Tell me something I don’t know. I give his shoulder another squeeze. “Great. Let’s get something to eat.”
Gray gives a long groan. “Oh, man, I’ve been looking forward to this. We’re hitting up Cochon, right?” His eyes gleam at the prospect of eating at one of New Orleans’ best restaurants. And, frankly, my stomach growls too.
“Yep. I told them we’re coming, and they’re planning something good for us. I believe I heard mention of the whole hog.”
Gray groans again. “I might cry.”
He often gets weepy over food, so I don’t blink an eye. “Meet me outside the locker rooms in thirty?”
Gray is staying at my place tonight before he heads back home with his team.
He gives a nod and starts to trot off, but then turns back. “Oh, hey, Fi’s also gonna be staying the week with us. That cool with you?”
Everything inside of me stops—my heart, my breath. Then it all kicks up again, hard and insistent.
Fiona Mackenzie. Ivy’s little sister. And I do mean little. Five foot three if she’s an inch, her frame is petite but curvy. She caught my attention and kept it from the first time I laid eyes on her two years ago.
Bright green eyes, wild blond hair, smiling full lips, and a lilting laugh that, whenever I hear it, makes my dick hard. This is how I picture Fi—when I allow myself to picture her in the lonely hours of the night.
I haven’t allowed myself in quite some time. Dreaming of Fi is a special type of torture. Sure, she’s beautiful, but more than that, she’s one of the most direct people I’ve ever met.
As someone whose career depends on analyzing false plays and misdirection, being around her is like stepping out of the stifling darkness and into a fresh, sunny day. Every time I’m in her presence I can breathe easier, see clearer. And I crave that more than I’d like to admit.
I’d say she was the girl who got away, but we were never that close. Fi has failed to notice me past the casual friendliness of an acquaintance.
Fiona Mackenzie. In the same house. For a week.
Gray is waiting for me to respond. I give him a nod. “Looking forward to it.”
And suddenly I am. More than I’ve ever anticipated anything in my life.
Chapter One
Fiona
Truth? I like men. Scratch that. I love men. I love their strength, their deeper voices, the simple way they come at a problem. I love their loyalty. I love the way their wrist bones are wide and solid, and that their hips are straight and narrow. Hell, I even love watching their Adam’s apple bob when they swallow.
And, yeah, I’m talking in generalities. Because I’ve met my share of shitty men. But, on the whole, I am a big fan of the male gender.
Which is why I’m slightly bummed to be man-free at the moment. I had a great boyfriend during college. Jake. He was hot and easygoing. Maybe too easy. He basically loved everyone. Sure, I was his girlfriend, but if I wasn’t around? No problem. Plenty of other people to hang with.
He didn’t cheat. He just didn’t really care enough. And after seeing what my sister, Ivy, has with her guy? That kind of all-encompassing, I-have-to-be-with-you devotion? I want more than casual dating. I want to be someone’s necessity, and for them to be mine.
Of course, I’m not going to find that at this tiny little club on a Tuesday night. But I’m not here for the men—most of whom are clearly on the prowl for a quick hookup. I’m here for the music. The band has a funky trip-hop sound that I love, and the atmosphere is mellow.
Since busting my ass to finish college and starting a job now plagued by a sneaky, idea-stealing co-worker, who I want to kill, I need mellow.