out sharper than intended. "Don't talk about her like that."

"Like what?"

"Like she's some piece of ass instead of a professional doing her job."

Jamie's eyebrows shoot up. "Okay, first of all, when did you become the white knight of professional respect? Second, I wasn't being disrespectful. I was making an observation about an objectively attractive woman."

"Find something else to observe."

"Holy shit." Jamie sits back in his chair, grinning like he's just won the lottery. "You like her. You actually like Dr. Bennett."

"I don't like anyone."

"You do! You totally do! That's why you've been acting so weird. You've got a thing for the team shrink."

"She's not a shrink," I correct automatically. "She's a mental performance coach."

"Oh my God, you're defending her professional title. You're so fucked."

I am so fucked. But not in the way he thinks.

"Look," Jamie continues, apparently mistaking my silence for confession, "I get it. She's gorgeous, she's smart, she's got that whole mysterious thing going on. But you know Harrison's policy about staff fraternization, right?"

"I'm aware of the policy."

"Good. Because getting fired for pussy would be the stupidest way to end your career."

Every muscle in my body tenses. "What did you just say?"

"I said getting fired for?—"

"Don't ever call her that again." I stand up so fast my chair scrapes against the floor. "Don't ever talk about her like that."

Jamie holds up his hands. "Whoa, okay. Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Yes, you did."

"Fine, maybe I did. But Dax, you're proving my point. You're acting like a crazy person about this woman."

"I'm not acting like anything."

"You're acting like a guy who's about to do something stupid for a girl he can't have."

If only he knew how stupid I'd already been.

"Just... be careful, okay?" Jamie's voice is gentler now. "I know you haven't had anything real in a while, but Harrison doesn't fuck around with that policy. One hint of something inappropriate and you're both gone."

"There's nothing inappropriate happening."