Page 4 of Fair Play
Damn. He’s giving me the brush off.
Oh well.
He’s probably too old for me anyway.
“I did too,” I whisper.
Our eyes meet and lock, as if nothing else exists for a beat. Then the song abruptly comes to an end and the moment is lost. To my surprise, he reaches for my hand and draws it to his lips.
“Have a good night, Billie,” he says, soft firm lips pressing a gentle kiss to the back of my hand.
“You too.” I stare after him, my hand still tingling from where he just kissed it.
What would those lips feel like on mine?
Too bad I’m never going to find out.
Chapter 2
Roman
“You’ve been tradedto the Phantoms.”
The phone call from my agent came out of nowhere and though I’ve been here a month already, I’m still reeling.
The Phantoms are based in Los Angeles and I had no interest in ever coming back here. My hometown. A place I left a long time ago.
But here I am, living in a two-bedroom townhouse with a kid I’ve known less than a month. Well, he’s not really a kid. He’s a grown man who plays pro hockey, just like me. Just a lot younger.
The good thing about Bodi, my roommate, is that we don’t have history. He’s twenty-five but he’s played almost his entire career in the minors, so we’ve never crossed paths before. That’s probably the only reason he asked me to move in almost as soon as I got here.
The other guys on the team have been welcoming but cautious.
Who can blame them?
I’m thirty-five and essentially closing in on the end of a hockey career that’s been tumultuous at times. I’m known for being a shit disturber on the ice—the guy everyone loves to hate. And a lot of guys around the league do.
So the trade to L.A. was unexpected—and unwanted, but the money is good for a guy at this stage of his career.
One year, $1.5M.
It’s not the league minimum because it’s Los Angeles, where everything costs a fucking fortune.
I was a little stressed about everything until Bodi reached out, asking if I wanted to move into his townhouse. We’re both single, he’s trying to save money, and I couldn’t stay in the team-sponsored apartment for more than a week.
So Bodi’s offer was both fortuitous and timely.
I haven’t had a roommate in a long time, though, so I worry that I might do something dickish, but Bodi’s been pretty laid back so far. Not that we spend much time together at home. He’s young and goes out almost every night off. I see him at work, of course, but that’s different.
And I’m not the type who likes to party.
Not anymore.
I went out with a group of guys my first week with the team, trying to bond with everyone, but Bodi had a date that night and wasn’t with us. Since then, I’ve tried to lie low and do my best to perform on the ice, which has been iffy.
“You want to order in tonight?” Bodi asks, leaning in the doorway of my bedroom.
“Sure.” I look up from the book I’m reading, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People.’ I don’t think it’s going to help but it can’t hurt to try.
