Page 13 of Second-Rate Superstar

“Yeah . . . They have an ‘open’ relationship. But when I say that, it’s open on his end. She’s not fooling around with any other guys. If it goes on much longer, I’m afraid she’ll fall for him, and I know he’s going to break her heart. I'm pretty sure she thinks if she bides her time, he’ll eventually see what’s right in front of him and want to settle down. I don’t think he has it in him.”

She’d completely nailed him. Made me wonder how long he’d been stringing Coop along.

Thinking about her friend’s inevitable heartbreak had her drawing in on herself, and she took a step back. Desperate to stop the spiral I saw coming, I blurted, “Was she wearing a tracking tag?”

Deep blue eyes snapped up. Then, a smile curved onto her lips for the first time that evening, and it nearly knocked me off my feet. From across the room earlier, I could tell she was pretty. But unguarded? She was beautiful.

And I didn’t even know her real name.

“She tends to get blackout drunk. At least with a tracking tag, if she can’t figure out where she is in the morning or loses her phone, I can find her.”

I gawked at her. “Seriously? Even here?”

She shrugged. “Levi’s not exactly the most responsible person. If she wanders off, I’m sure he just grabs the closest girl to warm his bed.”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t argue that point. Speaking of Levi, I peered over the brunette’s head and saw they were no longer in a sexually compromising position. The flush on Coop’s cheeks left no doubt that at least one of them had gotten off in the middle of the crowded basement.

Tilting my head in that direction, I remarked. “I think they’re done.”

Peeking over her shoulder, she breathed out, “Thank God.”

“Shall we?” I extended my arm, gesturing to rejoin them.

She sighed. “If we must.”

Crossing the basement, the brunette retook her stool, reaching over the bar to grab her discarded notepad. Feeling bad about our initial interaction, I reached into my pocket and offered up the folded page I’d kept hostage. If her best friend was sleeping with Levi, I would have more opportunities to get to know her. I didn’t need to force it tonight.

Hesitantly—almost as if she were afraid it was a trick, and I’d pull it back—she reached for the paper. When I relinquished it easily, she cast her eyes downward.

“Thank you,” she said so softly I had to read her lips.

Breathless beside her friend, Coop’s eyes met mine. “You taking good care of my girl, Braxton?”

The brunette’s eyebrows rose, and she eyed me skeptically. “You know each other?”

Coop smirked. “Everyoneknows Braxton.”

Levi chimed in, “You could do worse, Danny. I lost my spot on the starting lineup to this fucker. Guess they couldn’t pass up on the headlines about the Slate brothers playing together for the first time.”

No one would believe me if I told them that the last thing I wanted was special treatment, so I replied, “Coach will put the right player where they need to be. I have no control over that.”

Horror filled the blue eyes gazing up at me. “You’re—You’re ahockeyplayer?”

Jesus. The way she said it with such contempt had me stumbling back a step.

Coop laughed. “Wait. Did you seriously not know who you were talking to? Freaking Braxton Slate, brother of Jaxon, the Comets’ captain? I thought you were chatting him upbecauseof who he was. Oh, this is too good!”

Before I could speak, the brunette shoved off her stool, pushing past me. “I’m out of here. See you at home, Bristol.”

Confused by her hasty retreat, I grabbed her wrist without thinking. She spun around, staring at my hold, and yanked her arm away. I let it go quickly once I realized what I’d done.

“Don’t go,” I begged, sounding like a needy loser.

Gesturing a hand wide at the crowd dancing and drinking, she shouted, “Take your pick. You’ve got a house full of rink rabbits who came here just to fuck you. I’m not one of them.”

Without another word, she spun on her heel and barreled through the crush of people, disappearing up the basement stairs.

Stunned, it took a moment for her words to sink in.

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