“No need for a nanny with this bunch here. Haven’t you seen all the wives and girlfriends doting on him? They can’t get enough of the little guy. Even Trina.”
“She still doing okay? The pregnancy going okay?” Sam and Trina had had a rocky few months at the end of last season, right after Sam got injured.
“Yeah, everything is going great.” Sam turned and focused on the direction Luc kept looking. “What is so interesting over there?”
“The brunette. There’s something about her. I mean, besides the fact that she’s gorgeous and seems to be single. But she looks familiar, and I can’t figure out why. I’m positive she’s not a bunny. I think I would remember that.” Luc kept his attention on the mystery woman. Still with Kaden’s mom, she was laughing. Trina handed a whining Kaleb to the brunette. Damn, she even looked good with a cranky baby on her arm. “And she’s good with kids, so definitely not a bunny.”
“Dude…” Sam interrupted.
“What? She’s like the only person here that I don’t know.” Luc ran his hand through his hair, and adjusted his belt.
“What are you doing?”
“I was going to go check her out—”
“Uh, no. You’re not. And you’re right about her not being a bunny. Because she’s Kaden’s sister.”
Kaden’s sister? “What? No. But she—” Luc looked a little closer, and that’s why she looked so familiar. Not only did he now see the resemblance to Kaden, except for the dark hair, but he also realized that she was the girl from practice the other day. She was with Ali at practice and now she was with Kaden’s mom. It was all making sense. “Aw, hell.”
“Yeah. She’s Kaden’s sister, and off limits, bro.”
The code. That damn code. Call it a team code, or guy code, whatever, it was all the same. You don’t mess with a teammate’s/bro’s sister.
Watching her laugh and toss her hair made his stomach ball up with nerves. O’Conner or not, she was something special. Trying to keep his distance was going to be difficult now that she was in his head.
Sam’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “I’m not going to tell O’Conner that you were checking out his sister, but don’t let him catch you staring at her like that. I can guarantee you that he won’t like it,” Sam said.
“Whatever, dude.” But Luc was not as nonchalant on the inside as he was acting on the outside. Trying to move his glance from her to anything else in the crowded loft became a challenge; he always came back to her.
Turning away was the only thing he could do. If he kept staring at her, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from going over to talk to her.
“Dude, you can have any bunny you want. Why are you hung up on trying to go after her? You don’t even know her.”
“I’m not hung up on anyone. Plus, who said I was going after her?”
“Well, you can’t seem to keep your eyes off her.”
Luc shook his head with a heavy sigh. This was not a discussion that he wanted to have. He didn’t need Sam accidently telling Kaden he was checking out his sister. “It’s like you said, I can have any bunny at any time. It’s all good.”
But Sam didn’t look convinced at Luc’s denial. That was understandable since Luc wasn’t so convinced himself.
Luc set aside his water and grabbed a beer instead. He wasn’t leaving just yet; he’d switch to water after this. He took a long swig and gave it a moment to calm his body. She might be attractive and totally my type. But… she’s off limits. He reminded himself over and over. That’s just how it had to be. He never had any trouble picking up girls before, so he just needed to move on and find himself someone who wasn’t Kaden O’Conner’s sister.
A few more beers and distracting himself with the conversations of the guys from the team kept his attention away from her―he didn’t even know her name. In a moment of weakness, he looked around the room, searching for her long, dark hair. But she was nowhere to be seen. It was better that way.
Not getting hung up on Kaden’s sister was easier said than done. Luc wished he knew her name. Maybe it was the mystery of not really knowing anything about her. Maybe it was the fact that she was off limits that made her so enticing. He was sure that was it. Why wouldn’t he desire what he couldn’t have? He probably wouldn’t care either way, if she was fair game.
That was a bald-faced lie. Over the next few days, Kaden’s sister kept invading Luc’s thoughts and his sleepless nights. It was starting to piss him off. He didn’t need that kind of drama or trouble in his life. Why did she have to be Kaden’s sister?
Practice started early that morning and ran long. Coach Walker was trying some new lines and combinations. Then of course, extra suicide drills for the guys who’d been underperforming lately. Add to that their losing the scrimmage and having to do push-ups on the ice.
A quick shot of caffeine was necessary. Luc’s body was exhausted, and the lack of sleep wasn’t helping. His mind was on the mysterious O’Conner brunette. How had he not realized she was Kaden’s sister? After all the time he spent with Kaden, you’d think he would know. But any similarities were overshadowed by her flowing dark brown hair. She shared the same genuine smile as their mom, but that captivating sparkle in her eyes was all her own.
When the barista called his name, he picked up his coffee from the counter. Doing his best to fasten a lid on the cup, he turned and headed for the door. His focus was on the cup and the uncooperative lid. By the time he looked up to see where he was going, he’d walked right into someone. All he saw was Renegades yellow and gray, and long dark hair, before a cold beverage and ice cubes splattered on his team sweatshirt, soaking the entire front of it.
Luc grabbed at the sweatshirt, pulling it away from his body before the ice-cold beverage could soak his jeans. “What in the hell?”
CHAPTER FOUR
Kassie
Kassie was trying to answer a text from Alison and was not looking where she was walking when she ran into a very hard body. Her large, iced, green tea slipped from her grasp. The drink and ice splashed everywhere. Ironically, she had originally fumbled with getting the lid on, and now that same lid lay on the ground beside the puddle of her drink, mocking her.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” Too embarrassed at her klutziness, she couldn’t even look at the person she’d just spilled her drink all over. She grabbed some nearby napkins and started to sop up the dripping mess she’d created on the sweatshirt in front of her. A tingle of awareness shot through her. Even through the sweatshirt, she could feel rock-hard abs.
“Um, hey. Up here.” A deep male voice startled her.
Her heart thudded against her chest at her stupid move, but she was no wilting flower. Kassie took a deep breath and looked up into a pair of large, dreamy brown eyes. “Um… I… Hi. I’m so sorry. Let me get some more napkins to clean that up.”