by Anya Nowlan
Connor had been right. They should have been more careful. But how were they supposed to know she would go as low as to secretly film them having sex? That was a level of low-down and crazy he hadn’t even considered her capable of.
Shows how much I really knew about her…
He had given his trust too freely, and now he was going to pay the price, literally. The last thing the Predators needed right now was a sex scandal, especially one like this. Shifters might not think twice about two guys sharing a woman, but humans were a little different.
If Alison went public with what she had, there would be a reaction. It would cause a PR nightmare, in addition to seriously violating his and Connor’s privacy. Not to even mention what it would do to their parents, to have their sex tape floating around.
What Alison had done was surely illegal in addition to being immoral, but a victory in court wouldn’t undo the damage of what her leaking the video would do.
So he and Connor were stuck being at her mercy, doing whatever they could to appease her. It was a game he didn’t want to play, but they had run out of choices. Maybe once they got back to Denver, they could have a face-to-face meeting and Alison would come to her senses.
One can hope, right?
With his mind now firmly on the high stakes of their current situation, Crash didn’t feel like arguing over who went to which floor to try and make the call. Besides, Lily was probably already asleep, and he wasn’t going to creepily go knock on her door in the middle of the night anyway.
Even though seeing her again with no one else around was tempting as hell.
“Fine, I’ll take the kitchen,” he muttered.
“Okay, we’ll meet back here,” Connor said.
They both grabbed their phones and snuck out of the room, using all of their shifter stealth. Which, by the way, was hard to pull off for two grown-ass grizzly shifters. Connor gave him a quick nod before heading upstairs.
The hallway was dark and quiet as Crash walked to the staircase and slowly descended the steps, his eyes quickly adjusting to the lack of light. The living room was empty, but the closer he got to the kitchen, the more alert he got.
He heard it first, some soft rustling, even before he noticed light spilling out from the crack underneath the door. Someone was in the kitchen, alright, and if he could hear them, they could hear him, as well.
So he tucked his phone into his back pocket and casually strolled inside, trying to look as unsuspicious as possible. All this keeping secrets and sneaking around had made him somewhat paranoid, and he was sure all that he was trying to hide was plain as day on his face.
He thought he’d find Ben there, working late like he was known to do, but it was Wyatt instead. The assistant coach was sitting at the kitchen table with a laptop in front of him.
“Hey, what are you still doing up?” Wyatt asked, leaning back in his chair.
“Came for a glass of water,” Crash lied. “What are you up to? Still working?”
Walking around Wyatt, he grabbed a glass from one of the cabinets. He wasn’t really interested in chatting with Wyatt, not when he had more pressing issues on his mind. But he had to act as normal as possible, and that involved making small talk. Filling his cup at the sink, he leaned on the edge of one of the counters.
“Looking over some things for tomorrow’s practice, trying to make the most of the time we have here,” Wyatt said, running a hand over his short hair.
With papers scattered around him and a cup of coffee on the table in front of him. Wyatt didn’t look like he was going to be calling it a night for a good while. Which meant there was no way Crash was going to be able to call Alison from here.
I sure hope Connor is doing better than I am.
Eleven
Lily
Lily was tucked in bed, thumbing through the additional files Fiona had sent her on her phone, which she’d managed to download during a serendipitous moment of getting a good connection. She was having trouble keeping her mind on the information in front of her, though.
Her focus kept slipping as her thoughts wandered back to the dinner. It seemed she couldn’t get away from the Rawlins twins, even when they weren’t sitting next to her, looking so good it was bordering on unfair.
The excitement she felt when Connor’s side pressed against her at the table, or when Crash cornered her on his way to the bathroom was still bubbling inside her, making her restless. Recalling the way both men had looked at her, she felt a slow throb start between her thighs, urging her to let her imagination run wild.
Her skin prickled as she let the phone she was holding fall on the bed and slid her hand down the covers. Lily had never felt sexual tension on the level she felt it on with Connor and Crash, and it was messing with her head. Maybe if she could relieve that tension somewhat, she could think clearly again…
Imagining how it would feel to have Connor wrap his hands around her, to have his lips trail down her neck, she slid her fingers lower. Her pussy was already throbbing from the mere thought of being pressed against Connor’s hard body.
Crash invaded her fantasy next, as she thought of him smiling that mischievous smile of his as he knelt in front of her, his arms under her skirt, his fingers brushing against her clit. She mirrored what was going on in her head with her own hands, slipping them under the waistband of her pants.
Slowly circling her fingers around her clit, her slit already slick with her juices, Lily moaned softly as the need pulsing through her only got stronger. Squeezing her thighs together, her hips bucked as she drove herself toward climax.
Oh god, what are these men doing to me, she thought briefly, her body starting to quiver.
She stilled when she heard a small creak coming from the staircase, her back still arched and her fingers still on her clit. Opening her eyes, she was suddenly back in the real world, as disappointing as that was. Ignoring the ache between her thighs, she rolled herself out of bed and tiptoed to the door.
