Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
T ressy
What the hell had I gotten myself into?
I watched Rowdy stroll away, toward the buzz of loud voices coming from somewhere down the hall. I couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying. Or maybe I couldn’t understand because I was more interested in the way Rowdy’s jean’s clung to his muscular ass and thighs.
The man had muscles on muscles in all the right places, though he didn’t come off like a muscle-bound jock. It’d be better for me if he did. I could ignore him more easily.
“Ma’am, can I come in now?”
I gasped, “Oh, geez,” as I turned back to the door to see the younger man staring at me with a confused smile. “I’m so sorry.”
“No problem.” He nodded his head at me. “I just don’t want to be late for my first game day.”
“Then don’t let me hold you up any longer.”
He gave me a big smile as I walked through the door then waved as he headed down the hall. Unknowingly headed toward his doom of the Toilet Run.
Shaking my head, I took a deep breath, the unfamiliar scents of the arena making my nose twitch. The smell wasn’t unpleasant, it was just…different. Like day-old popcorn and an industrial ice maker.
A loud cheer sounded from the end of the hall. The locker room, I guessed. Whatever the Toilet Run was, I had a feeling it wouldn’t be fun for Denny.
I grinned, a little surprised at myself. After last night, I hadn’t been sure I’d find anything funny for a long time. As a kid, I’d laughed all the time. It’d been my trademark, giggly and joyous. It’s also made me one of the most bankable child stars on TV.
Until that giggly child became a sly, snarky teenager. And my career had taken a hit. I’d played a few goth best friends, overdosed a few times as drug addicts on Grey’s Anatomy and Law & Order, and had one memorable three-episode arc as a dying cancer patient on an HBO miniseries that won a couple of awards.
By the time I’d turned seventeen, the roles had dried up. And my sister had never been able to duplicate my success, much to our mom’s chagrin and my sister’s bitterness.
Last night’s event was supposed to have been the start of my sister’s big comeback. But my mom and sister hadn’t counted on me saying no and fucking up their big plans.
Roiling anger and that awful sense of betrayal hit me again, deep in my gut where it burned and made me feel like I wanted to throw up.
With an effort, I took a couple of deep breaths and shoved all of that out of my head. If I let them, those thoughts would consume me, take me back to that dark place I’d been in during my teens.
Not today.
There was a handsome man down that hall who looked at me like he wanted to kiss me. Surprisingly, I wanted to kiss him back. I might be crazy. I might just be horny. Right now, I didn’t care. I wanted to be a woman who could answer the question in his eyes. Yes, I liked him. Yes, I wanted?—
Another whoop went up from the locker room then the door at the end of the hall flew open so hard, it smashed against the brick wall, and Denny sprinted though it. In nothing but his underwear. His expression was part resignation, part determination.
He was running flat-out by the time he reached the end of the hall and took the corner. I sucked in a gasp when he nearly wiped out, but he righted himself and took off down the concourse.
And holy crap, the guy was ripped. My mouth fell open as I caught sight of his muscular ass and thighs as he disappeared around the corner of the elliptical arena.
“I think I’m offended.”
Blinking, I turned to find Rowdy coming up behind me.
“What?”
“You don’t look at me the way you just looked at him.”
I heard the flirtation in his tone but also a bit of jealousy.
“You didn’t just run by me in your underwear.”
His brows arched and his eyes widened just a little. “Are you saying you want to see me in my underwear?”
He was flirting. And a little ball of heat exploded in my gut when I realized I wanted to flirt back.
But should I? Could I? I couldn’t remember the last time I’d flirted with a guy. The last time I’d wanted to flirt with a guy. Taking care of Krista and building my career had consumed my life for the past six years. The moment the nurse had put her in my arms, I’d known my life was going to change. And it had. There were so many good things about my life now. But a man was not one of those.
It’s not like you’re going to marry the guy. Just loosen up and have a little fun .
Taking a breath, I deliberately looked him up and down. “Will you look that good?”
His smile slowly widened into an all-out grin that made my stomach flip and my core clench.
“If you think the rookie looks good, you’ve never seen a real man.”
I was beginning to think he was right. Not that I’d tell him that, but damn, I’d love to see Rowdy in his underwear. Oh, hell, I’d totally prefer him without the underwear.
“Sorry to ruin your little fantasy world, but I have seen naked men before.”
“Rowdy! You’re supposed to be making sure the rookie hits all the bathrooms. Not talking to the beautiful lady.”
I turned to find the entire team watching us. And grinning. A few of them were outright laughing. And wow. I didn’t think I’d ever seen a group of men this…big. Like lumberjack big. Tall. Broad. Muscular. Handsome. So many good-looking guys. Maybe they only hired the handsome ones.
Then again, I’d never been around a lot of athletes before. I spent most of my days with child actors and their parents. None of them looked like these guys. Not a single damn one.
“The rookie ain’t back yet.” Rowdy yelled over his shoulder, never taking his eyes off of me. He crossed his arms over that broad chest. “So you wanna see me naked?”
When he arched his brows even higher, I began to laugh, which turned into a snort when I tried not to snort. Covering my mouth with my hand, I just shook my head while Rowdy chuckled, looking pleased with himself. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of movement and turned to see Denny sprinting up the hall behind me, carrying…something.
“Y’all are sadistic motherfuckers.” Denny panted as he stopped next to Rowdy. His well-muscled chest heaved, six-pack abs clenched. “Sorry for the language, ma’am.”
Rowdy burst out laughing, as did the rest of the team .
“You get them all, rookie?” Rowdy had to raise his voice to be heard over the whoops from the rest of the team.
Breathing heavily, Denny raised his right arm, gripping something in his hand.
“I wanna know who put that last one in the damn trashcan.” Denny scowled. “You’re a sick bastard.”
I couldn’t tell what he held right away, then had to take a second look to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing.
I leaned a little closer to Rowdy, so he could hear me. “Are those…”
“Yes, they are,” Rowdy said, his amusement clear.
My nose wrinkled. “Ew.”
“Hey, at least they’re clean. The sadist who came up with the Toilet Run made sure they came straight from the dirty laundry.”
Denny clenched six jock straps in his hand, still breathing like a freight train.
“What the hell am I supposed to do with them now?”
“Well,” Rowdy said, “now you have to keep the one that fits and wear it tonight for good luck.”
Denny’s whole face scrunched, making me cover my laughter with a cough.
“All right, Devils.” Rowdy clapped his hands. “Let’s go. We still gotta do the offering.”
Breaking off into smaller groups, the guys turned and headed back toward the locker room, herding poor Denny with them. A few of the guys turned to give Rowdy the eye but kept moving, leaving us alone.
I looked up at him, smiling. “Is it like this all the time?”
“Like what? This much fun?”
His expression made it clear he was being serious. Then again…
“This chaotic,” I said.
Now his grin burst wide, and my heart beat a little fast. “Nah. Sometimes we actually play hockey.”