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"Nah, you are if you think saying that makes me ridiculous. Have you seen you?" I gape at her. "That body? The way you walk? The way you dress? The shit you say? The fact that you don't take shit from anyone or care what anyone thinks? Goddamn, Trouble." I shake my head, speechless. If she doesn't know what a catch she is, I'm going to teach her.
She drops her gaze as a blush climbs up her cheeks, staining them pink. "Guess I never thought of it that way." A little smile dances at her lips. "I guess I am pretty awesome."
"Uh, fuck yeah, you are," I laugh. "Now, where are we going?"
"The bookstore."
I nearly choke on my tongue.
A bright peal of laughter rings out from her side of the truck. "You should see your face right now, Colter. Oh my gosh." She wipes her eyes, still laughing. "You look like you'd rather spend an eternity on the rack."
"Sign me up for that," I growl. "We aren't going to the fucking bookstore."
"Why not? I love the bookstore. There are so many interesting things there."
I narrow my eyes at her, suspicious at hell. "What did you hear?"
"About the bookstore?" She pleads ignorance, turning those wide, guileless eyes up at me. Except they shine with humor. "Why would I have heard anything about the bookstore, Colter?"
Oh, I am going to kill whoever told her. Was it Miles? I bet it was Miles. The entire team gave me shit through the whole damn meeting this morning because of him.
"I sent the damn book to Miles as a joke," I growl. "But he's in love with the chick who delivered it. So he made me go to the bookstore yesterday and tell them that it was mine so she doesn't think it's his."
"And you agreed to this?" Leia arches a brow at me.
"I had motivation." I shrug. "He knows your brother-in-law."
"Ah. He knows about the locker room?"
"Yes. But before you get pissed, Miles isn't going to say anything. And neither is Alec. I made sure of that." I threatened to go to his boss, Cormac, with the tape of him just letting her waltz right by while he played on his phone. He didn't have much to say after that. Cormac Carmichael doesn't fuck around when it comes to running security. He'll toss Alec out on his ass in a heartbeat if he knows Alec isn't taking the job seriously.
Leia sits quietly for a moment and then nods. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"I'm taking your word for it," she says quietly. "I think you mean it when you say you're here for the right reasons. And I'm really hoping I'm not wrong, Colter."
"Fuck," I groan, gripping the steering wheel like my life depends on it. I think it might right now. Because if this is a test, I'm about two seconds from failing it. I desperately want to drag her into my lap and show her exactly what I think about her confession, but I'm thinking if I do, I'll spook her. I've earned a chance with her, but I haven't earned her trust yet. Not entirely. "You're killing me here, goddess."
Her bright smile is another nail in my coffin. "Too bad, Bossy. We have a bookie to tail."
Chapter Five
Leia
"This douche is the most boring bookie I've ever tailed," Colter complains for the fifth time this afternoon, scowling at the grocery store across the street. Gavin went inside fifteen minutes ago with a shopping cart. "He's been running errands all damn day."
"You didn't have to come," I remind him, fighting a smile. It's easy to see why he plays hockey. He wouldn't last long at a desk job. He has too much energy and not nearly enough patience. "Also, when have you ever tailed a bookie before?"
"Mind your business, Trouble. Maybe I do this kind of shit all the time."
"Uh huh." I roll my eyes, curling my leg up in the seat beneath me. "And I play professional hockey in my spare time because it's fun."
He cracks a smile, chuckling. "Smart ass."
I grin at him, although he's right. Tailing Gavin is boring. He hasn't done anything interesting all day. Maybe because the next game isn't even in town? I don't know. But I'm never going to figure out what he's up to this way. "Okay, since you're helping me with this story, you can answer my questions. What do you know about sports betting?"
"Enough not to do it," Colter says. "I like my job. I'd prefer to keep it."
