Page 57 of Risking the Pucking Defense

I can’t help but chuckle. “You do know who that is, right?”

Bea narrows her eyes at the man. “Nope.”

“He’s a hockey player,” I say, turning away before he can spot me.

“Oh,” she breathes. “I don’t recognize him.”

“He doesn’t play for the Vipers. He’s an Ace.”

“Anaheim, right?” she asks nervously, testing out her new knowledge.

“Yep,” I agree, and she smiles proudly.

“Why are all athletes hot? And what’s with all the bad-boy vibes?” My breath catches the moment she says that, and I’m taken right back to my apartment yesterday. “It should be illegal to be that hot, that wealthy, and that…charming. We don’t stand a chance.”

I don’t really hear the rest of what Bea says; I’m too busy remembering how dejected Hayden looked when he explained about being friend-zoned because he understood women.

He was right with what he said. It’s what women say they want, but in reality, they’re chasing the high of the bad boy. It’s why Rett and Calvin cause me more drama than most of the other guys. Okay, Rett not so much now. But the bad-boy vibes they give off have women flocking to them from three states away.

“Who knows,” I say.

“So, athletes don’t do it for you then?”

“Men don’t do it for me,” I mutter under my breath.

“O-oh,” Bea sings. “I see. So we’re looking for a hot woman instead.”

“What? No.” I laugh. I didn’t mean it like that. “Although I can’t deny that dating a woman probably comes with a hell of a lot less stress and drama.”

“Much less dick, though,” Bea muses, making me snort with laughter.

“Forgotten what it feels like,” I confess quietly as we’re finally shown to two dressing rooms.

“I wasn’t overly active before Rett, so if you’d have said that to me a few months ago, I would have said it wasn’t really all it’s cracked up to be. But now…I gotta say, you’re missing out.”

I laugh, shaking my head at her. “That’s just the hormones talking.”

“They might help. But sex with Everett? Fuck, it's like a high I’ve never experienced before.”

I refrain from pointing out that it’s his wealth of experience that ensures he knows what he’s doing. It’s a comment I’m not sure she’d appreciate.

“I’ve been with others. I try not to think about it, but when I was younger, I had my fair share of one-night stands. But nothing, and I mean nothing, comes even close to being with Everett.”

“I’m happy for you and all your orgasms,” I deadpan, making her howl with laughter. “But I’m content with my smut and vibrator.”

A knowing smile appears on her lips as she nods her head.

“What?”

“Content for now. You’ll find him one day, and you’ll never look back.”

“Considering that I’m not looking, I’m unlikely to find anything,” I counter.

“Wrong choice of words. I wasn’t looking either. He…found me. Hell, who knows, maybe you’ve already met him and he’s just waiting for the right moment.”

“Hmm, maybe,” I mutter as I slip into the dressing room and pull the curtain closed behind me.

I hang up the dresses and begin stripping out of my clothes. The first couple don’t require me to remove my bra. They’re great, and when I show Bea, she agrees, although she isn’t having such luck with her selections.