1. Morgan

1

MORGAN

I never thought much about what I’d do if I were still single at thirty, but I can safely say clubbing every weekend isn’t my idea of a good time.

“Isn’t this place great?” Lacy shouts to be heard over the remixed pop song booming over the speakers. She shimmies her shoulders, and her sequined bodycon dress shines under the colorful strobe lights flickering over the dance floor.

I paste a fake smile on my face. My former college teammate is a flight attendant who rarely ever gets a weekend off, and she’s been begging me to go out with her for months. I don’t want my lackluster mood to ruin her night, but I’m about to lose it on the next drunk guy who gropes my ass under the guise of dancing.

“Totally,” I lie, swaying to the beat and making a point to turn my body and glare at the guy trying to slide up behind me. He gets the message and, with an indifferent shrug, moves on to find a different partner.

I don’t understand how I ever enjoyed going to clubs in college. These days, I feel like a grouchy grandma who wants to lecture Lacy about how this isn’t how she will meet quality friends or potential romantic partners.

But that’s not why Lacy is here, so I keep my mouth shut. I’m resigned to being a supportive friend and keeping her company as she unleashes pent-up stress all over the dancefloor.

A hot guy with a red shirt unbuttoned at the neck slides up behind her. Lacy looks over her shoulder with a flirtatious grin and begins to move in rhythm with him.

I grin.

Maybe she is here for a romantic partner.

I won’t judge. Lacy doesn’t have much time to meet people when she works thirty thousand feet in the air and sleeps in hotel rooms for one night before jetting off to the next destination.

Lacy’s job makes it hard to form a genuine connection with anyone.

So, what’s your excuse?

I ignore the sassy thought and scan the room, searching for any sign of commotion that will surely follow my best friend’s and her boyfriend’s arrival.

Carlee Jones is dating Corey Johnson, the star pitcher for the Texas Lonestars, and her brother is Carter Jones, the star linebacker for the Texas Rough Riders. The four of us grew up together, and while I’m immune to their celebrity, the rest of the Dallas population isn’t.

Carlee texted an hour ago to say they were on the way to this club for Valerie’s surprise birthday party. I haven’t spent much time with Carter’s nanny, but Carlee tells me she thinks there’s something romantic going on between her brother and the beautiful former accountant. I don’t plan on crashing the party, but you can bet that I will scope out the situation from afar. I’m nosy like that.

“Excuse me.” Someone’s elbow hits the back of my head.

“Ow!” I turn with a scowl, ready to snap at the jerk who didn’t watch where they were walking. The dance floor is crowded, but I’m over six feet tall in these heels. I’m easy to see.

“Sorry,” the offending man apologizes before I can speak. “I lost my balance.”

I suck in a sharp breath as recognition hits me. “Cam Lehman?”

The goalie for the Texas Ranchers blinks once, and then his apologetic smile turns into a flirtatious grin. “That’s me,” he shouts over the music. “What’s your name?”

“Morgan.” I hold out my hand. “Nice to meet you.”

His lips twitch as he looks down at my hand before shaking it. “Nice to meet you, Morgan. Not many women recognize me when I’m out.”

Cam may be a professional athlete, but hockey players don’t get as much notice in Dallas—unlike the football and baseball stars who also reside here.

“My family is big into hockey,” I offer in explanation.

“Morgan?” Lacy’s voice sounds in my ear. I turn and see her teetering on her heels. Her eyes are locked on the broad athlete in front of me. “Who’s your friend?”

The man Lacy had been dancing with is all but forgotten.

“Cam.” The goalie holds out his hand. “Should we get off the dance floor to leave room for the dancers?”

“Absolutely.” Lacy keeps her hand in his and pulls him forward. His eyes are wide with surprise as she leads him off the dance floor.

I can’t suppress my smile. In college, Lacy was the bold one. She never shied away from going after what she wanted. She hasn’t changed.

I follow Lacy as she leads Cam to the side of the room closest to the secondary bar tucked against the wall. The main bar is near the entrance, surrounded by patrons trying to get a drink.

