If only I could stop playing house.
Why the hell can’t I get that woman out of my system?
“You okay, dude?”
Jaxon’s voice cuts through the noise of the locker room as he drops onto the bench beside me, gear thumping, energy still buzzing from the win.
“Yeah,” I mutter, forcing a grin that doesn’t quite stick. “Great.”
Across the room, the guys are loud, celebrating, riding the high. I should be over there with them. Instead, I’m hunched over, staring at my untied laces as I feel sorry for myself. Jesus what have I become?
“Wouldn’t mind introducing my fist to Yaroslav’s face, though,” I add, rolling my shoulders as I shake off the gloom. “The fucker hit me harder than he needed to.”
Jaxon snorts. “Yeah, well, Ash got him back for you.”
That pulls a real grin out of me. Mountain didn’t just get him back—he damn near rearranged the guy’s life choices. Totally worth the penalty.
From the other side of the room, Nicklas’ voice cuts through the chaos. “Hey, Tuck,” he shouts. “How’s your kitty?”
“Shut the fuck up, Rookie.”
“Aww, come on,” he says, rounding the corner, completely naked. “Just wondering about your kitty… and where I might find some ‘kitty’ action in this town.”
Jesus Christ.
I throw a hand over my eyes. “Dude. No. Absolutely not. No one wants to see your junk. Get the fuck away from me.”
There’s a loud slap and I don’t even want to know. “You’re wrong about that…” he starts, way too pleased with himself. “Lots of girls want my junk.” Then he pauses, like something just clicked. “Wait…what did you say your sister’s name was?”
My head snaps up.
Big mistake.
Because there it is.
His dick.
Front and center.
Way too close.
But it’s not the naked view that set me off. It’s that he mentioned my sister. “Oh no you fucking didn’t?—”
I’m on my feet in a second, shoving him back as he howls with laughter and bolts across the room like the idiot he is. I crack my knuckles, already moving after him.
Jaxon slaps me on the back to stop me. “He’s kidding. Don’t worry. None of us are letting him anywhere near Kate.”
Just hearing her name does something to me—makes me think of home and warms my chest in a way I’m not about to unpack in a locker room full of guys.
“I’m actually looking forward to her coming,” I admit. “Even if she’s got zero concept of minding her own business.” I huff out a laugh. “She’s going to have a field day with the whole Marbles situation.”
Jaxon grins. “Oh, I can’t wait for that. When is she coming anyway?”
“Next month.” I almost tell him that Kate and Maria are going to get along. That they’ll have something in common. But then I remember that Maria going back to school is our secret. Just ours. And I don’t know why, but I like that. Maybe a little too much.
“Let’s go get a beer,” Jaxon says, pushing to his feet.
“Yeah,” I mutter, needing the distraction.
