Chapter 10
ten
LOGAN
“Was that necessary?” Sebastian is disappointed in me. If I couldn’t tell from his tone, the frown marring his face would make it perfectly clear.
My chest twinges with a flash of unwelcome guilt when Blair’s steps falter, but I push it away.
I don’t owe her anything. Not even politeness.
I still don’t know why she’s here or what she hoped to gain by sleeping with me, but I’ll find out.
In the meantime, I’ll make sure she understands that I’m not buying her innocent act or her apparent sex amnesia.
“She’s a liar,” I say. “I fucking hate liars.”
“Have you talked to her?” Griffin asks, arms crossed over his chest. “You know, to find out why she lied? Because she doesn’t seem like some conniving, evil mastermind to me.”
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “What’s the point? I’m sure whatever story she concocts would be entertaining, but I’m not interested.”
“Dude,” Maddox says, placing a meaty palm on my shoulder. “Did you not learn anything from me when I almost lost Isla? Communication is key.”
Right around when Maddox was ready to tell his now-wife that he loved her, he overheard her having a discussion with her ex that sounded really damning.
He broke up with her without so much as a conversation to figure out what really happened, and if it wasn’t for Griffin’s interference, they probably never would have gotten back together. But this situation is different.
“I’m not with Blair. Never was.” Despite myself, my eyes wander back to the woman in question as she smiles and chats with some of the guys on the third line. I hate myself for the way my stomach twists when Trey Moore grins and casually touches her shoulder.
I know what that shoulder looks like naked and glistening with sweat. I know what every single inch of Blair looks like naked and sweat-slicked.
“She works here,” Sebastian says. “And I get you’re pissed about the situation, but you don’t know her story. This whole thing could be one massive coincidence, and you can’t jeopardize her job because you’re butthurt that she pretended not to know you.”
This conversation is pissing me the hell off. Why does it feel like they’re defending her? “You guys are supposed to be on my side.”
“We are,” Griffin says. “You know we’ll always have your back. And that’s why we all think you should talk to her and clear the air. Because the last thing you want is to have this shit affect your game. Especially at the start of the season.”
All four of my closest friends on the team look at me with the same expectant expressions. They all want me to do this. Even if I’d rather skinny-dip in a pool full of piranhas. “Fine. I’ll talk to her. I doubt it’ll do any good, but I’ll talk to her.”
“Better hurry up, then,” Ryder says. “Because she’s leaving.”
Turning, I see that, sure enough, Blair is leaving the ice with a few smiles and waves for my teammates. It’s now or never, I guess. “I’ll be right back.”
The guys offer their encouragement as I jog after Blair. She’s wearing heels and dragging a wagon full of swag behind her, so it doesn’t take much effort to catch up with her.
“Blair, wait up,” I call.
She comes to a stop, her shoulders tense, back stiff, and takes a deep breath before she turns.
Her sienna-colored eyes are wary as she regards me.
Fair, after the way I acted this afternoon, I guess, but I’m not the one who lied.
I’m not the one who pretended not to know who she was or that we’d be working for the same organization when we slept together.
“Can I help you?” she asks stiffly.
Running a hand through my damp hair, I sigh. “Can we talk?”
Her eyes dart all around before finally landing back on me. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other and draws her plump lower lip between her teeth. “Talk about what?”
I cock one eyebrow. “Seriously? I think you know.”
At that, she deflates. Her shoulders slump, her eyes fall to the floor, and she fidgets with the wagon’s handle. “I’m sorry, okay?”
Well, that was easier than I expected. Still, I can’t let it go. “Sorry for what, exactly?”
Those large eyes of hers lift and meet mine, flashing with fire. “Really?” When I don’t respond, she shakes her head and sighs. “I’m sorry for pretending not to recognize you. I… I freaked out.”
“You freaked out?” I ask, taking a step toward her. “Imagine how I felt when the woman who snuck out in the middle of the night showed up in my weight room. A woman I slept with in California. A woman who pretended not to know who I was.”
Blair’s chin lifts at that, and her eyes flash again. “I wasn’t pretending. I had no idea who you were.”
