Page 33 of Tangled Vows

Ineeded a cold shower. That almost kiss with Shayla had my blood pumping and my dick standing at attention. I was lucky neither her nor Kent noticed. It had been a long time since I had to walk off a boner, but Shayla had that effect on me. Her smart mouth, generous curves, and long dark hair was a triple threat, and I was struggling to resist. I wanted those soft strands wrapped around my fist as I gripped her luscious hips while pounding into her from behind, my name falling from her lips in ecstasy. Fuck, if I wasn’t careful, I wouldn’t make it through this workout without embarrassing myself.

“So … you and Shayla, huh?” Kent asked, parking himself on the machine next to mine.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied, feigning innocence. My denial would only fan the flames of the rumors that were sure to spread like wildfire. He already suspected there was something between us, and that little interaction in the hallway all but confirmed it.

“Right. So you weren’t about to kiss her, and she wasn’t looking up at you like she wanted to climb you like a tree?”

I paused in my set.Hadshe been looking at me like that? I was too transfixed on her mouth to notice. But that couldn’t be. She didn’t even like me. Sure, she was attracted to me, but that didn’t mean anything. You could find someone aesthetically pleasing but still despise them. There was such a thing as hate sex for a reason. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind partaking in some of that with Shayla.

“You must be seeing things,” I denied. “We were just discussing upping the protein in my diet.”

“It looked like you were trying to up the sausage in hers.” I snorted, nearly losing my grip on the barbell across my shoulders.

“You’re crazy,” I deflected with a chuckle.

“That may be, but I know what I saw. Don’t worry. Your secret's safe with me,” he promised before walking off. I doubted that very much.

By the time we entered the dining room to retrieve our post-workout smoothies, word had clearly spread. I felt my teammates gazes on me as I strode across the room, stopping in front of Shayla. Her jaw tightened and her gaze narrowed on me. I reached for a cup and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“Uh, uh, uh, no giving me dirty looks,” I warned. “Unless that means you’re going to do dirty things to me later.” Her breath hitched, and pink stained her cheeks as I straightened and took a sip of my smoothie.

“The only dirty thing I’m going to do to you is spit in your cup next time,” she replied with a sugary sweet smile. She made to move past me, but I gently gripped her arm, holding her in place.

“Why don’t you save yourself the trouble and spit directly in my mouth? Or would you preferIdo that toyou?” Her nostrils flared, and I released my hold on her, ready to defend myself if she tried to smash that tray over my head. “Careful, Hellcat, that look isn’t veryflirty.”

“Hey, Shayla, can I get one of those?” Weiss sidled up beside me and clapped a hand on my shoulder.

“Sure,” she said and offered the tray to him. He grabbed a cup and thanked her.

“I’d better get the rest of these passed out,” she said, moving away from us.

“See you later,” I offered, and she glanced at me over her shoulder, her gaze drifting to Weiss before she turned and headed to where Quinn and Slater stood talking.

“I don’t know what you’re doing with her, but you better not fuck it up,” Weiss warned, and I tore my eyes off Shayla’s retreating form to look at him. I cocked a brow expectantly. “She’s an asset to this team and an absolute sweetheart. Besides, Julianna is fond of her.” Apparently Weiss’s wife, Julianna, had become fast friends with Shayla after they’d met at a pre-season barbecue, the one I hadn’t attended because I was moving into my lake house that weekend. “Don’t play around with her and run her off,” he warned.

“I’m not playing games.”

“I know how you are. Girls like that think they can change guys like you.”Guys like you. Damn, if that wasn’t a punch in the gut. He wasn't wrong, though. I wasthatguy. Only, I was trying to change that. Or, at least, make it look like I was.

He scrubbed his hand over his face and heaved a deep breath. “Don’t lead her on, okay. If you break her heart, Julianna will break your balls. And there won’t be anything I can do about it.”

“I’m not going to break her heart,” I assured him. I just hoped I could keep that promise.

The Vegas gamewas just around the corner. Shayla and I couldn’t have timed our upcoming nuptials any better. It was the last game she would be required to travel to with the team. Now that everyone had their diets fine tuned and understood how they needed to nourish their bodies, Shayla could stay home to be with her mom. She was always available for players to call or text her if they had any questions or issues, but they were all competent enough to oversee their own meals.

After that, she would be my wife and would have access to her trust fund. If her father tried any funny business, I’d sic my legal team on him. He may have been the team’s lawyer, but I was a multi-millionaire and had the means to fight any legal battle he wanted to wage. He was smarter than that, though. From the few interactions I’d had with him, it was clear he was cunning and calculated. He wouldn’t risk his reputation or his place within the Wraiths’ organization by going up against one of the players’ wives, even if it was his daughter.

“I can’t believe she agreed to it,” Roni said, her voice coming through the speakers as I drove out of the parking lot after practice. She wasn’t the only one.

“I’m wounded by your doubt that I could charm any woman into marrying me,” I mused with fake offense. The truth was, I very much doubted my ability to convincethiswoman to become my wife. Our tenuous relationship hadn’t always been cordial, and it seemed I’d done nothing but piss her off since the moment she left my hotel room that first night. But I was growing on her. I could tell.

Roni chuckled.

“My bad. I should’ve known you’d succeed. It seems you can charm the pants off anyone.” I winced at her assumption. I hadn’t charmed anything off Shayla, and if she stuck to her no sex rule, I never would. That was a shame because I very much wanted to get her undressed again. Only this time, I wantedher completely bare, not a thread covering her delicious body. All that creamy skin and those decadent curves on display for my enjoyment. I’d have a hard time following her rules, but I respected her boundaries. That didn’t mean she couldn’t play the starring role in all my fantasies. She was already the main attraction in my spank bank. But she couldn’t know that. It would send her running for the hills.

“Hey, I gotta run, but I’ll talk to you later,” I said as I parked outside the unfamiliar building. We said our goodbyes, and I ended the call, stuffing my phone into my pocket. Looking up into the wide windows of the storefront, I rubbed my damp palms over my jean-clad legs. This was really happening.

A bell above the door tinkled as I entered and a tall, stately looking gentleman with salt and pepper hair glanced up at me from behind a brightly lit display case.

---