“Holy shit. You work fast, O’Leary. Looks like I owe you fifty bucks.”
The obnoxious voice broke through my happy moment, and I couldn’t suppress a low growl as Chet fucking Doyle muscled his way into our space.
“Look at her, she’s panting like the dog she is. You only had to bang her. Seducing her is above and beyond, brother. You are stone cold.”
Blair’s body was stiff beneath my hands, and I didn’t know if it would make things better or worse if I cold cocked this son of a bitch to shut him the hell up.
I’d probably get some kind of community service medal for improving the culture in the Aces organization.
His laugh was a vile taunt intended to tear Blair down the same way her family had tried, but there was no fucking way I’d let that happen.
“Shut the fuck up, Doyle.”
“No, no. You deserve all the accolades here. I’ve witnessed a master at work. Did you get her to tell you she loved you? Fuck, yes. You’re a straight up killer.”
Blair broke out of my hold and headed for the door while Chet’s laughter nipped at her heels.
Stay and break his face? Or chase down the woman I was in love with.
Violence sounded like such an easy answer, but at the end of the day he was irrelevant.
Blair mattered.
Spinning on my heel, I chased after her, heels skidding to a halt when I found her leaning against the wall outside.
“Wait… what? Ahh, I can explain.”
“I know you can. And you will.” Her voice was calm. Not in a shut down, dissociating way, but awhat idiocy did you pull? Tell me so I can helpway.
“During preseason, he was being an asshole.”
“Standard.”
“And he started ranting about this stupid idea for a bet.”
She nodded, waiting for me to continue.
“Anyway, he wouldn’t shut the fuck up, so I said yes so you wouldn’t have to walk in and hear all the shit he was spewing. I’d forgotten about it until he said it just then. It was stupid, and I didn’t get to know you for the money. I’m in love with you. Plus, Mia’s already picked your side if we break up and I can’t lose my friends.”
She was too calm. As she leaned against the wall with a foot cocked, arms folded across the front of her sinful dress, I wanted to fall to my knees and prove how much she meant to me.
But I’d also just said I loved her, and she wasn’t reacting to that either.
“That was pretty stupid,” she said eventually, and my heart let out a hard thump in relief.
“It was.”
“But your heart was in the right place.”
“You’re taking this really well.” I held both hands out. “Not that I’m complaining, just observing that you are.”
She smirked as she stepped into my body and wound her arms around my neck.
“It’s pretty easy when you told me you loved me weeks ago.”
“What?” I pulled back, searching her face for signs she was joking. I would remember telling her I loved her, right?
“After the Boston game. You passed out in the car on the drive home, and when I tried to wake you, you told me then.”
