Page 16 of Out of Bounds

"If you’re not willing to share, then your only other choice is flying back to Atlanta and calling in to the meetings. And I know you don’t want that.”

As tempted as she was to go back home, she wasn’t going to give anyone, especially Jonah, the satisfaction of her leaving. This was her moment, her chance, to prove to everyone that she was the best person to run this team.

“This is bullshit!” she shouted, stomping her foot like a horse and waving her arms out wide, her right hand narrowly missing Gunnar as he and Cowboy approached them again.

Turning to look at the two men, a thought popped into her head. She felt like a cartoon character, a lightbulb suddenly appearing above her head. These two had their own rooms. Sure, one of them was apparently sleeping on a cot, in a room missing a toilet, but that meant the other was in a fully functional room. It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than Jonah.

“Which one of you has the non-makeshift room? That's who I’ll share with.”

The two men looked at each other, Cowboy’s face twisting as he fought back a smile. Gunnar’s normally broody glare, on the other hand, seemed to morph into something even more grouchy, his nostrils flaring.

“Me."

* * *

Gunnar had never been so upset about winning a round of rock, paper, scissors in his life. Of course, winning had never felt quite so much like losing. Had he known what was going to happen, he might have just volunteered to take the cot without a toilet. That had to be better than this, right?

Standing here now, watching as Felicity stomped around the hotel room, he could feel the tension radiating through his body. The room had seemed big to him prior to her arrival, with a king bed, a desk, and even a small couch near the window. But now that she and her off-putting demeanor were in here, the space seemed to have shrunk, the walls closing in on him by the minute.

“I am not sharing a bed with you,” she stated, waving her arms around like an angry pelican.

“No complaints here,” he grumbled in response, ignoring the thought rushing through his head about what she looked like underneath that bright blue dress that was hugging all her curves. Ever since Cullen had brought it up last night, a naked Felicity had been all he was able to think about. Not that he hadn’t thought about it prior to their conversation, but at least before he’d been able to push the thought from his mind. Now it was all-consuming.

She huffed at him, as if he were the one putting her out in this whole situation. The situation sucked for everyone involved. Everyone except that jackass Jonah, who was the reason this was even an issue in the first place. Cowboy had offered up his room, telling her that they would share so she could have a room to herself, except she was not willing to go without a toilet—or to share with the adjoining room, which happened to be Jonah’s. Gunnar couldn’t blame her there, though. He had no idea what the history was between the two of them, but based on their reactions to each other, he knew it wasn’t good. Also, the guy was just an ass all the way around.

“So enjoy the couch.”

The couch? Oh, she was sorely mistaken if she thought he was taking the couch.

“Hold on one second there, Effie,” he said, raising his voice and stepping into her. “I am not fucking sleeping on the couch. This is my room that you barged into.”

“Effie?” she countered.

“Yes, Effie. Like Effie Trinket in the Hunger Games. Wild, fancy clothes and just slightly out of touch with the way things actually work.”

“I am not out of touch!” she shouted.

“You are if you think that I’m sleeping on the couch.”

“Well, you are not sleeping in that bed with me!” She stomped her foot, the same way she had done earlier this evening while arguing with her brother. The heels she was wearing made her already long legs seem like they went on forever. Fuck, those legs were sexy.

I wonder what those legs would feel like wrapped around my waist…

“The bed is mine,” she said, pulling him from his dirty thoughts. “Enjoy the couch.”

“You’re a real piece of work, you know that, Effie?” he grumbled, brushing past her to head to the bathroom.

“Takes one to know one!” she hollered back.

Slamming the bathroom door shut, he cranked up the shower, allowing the water to get as hot as it could get. It took a moment for his body to adjust to the temperature, but soon enough he could feel himself relax from the heat and steam. What had started out as a great day on the pitch had taken quite the turn thanks to his new roommate. He would not let her get under his skin—at least not any more than she already was. Why did she have to be so fucking hot? This whole thing would be a lot easier if she had been some kind of gremlin, rather than the perfect addition to his spank bank.

His dick twitched at the thought of what she might be out there doing right now. Was she getting ready for bed? Just what kind of pajamas did she wear? Dear God, please let her wear something ugly, like oversized flannel, he thought. He grabbed hold of himself, fighting the urge to stroke, his body desperately craving release. He needed a distraction…what was it that Austin Powers used to say? Baseball…cold showers…Margaret Thatcher on a cold day…

His dick pulsed again, his mind rushing back to the thought of Felicity in bed, wearing nothing but a bra and panties. Her perfect tits on display, wrapped up in satin and lace. The image overwhelmed him, his hand acting as if it had a mind of its own, slowly gliding up and down his now raging-hard cock. It only took a few more strokes before his release hit him, hard, shooting all over the shower wall. His body relaxed even more, the hot water still crashing against him. That hadn’t been why he’d come in here, but he’d be lying to himself if he said he hadn’t enjoyed it.

He just couldn’t let it happen again.

Chapter Six