Page 65 of Stick Side
Her father chuckled. No wonder he still thought of her as his little girl when she continued to make him check the locker room for naked bodies every time she stepped out of his office following a game or a practice.
She’d seen naked men before, but she really didn’t want to get an eyeful of anyone’s johnson. There was a time and place for that, but a locker room full of her friends and her father’s players wasn’t one of them. No, thank you. It was a miracle she’d avoided seeing more than she’d wanted to while working for the team.
An image of Ben the first time she’d seen him, shirtless and freshly showered in this very locker room, bloomed to life in her mind’s eye. Okay, so maybe there was one undressed form out there she wouldn’t mind seeing.
Melody was grateful her dad’s back was turned as she felt color heating her cheekbones.
Her dad opened his office door, had a little look around, and gave a sharp whistle to gain everyone’s attention. “Is everyone decent out there?”
After a moment, her dad turned back with an indulgent smile. “The coast is clear.”
“Thanks, Daddy,” she muttered, bashful.
“See you tomorrow, Melody,” he said as he gave her an affectionate peck on the cheek.
“It better be with those tickets purchased!” she called back over her shoulder.
Her father chuckled and gave her a playful two-finger salute before turning back into his office.
“What was all that about?” Eric asked as she drew near his locker. “What tickets are you trying to finagle out of your father? If you need hockey tickets, all you have to do is ask, you know.” His mouth tipped up into the winning smile that charmed all the ladies. “I’m sure I could get you some great seats. Even if they’re last minute.”
“Great, maybe,” Kevin tossed out from across the bench. “But not as good as mine. As the team captain, I have the best tickets,” he boasted. “And, since Pam is so occupied with our girls right now, they’re mostly going unused. You’re more than welcome to them, Mel,” he offered generously.
“Thanks, guys,” she said with appreciation, “but my dad and I weren’t talking about hockey tickets.”
“Then what kind of tickets were you talking about?” a deliciously familiar voice asked from just behind her. She was somewhat impressed despite herself that he’d managed to step so lightly she hadn’t heard him approach.
A sense of contentment washed over her as Ben drew up beside her. Without conscious thought, she leaned into his side, slid a gentle hand up his chest, and reached up on tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his lips. “Hi,” she breathed.
“Hi,” he returned with a sexy tilt to his lips. Her stomach did a little somersault at the possessive way his hand snaked around her waist and landed on her hip. She’d never been one for overt displays of romantic affection, but there was something about Ben that made the compulsion for physical touch feel like an afterthought.
Eric’s eyebrows rose clear to his hairline. He looked first at her, then at Ben, and then back at her again.
“What’s this?” Eric asked incredulously.
“Ben and I are seeing each other,” Melody disclosed before glancing up at Ben and offering him a smile. She was reassured to see him return it.
A throat cleared, causing her gaze to flit to the other players spread out around the locker room. She wasn’t sure why, but she was surprised to find the bulk of their eyes trained on her and Ben—a reaction she probably should have expected after her intimate display—but she couldn’t help but notice the way Alexei’s sharp eyes were tracing a triangle between her, Eric, and Ben.
A prickle of unease zipped through her. Did Alexei know something she didn’t?
When her eyes came back to rest on Eric, it was to find his eyebrows furrowed and a dumbfounded expression on his face.
“When . . . How . . . What . . . When did this happen?” Eric asked, stumbling over his words.
Melody scraped her teeth over her bottom lip before admitting, “It’s pretty new.”
Ben wove his fingers through hers before lifting their entwined hands to his lips and tracing a kiss across the back of her knuckles. “New, but good,” Ben said.
She shivered at both the words and the contact.
Eric’s expression morphed into a dark scowl. It looked like Mr. Protective had entered the locker room. Melody was preparedfor a blast—not unlike the kind she knew he delivered to his sisters on a near-weekly basis—but, when he moved his lips, no words came out.
Eric might have gone mute, but his eyes were speaking volumes. Melody would have had to have been blind to miss the disapproval marring his visage.
Melody almost stumbled where she stood. Was Eric . . .jealous?
She dismissed the thought as soon as it arose. Eric was a great guy and they were definitely close, but he’d never hinted at wanting more from her than friendship. Surely, it hadn’t taken another man’s interest in her to make him see her in a different light, had it?
