Page 32 of Slap Shot Daddies

And I can't remember the last time I genuinely had fun with a woman outside the confines of a bedroom.

I don't let my mind linger on these thoughts for too long. Instead, I push myself off the bed, heading for the door with a purpose.

It's time to wake up the guys. They should be aware that Kenzie made her stealthy exit before they instinctively reach out for her in their sleep.

I can't help but smirk at the thought of Braden's usual reaction to being woken up that is sure to come. As I gently shake him awake, his freckled face twists into a scowl, and he groans, dramatically flopping onto his stomach.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he mutters.

Reggie stirs beside him, rubbing his eyes with a sleepy confusion. "She left?" he asks.

I nod, a wry grin playing on my lips. "Like her ass was on fire."

Reggie lets out a resigned sigh, but Braden looks anything but defeated. There's a glint of determination in his eyes.

And that's when I realize: this isn't over.

Not by a long shot.

“Well,” Braden drawls, sitting up languidly and stretching his arms above his head like a cat basking in the sun. “Guess that just means we’ve gotta win her over.”

I blink, taken aback. “Win her over?”

He flashes a mischievous grin. “Yeah, man. Woo her. Romance. Look it up.”

I groan, rubbing the back of my neck in exasperation.

Reggie chuckles, tousling his unruly, fiery red hair with a casual hand. “He’s not wrong. We scared her off, sure, but that just means we’ve got to convince her we’re worth stickin’ around for.”

Braden points at him with a knowing nod. “Exactly. And lucky for us, we’ve got the perfect in. She needs help at the clinic now that her hand’s jacked up.”

My eyes narrow thoughtfully. “You’re suggesting we work for her?”

Braden shrugs nonchalantly. “Kenzie’s not like other girls. She’s not the type to just fall into our laps. And even if she was, I doubt she’d admit it. She’s got walls, man. We’ve gotta break ‘em down.”

I exhale slowly through my nose, mulling it over. He’s not wrong.

Kenzie’s fiercely independent, stubborn as a mule, and doesn’t seem like the type to let herself get too close to people.

She’s accustomed to handling things alone, her own way.

So what if we don’t let her?

Reggie claps his hands together with an infectious enthusiasm, his eyes shining with excitement. “All right then,lads. Let’s prove to her we’re not just a one-night stand. Let’s show her what she’s missing.”

I smirk, feeling the stirrings of determination. “You two really wanna do this?”

Braden grins widely, his eyes alight with challenge. “Absolutely.”

Reggie winks playfully. “C’mon, mate. You know you do, too.”

I sigh, a resigned smile tugging at my lips. They’re right. I do.

Kenzie thinks she can run from this.

But she has no idea what she’s up against.

I drag myself to my room, each step heavier than the last, as the exhaustion finally engulfs me now that the adrenaline of the night has ebbed away.

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