Page 48 of Rowdy Hearts

From the moment we’d entered the former church, now bar, I’d watched him work the room. I hadn’t expected him to stay bymy side the entire time we were there, but he hadn’t made me feel like the outsider I was. Even after I’d said I was going to sit at a table for a while, he hadn’t forgotten me. He’d circle back every so often to check on me.

And it wasn’t like I lacked company. The Angels must have set up a visiting schedule so I was never alone. Which I totally appreciated. It just meant I couldn’t blatantly watch Rowdy all night. Even though I had as much as I could.

I’d watched him interact with the fans, watched him talk to each person as if he knew them, which he probably did. Watched him talk with his teammates and the other team’s members, laughing and smiling like they hadn’t battled it out on the ice just a few hours earlier.

He smiled, shook hands and slapped backs and laughed.

But the more I watched, the more I thought his smile slipped every now and then. That his laughter wasn’t completely genuine. I had to be wrong, though, because these people knew him better. They’d grown up with him. Then again, maybe it took an outsider to see what those around him couldn’t.

Turning my head so I could look into his eyes, I said, “I’m ready.”

The slight tension I’d seen in his smile melted away, but it made the tension that’d been lurking inside me build. I wanted to cross my thighs to ease the ache throbbing between them.

But I also wanted to jump out of my chair, grab his hand and run for the door. And wouldn’t that fuel the gossip around town. Which wouldn’t matter to me because I’d be gone.

Hell, everyone was looking at us now. They could see what was going on between us and, if they couldn’t, well, they weren’t looking. Or they were blind.

“Then let’s get the hell out of here.”

I stood, grabbed the sweatshirt I’d taken off earlier, and took the hand he held out to me. His warm fingers wrapped aroundmine, completely engulfing them. His hands were so big. Like the rest of him. My hand curled at my side because I wanted to touch him. It’d been so hard to rein in the urge to compulsion whenever I was in range. But now that I’d taken his hand, I didn’t want to let go.

And I didn’t want to look back. Everyone in the bar would be watching us. I wasn’t worried about what they thought. I just didn’t want to second guess my own decisions.

No one stopped us on the way to the door. No one cat-called us or leered or anything like that. But they all knew Rowdy and I were going to exchange more than phone numbers.

Back in his truck, the heater going full blast because it had to be almost freezing outside again, I sank into the heated seat and watched Rowdy as he got us on the road.

“Did you have a good time?” His lips curved into a smile as I nodded. “Good. Because all everyone wanted to talk about tonight was you.”

I winced. “I guess my entrance last night was kind of spectacular.”

“Yeah, but that’s not what they were talking about. The girls all like you. Said you’re chill.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, and not stuck up like girls from the city usual are.”

I huffed out a laugh. “I guess that’s fair. They’re pretty great for being cheerleaders.”

“Don’t let them hear you call them cheerleaders, though. They’re dancers.”

“Yes, that’s right. Olivia told me their squad wins competitions all the time.”

“Yep. Wherever they compete, they win. Can’t say the same for the Devils.”

“Maybe you just need time for the team to come together.”

“Nah.” He shrugged. “We’re pretty much always in last place.”

“Does that bother you?”

“Used to. Now it’s just…what we do.”

“It doesn’t sound like you enjoy losing.”

“Who does? But life’s not all about winning.”

“Sounds like you’ve been thinking about this a lot.”

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