Gauging the Player: A One-Night-Stand Sports Romance (The Playmakers Series Hockey Romance Book 3), стр. 35
Gage’s eyes caught on the ring she jerked over her necklace. “Is that …? Never mind.”
She heaved out a breath just as an orange tabby cat sauntered in, the tip of its tail dancing in the air as though on an invisible string. “This must be Hobbes?” She dropped to a knee and offered her hand for the cat to smell.
“Yep, that’s Hobbes. I sort of adopted him, but I didn’t think it through very well.”
The cat took a sniff, then rubbed its head against the back of her hand. “What do you mean?”
He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. A slight flex did wonders for both his forearms and the chest filling the T-shirt, and she quickly diverted her gaze back to Hobbes.
“Well,” he said, “I set up an appointment with Natalie’s vet but totally spaced that I’m out of town for an away game. I can probably reschedule that, but now that I’ve let him move in, I’ll need to find a pet-sitter to take care of him when I’m gone for long stretches. And Natalie only does dogs. Like I said, I didn’t think it through.”
“I might be able to take the cat to the vet, if it would help you out. I could also stop by to check on food and water and make sure the litter box stays clean. Cats don’t need much.”
Um, exactly why am I volunteering for cat duty?
Gage’s blue eyes brightened. “You’d do that?”
And his sweet reaction is exactly why. “Sure. You don’t live that far away.”
He smoothed the back of his neck. “Wow. That’s … Are you a cat person?”
“Not really, but I grew up with them. Oh, and I know enough to tell that Hobbes is definitely not a boy.” Her mouth quirked as she tried to corral a grin.
“What?” Gage appeared genuinely shocked.
The cat nuzzled her chin as if to say, “We chicas gotta stick together.” Lily stood and let the grin break out. “You might need a lesson in anatomy, Professor.”
Bright pink slashes decorated his sculpted cheekbones. “Kinda thought I had a good grasp on anatomy,” he muttered. “At least the human kind.”
An unexpected jolt traveled from her chest to her lady parts. “Um, while that may be true, cats are a different breed. Literally.” Now her cheekbones heated.
He flashed her a playful smile. “Well, thanks for that anyway. I think.”
An awkward pause hung heavy between them. “So,” he said, “any suggestions for what to call the cat?”
“If she’s used to Hobbes, I’d just stick with that. She doesn’t need to know you gave her a boy name.” Lily winked at him before she could stop herself, and if it were possible, his cheekbones flushed a darker shade of pink.
She checked a giggle and squared her shoulders. “About that tour …”
“Ah. Right this way.” He seemed glad for the distraction.
The tour lasted all of ten minutes and ended in a second family room repurposed as a TV-slash-gaming-slash music room featuring an impressive collection of basses and guitars adorning the walls. Lily took her time running her eyes over a variety of vintage Fenders and Gibsons.
“My collection’s only a fraction of say, Joe Bonamassa’s,” he said behind her, “but I’m hoping to add to it over time.”
She hovered her fingers over a lustrous Fender Stratocaster Sunburst. “What a beauty,” she whispered reverently.
“You know that one?” His voice was full of surprise. “Of course you do. What was I thinking? Do you play?”
She shook her head, refraining from adding that Jack had always coveted this particular guitar. Funny how thinking about him wasn’t causing her eyes to burn with unshed tears—for which she was blissfully grateful.
Pivoting on her heel, she nearly ran into Gage standing behind her. He took a step back, looking a little lost, as though he searched for words to steer them out of another awkward moment. “Did Jack play in the band too?”
Not what she expected. “Yes. He and Derek started it in high school.” Gage gave her an encouraging nod, and she went on. “Jack could play just about anything, but he especially loved the guitar,” she explained. “Derek was the more accomplished guitarist of the two, so Jack became the bass player.” Until now, she’d forgotten that Jack hadn’t been as good as Derek and that he’d fought Derek over the change.
Gage’s deep, mellow voice soothed her back to the present. “Does it help to talk about him?”
His expression, so heartfelt, so genuine, plucked her heartstrings. “I’m not sure,” she answered truthfully, searching his eyes. For what, she couldn’t say. Something else caught her attention. “Did you know your eyes are two different colors of blue?”
He shrugged. “Depends on the day. Usually, they’re the same.”
“I hadn’t noticed it before. They’re beautiful,” she blurted.
He didn’t move, but his eyes dug a little deeper into hers. “So are yours,” he said softly. “I thought so the first time I saw you.”
A meow came from the floor, startling them both.
Gage rolled his eyes. “Jesus, cat! Scared the shit out of me!” Hobbes rubbed herself against his leg as if to make amends.
Lily burst out with a pent-up laugh that was more laced with emotion than it was with humor.
“Probably time we got to work on the fan mail anyway,” Gage said,
Right. Fan mail. Focus, Lil. Somehow she knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.
Chapter 12
Crush, Crush
Cockblocked by a cat. Not that Gage had planned to do anything about the burgeoning problem in his pants—the one that had been bothering him since Lily had first arrived. Too many