Misadventures of a Rookie Read online

  He was just as dirty as rumored.

  Inhaling hard, I threw the phone on the bed and then fell back, exhaling the breath I’d been holding. “What the hell am I doing? I know this won’t last. I am legit setting myself up for failure. Not only is he a horndog, and yeah, I know he is probably the best lay of my life, but he isn’t going to stay. He is going to leave, off into the fast lane of being a rookie in the NHL. He won’t have time for me.” Covering my face with my hands, I groaned loudly. “I know better!”

  “Okay, the talking to yourself thing is getting weird.”

  Peeking through my fingers, I saw Lizzy standing at my bedroom door. She was holding her shoes in her hands, and she looked like she had been ridden hard and put away wet. “Girl,” I said. “You look rough.”

  She nodded. “Lots of tequila and sex will do that.”

  I giggled loudly as I shook my head. “Did you at least have fun?”

  “I did,” she said softly, toeing the carpet. “It was a great time.”

  “Good.”

  “How about you? You have fun with Mr. Persson?”

  My grin must have given it away.

  “I knew it.”

  I rolled my eyes, looking away, trying to play as if I wasn’t still pulsating from the night before. “Whatever.”

  “I hope you didn’t get attached since you won’t be seeing him around anymore.”

  My heart sank at her words. I knew the truth, I did, but before I could tell her that he was actually coming back to get his phone, there was a knock at the door. She looked toward the sound and then back at me. “You expecting someone?”

  I was, but not this early.

  I got out of bed and hobbled past her. When I opened the door, I was greeted with a happy bark from the sweetest little beagle mix. And Gus. Grinning at me.

  “Oh my goodness! Look at her,” I said, falling to my knees to pet the pooch as she licked me happily.

  “Told you, she’s gorgeous.”

  “She is!” I grinned, and he smiled back down at me. When he bent down, he brushed my chin with his bad hand.

  “I’m here early.”

  “You are.” I stood and pulled my focus away from Sweetie to the real reason he was here. I tried not to feel my heart sink. “I’ll go get your phone.”

  He stopped the word by pressing his lips to mine, taking away every single breath and obliterating every fear that threatened my composure. He pulled from our kiss slowly, pressing his nose against mine. “I’ve had the taste of you on my lips all night and day. I’ve been dying for more.”

  I inhaled hard. “Your mom called.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll call her later. Get your shoes on. Let’s go.”

  “Go?”

  “Yeah, breakfast, since I couldn’t wait for lunch.”

  “You couldn’t?”

  “I couldn’t,” he agreed. “So come on. I got us some really unhealthy breakfast sandwiches and some ice cold OJ. I got Sweetie some bacon.”

  I just looked at him. “You’re serious?”

  “Duh.” He laughed. “Come on.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just said, “Okay.”

  When I turned, Lizzy was watching us, her eyes wide. I went back to my room and calmly slid my good foot into a flip-flop. I grabbed both our phones and my purse and then headed back to the living room, where Lizzy was still staring at Gus with her mouth hanging open. He pointed at her.

  “Is your roommate broken?”

  I shrugged. “She’s probably freaking out that you came back. Everyone knows about Gus Persson. One and done.”

  He waved me off, laughing. “That’s for everyone else but you. Come on.”

  He reached for my hand, pulling me with him, but I didn’t miss the way Lizzy was still gawking at us.

  I was pretty sure my expression mirrored hers.

  Because I sure as hell didn’t believe this was happening.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Gus

  I could tell Bo didn’t think I’d come back. I wasn’t sure why she would think that, though, especially after last night, but I could see the shock in her eyes when she opened the door. I thought the night had gone great. I thought we vibed just as well in bed as we did out of it. We were good, real damn good, so her fears of me not keeping my word were pointless. I kept my word. I wanted to see her. I needed to see her. I wasn’t even thinking of my phone last night. All I thought about was her and the noises she made when I was deep inside her. Not just that, but the way she made me laugh.

  I didn’t expect her roommate to look at me the way she did, but then, I guess I had earned that shitty reputation around the Suns’ compound.

  Oh well. Things change. People change. And Bo was definitely a woman worth changing for.

  Sitting across from her on the blanket, I dug my feet in the sand as Sweetie ran through the shallow ocean waves, jumping and having a blast. Bo looked like she’d just rolled out of bed. Her hair was up in a wild bun, and she wore thick black sunglasses over her eyes. She was wearing a pair of short shorts and a big Suns Ice Girl sweatshirt. It gobbled her up, and I was jealous of it.

  I wanted to gobble her up.

  Glancing over at me, she smiled. “Aren’t you worried she’ll take off?”

  I shook my head. “No. She’s stuck like glue to Max and me. He tried to say he’s keeping her. I’m not playing with him… I saved her. She’s mine.”

  “Exactly,” she agreed, pointing a slice of bacon at me. “I’ll fight him on that.”

  I smiled. “You’d fight someone for me?”

  She rolled her eyes and leaned back on an elbow as she ate. And, of course, changed the subject. “Miss your phone last night?”

  I shook my head as I looked out at Sweetie. The water was freezing, and hardly anyone was out. It was early and sort of chilly for a November day. Taking a bite of my eggs, I said, “Nah, I was busy playing with my Sweetie.”

  She smiled. “I looked through it.”

  “Of course you did.” I laughed. “I expected you to.”

  “So you cleared it first?”

  I scoffed. “No, everything on there is always on there. When did I have time to clear it? I legit pulled it out of my pocket and handed it to you.”

  She gave me a sideways glance, a little smile pulling at her lips. “I still can’t believe you did that.”

  “I really wanted you.”

  Her smile fell off a bit as she looked down at her plate. “And now?”

  I chuckled. “Oh, Bocephus, if only there was no one here and my dog didn’t need my attention…”

  A gorgeous flush came over her face as she grinned. “So, this isn’t over?”

  “What is this?” I asked, because I honestly didn’t know. “You keep saying this, but I have no clue what that means. Like Max fucked with me last night, saying we’re dating. Are we dating?”

  She looked really uncomfortable. “Do you wanna date?”

  I gave her a dry look. “I asked you first.”

  “And I asked you second, so you gotta answer!”

  I shook my head. “You’re annoying, but dating, um…that’s basically where I don’t date anyone but you, and you do the same but with me, right?”

  She slowly nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Then yeah, I want to do that.”

  She seemed shocked, her brows pulling together, and that little twitch at the side of her mouth went nuts. “You do?”

  “What the hell? I said it, didn’t I?”

  She made a face and pressed her hand to her chest. “Excuse me, I was just verifying.”

  “I don’t say things I don’t mean, I can promise you that.”

  Her eyes met mine, dark and unsure. “Hey, do me a favor.”

  I shrugged. “Kiss you, done,” I said, leaning toward her, but her hand stopped me. “That wasn’t it, was it?”

  “No.”

  “Then what?”

  “Promise me you’ll make no promises.”