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Yeah . . . not what I was expecting.
“Dude. No. Seriously.No. That one is all yours. If you get stuck for conversation, ask her about the seagulls on the beach. You’ll thank me later.” The doors open a floor below Everly’s, and the bartender salutes me as he shuffles off, mumbling, “Seagulls, man. Trust me.”
A minute later, the doors open again, this time on Everly’s floor.
Fuck... I haven’t been on a date in four years, and I feel rusty as shit knocking on her door. Not nervous. But definitely out of my element.
Only it’s not Everly who opens the door.
“Hey, Cross. Come on in.” Brynlee St. James, one of the team’s physical therapists, steps aside, letting me in... to a party? “Everly will be out in a minute.”
What the fuck?
“Hey, man,” my teammate Easton walks over and shakes my hand. “What are you doing here?”
Is this some kind of team party I wasn’t told about?
“He’s here to pick me up.” Everly walks down the hall, and I damn near swallow my tongue. She’s gorgeous. A white, fuzzy sweater hangs off one bare shoulder, while her hair hangs down in waves over the other. Tight blue jeans are practically painted on her incredible, shapely legs, and brown boots zip up to her knees. Fuck me...
Easton grins like a kid cracked-out on too much sugar. “Oh, this ought to be good.”
“Be nice,” his wife yells from the couch before moving a blanket away from her chest, exposing her breast and a tiny baby as she switches him to the other side. When I try to avert my eyes, she laughs. “Don’t worry. The whole world has seen my boobs lately.”
“Princess . . .” Easton groans.
And a guy I hadn’t noticed before covers his eyes as he adjusts an ice pack on his knee. “I don’t want to fucking see them. Put that shit away.”
“Nobody asked you, Callen,” Brynlee snaps back at him as she brings him a bottle of water.
“Come on, Brynn. One beer,” he groans, looking at the water like it might as well be piss.
“Suck it, Sinclair. They gave you pain relievers. You don’t need beer too.” She carefully moves the ice pack and checks his knee before sitting down gingerly next to him. Meanwhile, Madeline Kingston-Hayes, Easton’s wife and one of the owners of the damn team I play for, adjusts the baby and turns toward Everly and me.
“So... aren’t you going to introduce us, Evie?”
Everly shifts her weight from one long leg to the other, then blows out a quiet breath. “Fine. But you all suck.” She points her finger around the room. “And I will get every single one of you back for this.” Her voice softens when she peeks down at the baby. “All of you except Griffin.”
Everyone in the room laughs at her discomfort, and I’m not sure whether I like it or not. Maybe I’m a bit too overprotective for a first date when I slide my hand to the small of her back and press the slightest bit.
But the smile she throws over her shoulder as she leans into me has me thinking it was a good move.
“Guys, this is Cross.”
Everyone in the room says “Hi Cross,”like they’re Kerrigan’s preschool class meeting the new kid.
Everly turns those aqua eyes on me, tonight they’re a little more green than blue, and fuck, she’s so pretty. “Cross... these are my asshole friends. You already know Easton and Brynlee. Not sure about Lindy and Griffin.” She points down to Madeline and the baby, then over to the guy with the iced-up knee. “And that dumbass over there is Callen.”
“Why am I a dumbass?” Callen pushes back.
“Because you got hurt during the fourth quarter, showing off. Grandpa chewed your ass out in the locker room. And now you’re on our couch, sulking like a little baby.” She flicks his ear, and he whines like a teenage girl.
Easton leans in next to me. “They take a bit to get used to. But they’re not as insane as it looks at first fucking glance.”
Everly spins on her heels. “Hmm... pretty sure we are, E.”
She grabs a small purse off a table, then slips her hand in mine. “Want to get out of here, big man?”
I answer without hesitation, “Yes.”
