Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 105679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
I have to know. “What do you really want?”
With his eyes on me, Hayes takes his time, leaning in close then closer still. He runs his nose along my neck, slowly, sensually, lighting up every inch of my skin. “I want to see you slide those fingers between your thighs like you did this morning after I sent that picture.”
“Oh,” I gasp, as my thighs clench and my stomach swoops.
“Is that what you did, Ivy?”
He can read my thoughts so easily. It’s such a thrill. “Yes.”
“I thought so,” he says, as he pulls back, looking far too pleased.
The air between us is charged, and we hold each other’s gazes for a hot second. But there’s a rap on the door.
My heart explodes. Hayes rips himself from me, jumping away. I shouldn’t do this. I shouldn’t be sneaking around in an equipment room. It’s the first day and I’m already going to get in trouble.
“Be right out,” Hayes says immediately, his voice still a little husky.
“This is your captain speaking.” It’s Stefan, and I relax some. “I’d like to welcome you to the Avengers arena, where we’re expecting temperatures on the ice of fucking freezing. But that’s ice for you. If the weather continues to cooperate, the new mascot should be able to practice any second.”
I breathe a big sigh of relief, so glad it’s not Oliver or the team owner demanding to know what I’ve been up to in here.
I imagine getting turned on isn’t a good answer.
“Almost ready,” I call, then hustle over to the shelf with the heap of fake fur lumped on it.
Stefan is the playful, outgoing team captain I’ve spoken with several times over the last few years when my brother played here. The handsome Dane has ice-blue eyes, a dusting of stubble, and a panty-dropping smile, and the times I was single I would have loved to be asked on a date with him—but he also has a gorgeous fiancée from his hometown who he gave a sparkling, four-carat diamond to. I might have noticed her ring on social media and in person when I met Annika at last year’s Christmas party. She’s basically perfect—she speaks three languages, happens to be a brilliant young climatologist for the world’s leading think tank studying climate change, and is legit a nice person. I can’t even hate her. I just like her.
“Just trying on the costume,” I say. Like I was supposed to be doing ten minutes ago. But I’m trying it on with Hayes in the same room. That looks bad. “Over my clothes,” I add quickly.
There’s a pause, then a clearing of a throat from the other side of the door. “Well, it sounds like more fun is being had in the back of the cabin than the cockpit.”
Hayes dips his face, laughing silently into his hand, and I realize my faux pas. “Of course I’m trying it on over my clothes. That’s how you wear it.”
No wonder Xander needed a girlfriend upgrade.
“I’m sure there are many ways to wear a costume,” Stefan calls back, and he sounds…amused.
Great, I’m embarrassing myself in front of the new guy and the team captain. Real smooth, Ivy.
Hayes watches me, seeming to catalogue my every move as I wiggle into this purple furball that’s supposed to be an A but resembles more of an ink splotch. Once I shove my arms into the costume, I tug it up to my neck, then zip it. With Blob on—though not the head—I spin around and hold out my arms. “How do I look?”
His smile is slow and sexy. “Somehow even hotter.”
The weird thing is I believe him.
But since I don’t need to parade around the arena in a costume, I take it off, then head to the door with the costume under my arm, and my just a friendly neighbor who’s also a wedding date by my side.
When I open the door, Stefan’s shooting a casual smile my way as he runs his long fingers through his bedroom-style hair like I bet Annika did mere hours ago. His sandy-brown hair has golden streaks—like he somehow, incongruously, plays hockey in the sun—and it always makes him look freshly fucked.
It’s a good look.
The corner of his lips hook up in a grin.
He’s wearing a Henley.
7
MY LIFE MOTTO
Stefan
Since I’m a lucky guy in general, I figured I might be fortunate enough to bump into Ivy some morning when she was walking that little dog around the neighborhood, the one I saw on her social when I did my Ivy recon last night. Or I guessed that I might run into her in the building when I popped by to see Hayes.
Sure, I could have DM’d her. But why DM when I’m great in person?
But then look what karma served up this afternoon—I get to work with her. I swear, fate loves me. Possibly, there are HR guidelines about asking out someone you work with. I’m not concerned though. I’ll deal with those after.