“Oh. Um…”
“You gonna be able to handle that?” He knew exactly how his question would land. McKenna was very susceptible to his dares, always determined to come off as strong and tough and unflappable. And while she was all those things, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t push her when it suited his purposes.
She responded just like he knew she would, crossing her arms and giving him an almost bored expression that he didn’t buy for a minute. “Of course, I will.”
It took a bit of work, getting his drenched jeans off. He pulled his wallet, phone, and car key out of the pockets, tossing them on the coffee table before handing the jeans to her. He hadn’t bothered to put the jersey on first, so he was standing before her in nothing but his boxer briefs.
And McKenna, though blushing like a rose, wasn’t looking away, her eyes widening slightly when she realized he was sporting an erection.
He considered teasing her, telling her to take a picture, but he liked that gaze on him, liked seeing the effect his body had on her. McKenna was one of those people who wore her heart on her sleeve, her expressions hiding nothing. She was an open book, and he loved reading her.
For a few quiet moments, he merely let her look her fill, amused when—at last—she seemed to realize what she was doing and her gaze flew up to meet his.
“Take your time,” he joked.
She narrowed her eyes—goddamn, he loved when she did that—then turned away from him, heading back upstairs for the third time. He listened to her progress, hearing the dryer door close before she turned it on.
Tank considered remaining in just his briefs, not bothering with the jersey, but he changed his mind because the rain had been a cold one and he was chilly.
Drawing the jersey over his head, he plopped down onto her plush couch, smiling when McKenna returned and claimed the other end, curling her feet beneath her.
She only remained there a second before she popped up again. She was clearly nervous. “Do you want something to drink? I can make coffee or tea. I also have water and half a bottle of red wine.”
Tank gestured for her to resume her seat. “I’m fine, girlfriend.”
“This is just for work,” she reminded him, as she sat back down. “Because as you know, I don’t date hockey players or coworkers.”
“Why not?”
She’d made that comment before, but he’d never questioned her reasons. Now, he could see that was a mistake. Because whatever her reasons, they were the roadblocks to his end goal—and he needed to find a way to knock them down.
“I told you that I’ve only had three boyfriends.”
He nodded. “The guy from high school and the asshole in college. You never got around to filling me in on bachelor number three.”
“Eddie was the last man I dated. I met him shortly after I started my first job.”
“The one at Pete’s Sporting Goods,” he said.
“Yeah. Eddie is Pete’s son, actually. He came by to introduce himself on my second day at work and we just sort of clicked. Two weeks later, he asked me out on a date. By then, I’d learned from my other coworkers that he was well-liked by everyone. The woman I shared an office with said he was a super-nice guy, and that more than a few of the females in the office had been trying to catch his attention. I think she’d been one of them, because she was a bit chillier toward me after Eddie asked me out.”
“Was it a good date?”
“It was a great date. One that led to another and another and before I knew it, we were in a serious relationship, spending every night together, either at his apartment or mine. For one year, it was complete bliss. And then…”
“Then?” he asked.
“Then, the company hired a new receptionist.”
Tank growled, because he knew how this story was going to end.
“Lisa was tall and blonde and curvy—all the right measurements,” McKenna said with a grimace. “She wasn’t vertically challenged like me.”
Tank smiled at her attempt at a joke, though it was forced, because the woman she’d just described could have been Lara.
“Several times I walked by and would see him standing near the front desk, talking to her. At first I thought he was just being friendly, because that’s his personality. After a few times too many, I asked him about her. He said she was struggling with a couple aspects of the job, and he was helping her. I bought that…for a while. Then, I found out they went to lunch together one day. I confronted him, and he said she was new in town and lonely and he was trying to cheer her up.
“Every time I questioned something, he had an answer, spoken in a way that made me feel like I was being unreasonably jealous. Something I was sensitive about, given Dale’s insane jealousy. Eddie’s comments sort of made me feel like I was the Dale in our relationship, and I hated it.”
