Page 38 of Not A Chance

“Rocky…”

She spun around and pressed herself back against her door, crossing her arms over her chest. I dared not to look away from herface now that I had her tantalizing skin within half an arm’s length of my hands.

She looked up into my eyes, and I realized that I was leaning over her with my arms braced on the doorframe.

Fuck. For the life of me, my brain could not order my body to move back to give her some personal space. Not when I was the closest I’d been to her in six fucking long years. So close that I could see the goose bumps appearing on her skin. So close that I could see the flecks of golden brown in the dark shards of her eyes.

Right now, those eyes were shooting daggers at me. And shit if even her anger didn’t turn me on.

“No, Theo. You don’t get to call me that name as if we are old friends. We aren’t. You have absolutely no say in the choices I make. So you can put all that big-brother shit away.”

She thought this was some lame-ass attempt to pull the big-brother card? She couldn’t be more wrong about what was going on here. There were exactly zero brotherly feelings for why I was so goddamn pissed right now.

“Baby, you aren’t even in the right galaxy if you think this is me trying to protect you as my little sister’s best friend.”

Watching those gorgeous eyes widen in shock from my second use of that term of endearment falling from my lips had me holding back a smirk. She’d probably been forced to take etiquette lessons from birth, so getting an honest reaction out of her was a thrill.

It took all of my control not to smile. Or kiss her. Or both. Unfortunately, I didn’t think either of those things would be welcome at this moment.

Leaning a little further into her space, I placed my mouth next to her ear and lowered my voice.

“Now, tell me why that asshat let you walk half-naked in thehallway alone back to your room?”

“How do you know whose room I was in?” she ground out between clenched teeth.

My proximity meant I could feel the gentle exhalations of her breaths against my neck. It also meant that her intoxicating, sweet, subtle scent was invading my senses.

“Do you think I haven’t been paying attention? I know you’ve been seeing Andrews.”

Her smaller hand appeared on my chest and pushed firmly enough to get me to look her in the eyes again. She scrutinized my face, looking for clues. She recrossed her arms, reassuming a defensive position for this battle brewing between us.

“Why the hell do you even care, Theo? It’s none of your business. I’m just trying to be professional and keep my distance to make this work. I can’t afford to mess up with this job.” Indie sucked in a breath on the last words, her eyes widening briefly, momentarily unsure before the determined look reappeared on her face. “Whoever I choose to see on my time is none of your business.”

What was going on that she was worried about messing up? I was already overstepping the line of concerned family friend, so I didn’t dare ask her.

I had to swallow the growl of disagreement down my throat. Throughout my career, I’d cultivated my image as a laid-back team player kind of guy. It was a good strategy to be viewed as someone not easily rattled. It meant opponents or teammates alike were less likely to mess with me.

But five minutes on the receiving end of Indie’s irritation had all my self-control unraveling. She had a way of making my blood pressure rise in a way no one else could.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” I was taking my life in my hands,figuratively speaking—the worst Indie would do was tell me off for overstepping—telling her she was wrong about something. I barreled on before she could interrupt me.

“Yousaid you decided to keep a professional distance between us.Inever agreed to anything. And from what I see, I don’t like you and Andrews together. He doesn’t deserve you.”

Anyone who didn’t know this fiery woman the way I did would be cowering (or at least covering his or her sensitive areas) by this point. Indie’s eyes had narrowed into thin slits, giving life to the expression “if looks could kill.” She could be upset with me all she wanted. I’d stand firm in my resolution that she deserved better than sneaking out of some guy’s room practically in the middle of the night.

Seemingly recovered from the surprise of seeing me and our physical closeness, a new emotion filled her eyes. Let’s call it the I’m-about-to-mess-with-you-big-time expression. Indigo Layne did not like being told what to do. Ever. Period.

The look on her face said she was going to make me regret calling her out. A smirk formed on her lips.

“Okay, Theo. I see. Well, I’m safe and sound back at my door now, thanks to you. You can head out to what I assume was some sort of obscene professional athlete morning ritual. I’ve got to shower, you know, after last night. I didn’t get a chance. Wouldn’t want anyone on the team to smell Connor on me when we get back on the bus, right?” Her grin widened to accompany her taunting tone.

Her eyes never leaving mine, she pulled the front of one side of her sweater up to her nose and inhaled deeply. My brain could not process his scent on her skin and clothes.

Only my primal lizard brain remained. All other thoughts instantly obliterated from my mind.

When I didn’t reply, having been rendered temporarily speechless,she continued.

“On the other hand, maybe I’ll just get back in bed and sleep last night off. I didn’t get a lot of rest, if you know what I mean.” She had the audacity to wink at me, as if I wasn’t holding back two hundred pounds of jealousy. “There’s something to be said for wearing someone else’s scent the whole next day.”

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