Page 17 of Reputation (Toronto Royals #1)

Chapter Eleven

Eavie

The rest of the week flew by for Eavie. Between her boss’s busy calendar and the player’s game schedule, she spent most of her time moving from meeting to meeting.

The positive side of immersing herself in the day-to-day activities of her job kept her from having too much time to think about anything other than work.

The Royals had played one more home game before they traveled to New York to play the Crimson, coming away victorious at both.

Before she knew it, it was Saturday morning, and Elizabeth, a friend of hers and Joyce’s from university, was in town for a layover.

Elizabeth was a flight attendant and spent her time traveling the world.

Her base was currently in London, so they rarely saw her.

They tried to get together whenever she had a layover in the city.

They made dinner reservations at the CanCan Club, giving Eavie the day to get through her long to-do list.

After their morning kickboxing session, she and Joyce meandered over to St. Lawrence Market for some groceries, where they also grabbed coffee and delectable breakfast sandwiches from one of the famous stalls in the packed market hall.

Grabbing a small table, they both devoured their sandwiches. The buttery biscuits left grease covering Eavie’s lips as the savory cheese, egg, and bacon flavors melted in her mouth. The fact she was starving after her workout made the sandwich taste twice as good.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Elizabeth tonight,” Joyce commented once they finished eating. “I missed seeing her the last time she was here.”

“I was thinking of booking a trip during Christmas. I’ve always wanted to see London during the holidays, and it would be fun to do some shopping. It’s too bad you landed the lead in the Nutcracker this year. I guess you won’t be able to join me,” Eavie replied with fake sorrow.

“Oh yes, poor me. Living out my dream of playing the Sugar Plum Fairy instead of shopping in London. What a terrible life I lead.”

Laughing, they picked up their garbage and headed to the vendor stalls to get what they needed.

While waiting at one of the meat counters, Joyce said casually, “So, you haven’t mentioned Jax in a while. Does that mean he’s given up his pursuit of you?”

Glancing at her sideways, Eavie said, “I wouldn’t call four days a while.”

“That’s just semantics,” she shot back.

Eavie gave her a dry look but answered her, knowing Joyce wouldn’t stop until she did. “I couldn’t tell you. He’s been focused on hockey, and I’ve been swamped. I’ve only seen him from a distance the last few days, which is fine with me. The less time I spend around him, the better.”

“Oh please, who are you fooling?” Joyce scoffed incredulously. “Being distant from him is the opposite of what you want. You get this look on your face every time I mention him. It’s like just hearing his name sends you into heat.”

Eavie felt her jaw drop as a shocked laugh escaped. “I do not!” she said defensively.

“Oh yes, you do. I mean, I get why you’ve turned him down…twice, but I don’t know how you did. If that sexy piece of pure masculinity asked me out, I would throw my panties at him.” Joyce said cheekily, waving her hand in front of her face in an imitation of a fan.

“Oh my god,” Eavie said, laughing. “That’s so gross. Besides, you’re one to talk. I’ve seen your face get all hot when Eric buys you a drink, but as far as I know, your panties have always stayed on.”

Joyce grunted and turned her attention to the girl behind the counter, signaling the end of the conversation. Eavie had known for a while there was something between her twin and Joyce, but neither would admit it.

Smirking at Joyce’s obvious discomfort and pleased that her tactic worked, Eavie placed her order, collected her wax-wrapped packages, and moved on to the bread counter.

By the time they finished at the market and returned to their condo building, it was late afternoon, giving her enough time to do some cleaning before getting ready for dinner.

Eavie went through her weekly chores with her earbuds playing this week’s top hits on Spotify.

With Taylor Swift blaring through her AirPods, she let her mind wander.

Before she caught herself, her thoughts diverged to Jax and what she knew it felt like to have his attention focused on her.

She knew it was a dangerous game to play, but she couldn’t help thinking about what would have happened if she had gone home with him.

Flickers of the darkened hallway the night they met amplified her already throbbing libido.

His hands in her hair, tugging her head back.

His lips parting hers so he could taste her deeper.

The feel of her leg wrapped around his waist as his hard cock rubbed right where she needed it.

The hard muscles of his body under her hands.

His fingers digging into her back, bringing her body closer.

