Page 17 of Playmaker

He stood, saying nothing for a moment. “Okay, I’m sorry that I insulted you. Clothing is a thing of mine. It frustrates me when someone doesn’t take advantage of what they wear to make themselves look good.”

“Looking good is not the primary goal of life.”

“Sure, but it can smooth things over.”

“Or hide ugly things below.”

He let his gaze drop, slowly moving down my body and back up again. And this time too, swear to god, I could feel it like a touch. Then the smirk was back on his face. “That dress wasn’t hiding any ugly.”

I felt my cheeks warming and turned for the elevator without responding.

Chapter6

Define sports

Cooper

Callie wasone of those people I just didn’t understand. It wasn’t that hard to use clothing to enhance your looks and positively affect how people interacted with you. Sure, my career in hockey was about a million miles from Callie and her law firm. But I grew up with lawyers. My family was as obsessed with their appearance as anyone. Presentation was important in court or a law office. Especially if you were hoping to make partner.

Watching her stalk down the hallway ahead of me proved my point. In these clothes, she carried herself like someone successful. I’d been right that she had a good figure under that fucking ugly dress. She wouldn’t want the girls spilling out at work, but at parties like we’d been at the other night? That was a time to put on a show.

Not what I needed to focus on now. These clothes looked good on her and would fit right in at the club. Except for the shoes, but I had some pairs in the car for her.

She didn’t say anything as the elevator took us down to the lobby. I let her walk out first and followed her through the doors. She stopped, her head turning as she checked out the cars parked in front of her building. I led the way to my Bentley, chirping the lock and opening the passenger door for her.

That little frown was between her brows again.

“Not what you were expecting?”

She moved her gaze to me. “Not exactly.”

I smirked, probably annoying her, but it was fun, upending her expectations. “Disappointed it’s not a Ferrari?”

She shrugged. “Just surprised.”

She slid inside and I moved around the car to the driver’s side. I wasn’t telling her, but I had exactly the car she’d expected, and it was in the other parking stall at my condo. I’d put two sets of clubs in the trunk of this one, and that wasn’t something I could do with the Ferrari. Plus, driving it to the country club was an asshole move. I didn’t need to impress anyone or compensate for my cock size. I had the Ferrari because it was a blast to drive.

And yeah, it was part of the image.

I turned on the car and checked the mirrors before pulling out. “I wasn’t sure what your shoe size was.”

She shot me a glance. I jerked my head at the back seat before changing lanes.

Her head whipped around. I had a few pairs of shoes there, in different sizes. Again, something the sponsor had sent over. She turned her glare on me. “I prefer to get my own things.”

I checked her from the corner of my eye, and then turned my attention back to my driving. What was her issue? I hadn’t paid for these, and even if I had, it wasn’t like I couldn’t afford it. Was it a pride thing? Was she afraid I would make assumptions if she took things from me? “No expectations, Calliope.”

She let out a breath and crossed her arms. “I don’t want you to give me things. I’ll get my own.”

Okay, if that was what she wanted. But there was no way I would take her to the country club in what she’d been wearing, or anything like that ugly dress. “Here’s the problem with that.”

She upped the glare with a frown. Someone was used to getting her own way.

“You want to fit in at the club like the members, not have them decide you don’t belong. And so far you’re failing that one big-time.”

I was pretty sure she growled. My eyebrows shot up. I could imagine that sound in another context, and hell if this was the time for those kinds of thoughts.

Her voice was precise and icy. “I focused on important things. I dress appropriately for whatever situation I’m in, but I’m not going to spend all my time and money trying to impress people.”

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