Authors: Chloe T Barlow

Three Rivers (45 page)

"Now Jenna, you wouldn't want to look rude after members of such an important part of your growing career have been so gracious to us, would you?" Aubrey teased.

"Dammit Aubrey," Jenna fumed.

"You know I'm right. Now stop being so pissy and let that hot guy show you around before you offend him or anyone else here." Aubrey responded calmly.

"Fine," she huffed, turning to face Wyatt. "All right Mr. McCoy, let's go," Jenna said, walking toward him with her toughest facial expression. It just seemed to make him more amused.

"Please call me Wyatt. How about we start with the locker room, that seems as good a place as any to begin your education," Wyatt drawled at her.

Of all the days to have to deal with a cocky self-impressed jackass...This guy can't be for real
, Jenna thought to herself in frustration.
It's official, I will be killing Aubrey and Tea later. But I'm stuck with him now, so my double homicide plans will have to wait.

Jenna took a steadying breath. She then steeled her nerves and schooled her face into its most confident expression before responding, "Sounds good Mr. McCoy."

"Oh come on, now. Don't be so formal. Don't you like me, sugar?"

"I just met you, I have no opinion of you," she answered.

"I don't think you're being honest. I think you definitely have an opinion of me, and it doesn't seem good," he responded, leading her into the expansive room lined with cherry wood lockers, benches, and various equipment. Jenna had been in countless locker rooms during her life — including this one — but the nearness of Wyatt McCoy made it feel surreal and claustrophobic.

It was a dream set-up for an athlete like herself, but all she could focus on was the singing heat coursing through her from merely his fingertips on her lower back.

She turned to him to break the connection, but that only served to plant her back against a locker and her face smack dab in front of his well-built chest.

Her sense of
déjà vu
was overwhelming — the feeling that she’d been in this place before and it had ended so very badly.

Jenna looked up into his eyes and immediately regretted it. Having spent so many years avoiding any romantic involvements with athletes, her instant attraction to this one was vexing to say the least.

Wyatt looked down at her and smiled. "Now that I have your attention, maybe we can get to know each other better, you can give me a chance to improve that low opinion you have of me. Did you like the game?"

"It was a tough loss and you seemed to be having a rough go of it."

"Ouch, that hurts."

"You keep telegraphing your throws like that and you're going to spend the rest of the season on your ass — trust me, that will hurt a lot more. You need to shorten your release," Jenna advised him.

"Um, I'm not sure I heard you right. What was that again, sugar?"

"Just critiquing your throwing style is all," she answered.

"So, you were watching me closely, sugar?"

"It's an occupational hazard."

He looked confused for a moment but quickly regained his cocky composure. Meanwhile, Jenna kept feeling hers slipping away from her.

With each unsteady breath she noticed another aspect of him that was intoxicating to her, whether it was the slight golden streaks in his chestnut hair, the matching hint of stubble on his strong jaw, or his broad shoulders — everywhere she rested her eyes on him only served to make her body more consumed with attraction and her brain more furious with that fact.

"Well, for the record, I've never heard any complaints about my release," he said with a wink and Jenna rolled her eyes in disgust, which only made him chuckle in amusement. "Though I thought you weren’t supposed to know about football, sugar?"

"No. My
ex
-best friends were playing a joke. Now that you know the truth, I'll be moving along, let you get back to your life."

"But I'm having so much fun pretending to educate you. Maybe I can teach you Spanish."

"I already speak Spanish so you've got nothing to teach me."

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure of that. How about I teach you to relax?" he whispered in her ear — sending a shot of warmth coursing through her traitorous body.

"I'm plenty relaxed," she huffed. He smirked again, running a finger across her shoulder until she jumped.

"Relaxed, really? Hmm," he added with a cocky drawl and a slow perusal of her body that had her stomach tightening, even as her jaw clenched in irritation.

Wyatt leaned into her until she could smell his freshly washed hair and count the beads of water on the part of his skin bared by the undone buttons at the top of his crisp Italian shirt. He was insanely attractive and far too close for Jenna's comfort. She cringed a little at her own big mouth, wishing she'd left this bad boy well enough alone. The worst thing you can do with someone like Wyatt is to engage him, and she'd done worse, she'd
challenged
him.

Dammit Jenna,
rookie mistake!
she thought, chastising herself.

Jenna shook herself out of her hormonal stupor and stood up straight enough that he backed off a bit, "I have to ask— does this usually work?"