Then, she heard the words he had spoken to her. Smooth and as intoxicating as bourbon, and as consuming as his touch, the words awoke a desire she didn’t know she had.

Good girl, he’d rasped into her ear.

Her knees had nearly buckled under the deluge of passion that had rocked her down to her marrow. A wave of inherent fervor threatening to sweep her away.

Suddenly, she snapped back to the present, her eyes focusing on the tiles she was scrubbing.

Standing in her shower, she became aware that sweat coated her skin and her breathing had grown labored.

She leaned back against the porcelain, feeling the cold sting her overheated skin through her threadbare t-shirt.

Her body ached with that desire, her heart beating rapidly in her chest like a stampede of elephants.

She didn’t need to look in the mirror to know her face would be flushed, her eyes shining with lust.

Shit …this was not good. How could she be so stupid as to let her mind go there? Despite it being just a memory, Eavie knew if she slid her hand beneath the waistband of her ratty sweatpants, she would feel wetness pooling between her legs. How easily she would come at a few strokes of her fingers.

She had to reel in her mind and get control of her reactions to this man.

Maybe Joyce was right. She needed to get laid.

It had been a long time since she’d been on a date and even longer since the last time she’d had sex.

Maybe it was time to check out a dating app and see if anyone sparked her interest.

Grabbing the shower head, she rinsed the foam cleaner from the tiles. Watching the hot water cascade over the white interior of her shower, she wished she could rinse the vivid daydream from her memory. But instead of hot, she needed ice-cold water.

The CanCan Club resembled a cabaret theater in Paris, with dark red and pink curtains, a wide stage at the front, and circular tables lit by tapered candles in old wine bottles.

The restaurant’s entrance was at street level, but just beyond the archway, a tapered staircase led down to the dining area. The place was sexy and alluring, offering excellent French cuisine and incredible entertainment.

Pausing just inside the entrance where they had a vantage point of the whole restaurant, they spotted Elizabeth at a table near the center, chatting with a server pouring a bottle of wine.

“Oh good, she ordered for us,” said Eavie.

“I’ve missed her,” said Joyce with a laugh.

They strode down the sweeping stairs and over to Elizabeth, who greeted them with a big smile and a fierce hug each.

“Oh my god, I’ve missed you both so much!” Elizabeth said, flashing her perfect white smile at them.

She looked stunning in a tight red long-sleeve dress and nude open-toed booties. Her long brown hair swept down her back, and smokey eye makeup accompanied her bright green eyes.

Eavie herself had chosen a classic little black dress with a square halter neckline and black stilettos.

Joyce, on the other hand, wore a short, light pink strapless dress that looked stunning on her.

With a V in the center of the sweetheart’s neckline and a giant angled bow fastened on one side, the dress hugged her petite figure perfectly.

“We’ve missed you too! It’s been too long since your last trip here,” replied Joyce as they sat down. “I want to hear about your recent adventures. Everything you post looks so incredible.”

“I know. I’ve been doing an Asia route recently. I’ve seen some beautiful places, but the flights are so long. I’m looking forward to returning to the London-Toronto routine for a while.”

“God, your life is amazing. I wish my job allowed me to fly to exotic locations every week,” said Joyce.

“It is fun, but even I get tired of it sometimes. Anyway, I want to hear about what’s new with you two,” she said, smiling at them.

“Joyce has some exciting news,” Eavie said, sipping her wine.

“Oh,” asked Elizabeth, one perfectly shaped dark eyebrow raised.

“I landed the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker this year,” she answered, a smug smile on her face.

“ WHAT ,” Elizabeth screamed. “Oh my god, that’s fantastic! You’ve been auditioning for that role for years!” She clapped her hands in joy. “How amazing does that feel?”

“You have no idea,” she said.

“I’m so excited for you. Congrats, Joyce,” Elizabeth beamed at her before turning her green gaze on Eavie. “Speaking of work. How is your new job, Eavie?”

“It’s great. Hectic, but I love it.”

“And how are the players? Is there lots of good eye candy? Are you interested in any of them?” asked Elizabeth, looking at her intently.

“There’s plenty of eye candy.” She was willing to give her that small tidbit. “But I’m not interested in any of the players,” she finished, picking up her wine again.

The flavors of plum, cherry, and spices exploded on her tongue as she swallowed the Merlot. Setting her glass down, she became aware of the silence at the table.