Rookie Move (Playing for Keeps #1)(49)

I looked him over again. “Damn, you’ve made some serious gains.” He was stacked as hell and had definitely graduated from twink to twunk.

He preened teasingly. “Thank you.”

“So I guess life’s treating you pretty good these days, huh?”

“You could say that.” He tapped his badge. “I ended up getting my BSN and got hired here right after. Love working with these kids.” As he glanced over at the camera crew, I caught Ramsey staring at us. I smiled. He didn’t. David’s gaze moved back to me. “Anyway, I know you’ve got to visit other rooms, but I’d love to catch up sometime.”

“I—”

Ramsey’s hand clapped down on my shoulder, and he gave me a pointed look. “We’ve gotta go to the next room.”

“Yep.” I turned back to David. “We’ll see if we can make that happen.”

“I’m easy to find on social. Hit me up.” He winked.

“Who was that?” Ramsey asked once we were back in the hallway. Cross had veered off to use the restroom.

“Guy I hooked up with once at a party. He looks totally different. Like mind-blowingly different.” I shook my head and gauged Ramsey’s expression with a smirk. “He just wants to catch up.”

“I’ll bet he’d like that.” Ramsey snorted. “I get it. You’re hot.”

“You feeling okay?” I reached out, and Ramsey smacked my hand away before I could press it to his forehead. “Was that an actual compliment?”

“I’m just repeating what I’ve overheard. Doesn’t reflect my personal views.”

“Uh-huh. Jealousy makes your jaw get all tight. It’s kind of attractive.”

“That wasn’t jealousy. That was me keeping you on track. We’re here to spend time with the kids, not at a fraternity mixer, you gigantic fucking flirt.”

I cracked up. “That wasn’t even flirting.”

He gave me a level stare. “You did the anchor look.”

“The anchor look… Oh, you mean this one?” I let my gaze drift over him, up and down, lingering around his mouth. It was one of my favorite parts of him.

He smacked the back of my head, making me crack up all over again, then started off down the hallway.

I trotted after him, still grinning. “It’s cool. I’ll give you a compliment back to make you feel better: your ball-handling skills are incredible.” I leaned in closer, mouth near his ear. “And that ass is something else.”

He shoved me away and picked up speed, but the fucker was definitely smiling.

After we finished up at the hospital, we all headed to the parking lot. Tomorrow was an off day in the sense that practice was lighter, but I still planned on getting in a solid workout and spending some time watching film. I didn’t want a repeat of the last game, and I’d promised Jared, after all.

Ramsey caught up to me as I walked toward my car. “You want to come over later?”

It would have been way more suave if I’d hesitated longer than the nanosecond it took me to respond. “Bet.”





15





RAMSEY





“We should go out and get laid tonight.” Tucker tugged his shirt on, then straddled a bench in the locker room. My gaze automatically traveled to Garrett, who cocked a dark brow. I wanted to wink at him but figured that might be a little too obvious. I could cover it up when I flirted with him in other ways, but likely not in a conversation where Tuck wanted me to go out with him and find someone to fuck.

“Yeah, Rams. You should get laid tonight. I plan to.” Garrett grinned. Leave it to the little bastard to playfully start shit up. Sex was one hundred percent in my plans for the evening, though it would be him I had my dick inside of, not anyone else.

“Don’t get started. We don’t wanna hear about how you take it up the ass,” Nance sneered, making my blood run hot and spots dance around in my vision.

“Keep talking about my sex life, and I’m gonna start thinkin’ you’re jealous. You want a turn on my dick?” Garrett replied, way more coolly than I felt. The muscles in my arms twitched, my hands automatically balling into fists. I’d never liked Nance, but I’d never had the all-consuming need to beat the shit out of him until Garrett got drafted.

“Don’t even fucking joke like that. I’m not a fa—”

Before Nance could get the word out, I’d leaped over the bench and slammed him against the locker, my forearm across his throat. “You finish that sentence, and we’re gonna have a real problem, you and me. You don’t want to have a problem with me, Nance.” Years after Anson Hawkins and Darren Edwards came out, and the league was still dealing with pieces of shit like Nance. I hated homophobia, hated that he brought this shit out in me. Fighting in the locker room felt like something my dad would do, but at least I had a good reason.

“Rams,” Tuck said, warning in his voice. I could feel the hot stare of every guy on the team. Nance was breathing heavily, hand on my arm, but he couldn’t pull me off. “Rams,” Tuck said again. I knew without looking that Garrett would be fucking pissed. It was why he hadn’t said anything, but I was tired of Nance’s bullshit.

“Jesus, taking this babysitting gig for Houston’s brother a little too seriously, aren’t you?” He had no way of knowing that Houston had really asked me that at some point. He was talking shit and I knew it, but his words would be like a dagger to Garrett’s heart.