He grinned. “Come meet the crew.”
The inside was packed wall to wall with bodies, some half-dressed, many still in Seawolves gear, and it smelled like sweat, beer, and testosterone. Jed wove them through the crowd toward the kitchen, where four players werecrowding around a keg and a tray of cupcakes iced in green and gold.
“This is Emmy and Rhea,” he told the guys. “Emmy’s the one I told you about.”
She saw recognition spark in one guy’s eyes — tight blond curls, two-day scruff, bandage on one cheek. He didn’t say anything, just gave her a slow once-over and a private smile.
Introductions blurred. At least three names started with K. Rhea locked in immediately with one named Lucas, who claimed credit for two goals and was clearly riding the high. She quickly tucked herself against the counter facing him, and within minutes, the two were debating cross-checking penalties.
Emmy had liked Jed from the start, with his easy smile and giant hands with scarred knuckles. The kind of guy who paid attention during conversations and didn’t just stare at her boobs, though he glanced down enough she knew he noticed.
But Zane held a magnetic appeal she couldn’t ignore, standing with a beer in one hand, a towel looped around his neck, wearing jeans and a long-sleeved tee that may as well have been painted over his muscles. He wasn’t chiseled, butbuilt. Big shoulders, thick arms, and a body made for slamming opponents into glass. Functional strength, all bulk and power, like he trained by fighting bears and skating through brick walls.
Jed’s neck wasn’t as big, but his forearms were even bigger, muscles over muscles.
These men were built for power, not looks, anddamndid that work for her libido.
The guy with the curls said, “Wait. Emmy Drake.Fuck. My brother went to MIT. Are you the one who got kicked out for fucking people on the soccer field?”
Emmy shrugged, but refused to be embarrassed. She met his gaze and told him, “It was midnight. A game between dorms. I decided a few on our side needed a prize.”
Fifteen seconds later, Zane looked up from his phone and said, “Wow, there’s a video of you on a balcony at Tulane with two men.”
Emmy blew out a breath. Her dad kept getting it taken down from the porn sites, but it kept getting put back up on others.
“Yep. That’s me.”
Zane met her gaze with a steady look and said, “Jed and I work well as teammates.”
She gave him a half-smile. “Good to know. I only play behind closed doors these days.”
Jed leaned closer to her ear. “That one’s a chaos goblin,” he warned, smiling like it was an inside joke. “Great on the ice. Shitty at remembering trash day. Not much better with names.”
“Mmm.” Emmy sipped her beer and asked Jed, “So do you agree that the two of you work well together?”
Jed smiled. “Yeah. He isn’t wrong about that.”
Zane downed the rest of his beer. “Let’s retire to the office.”
They took her to a room just off the main party area, and she noted the doorknob was flimsy, and the door didn’t close quite right.
“Nope,” she said. “Farther from people, and with a better door. Preferably one that locks.”
The two men looked at each other, and Jed said, “My bedroom. Morrissey’s room might need FEMA intervention. I have no idea how he finds the bed.”
She met Zane’s gaze. “My safeword isstop.Ouchmeans back off a little.”
Zane gave her a big, innocent look. “And why are you tellingmethis and not Nelson?”
She smiled. “He heard me because he pays attention. Also, how many times washein the penalty box?”
Jed chuckled. “None tonight, but we played at Oregon last year and…” A sigh. “You can look it up. Lots of clips online showing my temper. It takes a lot to rile me, but…” He shrugged. “Asshole graduated, and it’s probably good we won’t have a chance to meet again.”
“He went pro,” Zane said. “I might run into him again.” He met her gaze. “Stopandouchplay as red and yellow. Got it.”
He leaned forward, put his shoulder into her hip, and stood with her before she realized what he was doing.
And then proceeded to walk her through the room full of revelers and up the stairs while the partygoers whoopedand cheered.
