Oh, and I can’t forget the tattoos that line his arms and chest. Double yum.
But beneath all that hotness is a guy I’ve known since I was ten. A big ol’ pain in the butt most of the time. Sure, he’s nice to look at. But I consume his hotness in a completely innocent way. Kind of like checking out Channing Tatum or Jensen Ackles. It’s fun to daydream, but you know they’re totally off-limits.
Not that I’ve ever let anyone know that I’ve checked out Spencer, innocent or not. I’m not a moron. I think Ellie would get a kick out of me dating her brother, but to be honest, he’s the sort of guy I stay far, far away from. Optimus makes no effort to hide the fact that he’s not looking to settle down. Ever.
Plus, I am not his type. I’m woman enough to admit it.
And that’s the reason I’ve kept my distance. My grandmother once told me never to chase a man. She insisted they were like taxi cabs in New York City. If you miss one, another will be along in a second. No reason to go running after them.
For the record, I’ve never been to New York City. Come to think of it, I’ve never been in a taxi, either.
“No sex,” Spencer growls roughly, pulling me from my wandering thoughts. I watch him as he pins Kingston with one of his infamous do it and die looks. “Absolutely no sex.”
Party pooper.
And there you have it. Another macho man who thinks he can control the universe. Mark my words, one day, Ellie is going to give in to Kingston. I know it, Kingston knows it, and I’m willing to bet money that Spencer probably knows it, too. Someone should probably clue Ellie in on the secret, though. I think she’s convinced it’s a bad idea.
“What’s the favor?” Ellie asks.
“Our boy here has found himself in a bit of hot water. With the fans and the media.”
“Not the first time,” Ellie states.
I find this conversation monotonous. It’s not much different than others that the brother and sister have had over the years. I’ve been around them long enough to know that Spencer is going to ask, Ellie is going to grumble, Spencer is going to grovel, Ellie is eventually going to give in.
“And probably not the last,” Kingston adds.
I look his way, noticing the smirk on his face and the glimmer of mischief in his dark eyes.
Yeah, our boy has the hots for Ellie, there’s no doubt about it.
“Definitely the last,” Spencer argues. “Thing is … the team’s in the process of … doing some makeovers. Kingston’s first.”
I can’t help but wonder who’s next.
Of course, I purposely pretend to misunderstand. Why? Because it’s amusing. I cock my head and give Kingston a good once-over. “Why in the hell would they wanna do that? He’s so … pretty.”
Ellie laughs, just as I expect her to. Kingston Rush is a lot of things, but he’s not pretty.
Spencer, however… The man is really nice to look at. For a hockey player, he is intensely attractive, in spite of the various contusions on his face. The slight bump in his nose from having it broken a time or two. The scar that bisects his left eyebrow and the other, smaller one above his top lip. Yep, even with those minor defects, the man has the ability to make women swoon.
I’m not a swooner, so I only know this because I’ve seen it happen.
“Last I checked, I owned a sports bar, not a beauty salon,” Ellie quips.
“Not the kind of makeover I’m talking about,” Spencer notes.
“Not interested,” Ellie blurts.
I find myself intently focused on Spencer, our eyes connecting for a second. I’m surprised because he holds my gaze. For a brief moment, I can almost believe that he’s attracted to me. And yes, I won’t deny that I might’ve thought about what it would be like to do the horizontal mambo with the hockey hottie. Once or twice. Mostly when it’s dark. But, as usual, I laugh it off.
“Oh, come on.” I smile at my best friend. “You’re thirty-four and single. What’ve you got to lose?”
“You don’t even know what the favor is.”
I don’t need to know. If it requires Ellie to get close to Kingston… Cha-ching. Pay dirt. Those two are meant for each other. It’s about time the universe finds a way to push them together.
“Does it matter?” I pretend again to observe Kingston. “Have you seen him?”
I glance over, noticing that Spencer is still watching me. A zing of energy spikes in my bloodstream. Oh, this can’t be good.
