“Women don’t go after pro athletes for our looks. It’s like with rock stars – some of ’em are ugly as fuck, but they’ve got their pick of women.”
I laughed at his assessment. “Trust me, jersey chasers are after the whole package with you – looks included.”
“Already talking about my package? I like a woman who gets right to the point.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure your package gets plenty of attention already.”
“Not lately.”
The waiter returned for our drink order. I was sticking to water since I didn’t drink much, and Luke asked for a dark beer. When the waiter left, Luke turned to me, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
“You’re quite the motivator, Miss Price,” he said.
I shrugged and smiled. “You’re a great player. You won’t have any trouble scoring on the team we’re playing tomorrow night.”
He leaned back in his seat, spreading his knees and relaxing. “I respond well to incentive – as you found out tonight. What can I get for scoring tomorrow night?”
The innuendo in his tone sent a warm rush through my body. “I … uh, I don’t know. What do you want?”
“So many answers to that question,” he said softly, his blue eyes locked on mine. “But since I have to keep my hands to myself … I’d love for you to tell me one of your fantasies.”
“Fantasies? I’m not very exciting.”
“You’re plenty exciting. I just want you to tell me what you like.”
What I liked? I didn’t even know. It had been so long, and wasn’t sex just sex, anyway?
“Okay,” I agreed. “Score and I’ll … try.”
The waiter returned with our drinks and we ordered. Luke was having a full-size salad, lasagna and a sandwich. The guys always worked up a huge appetite playing a game.
As much as I wanted to talk fantasies with him, I had a nagging feeling he was down. The waiter had barely gotten out of the room and Luke’s beer bottle was nearly half empty.
“So where will you go from here with your dad?” I asked.
Luke scrubbed a hand down his face and sighed deeply. “I can’t do it anymore. He stresses me out. If I fuck up in a game, I’m barely even dressed in the locker room and my phone’s ringing. He’s shitfaced every time and he bitches me out and tells me I’m gonna get cut from the team.”
“Is he still with your mom?”
The corners of his mouth dropped down and he shook his head. “She died of cancer when I was in high school.”
“I’m so sorry. That must’ve been really hard.”
“She was always my number one fan. My parents both came to every game, but she built me up when I had a bad one. My dad pounded me into the ground over the bad ones.”
“Were your parents together when she passed away?”
“Yeah. But my dad was running around on her and drinking too much even back then.”
The sadness in his voice made me want to walk around the table and hug him. His dark expression cleared and he looked over at me.
“Are your parents still together?”
I nodded. “They’re a good match. My dad’s overbearing and my mom’s laid back. He travels so much that they both kind of do their own thing a lot. When they’re together, they like to come get Kyler and take him places together.”
“All the way from Nashville?”
I smiled. “Kyler’s the son Dad never had.”
“You’re everything a parent could want.”
I arched my brows. “Not Butch Price. I’m not a hockey player.”
“Does he get involved with Kyler’s hockey?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s a big source of conflict for us.”
Luke grinned at me. “You and your dad fight?”
“Like cats and dogs.”
“I’m impressed you’re not afraid to stand up to him.”
“I don’t play hockey, but I was raised in it. I’ve never been a wallflower.”
“What about Kyler’s dad? Is he around?”
I shook my head. “No, but he comes to see Kyler once a month and for two weeks in the summer.”
“So you’re pretty much on your own with Kyler then.”
“My
I laughed at his assessment. “Trust me, jersey chasers are after the whole package with you – looks included.”
“Already talking about my package? I like a woman who gets right to the point.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure your package gets plenty of attention already.”
“Not lately.”
The waiter returned for our drink order. I was sticking to water since I didn’t drink much, and Luke asked for a dark beer. When the waiter left, Luke turned to me, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
“You’re quite the motivator, Miss Price,” he said.
I shrugged and smiled. “You’re a great player. You won’t have any trouble scoring on the team we’re playing tomorrow night.”
He leaned back in his seat, spreading his knees and relaxing. “I respond well to incentive – as you found out tonight. What can I get for scoring tomorrow night?”
The innuendo in his tone sent a warm rush through my body. “I … uh, I don’t know. What do you want?”
“So many answers to that question,” he said softly, his blue eyes locked on mine. “But since I have to keep my hands to myself … I’d love for you to tell me one of your fantasies.”
“Fantasies? I’m not very exciting.”
“You’re plenty exciting. I just want you to tell me what you like.”
What I liked? I didn’t even know. It had been so long, and wasn’t sex just sex, anyway?
“Okay,” I agreed. “Score and I’ll … try.”
The waiter returned with our drinks and we ordered. Luke was having a full-size salad, lasagna and a sandwich. The guys always worked up a huge appetite playing a game.
As much as I wanted to talk fantasies with him, I had a nagging feeling he was down. The waiter had barely gotten out of the room and Luke’s beer bottle was nearly half empty.
“So where will you go from here with your dad?” I asked.
Luke scrubbed a hand down his face and sighed deeply. “I can’t do it anymore. He stresses me out. If I fuck up in a game, I’m barely even dressed in the locker room and my phone’s ringing. He’s shitfaced every time and he bitches me out and tells me I’m gonna get cut from the team.”
“Is he still with your mom?”
The corners of his mouth dropped down and he shook his head. “She died of cancer when I was in high school.”
“I’m so sorry. That must’ve been really hard.”
“She was always my number one fan. My parents both came to every game, but she built me up when I had a bad one. My dad pounded me into the ground over the bad ones.”
“Were your parents together when she passed away?”
“Yeah. But my dad was running around on her and drinking too much even back then.”
The sadness in his voice made me want to walk around the table and hug him. His dark expression cleared and he looked over at me.
“Are your parents still together?”
I nodded. “They’re a good match. My dad’s overbearing and my mom’s laid back. He travels so much that they both kind of do their own thing a lot. When they’re together, they like to come get Kyler and take him places together.”
“All the way from Nashville?”
I smiled. “Kyler’s the son Dad never had.”
“You’re everything a parent could want.”
I arched my brows. “Not Butch Price. I’m not a hockey player.”
“Does he get involved with Kyler’s hockey?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s a big source of conflict for us.”
Luke grinned at me. “You and your dad fight?”
“Like cats and dogs.”
“I’m impressed you’re not afraid to stand up to him.”
“I don’t play hockey, but I was raised in it. I’ve never been a wallflower.”
“What about Kyler’s dad? Is he around?”
I shook my head. “No, but he comes to see Kyler once a month and for two weeks in the summer.”
“So you’re pretty much on your own with Kyler then.”
“My
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