AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I spun my bottle of beer on the bar top, frowning. “Very much the opposite. I was way too eager for way too long.”
He chuckled. “You’re kind of adorable.”
“You’re kind of big and intimidating.”
“Are we done?”I asked the woman standing in front of me for what felt like the fourteenth time.
Sara Case was the Hannah of the Boston Bolts. There were a few differences between the two, though. For starters, Sara was blond. And unlike Hannah, she didn’t let go until she got her way. And apparently, today, she’d set her sights on convincing me to appear on a morning show to talk about the bird project. And she wouldnottake no for an answer.
“You started this project, and now you have to market it.” Sara held a hand out. “And don’t try to tell me it’s Avery’s project. You didn’t even ask her before you set it up.”
She was right. But I’d done it because I wanted her to keep her birds. And I wanted to make her smile. That was it. I figured we’d get donations, though I never expected the success we’d had. And I figured the PR team could handle the nitty-gritty details and leave me out of it. But now I’d been forced into dealing with the intricacies that came along with the foundation, as well as the publicity.
“I get that,” I growled.
“So can I tell them yes?” She angled in closer and cocked a brow.
Movement in my periphery caught my attention. Wren, wearing abright red dress, was slipping into a booth with Emerson and a few of the other guys. That meant Avery was finally here. I tapped my wrist twice, reminding myself of what was important.
“Fine,” I huffed. At this point, I’d say just about anything to end this conversation so I could find Avery.
With a grin, she clutched my arm, only pushing me closer to the edge.
I glared at her, then glared at where her hand rested against my skin, fighting the urge to shudder.
“Sorry.” She yanked her hand back. “I forget you don’t like that.”
I looked over her head. That wasn’t the only reason I didn’t want her hands on me. There was a very large Langfield in a corner booth who was about ready to break my nose. And there was no way in hell that her patting my arm was worth that kind of pain.
“Are we done?” Because I was itching to find Avery. Just being in her proximity would settle me. The only reason I came out tonight was because I thought she and her friends would like it here. They could hang out with the guys and have a few drinks, and I’d get to spend the evening with her.
“Yes.” She nodded. “I’ll email you the details. And again,pleaseunblock Hannah. I don’t have the time to be the middleman between you two.”
With my jaw clenched tight, I stared at her.
“Well?” she asked, her brows lifted high.
“What? I’m not going to apologize. I’m not sorry for ignoring her. I don’t want you people talking to me, and I have to deal with her enough as it is.”
Sara’s response was to throw her head back and laugh.
Whatever. Finished with the conversation, I stomped across the room to Eddie Martinez, our shortstop, and his wife, who were sitting with Emerson and Wren. I stood over the table, arms crossed, and waited.
Emerson smiled up at me, looking too young to even be allowed in the place. “You okay?”
I ignored him and turned to Wren. “Where is she?”
She leaned forward and peered around me, then lifted her hand and pointed a red nail at the bar.
I spun and scanned the space. When I found her, my shoulders bunched and my hands clenched of their own accord. Because Avery was standing at the bar, chatting with War and Daniel Hall. Hall’s nickname, Playboy, fit him perfectly, and War wasn’t any better. Both men were known for the time they spent with puck bunnies.
The shiny purple fabric of Avery’s dress clung to her every curve. And the way she was leaning on the bar? Fuck. I couldn’t decide which I wanted to do more: toss a blanket over her so no one could see her ass looking that incredible or run my hand up her thigh and give one perfect cheek a nice swat. I could almost feel the sting in my palm and envision the way her creamy skin would turn red.
But I wasn’t the one she was focused on.
No, she was focused on War, who was smiling down at her as she spoke. And Hall was propped against the bar, checking out her ass.
I squeezed my fists even tighter at my sides and took a step toward them, only to come to a halt when Mason stepped in front of me.
