1
Rider
From my bar stool in Nelly’s pub, I scoop my glass up from the long, oaken tabletop and hold it above my head in salute. “Here’s to kicking ass and taking numbers,” I say to my best friend, the man I call brother, despite the fact that our features are opposite in nearly every single way. Other than our height, and the fact that we both play in the NHL, Kane’s longish hair is sun-drenched blond, whereas mine is dark and cropped short. His deep blue eyes have a way of catching the attention of everyone around him. Mine however, with a hint of metal gray, have been compared to an overcast day and help me blend into the background. Being invisible saved my ass a time or two in foster care.
“Here’s to coming in first in our division,” Kane says as he clinks glasses with me and jabs his thumb into his chest. “The Stanley Cup is coming home to Seattle with us this year, bro,” he adds and I swallow half the bubbly soda in one gulp and slam my glass onto the bar top with more force than necessary. The bartender gives me a sideways glance and I grin at him before wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I glance over my brother’s shoulder and take stock of the crowded bar. In the near distance, the shrill of a woman’s loud laugh swirls throughout the congested room and mingles with all the other blaring sounds.
Perfume reaches my nose, and as I feed off the energy in the crowd, I let it fuel my blood. I might be the guy to stand back and blend in, but deep down, I’m a total thrill-seeker. Last October however, shortly after the NHL season began, any kind of noise would have sent me to a dark corner drooling like a damn baby. Christ, that concussion really did a number on me. But it wasn’t career-ending, and for that I’m grateful. Without hockey, I’m nothing.
“Where the fuck are the rest of the guys?” Kane asks and gestures for another shot.
I laugh but it has no humor. “It’s Thursday. Where the fuck do you think they are?” Christ, except for a handful of the guys, most on the team are married with kids, and those who live in Seattle are home snuggled in with their loved ones on this rainy Thursday night. The others are likely holed up in their hotel rooms skyping and babbling shit about missing home. A sound crawls out of my throat, a half laugh, half snort. It’s not that I’m jealous of their relationships, or anything. Nope, I’m a bachelor for life, and not fucking jealous at all.
Or much, anyway.
“Right. Pussies,” Kane says, his voice a bit slurred. A couple shots of rum will do that to a guy. We have a game in two days, and while Kane can put the booze back as well as the next guy, and still be on top of his game, for me…not so much. I’m not about to risk anything when it comes to hockey. It’s all or nothing for me. And I’ll only settle for all.
I turn, lean against the bar, and scan the establishment a second time. “We have a live one,” I say when I catch sight of the pretty redhead coming from the hallway. She presses her lips together, smoothing her freshly applied color, and runs her hands through her thick, wavy hair. I’m good at reading body language, a must on the ice, and if those gestures aren’t a sign that she’s open for suggestions, I don’t know what is. “Two o’clock,” I say and Kane spins on his stool.
“She’s gorgeous,” he says and I grin when his jaw drops.
I nudge Kane with my shoulder. “Do I know how to pick them for you, or what?”
“You sure you don’t want this one? I know you have a thing for redheads.”
“Nah. I’m just going to finish my soda and head home. I have some shows to catch up on.”
Kane shakes his head and I brace for the lecture. “Are you seriously still watching The Handmaid’s Tale?”
“Shut the fuck up, and it wouldn’t hurt you to watch something other than sports once in a while.”
“Man, you need to get laid more than I thought.” He finishes off his drink. “Go ahead. You take this one.”
As the girl approaches, I push off the counter and step in front of her. “So I was thinking…” I begin, and she stops abruptly and stares at me with pretty green eyes.
“About?” Her dark lashes fall slowly as her gaze pans the length of me. While she doesn’t yet know it, her leisurely inspection of my body is a waste of time. It’s not me she’s going home with tonight.
“Well, I was thinking about asking for your number.” Before I continue, I cringe, and suck in air like I have something nasty on my tongue. “But I have this thing…”
Her eyes narrow in on me. “You have a thing?” she asks, and the fact that she’s playing along lets me know she’s open to a hook-up.
“Yeah, the doctors are calling it a third nipple.” I lower my voice and add, “For now, anyway.” Kane chuckles as the girl’s eyes widen. “More tests need to be done, of course.”
She takes a small step backward, like she might catch what I have. “Ah, why are you telling me this?”
I move to the side to make room for my bro, and right on cue, Kane stands. Her gaze shifts, and appreciatively takes in my brother. “Because this guy only has two nipples. You seem like a girl who would appreciate that, plus he told me you were the most beautiful woman in the room.”
“He did?” A smile curls up the corners of her mouth, and I inch back even more, biting back my grin as the two begin talking.