“Bullshit.” I scoff, annoyed at these stupid fucking games. “How in the hell else do you explain you showing up here days later?”
“My terrible fucking luck,” she mumbles so quietly, I almost miss it.
She blows out a harsh breath, lifts her chin, and meets my gaze.
“I don’t know how to explain any of it. Hell, I can’t even remember the last time I went to a club before that night.
It was an ill-advised last hurrah before leaving LA.
I just wanted to go to one of the clubs my old coworkers always talked about.
It was totally out of character for me, and trust me, I learned my lesson. ”
“You really expect me to believe that you didn’t know who I was or that our team would be at the club?” It’s all too convenient. She must think I’m an idiot.
“I don’t care if you believe me or not,” Blair says.
“It’s the truth, and I have nothing to prove to you.
I’m sorry for pretending I didn’t know you, but I was shocked to see you, and I need this job.
I absolutely cannot risk it for anything or anyone.
” She opens her mouth to say something more when a male voice calls out her name.
“Blair! Hey, Tess asked me to make sure you were okay down here.”
The guy from before. Her coworker. Why is he always in the way? Is this asshole trying to get into Blair’s pants or something?
“Oh, hey, Bryson.” She flashes him a smile, her eyes darting back to me before landing on her coworker. “I’m good. I was just heading back up with the stuff.”
Bryson eyeballs me. “Byrne. Good to see you again.”
“Yeah,” I grunt. “Same.”
Not.
“Am I interrupting something?” the guy asks, his attention bouncing between Blair and me. She squirms, and a look of panic streaks like a lightning strike over her features before she schools her expression into something carefree and easy.
“Nope. I forgot a Sharpie in there. Logan was just bringing it to me.” She turns to me and smiles tightly. “Thanks for that. See you around.”
“Sure,” I say, annoyed that, once again, she’s walking away before we can get to the bottom of this. “See you around.”
Bryson glances between us one last time before offering to take the wagon and chattering away to Blair as they walk back toward the executive suites. He doesn’t notice her glance back at me, but I do. My dick notices, too, because when she bites her full lower lip, I get a semi.
“Not fucking happening,” I hiss at my dick before I head back to the ice where my teammates are still waiting for me.
“Well?” Ryder asks, his eyebrows at his hairline. “What did she say?”
“She said she didn’t know who I was when we met in LA and that she pretended not to know me because she freaked out and didn’t want to lose her job.”
Griffin squints at me. “D’you believe her?”
Do I believe her? How in the hell am I supposed to do that? Sure, coincidences happen, of course they do. But this? Meeting and having some of the best sex of my life in LA, then finding her here, in the Twin Cities of all places, at my job? It’s a pretty epic coincidence.
I shake my head. “I don’t know, man. Not sure how I’m supposed to.”
“If this was all some big plan, do you really think she would have pretended not to recognize you?” Sebastian asks. “I mean, what would be the end goal? If she was trying to get you to date her, don’t you think she’d seduce you, not run away from you?”
Griffin snickers at that. “Yeah, man. Usually if a bunny’s trying to lock you down, she has to want to spend time in your presence.”
“Funny,” I grumble. “Truly hilarious.” But part of me knows they’re probably right.
The way Blair has behaved doesn’t make sense if she was trying to lock me down.
At the same time, I’ve watched women plot and manipulate their way into my dad’s life so they might get a chance at being Owen Byrne’s next wife.
A chance at the money and notoriety, the big house, shiny cars, and expensive jewelry.
So many of those women would just happen to bump into him when we were out and about, and even as a kid, I could spot the mercenary bitches a mile away.
It’s difficult to believe this situation with Blair is different.
“No one is saying you have to be her friend or even speak to her again,” Maddox says. “Just don’t be a dick and don’t let this mess with your head. We really have a chance to go all the way this year, and we need to stay focused.”
Focused. Right. I’ll just do my best to pretend that Blair doesn’t exist. And I will definitely do my best to stop imagining her beautiful body when I rub one out in the shower each morning.
It’ll be easy, right?