“Okay, fine. I ran into him at a team party at my mom and dad’s a week and a half ago. His now ex-girlfriend gave him a knee to the balls in the wine cellar, and I found him down there in a great deal of pain, so . . . I checked him out.”

Katie grinned. “And by checked him out, I assume you fondled the package?”

“In a purely clinical way, of course.”

“Of course. And how was it?”

“Katherine Murphy. I’m a doctor. I was merely performing an exam on his genitalia to check for injury.”

Katie went to the vending machine, slid some money in and selected an energy drink. “Uh-huh. And was he hung?”

Aubry shook her head. “I didn’t notice.”

“Now I know you’re lying. We always notice.” Katie took a seat at the round table and a long swig of her drink. “So, you like him.”

Admitting defeat, Aubry bought a chocolate milk out of the machine and pulled up a chair next to Katie. “I do like him. He’s very fine looking, funny and sexy as hell. But you know how it is, Katie. I don’t have time for a guy.”

“Make time. Sex is a great stress reducer.”

“So I’ve been told, but it’s been so long I don’t remember.”

“See? This is why you should hop on the hot athlete.”

“No. And how about you? You’re not dating anyone.”

Katie took a long swallow of her drink, then pulled a granola bar out of her coat pocket. “Who says you have to date someone to have sex?”

“That seems so . . . random and unemotional.”

“I know,” Katie said, unwrapping the granola bar and taking a big bite out of it. “That’s what makes it so great. You get off, he gets off, there are no emotional entanglements to clutter up your already busy life. Everyone’s happy.”

Maybe that would work for some people, but Aubry didn’t think she could make it work for her. She’d had two long-term romantic relationships in her life. One in high school, and the other during medical school. Both had been okay, but not earth-shattering.

She wanted earth-shattering, goddammit. Was that too much to ask for?

The problem was, life as a resident was hectic and unpredictable and a total time suck. She didn’t have the time or energy to give to an earth-shattering romance.

So maybe some great hot sex was the answer after all.

And when hot sex popped into her head, she could definitely picture Tucker Cassidy. He had great hands. She could already imagine all the delicious things he could do to her with his hands.

“See? You’re already picturing it in your head, aren’t you?”

She looked up to see Katie grinning at her. She couldn’t help the curve of her lips.

“Maybe.”

“So go get you some hot baseball player.”

She shrugged. “He said he’d see me again.”

Katie nudged her with her shoulder. “So when he does, for God’s sake, say yes.”

THERE WAS NOTHING WORSE THAN ONE OF HIS BROTHERS popping in for a visit.

And even worse when it was his twin brother, Barrett.

That was the bad thing about football off-season. He saw way more of his brothers than he wanted to.

“You know I want to come to one of your games, while I’m here,” Barrett said, dropping his bag on the floor of the living room.

“Why are you here again?”

“I’ve got a meeting with my agent—actually our agent—Victoria Baldwin. We’re doing some contract stuff, then some PR shit.”

“Stuff and shit. Got it. You want a beer?” Tucker asked as he led Barrett into the kitchen of his condo.

“Yeah. Oh, hey, I saw your run-in at first base last week. You couldn’t get the hell out of the way?”

“That wasn’t my fault.” He pulled two beers out of the refrigerator, popped open the tops and handed one to Barrett, who’d already made himself at home by taking a chair at the island.

“That’s what you always say. But you are the klutz of the family.”

Shaking his head, Tucker took a couple long swallows of his beer. He and Barrett had been at odds with each other since—hell, probably since the womb. They fought all the time and were atypical as far as twins went. It wasn’t an us-against-the-world type of relationship at all. Maybe because they weren’t identical twins. He had no idea.

Of course if anyone gave his brother shit, he’d be the one that was right there to defend him. Because he loved his brother. He might fight with him, but God help anyone else who did.

“You were pitching great until you fucked it all up by letting Stokes stomp all over your leg, though.”

Tucker laughed at Barrett’s backhanded compliment. “Yeah. I could have finished that game. My arm is feeling good so far.”

“The game you pitched in Cleveland was okay. That loss wasn’t on you.”

He grimaced just thinking about that game. His leg had been fine, and he’d pitched six strong innings. The relief team had given up three runs and they hadn’t been able to make up the deficit. “Yeah, that sucked.”

“Mom says to tell you hi, and that she and Dad will be up to catch a game this month.”

He nodded. “I talked to her the other day. She said something about a trip up this way but she didn’t have the dates nailed down yet. Something about doing paint and fabric shopping with Katrina and the kids.”

Barrett nodded. “They’re in remodel mode at Grant’s place. Oh, and we’re having dinner with Grant and Katrina and the kids tonight.”