“Can I get you ladies anything to drink?” Cam speaks to us both, but his eyes are on Lacy.

“No, thanks.” Lacy flips a section of blonde hair over her shoulder. “So, Cam, what do you do for a living?”

He sputters for a second.

I openly chuckle.

Cam gets ahold of himself and answers with an intrigued smile. “I’m a goalie for the Texas Ranchers.”

“Ah.” Her lips turn down. “An athlete. That’s a shame.”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t date athletes.” Lacy’s eyes are already scanning the room like a predator searching for her next prey. Lacy definitely seems to be looking for someone to warm her bed tonight. Good thing I drove myself. Grabbing a rideshare in downtown Dallas at this time of night would be a nightmare.

“Who said anything about dating?” Cam asks, sounding slightly offended but also intrigued.

“No one. Good point.” She pats his arm placatingly, then turns to me. “I’m going to use the ladies’ room. Stay here and talk about your job interview. I’ll find you when I’m done.”

Lacy turns and struts away without waiting for a response. I wince and silently pray Cam didn’t hear what she said.

“Job interview?”

I sigh.

Thanks, Lacy.

“I’m interviewing with the Ranchers tomorrow,” I admit, my cheeks warm.

“What? No way. For what job?” Cam’s enthusiasm is a little extra for someone who just met me, but I think it’s genuine. Maybe he’s just one of those good-natured guys who’s always positive. After all, the press likes to paint him as a golden retriever type. They could be on to something.

“It’s for an assistant nutritional coach.”

I passed the Registered Dietician certification a few months ago. I thought it would be easy to find a job with one of the professional sports teams in Dallas. Heck, I even searched for jobs in other Texas cities. But even though I have all the credentials to recommend me, I didn’t have enough experience to be hired as a Sports Dietician.

So, while working as an assistant nutritional coach isn’t my dream job, it’s a foot in the door of my desired career field. I plan to work my ass off and earn a promotion to a full-fledged dietician as soon as possible. If I get the job, that is.

An interview doesn’t guarantee anything, but it’s more than I’ve achieved in the months I’ve been job hunting.

“That’s cool.” Cam’s friendly smile remains. “Any idea what the job involves? Will you be working with players?”

“I’m not sure. That will be a question I’ll ask in my interview.”

“Fair enough. Well, if you do get the job, be sure to find me in the facility sometime so I can congratulate you in person.” He speaks as if we’re old friends. Oddly enough, I find the familiarity charming instead of presumptuous.

“We’ll see.” I laugh. “I’m not sure it would be smart to fraternize with a player right away.”

His eyes sparkle. “Fraternize? I like the sound of that.” His joking expression undermines the flirty words.

I shake my head and laugh.

I decided to like Cam—not in a romantic way. It’s been a long time since I’ve liked anyone like that. I have my cheating, narcissistic ex to thank for that.

“Do you think your friend is going to come back?” He looks over the crowded club with subtle eagerness. “Does she really not date athletes?”

“Not since college.” Lacy had her own run-in with cheating assholes. They were all fellow D1 athletes she met in our school’s training facilities.

“Hm. Think I can change her mind?”

“You can try.” I grin. “But I think she goes for guys who give off more… intense vibes.” Lacy is a prolific reader of dark romances. She’s big into rooting for anti-heroes.

“Intense? I can be intense.”

“Says who?” A smooth, masculine voice asks over my head. I turn, and my eyes widen as I identify the man standing in front of me.

He’s Dane Larson, the center for the Dallas hockey team and one of the most talented players in the league.

I’m not a fan girl by any means, but it’s impossible not to admire his tall, broad frame chiseled to perfection. The club’s dim lighting hides his sandy blond hair, but I know its color. Not from stalking him on social media. However, I do follow the Ranchers’ account, where Dane is often featured in their posts.

No, I know his hair color from seeing him in person. Dane Larson just so happens to be close friends with my best friend’s brother, Carter.

The star linebacker and star center hang out often, and I saw the hockey player at Carter’s housewarming party a few months ago. It’d been a backyard barbeque for family and friends. And while I’d been too preoccupied hanging out with Carlee and her niece and nephew to introduce myself, I saw Dane from afar. And there’s no denying it—he’s just as good-looking in person as he is online.

