I elbow him much harder than he did me and roll my eyes.
“Ow! Stop, I’ve just never seen you actually show interest in anyone. I thought you were a nun trapped in marriage.” Ronan rubs the spot that I elbowed.
“Keep it up. I'll have Emalyn come take care of this for me. You know how she is too. She'd have to get up close and personal to make sure she chose the best candidate. Maybe even run her hand over all those abs–“I wiggle my fingers in the direction of the players and Ronan snatches my hand out of the air.
“Hey, don't you dare. The only abs Emalyn is allowed to touch are mine, ok?” While he's scowling now, I shoot him a smug smile.
“You wish.” Turning to the players now I tap my finger against my chin. I have to pick two menand I'm pretending I don't already know who it's going to be.
My heels click as I walk closer to the massive men lined up like good little soldiers. They're all quiet now as I walk past each one, deciding who's a good balance of handsome and defined muscles. Ryan Quade and Liam Fitzgerald are trying to out flex and out-pose each other.
Ryan has that boyish type of handsomeness. He's got the blonde hair and the blue eyes that earn him plenty of attention from women. The happy go lucky personality that his coaches and teammates love. I think he’s just a bit young for the photo shoot.
Liam's all tattoos up to his jawline with a short fade and stands a few inches taller. A horizontal scar cuts just below the arch of his eyebrow. He's a playboy through and through. This is his second season in the NHL at twenty-two. Not much older than Ryan. Still, it’ll be good to have a variety in the calendar.
“Hmmm. Fitzy you can go see Emalyn to get set up for October.”
Fitz blows Ryan a kiss and jumps away to narrowly avoid the towel swat that comes his way. I pretend to evaluate Tony, TJs buddy. I give him a slow appraisal, and I can tell by the way he lifts his chin he thinks he should be on the cover itself.
“Eh.” I move on.
He scoffs and heads to his locker, pretending like he didn't want to do it in the first place.
I stop in front of Tate's chest still tan from the Texas sun even though it's already the beginning of December. There's a light dusting of dark hair across his chest and cursive writing on his ribs that I would have to examine closer to be able to read. A cross made up of two iron nails on the inside of his left bicep catches my eye as he runs a hand intentionally through the brown hair that seems to toe the line between perfectly mussed and messy.
I let my eyes glide over his torso, down to the delicious happy trail that disappears into his briefs. The air in the room thickens.
Attraction is perfectly normal. It doesn’t mean anything. I can appreciate his physique without jumping his bones.
I feel the intensity of his gaze even though I avoid it.
“You'll do, I suppose.”
Instead of taking it as a hit to the ego like I expect the corners of his lips twitch. He leans down - close enough I can smell the manly yet pleasant scent of his body wash. His breath hits my ear as he drops his voice.
“I will.Whateveryou tell me to.” My breath stutters. I feel that promise in a heat that blooms through my core and shoots out to my fingertips.
My eyelids flutter closed.
And just like that he’s taken back the power.Again.
Tate saunters past me wearing nothing but confidence and boxer briefs.
Stupid athletes and their stupid confidence. Why couldn’t my type be accountants or something?
This is exactly why I have my rule in place.
I fight the urge to stamp my foot like an incessant toddler.
Ronan has an elbow propped on his other folded arm and covers his mouth to hide his delight. He loves to see me on the receiving end of the same shit Emalyn has been dealing him for years.
“Don’t even.” I jab a finger into my brother’s chest as I stalk past, cheeks on fire.
He huffs out a laugh and holds his hands up in surrender.
“I didn’t.” His grin says it for him. It drops when Emmalyn bursts in the door with no warning.
Suddenly he’s swinging his arms about in outrage. “What are you doing in here?! Tryknocking! And then waiting five minutes! Any one of them could’ve been naked!”
