I can’t.
Not when his other hand starts to rub the oil into his skin in circles across his chest. He lets his fingers drag lazily up and down his prominent abdominal muscles. He flexes and makes them ripple in a way that makes the room around me fade away.
I bite my lip as they toy with the waistband of his pants.
“For fucks sake, Bridges.” Ronan snaps from in front of his March props. He gingerly feeds the speckled dachshund another treat. “Cut it out before she faints and this whole event crashes into the ground.”
I blink rapidly, trying to catch the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
“I didn’t know Emalyn had a boyfriend.” Tate squints past him. Ronan's head whips around so fast it makesmyneck hurt.
“Oh, fuck off.” Ronan tuts when he sees Coach discussing the event with her as she cleans the oil from her hands with a rag. He has Ronan figured out. Hockey and Emalyn.
My boss, Andrew, standing near the entrance catches my eye. His eyes flick between Tate, then Ronan and back to me. Like he’s trying to solve a puzzle. Then he turns and leaves without a word.
What was he even doing down here at my event?
“Why are you holding the dog like that?”
“Like what?” Ronan side eyes Tate like he’s the crazy one. The weenie dog is cradled in his muscular arm like a baby. His little paws fold while Ronan feeds him treats one at a time with his other hand. I give her a little belly rub as he holds her. “Have you never had a dog?”
“Obviously I’ve had dogs. I grew up on a ranch. They slept on the porch and went swimmingwith us in the lake. I never held it like it was a baby.”
“Oh, I'm sorry poor Poppy isn’t farm dog material.” Ronan looks genuinely offended as he cradles the dog protectively away from Tate. He pets her head. “Don’t listen to that mean cowboy. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I would never make you sleep outside.”
To my surprise, Emalyn joins Ronan in showing the weenie dog affection and scowling at Tate. “What’d the little puppy wuppy ever do to you?”
Tate looks nothing short of bewildered. Paige meets my eyes with her own wide ones and rolls her lips.
“Aw, she’s just so pretty. I love the pattern on her coat.” Emalyn gushes over the puppy. “I wish I could get a puppy, but it doesn’t seem fair with all the traveling.”
“We could have split custody.” Ronan suggests with a shrug. As if he isn’t chomping at the bit to have any kind of tie to her.
“We travel at the same time though.” Emalyn shoots the idea down. “And I also shoot for magazines and stuff when I’m not here. I probably travel more than you do.”
“So, I’ll hire a full-time dog nanny.”
“Wait, is that a thing?”
I tune out of their ridiculous conversation as my phone rings. When I pull my phone out of mypocket, I'm already expecting the name displayed. TJ. I turn my back on the group and walk away from where the players are now posing for their shoots.
Holding the phone to my ear, I answer without bothering with the pleasantries.
“What do you want, TJ?” I hold in my sigh- barely. He feigns a cough.
He always does this.
Honestly, he’s no better at acting sick than Hudson is on test day. I can spot this little routine a mile away.
“I just wanted to check in and make sure you were able to get someone to fill my spot.” TJ keeps up the theatrics by making his voice sound strained and sickly. “I know no one else really wanted to participate in that thing.”
Thatthingbeing a project that reflects on my career, the team and the players. Not to mention the opportunity for those sweet animals to find a home and the shelter donations that would be flowing in. That wouldn’t matter to him.
He has no problem creating this facade and ruining everyone’s weekend plans and for what? So, he doesn’t have to pose for a few photos? It’s not like he isn’t doing it nearly every day for his own socials in the bathroom mirror.
“Yep, we actually had a feweagervolunteers.” Just then Ryan and a few of the other guys notchosen to participate, cat call and cheer from the stands.
“Hell yes! Get it, Cowboy!”
