Chapter Seven
As I’m walking through the players’ garage toward my Navigator, I notice a chick with long blonde hair leaning against my driver’s side door.
Though she looks pretty from afar, I still can’t help but think, Oh hell, not this again.
It’s not the first time something like this has happened—a woman waiting for me at my vehicle. How they always find out what I drive baffles me. That takes some serious research. In any case, though, this usually occurs at bars or clubs, never here at the arena.
I wonder how this one got past the attendant.
I begin to feel slightly irritated, until I get closer and realize it’s fucking Madison Ellery leaning against my Nav.
Whoa, what’s the chance?
It’s like I’ve been blessed by the fates.
My irritation instantly changes over to excitement and a bit of curiosity as to why she’s here. Clearly, she snuck in, and also clearly, she’s here to see me.
Great!
Now I don’t have to figure out a way to meet her.
It’s like this is meant to be—here she is, a present dropped from the sky.
Funny thing is, she looks so lost in thought that she doesn’t even notice me approaching from the back of the vehicle. I’m still far enough away that I decide to have a little fun with this.
Stepping out of view, I approach the car from the far side, out of her sightline. Only when I reach the corner of the back bumper do I make my presence known by clearing my throat.
Madison jumps away from the door and spins around to face me. “Oh shit,” she says.
“My sentiments exactly,” I reply smoothly.
As she bites her lip, looking cute as can be, I act unaffected. Truth is, I’m stunned by her absolute beauty up-close and personal like this.
But I’m not giving that away; I’m playing it cool.
Shrugging like it’s no big deal that someone I don’t really know is standing by my driver’s side door, I casually pop open the hatch, then proceed to place my hockey bag and two sticks into the back.
Lowering the hatch, I step around to the side of the car and raise a questioning brow as I say in a chill tone, “I’m assuming, considering the fact that you’re here in the players’ garage—an off-limits area, by the way—that Billy was once again neglecting his post.”
Not fazed in the least, Madison leans back against my Nav again. She checks out her long lavender nails, like she has nothing better to do, then finally says, “If Billy is the attendant, then yes, he was not at his post. Maybe he had to run to the bathroom or something.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I reply. And then I add with a smirk, “So you walked right in, eh?”
Lowering her hand and meeting my gaze—and damn, if her big green eyes aren’t absolutely stunning—she replies nonchalantly, “Drove in, actually.”
I raise a brow. “Oh, really?”
“Mmm-hmm. I’m parked right over there.” She jerks her thumb toward a bright blue Acura sedan.
Chuckling, I remark, “You just made yourself right at home, didn’t you?”
Madison crosses her arms over her cute black-and-violet Bears jersey and huffs. “Well, I kind of had to,” she says. “Seeing as this appeared to be my only chance to meet you in person. God knows Claire wasn’t going to make that happen.”
Ahhh, so we’re getting down to what’s really going on here.
Crossing my arms to match her stance, I reply, “So, you wanted to meet me?”
I’m acting all innocent, like this isn’t apparent.
“I did,” she confirms shamelessly.
Damn, I like this girl. I can tell already that she’s my kind of chick. She’s direct and doesn’t mess around with playing games.
Uncrossing my arms, I hold out my hand. “Okay, then let’s get down to it. I’m Lennox. Nice to meet you, Madison.”
Her brows shoot up as she places her hand in mine. “You know my name?” she murmurs incredulously.
Ah, I surprised her with that one.
Good.
“I sure do.” I lower my voice to a whisper and add, “Can I let you in on a little secret?”
I squeeze her hand lightly, and she says, “Sure.”
We shake once, and I release her hand.
I then just lay it on the line, because that’s the kind of guy I am.
Clearing my throat, I tell her, “I actually wanted to meet you too. I noticed you in the stands with Claire during our first game of the season. I also saw you again with her tonight. But, like you, when I brought up to Easton that I’d like to get to know you, he threw up a roadblock.”
“Sounds more like a cockblock,” she states nonchalantly.
I start laughing.
Madison is definitely the girl for me.
I have to get to know her better.
“Yeah, you could say that,” I reply, still chuckling.
With a roll of her pretty greens, Madison murmurs, “Those two.”
Turning serious, because I always have to warn women who may expect more, I say, “You can’t be mad at them. They’re just trying to protect you.”
She raises a brow and scoffs, “From what? You?”
I nod. “Yes, me and my reputation. I’m sure you’ve heard I don’t do relationships.”
“I have heard that,” she confirms. “But maybe Easton forgot to tell you that I don’t do them either.”
Whoa, now this is news.
I double-check that I’ve heard her correctly, “You don’t?”
“Nope.”
My interest in this girl blows through the roof. She has a hot body, she’s a beauty, and she’s just like me.
Could this situation get any better?
Wanting—no, needing to spend more time with her, like now, I say, “Hey, do you want to go somewhere and we can talk some more? The parking garage just isn’t cutting it. Someone is bound to come around soon.”
She raises a brow. “Maybe even Billy?”
That makes me laugh. “Yeah, possibly. There is a bathroom up here on the second floor. But I have to say, if he’s still gone from his post, he must be on one hell of a break.”
“That’s for sure,” she says, snickering.
Getting back to the business at hand, I blow out a breath and say, “So, what do you think? Are you ready to get out of here?”
Nodding, she says, “Sure. Where do you want to go?”
I look at my watch. “Well, it’s getting kind of late, so places are closing. But, at the risk of sounding like I’m running a total line, though I’m not, would you want to just hang out at my house for a while? You could follow me over. It’s not that far from here.”
With no hesitation, Madison says, “Yeah, sure, I’m up for that.”
This girl. She’s amazing already.
I nod once. “Cool.”
I give her the details of where I live just in case we get separated, and then she heads over to her car.
I watch her as she’s walking away, and fuck! Her legs in those boots look positively sinful.
What I told her was true—I have every intention of just getting to know her better back at my house.
Buuuut if something more were to happen—completely up to her, of course—I’m sure as hell not going to put a stop to it.
Fuck, no.