High Risk Rookie (Vancouver Wolves Hockey #4) - Odette Stone Page 0,3
there just in time to see him pop up above the water with a huge smile on his face.
The place went berserk.
I let out a harsh breath as I tried to quell the hammering of my heart.
He swam to the edge of the pool, and two of his buddies helped pull him out of the water. Water streamed off his body like slow-motion porn. He laughed with his friends, looking impossibly sexy. A war raged in my mind between the hot guy I wanted to fuck and the rookie I wanted to kill.
The rookie won, and I let my white-hot anger sink into me. These bullshit antics not only took years off my life, but they also felt like a personal attack on my own dreams and goals.
I stalked behind them, watching as they disappeared into the men’s change room.
I pushed open the door and walked towards the sound of voices.
“You want to stay here or go someplace else?” a male voice asked.
I walked past sinks and mirrors and turned the corner. The two friends were leaning against wooden lockers, heads tucked over their phones.
“Let’s have a couple here and then move on.”
“That works.”
My rookie was nowhere to be found. Ignoring them both, I started towards the back, determined to find him.
“Whoa, lady. I think you’re in the wrong area. This is the men’s change room.” One of the guys tried to step in front of me.
“Out of my way,” I ordered him.
He lifted his hands and stepped back.
I walked to the back and moved around the corner. Levi Ziegler, also known as my rookie, straightened up to his full height. He was stupidly tall. He stood in the middle of the room wearing only a pair of boxer briefs, but he made no move to cover himself up.
He stared at me without expression, reminding me of that aloof, sun-kissed, sculpted god from the roof.
He was also a complete idiot.
Why were the people who’d been given the most in this life so determined to throw it away? Every inch of advancement I’d made in my career had been the result of relentless focus, work, and grit. The fact that he was also blessed with a face of beauty annoyed me beyond measure.
“What kind of bullshit was that stunt?” I planted my hand on my hip and glared at him.
He didn’t seem shocked or taken aback by my vitriol. He looked amused. “What’s it to you?”
His voice was low and smooth, a typical Canadian accent with a hint of something European, almost too faint to identify. His enjoyment of my emotion only fired me up further.
“What’s it to me?” I repeated. “Do you know how many assholes have been spending their valuable time and resources looking for you?”
Something shifted in him. He jerked his head at his friends, who crowded at the door. They disappeared. He didn’t speak as he continued to get dressed.
Watching him pull on his jeans was like witnessing a commercial for… damn near anything. The sponsors would be climbing over themselves to get near him.
He bent over his bag. “Who do you work for in the hockey world?”
“I’m going to ignore your assumption that I need to work for someone.”
He lifted his face towards me. “Still don’t know who you are.”
“Krista Taylor. I’m a sports agent.”
Even that didn’t get a response out of him.
I took a step closer. “You’ve been given an insane amount of talent. You have the kind of gift that only a few are blessed with, and instead of cherishing that, you’re pissing away your opportunity.”
He pulled a faded green T-shirt over his head. I couldn’t seem to glance away when he pulled the fabric down over his hard, muscular core. “And you care because…”
“Because I watched your demo tape, and it would be a shame if someone with your level of talent didn’t play professional hockey this year.”
He lifted his head. “Where did you see it?”
“A friend gave it to me. What’s going on with your agents?”
He shrugged as he shoved his belongings into his bag. “My current agent is a complete dick.”
“Have you been invited to any training camps this fall?”
I had his complete attention. “Nope.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s because your agent is either incompetent or indifferent.”
“Or he’s just a dick.”
There was no love lost in that relationship. It would be interesting to see what his current agent said about this situation. “Do you want to play hockey or not?”