Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92180 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92180 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“Sure thing.”
She lets her attention drift over all three of us. “Good luck at camp today. Kick ass.”
When Brienne is gone and out of earshot, Hendrix backhands me playfully in the chest. “Dude… how’d you get so lucky as to spot her? Am I wrong, or is that woman hot as hell?”
“You’re not wrong.” No sense in denying the obvious. “And I guess we both just happen to be early birds.”
“Guess I need to get my ass out of bed earlier, then.” Hendrix laughs. “You done, man?”
I shake my head. “Just getting started.”
“Then let’s get at it,” Coen says. “What are you doing?”
“Upper body since we have drills with Baden this afternoon. You?”
“Same.”
Hendrix, Coen, and I work out for the next hour, and I enjoy getting to know them. They already have a bond as they were original Titans teammates, two of the three who weren’t on the plane that fateful night. Still, I can tell there’s a bit of emotional distance between them, and I have to wonder what that’s about.
I know from Baden that Coen burned a lot of bridges last season during what he termed an “unstoppable spiral.” But this week at camp, Coen has seemed like a normal dude. He’s been affable and outgoing, but he’s also been in game mode and has taken all the tests and drills seriously. He probably thinks he has to prove himself again, and he wouldn’t be wrong.
That’s what training camp is about—proving ourselves fit for the upcoming year.
“You guys want to get a beer tonight?” Hendrix asks as we head toward the locker rooms to shower.
“I’m down,” I say, not having any other plans.
“Busy,” Coen says with a slight smile.
“Hot date busy?” I hazard a guess.
“Love of my life busy,” he corrects, and it’s said with such raw feeling, I don’t even know what to say.
Having a love of your life is a foreign concept, since the one I thought was my soul mate turned out to be a destroyer of souls.
“When’s Tillie going back?” Hendrix asks.
“Saturday.” No mistaking the glum tone. “But she’ll be back the week after for a few days.”
“Your girlfriend doesn’t live here in Pittsburgh?” I ask.
Coen shakes his head as we enter the locker room. “She lives in Coudersport, which is about three and a half hours away. We’re still trying to figure out this long-distance thing and how it’s going to work.”
“Bummer,” I say because it seems like the polite thing to do, but I can’t connect with the emotion he’s experiencing.
After all the evil things my ex-wife did to our family when I tried to stop her drug use, I’ve decided I’m never trusting another woman with my heart.
I’m sure as shit never going to let one get close enough to fuck with my kids’ hearts and heads the way Crystal does. I’m their protector, and my sole purpose in this life is to ensure they’re loved and raised well without any adult making them feel worthless. The only people I trust to do that are my sister and my mom, and I’m okay with that.
“What about you?” Coen asks Hendrix. “I heard you were dating someone pretty seriously?”
Hendrix shrugs. “I wouldn’t call it serious, but it is monogamous.”
Coen clutches his heart as if in shock. “Oh no… a single professional hockey player in a monogamous relationship.”
“It happens on occasion,” Hendrix mutters. “You’re proof of that.”
“I’m beyond monogamous. I’m committed,” Coen says as we all undress at our cubbies.
“I’m not ready for commitment,” Hendrix exclaims, his face paling.
Coen snickers. “Dude… monogamy is a form of commitment, whether you like it or not.”
It’s interesting listening to these guys define sexual boundaries in terms of obligation. All I know is I’m distinctly against anything that smacks of commitment.
“When did you become a relationship expert?” Hendrix asks Coen.
“Since I met Tillie,” he replies. “And when you know, you know.”
“What about you, Drake?” Hendrix turns to me. “Are you dating anyone?”
“No fucking way.” My denial is swift and sure. “I don’t have time for it, and even if I did, I don’t want to put in the effort. I’ll gladly fuck all the puck bunnies you chumps with leashes around your necks don’t want.”
Hendrix snorts, and Coen shakes his head, chuckling.
As I head into the shower room, I think about Brienne. She has a boy toy, but I wonder if she’s monogamous.
Not that I’m averse to sharing.
Just how progressive is Ms. Norcross? Is her appetite for pleasure such that she’d take more than one lover into her bed?
Would she take two at the same time?
She certainly has the confidence to do so, but I have no clue which direction her moral compass points.
I’d like to find out, though.
CHAPTER 6
Brienne
“Give it to me straight.” I glance over at Callum. His arms are crossed, his eyes pinned to the ice.