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And there's the wrench in my plans. A pissed-off, six-foot-sized wrench.
"It's just a book, Miles," I growl.
"My fucking soulmate delivered it to my doorstep, you dick." He smacks me across the chest with the offending book again. "She thinks I have a tentacle fetish. You're fixing it. Today."
I take pity on him. If I fucked up his one shot with this woman, I'll feel bad for the rest of my life. And he'll never forgive me. I'd rather be humiliated than have that on my conscience. I may like jokes, but I prefer the harmless kind. This one kind of blew up in my face.
"Fine," I sigh. I guess I'm dealing with this shit first and then dealing with Alec. "I did the crime; I'll do the time. But if you breathe a word about last night, I'm telling your girl everything I know about you. Including about that time you had food poisoning."
His face pales. "You wouldn't."
If it were just my reputation at stake, he's right, I wouldn't. But Leia is the one at risk of being labeled a puck bunny here, not me. She was upset enough last night, and she did nothing wrong. That was all on me. I'm the one who wouldn't put pants on when she asked. I'm the one who couldn't keep my hands to myself. And I'm the one who will move heaven and earth to make sure she doesn't suffer because of it.
"I wouldn't even hesitate," I growl, grabbing the book from Miles. "Let's get this humiliating shitshow on the road. I've got a situation of my own to handle."
Chapter Three
Leia
"Crap." I grab Elysa's arm, dragging her into the cramped breakroom as a familiar set of broad shoulders steps out of Daniel Clifford's office. The stench of burnt coffee and old banana peels clogs my nose as my heart slams against my ribcage. A curious mix of excitement and existential dread rushes through me. "What is he doing here?"
Surely hockey players have more important things to do than harass reporters?
"Who?" Elysa shuffles me to the side to peer out of the narrow doorway. "Oh. Hello, daddy."
"Shh!" I haul her back into the room by her belt loops. "Don't let him see you."
"Okay, okay. Jeez, girl." She blinks inquisitive eyes at me before blowing strands of raven hair out of her face. "Care to tell me who he is and why we're hiding from him?"
"We aren't hiding. We're taking a break." We never take breaks in here, for obvious reasons. It's tiny, it stinks like Lawson's bananas, and there are no windows. It's just a wooden table, a fridge, and two benches. We prefer sunlight.
"Okay, then I'll just go out there and say hello." Elysa turns like she's going to make good on her threat. The flirty hem of her shirt flows around her as she spins.
Oh, she's good.
"Fine. We're hiding!" I squeak, grabbing her before she steps into the hallway and reveals my hiding place to the big jerk. I don't want to see him right now. Or maybe I do. Either way, I am so not going out there.
"I knew it! Who is he? Why are we hiding?" Her excited gaze flits across my face. "Is he the reason you've been acting weird all day?"
"I have not been acting weird." It's a total lie. I've been off my game all day. I didn't even hear Daniel calling my name at the staff meeting this morning. Copyediting sent my piece on Mina's Place, the new women's shelter opened by Autumn and Zane Montoya, back twice. And don't even get me started on the nine thousand times I've thought about the big jerk currently standing outside Daniel's office.
He did something to me last night, worked some sort of magic on me or cursed me. I don't know. But I can't keep him off my mind. I tossed and turned all night, thinking about his hard body pressed to mine.
It's infuriating. Truly. He's the last person I should be thinking about, considering what he thinks about me. The arrogant, bossy, ridiculously hot, grumpy jerk.
"Spill, Leia."
She's more tenacious than my five sisters combined.
"His name is Colter Bayliss. He plays for the Falcons. I met him last night when I snuck into their locker room. He was naked. And a jerk. It was a whole thing. The end," I relay as quickly and succinctly as possible.
Elysa's eyes nearly fall out of her head. "He was naked?"
"Can we please focus on what's important here?" I groan.
"Um…I don't know why that isn't your most important detail. Have you seen him?"
I shoot her a dirty scowl. "Did you miss the part where I said he was a jerk?"
