Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 90009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
If I thought she was in my blood before, it’s nothing compared to what it feels like now that I’ve touched and tasted her.
“Dude, what the hell did your phone do to you?” Oliver snickers from across the room, chucking a towel at me.
I catch it midair and throw it back, harder. “Fuck off.”
He grins but doesn’t press his luck before disappearing toward the showers.
Unable to help myself, I check my phone for the umpteenth time.
Still no response.
Where the hell is Lilah, and why isn’t she answering my texts?
The click of heels on tile makes me glance up, and I find Evelyn Kingston standing in the locker room, her sharp green gaze already locked on me as a smile lifts the edges of her lips.
“Ah, Steele. Just the man I wanted to see.”
I stand, shoving my phone in my pocket. “Hey, Ms. K.”
She glances at Jax, who’s a few lockers down, tugging on his hoodie. “Jaxon. It’s good to see that you’re settling in with the team.”
He flashes a cocky grin. “I love Chicago and am stoked to be here.”
Evelyn cocks her head and purses her lips. “Are you married?”
His grin falters. “God, no. Why the hell—”
He catches my glare and immediately shifts gears. “I mean, no, ma’am. I’m not.”
“Good to know.” She gives him a bright smile before shifting her attention back to me.
“What’s up?” I ask, only half-listening as I pull out my phone again.
Evelyn crosses her arms as her gaze sharpens on me. “Are you waiting for something? Or, perhaps, someone?”
My jaw tightens as I debate whether to admit the truth. That struggle lasts all of five seconds before I blurt, “I was trying to get ahold of Lilah, but she’s not responding.”
She hums like this is fascinating information. “Huh, that’s odd. I just saw her in the hallway a little while ago.”
I had no idea she’d be at the arena today. “Oh?”
She smiles sweetly in response. “Yes. In fact, she and Knox just left for lunch.”
Everything inside me goes still.
Lilah’s with Knox?
My fingers dig into my palms as heat rises in my chest that has absolutely nothing to do with the lingering adrenaline from practice.
“I’m sorry, she’s with who?”
“Knox,” Evelyn says, her smile turning smug as a glint sparks in her eyes. “They went out to lunch. I might have suggested Lilah offer her personal assistant services to him, and he seemed very enthusiastic about the idea.”
The hell she’s going to be a personal assistant for Knox. He’s ten times worse than his older brother, Colby, ever was. And I didn’t think that was possible.
A muscle tics in my jaw. “Where’d they go?”
She tilts her head and taps a perfectly manicured finger against her lips. “Oh, I don’t know if I should say. After all, Lilah is a grown woman. If she wants to go on a date…”
Date.
That single word detonates inside my head.
“Evelyn.”
Thankfully, she takes pity on me. Or maybe she doesn’t want to watch me unravel in real time. Either way, she rattles off the name of the restaurant.
Then, as if she hasn’t just thrown gasoline on an open flame, she adds casually, “I actually think Lilah and Knox would make a rather handsome couple, don’t you? He could use someone sweet and caring in his life.”
Instead of responding, I storm out of the locker room, hell-bent on finding out exactly what the fuck is going on. In less than five minutes, I’m sliding behind the wheel of my car, pulling out of the parking lot with my hands clenched so tightly around the steering wheel my knuckles turn white.
The drive to the restaurant should be easy, but traffic is a nightmare. The streets are packed with businesspeople, tourists, and locals, all moving at their own pace. Horns blare, cab drivers weave aggressively through lanes, and pedestrians jaywalk.
I barely notice any of it.
My mind is locked on one thing.
Lilah.
Who’s probably sitting across from Knox and laughing at something he said. The guy thinks he’s a real funny fucker. He’s able to turn on the charm any damn time he wants. It’s exactly how he smooth-talks women into his bed. I’ve seen it play out more times than I care to count, and I don’t want that to happen with Lilah. I’ll kill him with my bare hands if he touches one blonde hair on her head.
Maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to slap a friends-with-benefits label on what we have.
Maybe I should have been honest about how I really feel.
But I was afraid of pushing her away.
In that moment, I would’ve said or done just about anything to secure her agreement.
Although, one of the damn rules I should have laid down is that there’s no going out to lunch with any of my teammates.
Hell, no going out with anyone.
Period.
And she sure as shit isn’t going to become a personal assistant to any other man but me.