Chapter 6
Chapter Six
BLAKELY
“Yes, put the drinks right there, perfect,” I say to one of the waitstaff manning the Cane suite tonight. “Can we please check with the chef on the food? I want to ensure everything is hot and the timing aligns with the game.”
“Yes, of course,” she says before taking off through the staff door.
I glance around the room, satisfied with how it’s been put together. I’ve spent extra time on the suite, more time than the others I’m manning today, but you know, the man offered me a job today, so I feel like I have to live up to expectations.
I glance down at my new phone—actually loving the case Halsey picked out—and see that Huxley is supposed to arrive any moment. The boys are already out on the ice, warming up.
When I turn around to check the hallway for them, I see Huxley open the door for who I’m going to assume is his wife. Beautiful long brown hair, curvaceous body, and a baby strapped to her chest, she’s positively gorgeous and exactly who I’d have pictured for Huxley’s wife.
And Huxley, casually wearing a pair of black jeans and a black polo, is throwing me off from his regular business suit apparel— but look at those arms . . . my God.
“Miss White,” he says with a smile. “So glad to see you.”
“You too,” I say, walking up to him. “You were able to find the suite okay?”
“Just fine,” he says. “I want to introduce my wife. This is Lottie Cane.”
“Lottie, it’s so nice to meet you.”
She offers me a warm smile. “You as well. I’ve heard a lot about you, Blakely. Seems like you’ve made a good impression on my husband.” There’s nothing malicious about her comment. It’s very complimentary.
“Just doing my job,” I answer.
“And doing it well,” another man says, walking into the suite.
From the floppy yet sexy haircut to the same jawline and body, I can only assume this is one of Huxley’s brothers.
His eyes land on mine, and that stir of intimidation from his gorgeous looks makes me feel slightly out of place. “JP Cane, it’s so nice to meet you, Blakely. This is my wife, Kelsey.”
Kelsey is also wrapped up with a baby, and I wonder just how far apart they were in their pregnancies.
“It’s so nice to meet you. You have the best suite available. For the little ones, if you stay in this portion of the suite, with the doors to the arena closed, the crowd won’t be loud at all, so the babies won’t be disturbed.”
“That’s great,” JP says while looking around. “Weird to think Kenzie’s brother plays here.”
“Oh, who is her brother . . .” The question falls off my lips just as a very familiar face walks through the doors. Holy shit.
“Blakely?” she says as my roommate from college comes into view.
“Kenzie?” I ask. “Oh my God.” And then it hits me. Oden O’Connor. Duh. Jesus, why didn’t I put two and two together?
I walk up to her and open my arms. Like in old times, she falls into my embrace and hugs me.
“Oh my goodness, it’s been so long,” she says, squeezing me tight. “Why has it been so long?”
“Because I’m a terrible friend,” I answer before pulling away and looking at her. Still so freaking cute with her quirky glasses and Mrs. Frizzle-type attire. “Look at you, you look amazing.”
“So do you.” She takes my hands in hers. “Why didn’t Oden tell me you were working here?”
“I don’t think he realized because neither did I.”
“How do you know each other?” Huxley asks.
I pull Kenzie in close and say, “Kenzie was my roommate in college. We were inseparable for four years. Even during school breaks, she’d come home with me or I’d go home with her.
We spent an entire summer in her hometown, Almond Bay, hanging out on the beach, going to their cute town events, and buying a cookie a day from The Almond Store.
” I turn toward her. “I dream about those cookies.”
She chuckles. “They now make cookie mix and sell it online so you can make your own at home.”
“Well, sign me up.” I bring her in for another squeeze and realize I need to pull it together and be professional. “Sorry about the gushing. I haven’t seen this girl in a while, and it took me by surprise.”
“Not a problem at all,” Huxley says. “Feel free to reconnect and, Kenzie, don’t be afraid to tell Blakely how wonderful we would be to work with.”
She laughs. “They’re demons. Don’t even consider it.” When Huxley raises his brow, she laughs again. “Just kidding. You would be very lucky.”
“That’s better,” Huxley says before placing his hand on Lottie’s back and leading her to a high-top table along with Kelsey and JP.
Quietly, I say, “I can’t believe you’re here. How long are you in town for?”
“For a few days.”
“Really? We need to catch up. What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Planned on sightseeing, but you let me know when you’re available, and I’ll make time to see you.”
“Perfect. I have some temporary housing at the moment, but you can meet me there, and either we can grab something to eat or stay in.”
“Stay in for sure.”