Dane’s physique is a testament to hard work and discipline, and his style is effortlessly sexy, with every detail perfectly in place to showcase his chiseled torso and muscular thighs and perfect ass.

Dane’s lips curl into a self-satisfied smirk, and my cheeks burn when I realize I’ve been staring.

“Hey, man,” Cam greets his teammate. “This is Morgan. Morgan, this is Dane.”

“I know.” I hold out my hand the same way I did with Cam. “Nice to meet you.”

His smirk grows even as he takes my hand. “Don’t tell me, Cam found the one female hockey fan in the club?”

I want to say yes, I am a fan of the sport. My brothers and I watched as many games as we could growing up, but the arrogant spark in Dane’s eye has me holding back. He may be hot, but I’m not interested in fueling an ego I already suspect is inflated.

“Hardly.” I tug my hand back after a quick shake. I look away from the attractive center and focus on his more approachable friend. “Back to Lacy. I think you could have a chance with her, but I wouldn’t talk about being an athlete too much.”

He nods. “No shop talk. Got it.”

“Who’s Lacy?”

I slowly drag my eyes back to Dane. “My friend.” I look back at Cam, but Dane speaks again.

“Is she pretty?”

“Almost as pretty as Morgan,” Cam says with a wink.

I exhale an awkward laugh. “You’re too kind.”

Dane’s stare stays on me, but I don’t know what to make of his expression. He’s checking me out, but there’s a hint of question in his gaze. I suppose he could recognize me. Just because we didn’t speak at the barbeque doesn’t mean he didn’t see me.

“Dance with me.”

I blink at the sudden demand. “Excuse me?”

“Dance with me.” He holds out a hand. His lips curl into a sexy smirk. “Please.”

My forehead furrows even as my stomach dips. “No, thanks.”

“No?” He sounds amused.

“No,” I repeat.

Cam watches our interaction with a wide smile. Hearing me reject his friend a second time, he bellows out a laugh. “Damn, Dane. You’re losing your touch. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you be rejected before.”

And that is exactly why I am.

Dane Larson is sexy as hell, and his attention fills me with a confidence I’ve lacked since I broke up with Aaron, but I know myself. I’m one of those women who catches pesky feelings for guys when she sleeps with them.

And while I can’t be sure, I suspect that’s exactly where a dance with Dane Larson would lead—me and him sweaty and panting between my Egyptian cotton sheets.

Would that really be so bad?

A commotion travels over the crowd, bouncing to the upbeat track playing over the speakers, interrupting the words I see forming on Dane’s perfect lips.

We all turn towards the source, along with the rest of the club-goers around us. I spot Carter’s brown head bobbing through the crowd, following Corey Johnson’s massive form as he tugs along his girlfriend, Carlee.

I smile at the sight. My best friend has been in love with Corey long before he became a star baseball pitcher. She was heartbroken by what happened between them in high school, but things worked out in the end. I couldn’t be happier for them both.

“Looks like we’re not the only athletes here tonight,” Cam remarks.

“Looks like it,” Dane agrees. “I need to go say hi.”

His gaze drops to meet mine. “Then I’ll be back for our dance.”

My mouth falls open. “But, I?—”

Dane strides away without another word.

I gape after him, my stomach fluttering. His confidence borders on arrogance, but paired with his impressive physical appearance, it’s incredibly attractive—which is toxic as hell.

I know it.

But I can’t control it.

My eyes dip to admire Dane’s muscular ass in his fitted pants. I bite my lip. You could bounce a quarter on those glutes.

An invisible touch brushes against my cheek. I lift my gaze and see Dane looking at me over his shoulder. His lips tilt into a promising smile, and he winks before I lose sight of him in the crowd.

I experience a crisis of conscience.

While I know it would be wise to find Lacy and enjoy the rest of my evening with her, my feet remain glued to the floor.

I’m eager to see if Dane keeps his word and returns to claim a dance.

And if I’m right in where I believe that dance might lead…