Chapter 4
JAKE
Now who is this beauty, and why does she look familiar? And why is she looking at me with surprise, or is that…horror?
I reach out to steady her and nearly fall into her dark blue eyes.
Damn, but she’s got some sexy eyes.
Too bad they’re wide with fear.
Why is she afraid of me?
I mentally shake my head. Women have all kinds of reactions to my good looks.
Granted, they don’t usually look at me as if I’m a monster ready to rip their heads off. But more than a couple have fainted in my presence.
Reluctantly, I lower my arms. “Want to get a cup of coffee?” I blurt out. She blinks owlishly at me. “It’s the least I can do for nearly plowing you over.”
She doesn’t laugh. Doesn’t chuckle or giggle. What’s up with that? Women always laugh at my corny jokes. Maybe I should buy her a drink just to calm her down.
“N-no, no thanks,” the woman says and tries to step around me. I take one step to the side, effectively stopping her.
“Don’t drink coffee? No problem. Tell what you’d like and—”
“Sorry, but I’m in a hurry.”
This time, when she steps around me, I’m too stunned to do anything but let her pass.
When was the last time a woman turned me down? Has it ever happened?
I know it’s not just because of my good looks that has women flocking to me.
They want to share in my fame as a hockey player. There’s no shortage of puck bunnies, but somehow, I get the feeling this woman isn’t one of them.
Then what’s she doing in the clubhouse?
Another thought pops into my mind and I grin a slow grin. She’s playing hard to get. That’s got to be it.
It’s rare when a woman reacts this way to me, but it makes the chase all that much more enjoyable when the inevitable happens and we wind up in bed together.
Or the back of a car, in the gym, wherever works at the moment.
I take two large steps to catch up to her. “Wait, you didn’t even tell me your name.”
“No, I didn’t.”
My mouth drops open for a split second, then I bark out a laugh. Oh, this one’s got spunk and fire. I adore that!
“It’s just a name,” I coax.
She doesn’t even look at me. “Yes, but it’s my name.” Her tone is short and curt, and I find myself completely intrigued. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, as I said, I’m in a hurry.”
“My name is Jake.”
She’s walking a little faster now, but it’s easy to keep up with her.
“Jake Sorenson.”
“I know who you are, ‘Boomer.’” She doesn’t sound particularly impressed.
“Are you a fan, then?”
She stops, actually stops walking, and turns to me with narrowed blue eyes framed by dark lashes. “Of you? The Thunderwolves? Or the game?”
Okay, now I’ve got her talking.
I’m so excited about that I can’t think of an answer right away.
She tilts her head to one side, an impatient frown spreading across her beautiful face.
“All of it,” I finally answer.
Her gaze travels from my head to my feet. It’s a quick perusal, but I swear I can feel those eyes running along every nerve ending in my body.
“None of it,” she answers, then turns on her heel and starts walking again.
Holy shit, this woman is awesome.
I laugh again. Who knew I could have so much fun being rejected?
I stay where I’m at and let her continue walking.
My eyes travel the length of her, pausing for a long moment on her ass. What a nice ass it is, too.
She’s wearing a pant suit that, while not being skintight, fits snug enough for me to see how narrow her waist is and the long, lean line of her back.
Her black hair hangs nearly to her waist, the wavy strands swishing from side to side with every step she takes.
She must be the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen. And that’s saying a lot considering how many puck bunnies throw themselves at me daily.
Ash rounds the corner and frowns when he sees me. A second later, though, his gaze falls on the woman and he smiles. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ash smile so warmly at another woman before.
“Hey, Tish,” Ash calls out with a wave. “How’d it go?”
Oh, so that’s what’s going on.
I smile with understanding as I watch Ash walk up to Tish. She stops in front of him and the two start talking.
Her body language is relaxed and comfortable. Apparently, Ash doesn’t frighten her as much as I do.
The woman continues walking and Ash heads toward me, his smile turning into a scowl. I raise my hands in surrender.
“Sorry, dude. I didn’t realize she was your girl.”
“She’s not my girl, you idiot,” Ash says. “She’s Trent’s baby sister. And off limits,” he adds sternly.
“Ah, that’s why she looked so familiar.” I can see the family resemblance now.
Although Trent’s hair is brown instead of black and his eyes are light blue instead of his sister’s more intense dark blue, they have the same cheekbones and exotic eye shape.
Their mouths are similar too, full and expressive, especially on her.
“Off limits, Jake,” Ash reasserts. “I mean it.”
“I got it, take a breath, man.”
Ash is a cool guy, but he acts older than his age. Most of the time, he’s all business, which makes him a good captain for the team.
But that same attitude can piss a lot of people off. It’s hard to get to know Ash, but once you do, you find a very loyal and genuine friend—one who isn’t afraid to tell you exactly how it is.
Some people think it’s odd that Ash and I, so different from each other, are such good friends.
But what most don’t know is that I wasn’t always the carefree fun guy I am now. I used to be very serious, a lot like Ash is. I was all about hockey and school, but all that changed with Lillian.
My mood sours immediately and I scowl. Ash notices and raises an eyebrow. “Okay, what’s bothering you now?”
“Remember what I told you earlier?” I ask, but don’t wait for an answer. “Well, it’s gotten worse. She said she’s going to the tabloids with her story if I don’t admit I’m her baby’s daddy.”
“Shit,” Ash growls.
When Krista first approached me, telling me she was pregnant and I was the daddy, I didn’t think much of it.
She’s not the first, nor will she likely be the last, to try and trap me.
But I never slept with her.
I know this for a fact because I remember the night I met her at an after party. She was pretty but way too clingy. She acted almost desperate to have sex with me and that just turned me off.
Maybe I even had some alarm bells going off.
“Krista said she’s going to tell the press that I’m the father of her unborn child and refuse to help support her.” I grimace, shaking my head. “She plans to weave a story about being destitute, that she’s a good girl and only slept with me because I told her I loved her, and blah, blah, blah.”
“Are you sure—”
“Don’t even,” I interrupt. “Like I told you earlier, I did not have sex with her. Never,” I emphasize.
“How does she plan to get away with it, then?” Ash asks. “I mean, if you don’t pay and she takes it to the press?”
“I think she hopes I’ll want to protect my name and just pay whatever she wants. It’s a total scam.”
Ash nods but his eyebrows draw down in concern. “Problem is, with your reputation, she can get away with it.”
He isn’t being mean; he’s just telling it like it is. And he’s right. I’m not ignorant of my player reputation.
I don’t work at it, but then I don’t do anything to make it better, either. If women are throwing themselves at me, why not enjoy them?
But I don’t lead them on. I don’t pretend to have feelings other than lust, and I never let them believe anything will come out of it but some great sex.
If I think a woman is looking for more, I usually avoid her. I don’t need or want those kinds of complications in my life.
“There has to be something we can do.” I meet Ash’s gaze, my expression serious for a change. “I don’t want to add to the Thunderwolves’ bad press.”
A grimace spreads across his face. “Well, you’re going to have to talk to Tish about that.” At my frown, Ash explains, “Trent’s sister, the one you were drooling all over.”
So, her name is Tish. It suits her somehow. And then Ash’s words filter into my brain.
“Why would I talk to her?”
Ash narrows his eyes. “She’s our new PR lady.”