“I knew you were going to say that.” I nudge her. “You haven’t changed.”
“Neither have you.”
I pull my phone out and search for her name. When I find it, I flash her the screen and say, “Is this still your number?”
“Yup.”
“Perfect. I’ll text you.”
“Sounds great.”
“Well, enjoy the game, and if you guys need anything, I’ll be in and out.”
“Thank you,” Huxley calls out.
I give Kenzie’s hand one more squeeze before leaving, a smile on my face.
Kenzie: Do you have time for lunch today? Not sure about your schedule.
Blakely: I don’t have to go into the office today because the guys have an off/travel day. Lunch is perfect. I’ll send my address. Want me to order some pizza with sausage?
Kenzie: Just like old times. I’ll bring some cookies for dessert.
Blakely: Sounds great.
I set my phone down and slip my robe over my thin pajama set. Normally, I wouldn’t even consider putting a robe on, but given my new roommate, I figure I should respect his space and not walk around barely dressed.
Once the robe is tied, I head out into the kitchen where I can smell coffee, but instead of seeing a fully clothed Halsey in the kitchen, I’m stunned.
.. and breathless . Halsey’s standing there in low-hanging shorts that barely hang on to his narrow hips.
And that’s it. No shirt, no socks, no slippers, just his shorts.
Excuse my eyes, but they wander. They wander over the dimples right above his ass, the sinew that threads just under the surface of his skin, and the bulging muscles that climb up his back and over his shoulders, shifting and contracting with even the slightest of movements.
He’s not wearing a shirt.
That’s . . . that doesn’t seem like him.
He’s the shirt-wearing kind of guy.
I almost think he’d wear a shirt in the pool. That’s how prudish he seems.
So to see him sans shirt throws me off. Until he slowly starts to turn around, coffee mug in hand, his head bent, blowing on the hot liquid.
Holy.
Fucking.
Shit.
The man is carved from stone with divots and curves I don’t think I’ve ever seen in real life.
Thick pecs, toned but boulder-like arms, and a six-pack that could do serious damage to any stain on a piece of fabric.
And the V in his hips, it’s cut so deep that I truly fear his shorts may fall off if he moves too quickly.
Not to mention the short stack of hair that starts under his belly button and trails down to his waistline, disappearing where my eyes travel to an obvious bulge in his pants.
Not the kind of bulge that screams morning wood but the type of bulge that says he’s packing and can’t do anything about it.
“Oh shit, you scared me,” he says, startling me as well as my eyes shoot up to his.
“Sorry.” I swallow hard, trying to rid my mind of thoughts of his bulge. This is Halsey Holmes. You don’t think about him like that, and you definitely don’t think about him when you’re sharing his apartment. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“You’re good,” he says as he lifts himself onto the corner of the counter, his long legs hanging off the edge, his thick thighs pulling at the fabric of his shorts while his calves nearly share the same diameter as my quad.
Eyes up, Blakely.
Eyes up.
“Good game last night,” I say as I move into the kitchen for some coffee. Hopefully, that will wake me up and keep me busy so I don’t keep staring at the man in front of me.
Wait until I text Penny about this.
“Yeah, the boys played hard.”
I reach for a mug from the cabinet and say, “Your two goals didn’t hurt either.”
“That’s what happens when you have a flawless connection with your teammates on the ice.”
I glance over my shoulder at him, and the cute way his bedhead makes him look sleepy and adorable at the same time. “Can’t take a compliment, can you?”
“I can. Just put credit where credit is due.”
“Just makes you a good teammate.” I fill my coffee mug, then go to the fridge for some of the creamer I bought. I like the almond-flavored kind as it adds a nutty flavor to my morning nectar.
“Did you have a good day yesterday?” he asks.
When I glance over my shoulder, I catch him carefully studying me while sipping his coffee.
And I swear, something is different about him at this moment, other than the missing shirt.
It’s almost like he’s . . . slowly trying to come out of his shell but is still nervous to do so.
I say that as if I actually know this man. I don’t.
“I did. I surprisingly ran into my college roommate. She’s OC’s sister. I just made the connection. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her or her family, so I didn’t see it at first, but she was with Huxley Cane.”
“Oh . . . really?” he asks, his brows pinching together. “How does she know Cane?”
“From what little I gathered last night, her boyfriend started The Jock Report with his brother, which the Canes are investors in. And her cousins married Huxley and JP Cane. They’re visiting for a few days. I invited her over here to catch up. I hope that’s okay.”
“Oh sure, of course,” he answers. “You don’t need to ask me.”