“Maybe a little.”
“I’m hot,” I say, and I strip out of my jacket, letting it fall over the chair back. Then I stretch my arms up over my head, gripping my hands together, and my shirt tightens over my biceps. I make sure to see Reid checking me out before I bring them down.
“Better?” Colt asks.
“Much. So, this is like your second year, right?”
“Yeah, I was brought up last year when Cross broke his collarbone. His recovery’s taking longer than he expected, but he’ll be back eventually.”
“They wouldn’t trade you, though. You’ve been killing it ever since you came up.”
“Yeah, I guess, but I only have a two-year contract, so they could.”
“I guess that could be said about any of us,” I say when I look over and notice Reid is gone.
I try to look for him without being too obvious. When I finally find him, he’s shaking hands with a few of the guys who are leaving.
“Last call,” the bartender shouts, and a few people grab a last drink order. Suddenly my stomach is a flurry of butterflies. Okay, how do I do this? I can’t just hang back while everyone else leaves, that would be weird. His brothers probably expect him to go home with them too. They brought him here. Shit.
I go to the bathroom as a way to delay my departure, and when I come out, there are only a few people left. His brothers are taking the gifts out to pack into the car, and Reid is standing by the door with his aunt Peggy.
I guess I’ll head out and wait by my car. No, that would be even weirder. Oh, I can wait until he’s coming out and then pop the hood like there’s something wrong with it. Yeah, that’ll work. Maybe.
“Times up, rook,” White says, and I smile and nod.
“Yep, just grabbing my jacket,” I say, picking it up and following him over to Reid.
“Hope you had a good night, brother,” White says, wrapping Reid in a hug and slapping his back like all guys seem to do whenever they hug. Like the tapping is their way of making it more manly. God forbid they just fucking hug. I won’t be hugging Reid, though. Half because it would look weird for his new rookie to hug him for his birthday, and half because if I did, I can’t be sure I won’t get an instant chubby being pressed up against him. My cock twitches. Fuck, nope, don’t think about it.
“Yeah, so, thanks for inviting me,” I say.
“No worries, rook,” he replies, and we shake hands.
I glance down at his large fingers gripping mine tightly and instantly flash a fantasy of seeing those fingers wrapped around a totally different part of my body. My cock thickens, and I pull him in for a half hug, whispering in his ear, “I’ll be waiting outside if you still want to . . . talk.”
I step back, and he gives me a curt nod before turning his attention to the next person to leave.
I get out to my car and wait inside it, watching everyone else leave, and when Reid and his brothers come out last, I pop the hood and climb out of the car.
“Everything okay?” David calls.
“Thing won’t start. I’ve called Triple-A.”
“You can’t wait out here all alone,” Benji adds. “Call them and get them to come out in the morning. We can give you a lift home.”
“I’m okay, they said it won’t be long.”
“I’ll wait with him,” Reid offers.
“You don’t have to,” I say, trying not to let my excitement shine through in my voice.
“I can’t leave our star rookie out here alone in the middle of the night. You said they won’t be long. You can drop me off at home after they get you started.”
“I mean, if you’re sure?”
“I’m positive. Thanks, boys, for a great night. I’ll see you back at the house. Don’t wait up, who knows what ‘not long’ actually is in Triple-A terminology.”
Benji laughs and hugs his brother tight—no slaps on the back, just arms wrapped around each other, real and totally adorable. David practically launches into his brother’s arms next, hugging him just as tight. It reminds me of how I hug my parents, and it hits me that it’s exactly like I hug my mom and dad, because he is pretty much their parent. He raised them; they call him Dad Bro. They love him, and in their hug, it’s like I can see Reid even more clearly now. The real him.
