“You seem a little uneasy.”
“Well, I recognize a few people. Not my exes, don’t worry.”
“Don’t you sound cocky.”
“I’m just saying, not everyone here is someone I’d voluntarily spend time with.”
“We can go if?—”
“No. We’re here to have fun. Maybe even liquor you up.” He wiggled his eyebrows, and she snorted with laughter.
They mingled, and she once again met more of his teammates. Everyone acted friendly, even thrilled to see him back despite him not yet playing. Damon might try to pretend to be an ass, but the people who knew the real him liked him a lot.
As the evening wore on, they danced, and to her shock, he could move. She loved that he watched her as they grooved, feeling as if no one but Marlie mattered to her sexy stalker.
They parted a few times as his buddies tugged him away for one reason or another. She found the women in the party just as friendly as the guys. Not at all bitchy or trying to hook a hockey player.
Speaking with one model who’d appeared on the last cover of Vogue—and holy shit, would Ed freak about that, because he had a major crush—she realized she hadn’t seen Damon in a while.
The woman saw her looking around. “You in search of that scary guy with the sexy vibe? Demon Sinclair?”
“Yep. That’s the one.”
She laughed. “I think I saw him heading back toward Ford’s bedroom down the hall. But be careful. Those guys are freaky.”
“Freaky bad?”
“Freaky naked. They like to party. Without clothes. A lot.” The woman fanned herself and winked.
Marlie grinned. “I’m not offended by male nudity.” Though Damon had better have his clothes on.
Huh. A first. Marlie felt more than a little possessive over her bruiser. Even in this party filled with Very Important People, she decided she didn’t care. He hadn’t been making eyes at anyone other than Marlie all night. And for all that they had been around other people while quasi-dating, this was their first instance of needing to trust each other.
So when she searched the back and found him half dressed with two topless women and five guys laughing their asses off, she did what any sane, sober woman would do when finding her man besieged by naked beauties.
She gave him the Mona stare and waited for his explanation.
Which had better be damn good.
CHAPTER 35
Damon spotted Marlie, who stood staring at him, and sighed with relief. “There you are.”
She studied the two airheads on either side of him, the women giggling and more concerned with feeling up his chest than putting their clothes on. Of course, that could be because Lars had dared them to strip down, like the blonde normally did in Lars’ favorite after-hours club.
“Marlie, do you know how to get puke out of a wool blend?”
He shrugged himself away from the busty blonde on his right and stalked to Mickey to yank his sweater away. The idiot kept laughing then groaning because he’d overimbibed.
“Puke?” Marlie frowned, still looking from him to the women. “Um, no.”
“Shit.” He pulled his arm away from the other gorgeous woman who’d followed, her smooth brown skin the envy of every woman on the runway, according to the billboard ads in New York. Not that he wouldn’t believe it. The chick was smoking.
But not better looking than his freckle-faced Amazon, who still hadn’t reacted to the lack of clothing around the room except to give him a piercing stare. Everyone knew Ford and McClusky got freaky in bed. But he couldn’t believe they’d set him up to be found by Marlie in such a compromising position.
Since he hadn’t done anything wrong, he didn’t feel weird about the breast twins serenading him. Not since the guys wouldn’t stop laughing. Ford and McClusky were shirtless and laying in the huge bed cracking jokes while Connor and Lars sprawled on the floor messing around with someone’s phone and Mickey crawled toward the trashcan in the corner.
Damon crossed to Marlie, still peeved about his sweater. “This is my favorite.” He cringed, looking around for a bag to put it in.