“Hear them out,” I tell her, turning my attention fully to Ellie and ignoring the shiver of awareness that courses through me. I consider glancing down to ensure I’m dressed, because suddenly I feel very, very naked.
Although I find the entire conversation entertaining, I’m too bored to keep up with everything they’re talking about. I spend a few minutes pretending to listen, more so simply watching Spencer. There’s something different about him today. I can’t put my finger on it, but I’d bet money something happened.
Forcing my gaze off Spencer, I watch the way Kingston eyes Ellie. The anticipation he doesn’t think people notice is like a semaphore flag waving proudly in the air, directing all attention to him. I mean, he couldn’t be more obvious if he held up a sign that said, Ellie’s mine. Just give it time.
And because I know Ellie so well, I know that she’s just as eager as Kingston. However, she is far more level-headed. It’s a wonder we’re friends. I admit, I can be flighty from time to time. That doesn’t mean I’m not incredibly intelligent, because I am. I simply get bored quite frequently.
I notice Kingston is mentally undressing Ellie.
Well, Universe, good for you. About time you did what The Secret claims you do.
I snicker to myself.
While Ellie and Spencer continue on, I can’t keep my attention on them anymore. They’ll figure it out. It’s only a matter of time.
5
Spencer
AS I SIT HERE, DRINKING my beer and pretending to pay attention, I can’t help thinking about what I’m asking my sister to do. I can’t say that I’m surprised by Ellie’s initial reaction to my request. It has never been easy getting her to do favors for me, and I know why. I’m not known for my sparkling personality. I tend to get on her nerves, probably more so since our parents died five years ago. She calls me overbearing. She’s probably right, but that’s only because I care about her and someone has to keep an eye on the girl.
I irritate her on a good day.
So no, she’s not exactly jumping up and down asking what she can do for me, but that also doesn’t stop me from asking for favors. She’s my sister, the only family I have other than my niece. And because family has always been important to me, I love them more than I love anyone. She knows that I would never ask for anything unless it was incredibly important.
And this is important.
Granted, as the afternoon trekked on, I’d given more thought to my proposal about setting Kingston and Ellie up in a pretend relationship. It all sounds good in theory, but the more I think about it, the more I can see this turning out very different than I initially intended. Provided I was thinking clearly when I first made the suggestion, which is questionable.
However, I think this might be a win-win.
My sister doesn’t think I notice, but I can tell she’s got the hots for Kingston. Not that it’s any of my business, but it’s hard not to notice. I try to pretend not to, because honestly, it’s none of my damn business. Also, I don’t think either of them will ever act on their attraction. And yes, I know that my best friend likes my sister. I see it in the way he looks at her, the way he acts toward her, the way he’s so defensive of her. It’s more than a mere friendship.
If I am really honest, I don’t see any issue with the two of them being together. Well, other than the fact that I would really like to shield Ellie from the inevitably doomed hockey relationsh
ip. I’ve seen my fair share of them go bad because the girlfriends and/or wives don’t trust their boyfriends and/or husbands enough to let them do their job. The puck bunnies can cause major damage to even the strongest relationships. It’s not even about cheating. It’s more about the perception of cheating. There’s a risk, which means there’s also jealousy. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a no-win situation.
I’m not saying there aren’t those that do survive.
The fact is, with all the traveling, it’s not that easy to maintain a healthy relationship. I would hate for my sister to end up depending on Kingston only to be left holding the bag on her own most of the time. That’s the way it seems to be. Not that I know firsthand, because I haven’t had anything more than a one-night tryst since I made my debut in the NHL. It’s a conscious decision. I don’t need the hassle.
Then again, Ellie is a single mom of a twelve-year-old. She got pregnant after a one-night stand with a man whose last name she didn’t get. The guy has never been in the picture. She’s been holding the bag solo for a long damn time. She deserves someone to be there to take some of the weight off her shoulders.
