Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“Whose idea was this practice date?” Jenn asks, air-quoting practice date.
I pinch my brows together, trying to remember. “I think his.”
“And the practice part is...what? Because Dane doesn’t know how to go out on a date?”
I take a sip from the fresh margarita that was just delivered, trying to figure out how to diplomatically answer that.
“Well, it won’t be good for his image if he asks her which hole she wants it in thirty seconds into the date,” I say, shrugging.
“If she’s trolling athletes online, she’s hoping he’ll bring two teammates and fill all her holes at once,” Elena cracks.
Jenn has already drained a third of the second margarita. She’s flushed and full of smiles.
“I can’t wait any longer to ask,” she says. “Did you guys practice sleeping together?”
I cringe. “God, no. Nothing like that.”
Elena looks like she’s about to burst with excitement. She grins and gently smacks the table. “This is the tension part. I read lots of romance novels. Dane has to pretend he doesn’t want her and she pretends she doesn’t want him, but they’re secretly sneaking looks at each other and coming up with things like practice dates as excuses to be together.”
I laugh. “I mean...have there been moments of attraction? Yes. But Dane and I would drive each other crazy.”
“How are you pretending you’re not crazy with jealousy over him taking another woman out on a date?”
I take a break to eat chips and salsa, hoping one of them will bring up another subject, but they turn into the two most patient people ever, just waiting for me to stop eating and answer the question.
“I told you, it’s not like that with us.”
Elena scoffs. “It is, though. Aaron said you two spend every second together.”
“We kind of have to, I’m his glorified babysitter.”
“Aiden said Dane’s pissed about Lucas paying so much attention to you.”
I shake my head and laugh. “Your husbands sound like gossipy teenage girls.”
“That’s how it is on a team,” Jenn says. “Everyone knows everyone’s business.”
“Deep down, Dane’s a really good guy,” Elena says. “It hurt him really badly when his wife cheated. He acts cynical now, but I don’t think he really is.”
“Do you guys know anything about what happened with his ex-wife?” I ask. “How did he find out about it?”
Jenn’s shoulders sink. “He walked in on them. He was out of town and his trip got cut short, so he wanted to surprise her and come home early. He had flowers for her in his hand when he found them going at it in his own bed.”
I close my eyes, imagining how hard that must have been for him.
“He and Sam had a huge fight then and there,” Jenn says. “Sam ended up running out of the house naked, with blood running down his face.”
“If he played for another team, how did he know Dane’s...” For some reason, I can’t call her his wife. “His, um...ex.”
Jenn lets Elena take that one.
“Dane and Sam used to be teammates.”
I bury my face in my hands, then sigh heavily and look at Elena. “Poor Dane.”
“Yeah. Now you know why everyone’s so happy he’s into you. There hasn’t been anyone serious since Cruella.”
I arch a brow, amused. “Cruella?”
“It’s what we call his ex,” Jenn says. “She’s tall and villainous, so it fits.”
Our food arrives and I take the opportunity to change the subject.
“Catch me up on what’s happening with you guys,” I say. “Let me live vicariously through you.”
Elena laughs. “Well, I’ve changed a whole lot of diapers and prepped a whole lot of baby food in the past couple of weeks. It’s exciting.”
“Beats following a hockey player all over the country,” I say.
“Ugh.” Jenn rolls her eyes. “I’d travel with Aiden if I could. It gets old going to bed alone. No vibrator compares to him.”
“I used to think that, too,” Elena says. “Now I just enjoy the extra sleep.”
“We need all the details on the practice date,” Jenn says, back on the subject of me and Dane.
I can’t get out of it, so I answer every question they ask me. I leave out the part about our almost-kiss though, because I still haven’t sorted out my feelings on it.
I wanted him to kiss me. I know it’s a terrible idea and will likely end with me getting hurt, but the one thing I’m not at all confused about is that I’m very attracted to Dane.
And now that I know he’s attracted to me, too, the only thing keeping us apart is my fading willpower.
“There she is!” Dane cries when I walk into Jenn and Aiden’s house a few hours later. “My bodyguard’s here to carry me home.”
He’s trashed. I can tell from his slurred words and the way he’s about to fall off the barstool he’s sitting on.
“We got in the hot tub,” he says merrily. “There were no hot chicks in there, just a bunch of dudes. Zero stars, do not recommend.”