Page 25 of Twisted Ruck

"Oh." I nodded slowly. "That must have been frustrating." I'd always wanted to be a second rower. That was where my talents lay, just like his lay in being a hooker. I saw lots of guys frustrated at not being able to play the position they wanted. Coach put us where we could be the most effective, regardless of what we thought about our own skills. In the end, it was only the team that mattered.

Ramsey shrugged. "Better than not playing."

"Yeah," I agreed. "It's definitely better than not playing. What would you be doing if you weren't?"

"Not fucking inflatable women," he said with a smirk.

I snorted a laugh. "Me neither bro, me neither." Why would I need an inflatable woman when I had Chelsea? "You should hang out with us sometime." We'd never really done that since we started playing together, apart from the occasional drink after a game.

He looked at me, then over to the other guys. "You have room?"

"For one more? Yeah, we do. Stormy will be happy to know his inflatable woman is safe from us." I grinned.

If the fullback had a problem with Ramsey spending time with us, he'd have to get over it. Realistically, I suspected he might object to Ramsey less than he objected to Atlas. If he didn't, that was too fucking bad. In spite of what he thought, I didn't need his permission for anything.

"I heard that, fuckwit," Storm growled. "I don't have an inflatable woman either. If I did, Atlas would be jealous."

Atlas barked a laugh. "Piss off, Keller. As if I'd be jealous of you."

Storm turned around. "Not of me, dickhead. Of the inflatable woman because I'd be fucking her and not you."

"You're not my type," Atlas told him.

"Back at you," Storm said. He turned back around, effectively ending the conversation for now.

"Just when I thought they were getting along," I said quietly.

"Alpha males," Ramsey said.

"Maybe we should call them ‘Goat,’" I said. "They act like a pair of goats trying to head-butt each other."

"Both like Doctor Chelsea," Ramsey observed.

"We all like her," I said.

I was head over heels in love with her, but he probably saw that on my face. I didn't try to hide it, and I got the impression he saw everything, always watching, observing. Missing nothing, stashing away his thoughts for later.

In the past, guys like him made me anxious. They always had the best blackmail material, because they saw things no one else paid attention to. Had I done anything for him to hold against me? Probably, but nothing came to mind right now.

"Tricky," he said.

"It can be," I agreed. "Most of us get along pretty well, otherwise it would be a pain in the ass. We'd spend half our lives fighting over her."

"You don't?" he asked.

"Only Storm and Atlas, but we're hoping they'll get over themselves sooner or later." I glared over at both of them, but they were deep in conversation with Frost and Jay.

"I should steal her," Ramsey said.

I whipped my head back toward him. "What the hell?"

He smiled, the soul of innocence. "Might help them see what they have."

"I didn't realise you had a devious side either," I said. "You think if she's interested in you, they'll stop fighting with each other and work harder to keep her?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "Can't hurt. She's cute."

It shouldn't surprise me he'd noticed that about her. I saw him looking, but from a distance. Like he was curious, but didn't dare to approach.

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