Page 22 of Ice King

“I don’t think so. I’m here to do my job and I’ve yet to get settled.”

“Ah, come on. I like when you have your hands all over me.” Fuck me. Open mouth and inset my entire leg. What was wrong with me around this woman?

Georgia chose that moment to face me, still drying her hands although I suspected the towel was now a prop. At least my befuddled massacre of the English language garnered me a huge smile.

“You have soft hands.” What? Embarrassment usually didn’t happen with me, but now I was the one who felt heat crossing his jaw. “You know what I mean. Professionally.”

“I know what you meant and no apologies needed,Mr. Kendrick. You’re very right. I’mjusta massage therapist and nothing else. Same time tomorrow. Please don’t be late. I have a busy schedule tomorrow since your team has a game and from what I can tell, your teammates do appreciate me.”

Wow. She knew how to kick a guy in the balls without physical injury.

I slid off the table, taking my time to wrap the towel around my waist, maybe hoping for the same reaction as before.

That didn’t happen. Yes, her eyes fell to the thick bulge between my legs, but there was no interest, not even a speck of amusement.

Just utter disdain as if for all men.

Whatever her story, she’d been tossed around by some jerkoff of a male, who just might be some asshole who looked a hell of a lot like me.

CHAPTER 6

Georgia

“Oops. I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying any attention to where I was going.” I laughed, immediately thankful the person I’d collided with wasn’t all male and eager to find out every gory detail of my life.

Roxanne smiled, completely unaffected that I’d had my mind absorbed in creating a list of the top ten reasons I should keep a wide berth from the handsome, arrogant Wolfman. “Don’t worry. I have a habit of typing on my phone even when I’m walking in traffic. My dad says he’s going to get a call that I was flattened by a truck one day. Social media will eventually be the death of me.”

“I will say you’re very good at it. I took a glance at the team’s Instagram account last night. Impressive numbers.”

“Well, thank you very much. Share that with my father so I can get a raise before I’m old and gray.” She raised her voice while darting a look over her shoulder at the coach’s open office door.

“Don’t bother,” he called back. “Budgetary concerns.”

She grimaced while shaking her head. “See what I have to deal with around here? A whole lot of testosterone and pushback while being completely unappreciated.” Her voice was much louder than necessary.

“I’m beginning to understand the feeling.”

“Ah, the guys have already gotten to you.”

With a slight roll of my eyes, I glanced down the hallway to ensure we were alone. “Let’s just say I’ll be the one with the gray hair in a couple months.” The comment was a stark reminder I’d added red highlights only a few days before. Not that it was much of a disguise, instead more of an attempt to become a different woman entirely. Finding my way included a psychological shift.

Not necessarily unlike the one I’d tried to suggest to Ford a couple of hours before.

She laughed and the sound was infectious enough I joined her. “They take a little getting used to. Hey, I’m headed out. What do you say we grab a glass of wine or a margarita on the way back to North Bend? And that was presumptuous of me. You could have a family you need to get home to.”

“No family. Just me.” I looked away, debating all the unpacking I had to do, which in truth wasn’t that much. I’d purchased some things on my cross-country trip, finding almost every cool thrift shop there was, but what I owned could be placed in three huge storage tubs. “You know what? I could go for a margarita.”

“A girl after my own heart. Let me grab my purse. You can follow me in your car.”

“Perfect.”

Fortunately, the trip involved a smooth ride on I-90, but once you got off the interstate, there was a world of difference between Seattle and North Bend. Arriving in the little town almost felt like being taken back in time to a quiet, simpler life. With the afternoon sun just beginning to set, I was given a spectacular view of the mountains and deep, thick forests surrounding the area.

There were lakes and rivers, the outdoors important to the residents as evidenced by the hiking trails and sporting goods stores. While there were a few big box locations and fast-food joints, the smalltown presence gave the downtown a quaint, picturesque, and almost Hallmark feel.

Completely different than living in the heart of Baltimore.

The little restaurant and bar combination was adorable, a neighborhood setting located inside a house likely built in the nineteen-twenties. With a long bar and blackboard used for a limited menu, the moment I walked in, my mouth watered from the rich scent of freshly baked bread.