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CHAPTER 2
NIALL
I closethe door and flip the lock before setting the plant down next to my keys on the small entryway table. Heading straight to my bedroom, I fall onto the bed with a groan and bury my face in the pillow.
Fuck.
I didn’t mean to be so rude to my new neighbor, but she woke me up from a sound sleep. I was in the middle of a dream I didn’t want to end when I was yanked back to reality by the constant ringing of the doorbell. I only desired to lie still and cling to the last vestiges of happiness. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, I can fall back asleep and continue the dream where it left off. But there’s no chance of that happening right now. Instead, my brain feels fuzzy from the abrupt awakening, like I’m hungover, and if that’s not enough, I’m still emotionally shaken from the dream. It took me back to a period I desperately miss, but there’s no going down that dead end.
I roll to my back and sit up, scrubbing my hands over my face. My pregame nap is officially over, and it’s time for me to get ready. We’re playing one of our conference rivals tonight, and I need to be at the top of my game.
Swinging my legs to the floor, I slip from the edge of the mattress and cross the room to the adjoining bathroom. I turn on the shower and drop my boxer briefs in the hamper. Rolling my neck from side to side, I feel the tight muscles stretching. Stepping under the spray, I crank the temperature and let the hot water pound against the back of my neck and shoulders. It feels amazing. I wish I could stand here for the next hour straight, but duty calls. I’ve got work to do, and I love my job. How many guys can say they make millions of dollars playing their favorite sport? Not many, and not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for my lot in life. I’m blessed in so many ways. A pair of wide green eyes staring up at me flashes into my mind, and I quickly banish the thought. Shutting off the water, I grab my towel and start drying off. Right now isn’t the time to muse over what if or if only.
I stretch a long towel out over the industrial carpet and sit down. Ryder grunts with frustration from his place next to me. I turn to see what’s happening and find his hand shoved down inside the front of his compression spandex. “You okay there?”
His answer is another grunt as his hand moves around.
“What the fuck, dude?” Murphy asks.
“I think my pants shrunk,” Ryder explains, withdrawing his hand. He stretches his legs out in front of himself, grimacing.
“Where are your shorts?” Darius asks.
“I forgot to bring them. I woke up late from my nap and stayed in the shower too long. I didn’t realize I grabbed the wrong pants, too, though. These aren’t the ones I usually wear.” He pulls the tight elastic material from his groin.
Darius shakes his head. “Jesus, Ryder. Those are obscene.” If they tried, I don’t think anyone could miss seeing the noticeable bulge.
“You’re just jealous,” Ryder calls out before wincing. “What the fuck is wrong with these pants?” He jumps to his feet and shoves his hand down the front again.
That’s when I notice the famous women’s brand logo on the side of his leg. I bark out a laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Ryder asks.
“I don’t think those are your pants. Or at least I hope they’re not.” I point toward the stitched logo. His head drops down as he takes a closer look.
Darius moves over, clamping a hand onto Ryder’s shoulder, shaking him. “Aww, how cute. You’re sharing clothes with my sister.”
“That’s not all he’s sharing,” Murphy says, air drumming a few times.
Darius reaches out, slapping him upside the head. “Don’t remind me.”
Ryder grips the waistband. “Fuck me. I grabbed Calista’s leggings from the laundry basket. No wonder these are so uncomfortable.” He kicks his sneakers off and peels the black material down his legs, leaving him in boxer briefs. He does a couple of wide-legged squats and grins. “Ahh, much better.”
I shake my head. “Didn’t you realize something was wrong when you put them on?”
Ryder shrugs. “I thought maybe they’d shrunk in the dryer and would stretch out as I wore them.”
“Welcome to one of the downfalls of living with the woman you love,” Murphy interjects. “If mistakenly wearing her pants is the worst you have to deal with, then you’re doing okay, bro. Wendy hangs bras all over the bathroom to dry. I can’t showerwithout moving them, but they also remind me of how sexy she looks in them. It’s a small price to pay.”
“I agree, but I don’t know if my nuts and dick do.”
“We should get to warming up before we fall behind schedule,” Kaiden reminds us. As the team’s captain, he’s the consistent voice of reason we all need.
Murphy claps his hands together and wanders to his yoga mat before us. “Let’s get to it.” He starts by having us focus on drawing in long, deep breaths and exhaling slowly. I’ve done this warm-up with these guys enough to know this is the best part of the stretching. It’s all downhill from here. It only takes a few minutes until I’m contorting my body into positions that fucking hurt.
“Murphy, had I known you were going to torture me before every game, I wouldn’t have signed the contract,” I gripe.
Murphy smirks. “You should be thanking your lucky stars that I’m helping you improve your health. Flexibility is an important component you’ve been neglecting.”