Crouching down to peer through the keyhole, she could see shadows move in the hallway, but little else. Suddenly, a small speck of light appeared, illuminating a tall, broad man standing near one of the walls.
Connor? she wondered, squinting to get a better view.
He was holding a phone in his hand, the light from the screen falling on his face as he pressed it to his ear, looking around at the same time. Lily was almost holding her breath, trying to be as quiet as possible.
She knew shifters had great senses, and she definitely didn’t want to alert Connor to her presence. Something shady was going on here, and she wanted to know what it was. He wasn’t here to call his mother, that was for damn sure.
Slowly walking the farthest he could get from her door, Connor started whispering into the receiver. She couldn’t make out any words, but it seemed the conversation was getting more heated by the second, judging by his gestures and what she could see of his facial expressions.
A dozen scenarios ran through her mind. Maybe Connor owed someone money? Could he be into gambling, selling secrets to be able to pay back his debt? She knew speculation wasn’t going to get her far, but right now, she could only work on what she knew. And it didn’t look good for Connor.
She found herself not wanting to believe Connor or Crash were involved in anything criminal, especially something that would hurt the team. Not after the whole speech Connor gave her about them all being like a family. It had seemed so sincere…
Could he really have been that full of crap?
It didn’t take long for her to come to the conclusion that of course that was a possibility. People lied all the time, she knew that better than anyone. And being the new chick, Connor had probably thought he could feed her whatever story he wanted and she’d buy it, not knowing any better.
Realizing she couldn’t trust a word Connor said stung more than it should have. As silly as it sounded to her now, she had thought they’d made a real connection over dinner. Usually, she made up a whole new backst
ory for the person she was posing as, but she’d revealed more about the real Lily to Connor than she had originally planned to.
He was just so easy to talk to, the words almost slipped out on their own. She had to be more careful going forward. These people weren’t her friends, they were subjects for her to investigate. And she would be wise to keep that in mind.
If only my fantasies would get that message…
The hallway went dark again as Connor hung up the phone and silently climbed down the stairs, leaving Lily still pressed against the door, her heart beating slightly faster than usual. She stayed like that for a while longer, to make sure he wasn’t coming back.
After a minute or two, she climbed back into bed, forcing her brain to think about anything else but the case. And she definitely had to put away any dirty thoughts she still had about Crash or Connor. She had her work cut out for her, and she needed her rest. Tossing and turning, she fell into a dreamless sleep, her last thoughts revolving around deceit and determination.
Handing Ben a cup of coffee, Lily watched as the Predators all but flew around on the ice, the swish of skates and grunts of men filling the rink. Wyatt was writing something down near the bleachers, while Ben yelled instructions to his team.
It was an exhilarating atmosphere, being so close to the action. There was no game to win or opponents to beat, but the pure athleticism of it all was still exciting. These were men who were constantly striving to be better, always honing their skills and the limits their bodies could go to, and there was something very respectable and honest about that.
She couldn’t help but follow two players in particular with her gaze, admiring the grace Connor and Crash displayed despite their hulking size. There was a very legitimate reason she was paying close attention to them. They were now her main suspects, after all.
Yeah, Lily, it’s real important you watch them train. Who knows, they might break out their laptops or tablets at any moment and start broadcasting the whole thing to the competition, she thought sardonically.
This was all new territory to Lily. She had never felt like this on any other assignment. Priding herself on being a professional, she never even entertained the idea of getting personally involved with someone while on the job.
With the twins though, it wasn’t a choice as much as it was something unavoidable. It’s not like she wanted to find the both of them insanely attractive, she just couldn’t help it. And it wasn’t just one man messing with her head, there were two.
“Thank you, Lily,” Ben said.
They hadn’t really had a chance to talk, and from the look of him, he had something he wanted to say. It couldn’t have been easy, being thrust into a situation where he was the only one who knew why Lily was really here. She didn’t envy the position he had been put into, but there wasn’t exactly anything she could say or do to make it better.
“If you want to get something off your chest, now is as good a time as any,” she replied quietly, looking him in the eye.
“I don’t like this. I don’t like it at all,” Ben said, shaking his head. “Management sending some stranger to spy on my guys? How am I going to face them once this all comes out? They’re supposed to be able to trust their coach.”
Lily considered that for a moment, searching for the best thing to say.
“I can only imagine how tough this is, but you have to look at the bigger picture. Someone here is working against you. Don’t you want to find that person? I’m sure the guys will understand you didn’t have a choice but to keep them in the dark. And in the end, it’s all for the greater good.”
Ben shook his head.
“That’s just it. I can’t believe any of these guys would sabotage their own team. Every single person here has worked their ass off to get to the point we’re at now. We are a family, and I can’t imagine any of my men doing the things you’re accusing them of.”
“I’m not accusing them of anything,” Lily corrected him. “I’m just here to find out the truth, whatever that is. I’m not here to cause trouble or point fingers. Let me do my job, and we can figure this out together.”
