Page 52 of Reckless Love
“I know. It’s the worst thing. I hate it. Are you sure you can’t ditch that job in Denver? Try for a job in Miami instead?”
“I’m hoping I like the job more than I’m imagining. It’s writing…even if it is about pets for a blog. My parents would kill me if I ditched it and you wouldn’t be in Miami all the time anyway. But I wish I could.” She sniffled and leaned back, her arms around my neck. “I’ll be cheering you on during every game still, I promise.”
Her face crumbled again and this time when I hugged her, a few tears ran down my face too.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
NIP SLIPS
RHODES
Now
“Are you kidding me?Who moved my towel and clothes? I am the one who should be pranking all you rookies. I’ve done my fucking time,” I yell.
I hear the guys trying to control their laughter, but one of them is laughing so hard it makes me snort. Shakingmy head, I walk out of the showers and into the locker room, holding my arms out wide, naked as the day I was born.
There are only a few guys here, and they’re all trying not to laugh. Weston doesn’t bother to hide his laugh, the fucking traitor.
“Who’d you piss off, Archer?” he asks.
“No one. I played my ass off this weekend and again at practice today.” I slap my ass to prove my point. “All right, ‘fess up, assholes, where are my clothes?”
They’re all in on it because not one of them gives me a towel or my clothes. In fact, the cabinet where we usually have extra towels is completely empty. Fucking mutiny.
“Comeon!” I whirl around, my dick whipping heavily against my leg. “I didn’t know you wanted to see all this so bad.” I hold my hands out and have to press my mouth firm to keep from laughing.
Jon Carlos, the shyest rookie I’ve met yet, points out the door. His hand shakes. “I-I think I saw your pants out there.”
I give him an assessing look and the poor guy looks like he’s going to hurl. “Thank you, Jon Carlos. I’ll remember that you helped me out.”
I turn and glare at everyone else, and the snickers quieten. Roscoe shifts on his feet and looks away first. Yep, I thought this was his doing. He is cocky as shit and pure trouble, but I like the kid. He reminds me of how I was my first year with the Dolphins. Hell…I can still be that way when I want to be.
I walk out the door, going into the main hallway of our athletic center. I glance around and don’t see anyone, but my clothes and towel are in the doorway across from me.
I mutter a string of curses and walk over, bending down to pick them up.
And then turn around to see Elle walking out of the bathroom one door down. We freeze. Her eyes widen and journey downstairs, while I remember to cover my dick with my folded pants just a little too late. Fuck me.
“Roscoe,” I yell, still staring at Elle. “Your ass is mine.”
I hear Elle cracking up as I run into the locker room, and Roscoe hides behind Weston when I come after him.
“He won’t save you,” I tell him, pulling out my scary voice as I grab him and force him toward the showers, turning the water on as cold as it’ll go.
He shudders at the frigid temperature, but he takes it.
When I turn the water off, I bop him on the shoulder. “That was a good one, kid. But do it again and I’ll shave off every strand of hair on your body.”
“Respect, man,” he says through his teeth chattering. “I’ve got nothin’ but respect for you.”
I grin at him and go dry off. When I’m dressed and heading out, I look for Elle, but don’t find her. I call her on my way home and her voice is quiet through my speakers until I turn her up.
“Taking a break from streaking through the halls?” she asks, hardly able to get the words out from laughing so hard.
“Are you wheezing, love? Is that why I can’t turn you up loud enough?” I crack up myself.
When we finally stop laughing, I clear my throat and she coughs before doing the same.