“You should come watch practice some time. You know, since you’re in the area.”
“With all the little fangirls? No thanks.”
“Are you sure I haven’t seen you there before?” Luc tilted his head and squinted as if he was thinking too hard.
“Nope, not me.” She didn’t fangirl.
“I can understand you not wanting to hang out in the stands and watch your brother. Boring.” Joking, he smirked. “But I think you should give me your number so we can hang out again. Grab a coffee again, or something—”
“Remember, you’re not my type,” she reminded him.
“And since you’re not my type,”—Luc grinned— “what would be the harm?”
Her brain told her not to do it, but she grabbed his cell phone anyway, and entered her number. It wasn’t like she was going to date him. It wasn’t like he was even going to call her.
“Sweet.” He nodded. “Do you always drink green iced tea, or do you ever sway to hockey, I mean, coffee?”
“Smooth how you slid that in there.” She shook her head, half amused and half annoyed. “No athletes, not even hockey. And yeah, I drink coffee, too. Depends on my mood.”
“So today is a green tea mood?”
“This is really lame small talk, hockey boy.”
“Hockey boy? Sweets, you can call me Luc.”
“All right, Luc,” she said, accentuating his name, and then looked at her watch for effect. “It’s time for me to get back. Thanks for the small talk, hockey boy.”
“No problem. See you soon.” He nodded and wiggled his eyebrows up and down once.
She turned to the exit and started to leave, but then paused to call over her shoulder. “Don’t hold your breath.”
She heard him laugh. It was evil and delicious. Damn.
The kid behind the counter asked, “Excuse me, but aren’t you Luc Marcella from the Renegades?”
So much for not being a big-deal. Kassie rolled her eyes as she left the coffee shop.
Kassie sat at the appointment desk for the rest of the afternoon, checking in patients and answering phone calls. She didn’t fall for athletes. Athletes didn’t interest her. But for some odd reason, that hockey boy stayed on her mind all afternoon. Did I make a mistake giving him my number?
She had no idea what even compelled her to do such a thing. She usually would’ve laughed at him and walked away. But for some reason she agreed, and way too easily. What was she thinking?
But then again, why did it matter? Phone number or no phone number, she didn’t date athletes. Period. And Luc was no exception.
CHAPTER FIVE
Luc
There was no game tonight, and the Renegades were given a day off from practice. Luc slept in—which was welcomed, since his brain wouldn’t stop while he tried to sleep. Kassie invaded his thoughts. After a late morning trip to the gym to meet up with Sam, the duo ended up back at Luc’s.
Luc grabbed two beers from the refrigerator, while Sam made himself at home in the living room. His friend was recovering well from the hit he’d taken last season, and Luc was glad. Sam had suffered minor lingering headaches from the concussion all summer. He started back on the ice during training camp, and had worked his way up to practicing with the team, but was still in the no-contact jersey. Luc was sure he’d be back in the game in no time.
He knew that sitting on the sideline killed Sam inside. But after almost losing his family, by putting the game first before them or his health, Sam finally had a grasp on his priorities. Even though not playing was difficult, he was determined to heal and get back on the ice, but he was now doing it the right way.
“Did you give any thought to what we talked about at O’Conner’s party the other day?”
Luc took a long drink of his beer. He had been dreading that question. What did Sam want him to say? He flopped down in an armchair beside the couch where Sam sat. “Sure.”
“So, you’re going to keep your distance? I mean, it would only benefit you. It’s bad enough I’m married to Tyler’s sister. But I wasn’t a Renegades player when that all happened. Plus, he and I go way back. Things were a little different for me than the situation you’d be facing. And don’t forget, you don’t have the greatest rep, ya know?”
This bad rep that Sam was talking about was a joke. Guys liked to talk, and girls liked to talk even more. Somehow, somewhere down the line, a single one-night stand had turned into him being the league’s most well-known swinger and party boy. He was the eligible bachelor who had no plans of slowing down. Every girl wanted him, and every guy wanted to be him.
Except for the fact that none of it was true. Sure, he liked the ladies. He liked all kinds of ladies. And they really liked him. He did have the occasional one-night stand. Didn’t everyone? But he wanted what everyone wanted, someone to call his. He wanted someone to come home to, someone to lean on. Yep, he wanted love.
No one wanted to hear about that, though. That wasn’t exciting or scandalous enough. Because of that, he’d become the team’s playboy.
But right now, he didn’t want to discuss this with Sam, or at all, really. No one needed to know that he had run into Kassie O’Conner the other day, or that he’d gotten her phone number. The less everyone knew, the better off he was. “Don’t even worry about it, dude. I didn’t know who she was. Now I do. It’s over and done with. It’s not like I plan on dating her.”
But it was all lies. Except his last comment: didn’t plan on dating her. That was slightly true. He had no intention of it, yet. At least not right now. He wasn’t dumb enough to break the code. Or was he? He’d never met someone he’d be willing to break that code for, until Kassie. And that was his biggest problem.
“Good.” Sam’s expression relaxed a bit. “Happy to hear it. So, what’s the plan, back to the bunnies?”
He had no intention to get with bunnies, either. But that’s what they all thought he did. Setting them straight was more trouble than it was worth. Maybe he was better off keeping up the charade of always showing up with a girl on his arm. It would be easier than having to answer questions about why he was ogling Kaden’s little sister. “Sure.”
“Luc, don’t you think it’s time you began to grow out of that phase of your life? You can’t tell me that a one-nighter is really enough. If you want, I can see if Trina has any friends. I’m sure the girls know some single ladies who’d love to date a hockey player.”
Of course he’d thought about settling down, having the same girl on his arm at every event, having a real relationship like so many of his teammates did. But he wasn’t interested in who Trina could set him up with. His mind was only on one girl.
Luc really didn’t want to talk about this anymore. If he said any more, it would only get him in hot water. “Enough of this girly talk.” Luc grabbed the remote and turned on SportsCenter. “Let’s watch some sports talk.”