Page 3 of Playboy

The smell of vomit lingered in the air, making her stomach churn. Needing some fresh air, she spotted a path though the crowd toward the sliding glass doors and made a beeline for the back deck.

The cool February air hit her like a slap to the face as she stepped outside, her skin prickling in the cold, as she was only wearing a thin cami top now.

Gabby shivered as she made her way across the deck toward the stairs, her breath coming out in small clouds in the cold night air. She pulled out her phone to text Leo.

Gabby:Hey, I’m heading home. Have fun, and I’ll see you on Monday.

With her eyes glued to the screen as she typed the message, she wasn’t paying attention to where she was going when, all of a sudden, her toe caught on a loose board at the edge of the deck. Before she could even process what was happening, she lost her balance and started to fall.

Her heart leaped into her throat as time seemed to slow down. The ground tilted beneath her, and she could see it coming—the inevitable, embarrassing, painful fall backward.

She closed her eyes, knowing that her frantic attempts to regain her footing were useless, and braced herself for her body’s impact against the unforgiving ground.

Oh, great. This is how it ends. Broken bones and bruised pride. All because I was texting while walking. Perfect.

“Whoa!” A deep voice called out before a pair of strong arms wrapped around her, catching her at the last possible moment.

Startled but grateful from the contact, Gabby’s eyes flew open in surprise as she found herself wrapped up in a bundle of warmth. She blinked, staring up into a pair of the warmest, most mesmerizing brown eyes she’d ever seen.

Wow, okay. If I had to be saved from a fall, this is the way to do it. Those eyes...and that jawline? Damn.

The man had dark brown hair with a hint of auburn. His beard was well-trimmed, giving him a ruggedly handsome look that screamed “sexy without even trying.” Gabby swallowed hard, feeling her face heat up, even in the cold.

“You okay?” His voice was deep, laced with concern, but soft like he didn’t want to startle her more than she already had been.

“Uh, yeah, I think so.” Gabby found her voice, albeit a bit shaky. He helped her to her feet, and she felt a rush of embarrassment but also relief. “Thanks for that. You literally saved my ass.”

He smiled, and wow—if she thought his eyes were warm, his smile was like a cozy fireplace in the middle of a snowstorm. Gabby couldn’t help but stare.

“No problem. It was my pleasure to save yourassfrom any harm. I’m just glad I got to you in time,” he replied smoothly.

“I’m glad you saw me. Normally, I’m invisible because of my size,” she joked but then wanted to slap her forehead for saying something so stupid. She tended to ramble when she was nervous around guys she found attractive, which wasn’t that often.

A lopsided grin tugged the corners of his lips.

“Sweetie, you might be fun size, but in no way are you invisible. If I had eyes in the back of my head, I would’ve spotted you a mile away.”

She snorted an un-lady-like laugh as she looked up at him.

“Fun size?”

His eyes twinkled with amusement,

“I’m Playboy, by the way.” He extended his hand to her, that easy smile still on his face.

Gabby blinked as all thoughts in her brain came to a screeching halt.Playboy?That couldn’t be a good sign. A guy with the nickname Playboy? Yeah, probably not the type you stick around for. But still, she shook his hand. The guy had saved her life.

“Gabby,” she said, biting the inside of her cheek.Well, at least he’s not hiding what he’s about, right?

“Nice to meet you, Gabby.” His gaze flicked over her, and when he saw her shivering, his smile faded. “You’re freezing.” Without missing a beat, he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

Gabby’s teeth were chattering too much to argue, so she tugged the jacket closer, grateful for the warmth. “Yeah, well, someone puked on my sweater. So, I was calling it a night. I was texting my teammate Leo to let him know I was heading home and didn’t see that damn board sticking up,” she explained, pointing toward the stairs. She didn’t want the guy to think she had two left feet.

He chuckled. “I’d say that’s reason enough to call it a night.” He tilted his head to the side. “You said, teammate. Are you MSRT, too? he asked.

She grinned. “Yep.”

“How do you know Leo?” Gabby asked, trying to steer the conversation somewhere less awkward for her. She didn’t liketalking about herself. However, he did seem impressed that she was with the MSRT.

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