"What do you mean, sugar?"

"I mean this ego the size of Texas routine of yours. The 'sugars' and the double entendres. I mean, come on. You want my opinion of you? Here it is. I find your little shtick —
and you
— exhausting and insulting. Please excuse me. I need to get back to my friends."

"I was under the impression my 'little shtick' was working," he teased, raising a hand and placing it alongside her head.

"Please. Working? Hardly," Jenna said, rolling her eyes again theatrically and ignoring the tightening in her belly and her intense desire to bury her face in his chest and just sniff him for a while.

Pull yourself together Jenna!
she ordered to herself.

"Come on sugar, play nice," Wyatt said with a devious half-smile, looking down at her smugly.

"My name is not
sugar
, you jerk!" Jenna shouted and his laugh in response had her face red in anger and humiliation.

Right at that moment, the rest of her group walked in and Jenna felt sheer mortification at her position — pressed up against Wyatt McCoy of all people, in front of a locker — practically in her place of business — screaming at him.

Everyone looked at Jenna in shock at her outburst, though Aubrey merely looked thrilled at Jenna's current predicament.

"Don't worry folks, we're fine in here. I'll bring your friend to you soon."

"No, that won't be necessary, I can go now," Jenna said as calmly as she could muster. She smoothed down her shirt in an effort to regain control of herself. She was about to speak when she heard, "Hey Doc!"

Jenna looked up quickly, averting her eyes from her nosey companions and saw the kind face of one of her patients.

"Hi Eloni!" Jenna threw Wyatt a sharp look but he wouldn't move. He still had his hand placed on the wall next to her head and the fiery effect he had on her sex drive was quickly replaced with plain raw irritation.

That's more like it
, she thought.
Best to remember why you stay away from these types of guys in the first place.

She began to dart under his arm, but he only lowered it more.

"Doctor?" Wyatt asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Yes, Mr. McCoy, they let us little ladies be doctors now. What a world! Now, if you would please move your arm."

"Hey Wyatt, how ya doin' man? How do you know Doctor S.?" Eloni asked with his usual gentle-giant charm. He was an offensive lineman from Samoa and a University of Hawaii graduate, and one of the first NFL players to give her a chance.

"Fine Eloni," Wyatt gritted out. "I was giving her a tour."

"Oh yeah? What brings you here Doctor S.? Visiting a patient?"

"No, I came with some friends." Jenna breathed more easily as she turned her attention away from the incredibly unsettling quarterback. "Griffen over there is buds with your assistant GM," she answered jerking a thumb over to her group that was now listening to a speech about on field safety. "How's the knee, Eloni?" She could feel Wyatt's eyes boring into the side of her face, but she refused to look in his direction.

"Well, my knee feels like a million bucks. You're a miracle worker Doctor S."

"It’s all due to you and your hard work. Maybe they'll start naming the surgery after you, you keep playing so well..."

"Hey, Eloni, I think Coach is looking for you," Wyatt's voice boomed as he turned to his teammate. His nearness still overwhelmed Jenna and she started to make her escape.

"Well, Eloni, it was good to see you. I'm heading off, too," Jenna said and started walking toward her friends.

"Hey, where are you going?" Wyatt asked, walking alongside of her. "I wasn't done."

"I was."

"Oh come on. What are you doing tonight?"

"I have plans," she answered, nearing Tea and Aubrey, finally.

"No she doesn't," Aubrey blurted out.

"See, looks like you're all cleared to let me keep changing that opinion of yours about me. I won't even call you sugar,
Doc
."

"No need," Jenna answered, throwing Aubrey a sharp look before shouting, "Hey Johnny, get over here." Johnny looked at Griffen and when he nodded Johnny ran over to her.

"Hey, Johnny, Wyatt here said he'd love to watch you throw."

"Awesome! Let's do it," Johnny said enthusiastically.

"That's great man, I appreciate it, too. Tom would that be okay?" Griffen asked his friend as he walked over.

"Of course. Come on Wyatt, let's do it on the field. You guys can come take pictures if you like," Tom added.

"Well, y'all have fun. I think I learned enough for one day," Jenna said as she stared in triumph at Wyatt.

He looked back at her with a challenge in his eyes and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Have a nice night, but know that this ain’t over, Doc."

A shiver ran down Jenna's spine as she watched six feet four inches of diabolically gorgeous trouble walk away from her and she struggled to decide whether she wanted to view his words as a threat — or a delicious promise.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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Three Rivers
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