ROMANCE: SPORTS ROMANCE: Bad Boys of Sports: A Complete Collection (Alpha Male, Football, Hockey Secret Baby Romance) (Contemporary Sports Romance) by Mallory Hart Page A
Authors: Mallory Hart
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team must be feeling. She felt embarrassed for bringing such a hopeless fan with her to bother Rich and his friends. She was annoyed, but it served her right for bringing along someone she hardly knew.
She was more than ready to leave, and since Chris didn’t bother to act like a proper date, she thought a simple text letting him know she was going would suffice. She tapped a short and concise goodbye on her phone as she headed toward the exit elevator.
After getting in, the doors began to close, only to be stopped by a man’s hand. Janie looked up to see Rich’s strikingly handsome face watching her.
“Leaving so soon?”
“Yeah, well I thought I’d slip out quietly,” she confessed. “I guess I’m feeling a little tired.”
“Let me escort you down,” he said as he entered the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby level.
The momentary silence between them felt tense before he spoke again.
“Did you have a nice date tonight?”
Janie cocked her head at the sarcastic tone he used. “It was a poor excuse for a date, I know. I’m really sorry he made such a scene out there tonight. I didn’t think he’d be so…frankly, irritating.” She ran a hand through her hair in frustration.
The tight look on Rich’s face seemed to relax a little. “It’s fine. A lot of fans get a little eager when the whole team is around. They’re all used to it, so don’t feel so bad about your boyfriend.”
“ Boyfriend ? No, no–he’s not my boyfriend. Not even close. I was just in a hurry to find a date for tonight since Alyssa couldn’t come with me.”
“Really?” Rich watched her with a curious look in his eye. “Actually, I was hoping that you’d be my date tonight. I’m sorry if I hadn’t made that clear.”
An electric surge shot through Janie as she locked eyes with him. The door to the elevator opened to the hotel lobby, and Rich placed a hand on the small of her back.
“Let me at least buy you a drink before you go,” he said quietly near her ear, sending shivers down her spine. The two of them walked toward the lobby bar.
CHAPTER SIX
Janie’s head was spinning, and her heart was swooning as she made her way back up to the apartment that she shared with Alyssa. The night had turned out to be amazing–and so romantic. After a few drinks, Rich had shared a taxi home with her, walking her to the steps of the building like a perfect gentleman. She paused before entering the apartment, closing her eyes and still feeling the heat of his lips on hers when he kissed her goodnight. Those lips were soft and moist, and his heady scent was downright intoxicating up close.
She entered the unit and to her surprise, Alyssa was at the kitchen counter, sipping on a cup of herbal tea with a forlorn look.
“Alyssa? What are you doing here?” asked Janie. Her voice sounded singsong even to herself. “Aren’t you supposed to be luxuriating on a boat somewhere on Lake Como right about now?”
“I decided not to go.”
Sure enough, Janie spied a couple of unpacked Louis Vuitton suitcases near the entrance.
“Why, sweetie?” Janie crossed the distance between them to comfort her friend. “Did things go sour with Pat?”
Alyssa started to shake her head, winced, then stopped. “No,” she answered instead. “I just physically couldn’t go. Stomach hurts.”
“Wow, how much did you drink?” Janie asked, surprised.
“Didn’t,” Alyssa said.
Janie took that as a sign to stop talking, so she poured herself a cup of hot water to prepare herself a cup of tea too, and sat down companionably next to her friend. It was obvious that this had to do with more than a simple stomachache. She’d never seen Alyssa look so despondent. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Alyssa sighed dramatically. “I’m miserable.”
Janie wasn’t surprised, but that didn’t mean she knew what to say. Alyssa always seemed happy, always surrounded herself with giggles and colors, but of
She was more than ready to leave, and since Chris didn’t bother to act like a proper date, she thought a simple text letting him know she was going would suffice. She tapped a short and concise goodbye on her phone as she headed toward the exit elevator.
After getting in, the doors began to close, only to be stopped by a man’s hand. Janie looked up to see Rich’s strikingly handsome face watching her.
“Leaving so soon?”
“Yeah, well I thought I’d slip out quietly,” she confessed. “I guess I’m feeling a little tired.”
“Let me escort you down,” he said as he entered the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby level.
The momentary silence between them felt tense before he spoke again.
“Did you have a nice date tonight?”
Janie cocked her head at the sarcastic tone he used. “It was a poor excuse for a date, I know. I’m really sorry he made such a scene out there tonight. I didn’t think he’d be so…frankly, irritating.” She ran a hand through her hair in frustration.
The tight look on Rich’s face seemed to relax a little. “It’s fine. A lot of fans get a little eager when the whole team is around. They’re all used to it, so don’t feel so bad about your boyfriend.”
“ Boyfriend ? No, no–he’s not my boyfriend. Not even close. I was just in a hurry to find a date for tonight since Alyssa couldn’t come with me.”
“Really?” Rich watched her with a curious look in his eye. “Actually, I was hoping that you’d be my date tonight. I’m sorry if I hadn’t made that clear.”
An electric surge shot through Janie as she locked eyes with him. The door to the elevator opened to the hotel lobby, and Rich placed a hand on the small of her back.
“Let me at least buy you a drink before you go,” he said quietly near her ear, sending shivers down her spine. The two of them walked toward the lobby bar.
CHAPTER SIX
Janie’s head was spinning, and her heart was swooning as she made her way back up to the apartment that she shared with Alyssa. The night had turned out to be amazing–and so romantic. After a few drinks, Rich had shared a taxi home with her, walking her to the steps of the building like a perfect gentleman. She paused before entering the apartment, closing her eyes and still feeling the heat of his lips on hers when he kissed her goodnight. Those lips were soft and moist, and his heady scent was downright intoxicating up close.
She entered the unit and to her surprise, Alyssa was at the kitchen counter, sipping on a cup of herbal tea with a forlorn look.
“Alyssa? What are you doing here?” asked Janie. Her voice sounded singsong even to herself. “Aren’t you supposed to be luxuriating on a boat somewhere on Lake Como right about now?”
“I decided not to go.”
Sure enough, Janie spied a couple of unpacked Louis Vuitton suitcases near the entrance.
“Why, sweetie?” Janie crossed the distance between them to comfort her friend. “Did things go sour with Pat?”
Alyssa started to shake her head, winced, then stopped. “No,” she answered instead. “I just physically couldn’t go. Stomach hurts.”
“Wow, how much did you drink?” Janie asked, surprised.
“Didn’t,” Alyssa said.
Janie took that as a sign to stop talking, so she poured herself a cup of hot water to prepare herself a cup of tea too, and sat down companionably next to her friend. It was obvious that this had to do with more than a simple stomachache. She’d never seen Alyssa look so despondent. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Alyssa sighed dramatically. “I’m miserable.”
Janie wasn’t surprised, but that didn’t mean she knew what to say. Alyssa always seemed happy, always surrounded herself with giggles and colors, but of
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