Rookie Move (Playing for Keeps #1)(36)

In the locker room, I waited until Nance vanished into the showers, then stalked toward Ramsey as he undressed.

“Don’t do that swoop-in-and-play-savior crap.” I peeled off my shirt and tossed it on the bench. “I can handle myself.”

Annoyingly, Ramsey merely lifted a brow. “How about you check that ego?”

I tugged my pants off, catching myself on a locker when they got hung up on one ankle. “I managed college by myself. I can handle Nance. I don’t need anyone watching out for me or whatever the fuck Houston told you to do.”

Ramsey barked out a laugh, and goddamn, I wished his amusement didn’t get me as hot as it frustrated me. “Right now you seem like you’re more in need of a babysitter. You think I was doing that just for you?”

I frowned. Well, wasn’t he?

Ramsey snorted. “Tension on the team is bad news, dumbass, you know that. And I’m the captain. Of course I’m gonna chime in. It’d be fucking weird if I didn’t.” He balled up his shorts and sent them sailing toward my stomach. “Like I said, get the fuck over yourself, McRae.” Spinning on a heel, he headed toward the showers.

McRae. He never called me by my last name. I wasn’t sure I liked it.

Tossing his shorts on the bench, I trailed after him.

In the shower, I stood under the spray with my eyes closed, letting it pelt my body as I sucked in a few long, deep breaths. And even though I made sure to grab a spot far enough away that I wouldn’t be tempted to check out Ramsey’s arrogant ass, I still did a couple of times.





The locker room was emptying out as I moseyed toward Ramsey’s locker, whipping the towel from my waist and scrubbing briskly at my hair as I went.

He gave my approach a sidelong, wary glance. “You cool your jets?”

“Yep.” I checked a smirk when his gaze doubled back and dipped lower. I’d had plenty of locker-room experience, so there was no chance I was gonna get inconveniently hard, even if Ramsey’s gaze moved over me with an edge of hunger that darkened the shade of his eyes.

“Good.” He tightened the knot of the towel around his waist. “We need to go into this game strong. Tennessee wants the win just as much as we do.”

“Yeah, I got it. Relax. I’m lying low tonight, going over the plays, watching film.” I remained where I was, unmoving, and he looked over at me again, arching a brow.

“Something else I can help you with, then?”

I shrugged nonchalantly and threw the towel around my neck. “Can’t find my comb. Thought I could borrow yours.” Our shoulders brushed as I leaned in and grabbed the black plastic one off his shelf, then ran it through the messy tousle of my hair a couple of times.

He shook his head, a half-smile tugging at his lips. “You think you’re so smooth.”

“Aw, nah, this is me being obvious.” I cut him a wink and leaned back in, the same brush of our shoulders he didn’t back off from, the same spark of electricity rolling over my bare skin. I tossed his comb back on the shelf and pitched my voice lower as I eyed his crotch. “Looks like your dick is struggling with subtle, though.”

“Yeah, well, there’s a whole new playground for it to explore lately.” He glanced away, and I followed his sightline to where Cross, Simmons, and Boswell were huddled together, cracking up at something on Simmons’s screen. The rest of the guys were finishing dressing or zipping up their bags. “It’s like a kid in a fucking candy store. It’d be annoying, except it feels so fucking good. I’m horny all the goddamn time.”

So basically what life around him for the past four years had been like for me. Still, the frank admission stunned me as much as the grin that followed, which, if I didn’t know him better, almost seemed a little self-conscious.

“Welcome to wonderland.” I grinned shamelessly.

“Get your ass dressed, and c’mon,” Ramsey said as he snagged a clean pair of track shorts and started pulling them on.

“Where we going?”

“You said you were gonna be studying all night, yeah?”

“All night.”

“Uh-huh.” He inclined his chin and gave me an appraising stare that threatened to undo all the confidence I’d had in myself earlier not to pop a boner in the locker room. “So we’re going to eat first. I’ll drive.”

The way my pulse sped up under that stare told me not to question him. I motored back to my locker and yanked my clothes on.

“Yo,” Cross yelled back at me from the front entrance. “We’re going to Boswick’s. Want in?”

“Can’t. I’ll catch you later.” I flashed him a wave, then grabbed my bag, throwing it over my shoulder before turning around. Ramsey was already heading down the hallway toward one of the side entrances. I picked up speed to catch up with him and knocked into his shoulder. “Why didn’t you park in the front?”

“I did.”

“Then what—” Ramsey stopped short and turned a handle on one of the doors lining the hallway. “Oh shit,” I exhaled as he shoved me inside and realization set in.

The small supply room smelled like lemon cleaner and bleach. Buckets and mops hung from pegs. Shelves were lined with solvents. There wasn’t a lot of wiggle room. I opened my mouth to make a joke but snapped it closed as voices sounded from outside.