“Tell me about the teams you played, the highlights of the games, anything you know about the other players.”
“That’s all I can think of,” I told her after I’d gone through everything I could remember from last summer.
“What are you going to do now?” she asked. “I don’t want to interfere with your normal routine.”
“Well, usually after a hard practice I watch mindless TV while doom scrolling on social media.”
She frowned. “Social media is a waste of time.”
“Don’t I know it. But theLeopards Ate My Facesubreddit brings me a lot of joy. And don’t get me started on how much I love those Facebook videos about penguins or babies with puppies. I could watch that shit all day.”
Cassie gave me a long look that told me she had no idea what I was talking about.
“Okay, I’m going to set up at the dining room table and do some work then.”
“Have at it.”
I slouched down on the couch and opened my phone, allowing myself thirty minutes to mess around on social media before I did something more productive. To make sure I kept to it, I set a timer. I’d learned long ago how easily hours could go by while watching ridiculous videos.
Once my thirty minutes was up, I went in search of my kindle. Cassie was focused on the computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard, so deep in concentration I didn’t even think she noticed me leaving the room.
Unfortunately nothing in my e-book library was keeping my attention. My mind kept wandering to Cassie. The way her lips felt so soft against mine. The way her hands squeezed my butt cheeks like she was trying to make sure I didn’t slip away. That unique scent she had, a mix of copper and something earthy that still smelled feminine.
I could fall for her, I realized. Maybe I already had. I’d never believed in love at first sight, but I couldn’t deny that the first time I laid eyes on Cassie I felt something. Something strong. Something primal. The overwhelming belief that she wasmineeven though I’d never had a possessive thought about another human being in my life.
With a sigh I decided to text Eleanor.
Ruby:Sometime soon you and I need to have a long talk.
Eleanor:About what?
Ruby:I thought we were close friends, but you kept a big secret from me. You don’t trust me?
Eleanor:It’s not about trust. The supernatural community learns at an early age to share information about our true natures on a need-to-know basis. It’s safer for everyone that way. But I am sorry that I hurt your feelings.
Ruby:I have questions, many questions.
Eleanor:And I’d love to answer them, but I’m getting ready for a hot date.
Ruby:Ooh, that sounds promising.
Eleanor:Here’s hoping. I’ll see you tomorrow at practice, we can talk then, okay?
Ruby:That reminds me, Cassie suggested we meet up after practice tomorrow so wecan assess any risk of the stalker coming for you.
Eleanor:LOL. The stalker is no threat to me. I can protect myself. Your vampire wants to assess the risk that I’m going to steal you away from her.
Ruby:What does that mean? She’s my bodyguard, not my girlfriend.
Eleanor:You’ll have to ask her. Talk to you tomorrow.
I stared at Eleanor’s message for a full minute. Why would Cassie be worried about Eleanor stealing me away? My teammate and I were just friends. Good friends, but there was definitely nothing romantic there. Besides, Eleanor was straight. As she’d once drunkenly announced after a team event, she “loves dick, lots and lots of dick.”
When I glanced over at Cassie, she was still typing. I wondered what she was working on. She looked super intense, with her shoulders hunched, her blonde hair falling forward to cover part of her face, and a little crease of concentration between her eyebrows.
Trying to be quiet, I padded into the kitchen for water, returning with two bottles. I put one on the table next to Cassie, then headed back to the couch. It was weird having someone elsein my space. Not bad, but weird. I’d lived alone since I was eighteen, foregoing the dorms in college to rent a small apartment. When I signed with the Starfish I’d used my bonus to put a down payment on my condo, something I’d never regretted. My home was my sanctuary, and even with that weird display the stalker left on my door, I still felt safe here. Especially with my new security system and my badass bodyguard sitting at the table.
She felt me looking at her and turned her head, her brown eyes boring into mine.
