Persephone’s lips parted, and then she quickly recovered, tucking her hair behind her ears, not that it actually did much to move the waist-length mass. “It’s just an auction. It’s not meant to really characterize you.”
“Noted.”
“So are you going to bid on me?” I teased Delaney to break the tension coming off my broody friend in waves.
“Hmmm, I’m not sure. I’m holding out for someone better looking.” She gave me that wink again, and it was all I could do to keep from dragging her back into the stacks.
Instead, I just laughed. I swear, if I didn’t know how much the woman admired my body, she’d give me a hell of an insecurity complex.
“You need more hero names?” Delaney asked Sephie.
“I do. We’re expecting at least six to eight more heroes. I already asked Nathan if his brother Nixon would be willing to come down from North Carolina, and Nix agreed! He’s an NFL quarterback up there, and he’s even bringing a couple of friends. I went after Hudson Porter’s brother, too. He’s a major league ballplayer.”
“You’re the best!” Delaney said, breaking from my arms to hug Sephie.
“It’s my pleasure, really.” She shot a look at Cannon and me. “I’m heading back to the rink. I’m assuming I’ll see you guys later?” Her eyebrows rose.
“Well, yeah. We have a game,” I answered.
Sephie’s eyes widened, but she smiled. “Indeed, we do. I’ll see you guys there.” She waved at Sephie, then me, then paused. “Cannon.”
“Persephone.”
She turned and walked out of the library, using the back entrance. I glanced at Cannon, only to see that he was already reading the inside flap of his book.
Delaney sighed and rubbed the skin above her nose.
“What’s wrong?”
“Are major league ballplayers major league asses, too?” Delaney asked, tilting her head. “I mean, I already have enough experience with football players to guess what being around those three will be like. Oh, God, I sound so ungrateful.” Her head rolled back on her shoulders as she let out a monster sigh.
“Don’t worry about Nixon. From what Nathan says, he’s kind of an ass, but a good guy. And Porter’s brother is a little...uhhh…”
“He fucks around a lot,” Cannon announced without looking up.
“Thanks,” I shot him a little glare. “He likes women, but I’ve never heard of him being hung up on himself. And I get it. This place is your home. It’s your church of sorts. I get you not wanting to let that energy in here, but we’re going to raise a ton of money.”
“You’re right.” She shook her head.
“And you like Connell, remember?” I urged, hoping she’d see that not all athletes were giant pricks like her ex.
“I do,” she admitted. “But he’s one out of a million. Most of the guys I knew from that football team were just like my ex. Maybe it was college, or maybe it’s just what happens when you get treated like a god for knowing how to handle a damn ball. Or puck. Whatever. I’d like to see one of them read half as many real books as they do play books.”
Cannon looked up over his novel, giving Delaney an intense stare that sent warning chills up my spine.
“Reading isn’t uncommon among athletes,” Cannon said in a low tone. “There’s a lot of travel time involved.”
Oh, fuck me.
Delaney startled at his tone. “You know, you’re right. You spend way more time with those Reapers than I do.”
Cannon glanced at me. “I wouldn’t bet on that.”
My stomach hit the floor.
“Who would you say is the best read Reaper?” Delaney asked. “Connell, maybe?”
“Hardly,” Cannon answered.
“Who then?” Her forehead puckered. “Maybe I could send over a book basket for the bus, or whatever they travel on. It’s not much a thank you for auctioning themselves off, but who doesn’t love a book?”
“We travel on planes,” Cannon said slowly, closing his book.
“Right. Totally forgot that you travel with the team.”
Cannon looked at me and arched an eyebrow. I got the message.
“Right, so we’re going to head off to the rink to play some hockey.” My breath stalled in my chest, waiting for her to react.
She grinned, then leaned up on her toes and brushed a kiss across my mouth. “I love how much you love your job. I hope your team wins tonight!”
“Me, too. Because it’s playoffs, and it’s going to be a tough one. I’ve seen their stats. Those guys are fast off the line, and I’m not sure I can physically beat a couple of them to the net. That has the potential to really hurt us.” I answered totally, completely honest for the first time in our relationship.
Her gaze softened and she drew her thumb over my cheek. “Don’t worry about the net. Profits and proceeds aren’t something you can really change hours before the game, right? Just fill the seats the best you can and let the other team worry about their own tickets for the next game. You’re not actually competing against the other sales team, you know? Besides, people usually show up for playoffs, right?”