Delayed Penalty (Crossing the Line, #1)

I wanted to ask her if she didn't like him, but wasn't sure if I should. Her reaction puzzled me. Dave seemed like a nice guy, not one I would ever want to date, or even hang out with, but at least he wasn't anti-social. There were a couple of Evan's teammates that didn't even say hello, let alone look our direction. Maybe it was because I was sitting there with him, or maybe they didn't get along. It was apparent they had a group that was tight-knit.

Dave left after that; a girl had caught his attention. "See what I mean?" Evan gestured to the girl on his arm. "He might not leave with that one either, but it won't stop him from taking her into the bathroom."

Sure enough, they disappeared down the hall. I didn't pay much attention to that. I had a feeling Evan might have been like that before he met me, but I also didn't want to think about it too much.

Evan's hands were never far from me, which I enjoyed. When I would respond, or curl into him, his eyebrow would quirk, and his mouth would turn up into that signature crooked smile. I eventually grew bolder and actually touched his back or his stomach. God, that stomach was amazing. The only acknowledgment he would give would be a wink. Other than that, we brought no attention to the flirting.

Leo caught on quickly, as did Callie, who finally came back to the table, when she whispered, "Now I know you were thinking about the way his hips moved."

I tried to play it off with a laugh, but I couldn't deny it. Yes, I had that thought about them a time or two. I most just thought about it. Given what happened to me, and the fact that I was a virgin that night, I would be far from ready for any type of physical relationship with anyone for a while. Well, that may have been true if I wasn't living with Evan Masen. And that may have been true if Evan Masen hadn't rescued me. And that may have been true if I wasn't falling for Evan Masen.

And as much as I tried to pay attention that night, Evan Masen was in my head. Thoughts of us naked, feelings of lust and desire, erotic thoughts bombarded me and frustrated me. Sexual tension was something I'd never experienced before.





Evan's condo in the Trump Towers was far more extravagant than his parents' home in Pittsburgh. You could tell their home was where a good family lived and well-rounded children were raised. Evan's condo looked somewhat like a playboy mansion, only on a smaller scale. It wasn't huge, but it had some nice amenities. A quick walk through and you easily understood it was a guy's pad. When you walked inside, straight-ahead was the living room. The smell was the first thing you noticed when you walked in. It smelled like Evan, and I wanted to bury myself in the wood floors and become part of its grain. I wasn't sure how, but he always spelled like some kind of pampered laundry sheet. Rich cotton, leather, boy, and the smell I remembered from that night. The smell of Evan was comforting.

His parents' home had a faint resemblance to the smell, but it was nothing like being here. When you walked inside there was a laundry room to the right, with a fancy stainless steel front loading washer and dryer. I was sure he never used either of them, but the pile of laundry told me otherwise.

Walking into the living room, with its floor to ceiling windows overlooking Northern Chicago, the view almost looked like some kind of skyline painting. The kitchen and dining room area were to the right; dark wood matched the cupboards and was met with stainless steel appliances and black granite countertops.

His furniture was a sage green, a couch and few chairs placed strategically around his large flat screen television that hung neatly on the wall. No wires or speakers in sight, but you knew they were there somewhere.

When I first set foot in there, judging by the arrangement and decorations, he was either gay or had someone do it for him. Turned out his sister wanted to be an interior designer and designed the layout for him. I was glad because it would be a shame to be so attracted to Evan and have him be gay.

Down the hall to the left were a few bathrooms, a spare bedroom, and then Evan's master suite.





The bedroom was spacious with a black sleigh bed and matching dresser. The walls were splashed with a light gray tone, and a few pictures of the beach hung above the bed. Large windows bathed the room in an airy winter frost that I loved and offered a beautiful view of downtown Chicago.

The bathroom had dark slate floors with a long counter that matched. In the corner was a shower that I was sure his whole team could fit into and a large tub that allowed you to look over the city, too. It was an unnecessary indulgence I couldn't wait to try out.

His closet was off the bathroom and was nearly the same size as his bedroom. A few jerseys that appeared to be from his early hockey days were framed on the walls.

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