“Who in the world decided to pimp him out?” Ellie asks, daggers shooting from her eyes as she stares at me. Clearly she doesn’t think highly of my request, and when she puts it that way, I kind of see why.
“No, better yet, why?” my sister clarifies.
“If he looks to be in a relationship, some of the heat from last year will go away.” In theory, anyway.
She doesn’t look at all convinced by my explanation.
Again, I have doubts about this. I can see that Ellie’s bothered by it, but more than that, I can see how uncomfortable Kingston is. It’s a tough situation, sure. Whatever that crazy bitch who claimed Kingston knocked her around was after, she managed to fuck shit up for him. It pisses me off that she did it, and I am wholeheartedly behind Kingston. I’ve known the guy for a long damn time. He would never hit a woman. Not even if his life depended on it. He’s not programmed that way.
But the accusation happened, and I can understand Phoenix’s point of view when it comes to the team. We have a lot of ground to make up, and honestly, when I made the suggestion, I had Kingston’s best interest in mind. Since Kingston and Ellie are friends, I figured it would be far easier than trying to pretend to like some chick he doesn’t even know.
“And you agreed to this?” Ellie asks Kingston.
Kingston isn’t known for his lengthy conversation contribution. He gives a simple shrug. I can tell he thinks he doesn’t have a choice. And maybe he doesn’t, I don’t know. What I do know is that Kingston is like me when it comes to hockey. It’s been our dream since we were kids. I didn’t know Kingston at the time, mind you, but we’ve been friends long enough that we’ve shared that much with one another. We are alike in so many ways and I truly admire the guy. More importantly, I trust him.
“I think this is a stupid idea,” Ellie offers, taking the drink she just poured around to a customer at one of the nearby tables. “Really stupid.”
I peer over at Kingston, noticing the way his eyes follow her wherever she goes. I fight the urge to roll my eyes. I’ve had the whole don’t-mess-with-my-sister discussion with him before, and I’m almost positive that is the only reason he has never acted on his feelings for her.
Ellie reappears in front of me, her elbows firmly landing on the bar. She is studying me, which I know to be a good sign. It means she’s thinking about it.
And that … that’s more than I could’ve hoped for.
Noelle
I HAVE KNOWN ELLIE FOR a long damn time. And because she’s my best friend, I get a kick out of seeing her flustered. Not sure I’ve ever seen her more flustered than she is right now. It’s cute, really. However, what’s cuter is seeing the way Kingston watches her. The guy has it so bad it’s ridiculous. What’s more ridiculous is that they’ve never managed to hook up in all the years they’ve known each other.
Being part owner of the Penalty Box—a wildly popular sports bar that caters to the hockey set, not to mention, the hockey players themselves—I’ve had the pleasure of seeing a million hookups over the years. Fine, I’m exaggerating. Maybe not that many, but I’ve seen quite a few. What I haven’t seen is Kingston ever look at any woman the way he looks at Ellie.
What makes it even more amusing is that Ellie’s own brother has never noticed the electricity crackling in the air when the two of them are around each other. I’ve noticed. In fact, I’ve considered calling the electric company. Who needs solar panels when there’s this much spark flying right here? Surely they could draw power from it.
I wish Ellie and Kingston would suck it up and give in, but it’s not my place to tell them that they’re simply wasting time before the inevitable happens. I’m telling you, it will happen. It’s one of those romances that’s been building for the past, oh, decade and a half.
Sure, I could probably run my mouth and set the dominoes in motion, but where’s the fun in that? It’s not my place to fuck with fate. She has a plan for these two, I know it. And I personally just want to sit back and watch as it happens. I stopped making popcorn for this particular show about ten years ago, though. That stuff goes right to my hips.
But seriously, it’s so cliché it makes me want to laugh. Sister being set up with brother’s best friend … how many times has that happened? And for pretend…?
I know Spencer is not that dense. There is no way the guy can sit his cute ass on that barstool and keep a straight face. Surely, that big brain of his hasn’t forgotten the rules of sexual mathematics… You know, one plus one equals smoking-hot sex.
