Page 11 of Penalty Shots
JR continues, “So with twenty seconds left until the new year… I invite you to shed those clothes and countdown with me.”
I quickly give Ryker a heads-up about flanking Rina, and he agrees as we toss our robes to the side and kick our shoes off, wearing nothing but our boxer briefs.
Jenny slips out of her warm clothes, her bright pink bra and panty combo impossible to miss, and wraps her arms around herself, giggling with her cheer squad as they all countdown.
“Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen…”
My eyes shift over to Rina hiding behind us. She takes a deep breath before taking off her glasses and then reaches for the hem of her ASC sweatshirt, pulling it over her head.
I don’t know what I’m expecting to see. But what I'm not expecting is that lacy red bra she was wearing when I met her to make a comeback. And this time, there's no wet t-shirt to leave things to the imagination. The color stands out against her tan skin. And the fabric hugs her breasts perfectly.
At this moment, I’m convinced I’ve never seen someone wear red like Rina can.
“Nine, eight, seven…”
I try not to watch as she reaches for the waistband of her sweats. I focus on my feet, but I can’t help myself when I see them drop to the ground in my peripheral. She steps out of them,and my eyes trail up her legs. She’s in a red thong. The kind that models wear on a runway.
The only thing she’s missing is a pair of wings floating behind her, although my man brain pictures them as she approaches me, and the countdown reaches one.
All the team captains and the cheer squad jump straight into the chilly water, splashing us as they do.
But I look at Rina, holding a hand out and trying my best to look her in the eye like the gentleman that I know I can be. Like the gentleman IhopeI can be.
“Ready?” I say to her.
She takes in another deep breath, her cleavage pushing the edges of that damn bra.
In that split second, the thoughts in my head are not those of a gentleman. Rina quickly nods. I look over at Ryker, and he nods as the three of us plunge into the deep, cold water below us.
Into a new year.
Into the unknown.
And when we rise out of the water, freezing and instantly regretting our dumbass decision—it’s Rina’s laugh I hear that makes me think my next thought.
This was totally worth it.
Chapter 3
Rina
Toby rushes over to me the second I’m about to enter the press room.
“We might have a situation,” he says.
I shoot him a glare. “What now?”
He lowers his voice and looks around. “Mackenzie Stratton just asked me to add a desk to your office.”
I all but growl. “What do you meanadd a desk?”
“She didn't give me much detail.”
I also look around to make sure nobody is around. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
He shakes his head. "I wish, boss. Sounds like she might have somebody coming on staff."
Just what I need. A team captain with fists of fury. An assistant who's worse than Twitter when it comes to the regular updates, and now—a mystery co-worker.