Ben seemed to mull that over. Lily admired the man’s dedication to his team, and his insistence that no one here would put money over their friends was sweet, if somewhat naïve. The evidence Fiona had presented her with spoke for itself. What Ben believed or didn’t believe didn’t really matter.
Yet, she respected him for laying it all out there. Loyalty was a rare trait these days, and she could appreciate that, however jaded she might have become over the years.
“Alright,” he finally said with a heavy sigh. “You’re the investigator.”
He seemed to mean what he said, but his confidence in his team could turn out to be a problem. All she could do was hope that he would keep it together and not blow her cover. One wrong word from Ben, and this investigation would be over before it even really started.
Twelve
Crash
Everyone was skating off the ice and heading for the locker rooms, but Crash wasn’t ready to leave. He always felt the most clearheaded when he was skating, and he could definitely use some more time to take his mind off things.
He might have struck out in the kitchen yesterday, but Connor had been able to get a hold of Alison. From what his brother had relayed to him, it wasn’t good. She was angry and vengeful, and had demanded fifty-thousand dollars to start off in order to buy her discretion.
Connor had tried to explain they were away at training camp, but she hadn’t been impressed by that excuse, as truthful as it was.
Now they had to come up with a way to get her the money, and fast.
“You coming?” Graham called out.
“I’m going to stay for a while,” he replied.
Graham just shrugged and slipped inside the door leading off the ice, leaving only the coach and Lily still sitting near the bleachers.
“Save some for tomorrow,” Ben said before gathering up his things and heading out.
Lily hesitated for a moment before stepping closer to the ice.
“Working overtime?” she asked, her hair back in a braid that rested near her shoulder blades.
“Just needed some time to think,” he replied.
“Sorry, I won’t bother you then,” she quickly said, moving to turn around.
“No, wait.”
The words left his mouth before he could even process what he wanted. Maybe Lily was the distraction he needed. Whether spending more time with her was wise or not, he couldn’t fight the pull he felt towards her. And he could use someone to talk to, even if he couldn’t talk about everything crowding his brain at the moment.
“Put on some skates and join me,” he offered, gesturing towards the pile of gear near the players’ bench.
“I don’t think that’s such a great idea,” she replied with a nervous smile.
“Come on. I’ll catch you if you fall. Or are you scared?” he asked, arching a brow at her.
Her features instantly tightened at that.
“I’m not scared,” she huffed, crossing her arms.
“Then what are you waiting for?”
Pursing her lips, she stood, considering it for a moment, before stomping over to the bench.
“There should be more sizes at the back,” he called out, watching her disappear out of sight.
When she returned, she looked slightly unsure as she approached the ice, holding on tightly to the edge of the rink. Crash pushed himself forward to meet her, reaching out to grab her hand.
He was actually kind of surprised that she’d taken him up on his offer, but he wasn’t going to question it now.
“It’s alright. Like riding a bike,” he said, hoping he sounded encouraging.
“Yeah, a bike with knives instead of wheels,” she muttered, wobbling slightly as she got on the ice.
He couldn’t help but laugh at that. Slowly guiding her forward, he tried to lead by example, and soon enough, Lily was gliding alo
ng at his side.
“See, you’re doing it,” he remarked, still holding on to her hand.
She didn’t seem to need the support anymore, but he was reluctant to let go. It felt nice, just the two of them, trusting each other not to drag the other one down with them. Even packed in warm clothes for the cool temperatures of the rink, touching her through those damn layers sent bolts of electricity running through him.
When she smiled up at him, all thoughts of Alison and potentially embarrassing sext tapes left his mind.
“This is actually pretty fun,” she giggled, looking totally different from the severe, serious woman he had observed next to Coach Landon all through practice. “But I wouldn’t want to dodge two-hundred-pound shifters while doing it,” she added, looking down at her feet.
“That’s what makes it exciting,” he replied.
“You guys are insane, if you ask me. But it sure is entertaining to watch.”
“So, how’s the new job going? I hope Ben isn’t giving you a hard time. He doesn’t like change much.”
“No, he’s been great. What about you, what were you trying to figure out before I interrupted?”
The quick change in subject didn’t go unnoticed by Crash. He got the sense there was more to Lily’s relationship with Ben than she wanted to let on, but it wasn’t his place to prod.
“Just some unfinished business back in Denver.”
She shot him a quick look.
“Can I ask what kind of business?”
Crash hesitated, unsure of how much he could or should tell her. He wanted to be as honest as possible, but the truth was out of the question, obviously.
“It involves a woman, actually.”
“Oh,” was all that Lily said.
He didn’t miss the way her voice was a little too neutral at that. Or maybe it was just his wishful thinking.
“It’s over between us,” he quickly added, feeling it was something Lily needed to know. “But she’s having trouble letting go. I mean, I am one of Denver’s hottest bachelors, but still,” he grinned.