I grab a beer and head out to deliver it to one of the waiting customers, leaving the three at the bar to hash this out. I don’t need to be there to know how it will end. Ellie will give in. Whether it’s because she loves her brother and would do anything for him or simply because she can’t resist the opportunity being dropped in her lap. One way or the other, it’s going to go down.
Honestly, I would love to see Ellie and Kingston get together. Most people assume the worst about Kingston, especially after what he’s been accused of, but I know better. It’s not that I know him better than anyone else, but I do know he’s a good guy. He’s not the player people make him out to be, although Ellie honestly wants to believe that.
Surely she can see the difference between her brother and Kingston. Spencer is the player. For real. He doesn’t even pretend not to be. The only thing he’s got going for him is that he doesn’t talk about his tête-à-têtes. But he doesn’t try to hide them, and I’ve seen him leave with one woman after another, so I know.
Kingston’s not like that. Then again, Ellie has selfish reasons for thinking the worst of Kingston. It helps her to keep her distance from him, but deep down, even she knows the truth.
I feel eyes on me, and I turn to see Spencer’s gaze tracking me across the room. I find it comical that he looks at me. At one point, I thought there might be a chance that he and I could get to know one another better—in the naked sense—because he’s done it on more than one occasion. That is until I realized he’s probably trying to figure me out.
On the other hand, I could probably make a play for him and end up with an Optimus Orgasm to add to my very short, rather pathetic list. But I’m in the same mindset as Ellie: best friends do not hook up with their friend’s sibling. Like I said, it’s so cliché.
Granted, although he’s a player with a capital P, Spencer’s one of the good guys, too. One of the best actually. And sure, it might be perceived by some that I have a teeny tiny crush on him, but even if that were true—which it’s not—I know better than to act on it. For one, other than a few sidelong glances, Spencer has never shown any interest in me that way. And no, I’m not disappointed by that fact. Like I said, he’s not a total train wreck, but he’s not the guy for me. He’s a friend. A good
one. And I want to keep that friendship intact because I fully believe there is one man out there for me. Only one. The one. I definitely don’t think the universe has Spencer in mind for me. If that were the case, I wouldn’t be suffering such a lengthy dry spell.
Do I want a boyfriend?
Sure. It would be nice. I’d like to go out with someone, look forward to date number ten or twelve, not merely whether or not we’ll make it through the first. I haven’t been on a second date in … I’d say years. It’s easier to hold out, I think.
Of course, I’m also hoping for some fireworks-worthy sex out of the deal. When I say that, I’m talking the let’s-try-it-all-and-see-what-feels-the-best kind. And I’d be willing to bet big money that Spencer is good in bed, but I’m not sure if he’s an out-of-the-box thinker when it comes to orgasms. Sure, he’s probably really good. Like, multiple-orgasm worthy. Okay, fine, I’ll even admit that I’ve had a few self-administered ones simply by fantasizing about the man.
But I’m no dummy.
I’ve seen too much doing what I do. I see a lot of crap take place right under my nose. For instance, I’ve seen Spencer leave the bar with at least two dozen women in the past year. Maybe more. Not at one time, no. He’s not that good. I try not to count, do my best not to pay attention. It doesn’t bother me in the least. Maybe if he ended up seeing one of them more than once I’d have an issue—I’ve been known to have a bit of a jealous streak—but since that never happens, I ignore it.
Sometimes it’s amusing, other times it’s disturbing. However, it’s fun all the time.
But it does make me take a step back and look at things from all angles. I’ve always been that way. Maybe a little too perceptive at times, who knows. Who cares.
“Can we get two more beers over here?”
I glance over at one of the two men downing nachos by the fistful and nod.
I’ll get them their beer. Not only because that’s my job but also because it gives me an excuse to stick my nose in where it otherwise shouldn’t be.
Kaufman: The Season (Austin Arrows Book 2) Page 5
