Page 55 of Twisted Play

Always.

But now, I made my own rules.

23

EVA

Why didI think I’d be able to slip into morning workouts late without anyone noticing? The team was in the workout room, where Dr. Parker and an army of student trainers kept a careful eye on the players as they lifted weights, ran on the treadmill, and stretched. Players’ t-shirts were already dark with sweat.

Silently, I cataloged the kinesiology tape on Haruto’s knee and the way Rami favored his left side, hating that I was thinking about ways to gather more intel for Carter.

“Jackson,” Dr. Parker hollered, “get your ass over here.”

“Yes, doc,” I said, weaving my way between the players and machines to stand beside her. I breathed in deep, the familiar smell of rubber mats and metal and the rhythmic clink of weights settling the nerves that had kept me from sleeping last night.

Tristan lay on his stomach on a recovery mat, and Dr. Parker knelt beside him with one hand on the back of his thigh as she pushed his foot toward the ground.

“Push here,” she instructed, “while he resists, and then hold here.”

I knelt and replaced her hands with mine.

“Morning, kitten,” Tristan murmured.

I grunted a reply and began stretching out his quad.

“Sleep well?” he asked.

I didn’t say anything. What could I say?Your best friend and Alek are both blackmailing me for sex, and I’m terrified that when one of them finds out about the other, my father’s going to be the one who pays the price?Yeah, that’d go over well, I was sure.

Cole’s eyes burned into me from where he lifted weights, slamming them down every time my fingers twitched on Tristan’s thigh.

I’d spent the night tossing and turning, agonizing over how to tell Tristan I couldn’t see him anymore.

“Kitten?” He turned onto his side so he could see my face. His brow furrowed at my carefully blank expression. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Tristan,” I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. “On your belly so we can finish this stretch.”

He reached for my hand and stroked his thumb over my knuckles. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

I gave your best friend a blow job last night. I am selling team secrets to Jedediah Carter to save my father's life. And I can’t fucking afford dinner. No, I’m not okay.

Instead, I said, “Yeah, I just didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Let me take you out to breakfast after we work out.”

“How about absolutely fucking not?” I snapped, tired of pretending to be sweet, tired of keeping a smile on my face, tired of placating this hockey star who held too much power over my heart.

“Breakfast, sparrow?” Cole said silkily. “I can think of a few things you can eat.”

My eyes shot to Cole. “This is my workplace, and that’sharassment, asshole.” The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Tristan looked at me intently then flopped back on his belly to look at his best friend. He hummed, as if I hadn’t lost my shit ten seconds before, then waved his hand back at me. “Please, continue.”

“Yes, your highness,” I muttered under my breath, finishing one leg then standing to move to his other side to do the other.

Tristan sat up abruptly as I knelt beside him, our faces inches from one another. “Kitten, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”