His mouth ran dry as he dragged his gaze across those gorgeous breasts, the outline of her dusky nipples visible through the white shirt.

Her fair cheeks grew flushed at his perusal. “Don’t ogle. It’s unbecoming.”

He grinned. “Ah, I was wondering where Miss Prim and Proper had gone. Hello, Professor, nice to see you again.”

“I am not prim and proper,” she protested.

“Not in bed anyway…”

“Ground rules,” she repeated firmly.

He released a sigh. “All right. Get it out of your system.”

She leaned against the arm of the couch, resting her hands on her thighs. “This is only going to be sex,” she began, her throaty voice wavering in a way that brought a smile to his lips. “Continuing the fantasy, or whatever it was you said. Agreed?”

“I’m not agreeing to anything yet. Is there more?”

“My father can’t know anything about it.” She paused, looking uncomfortable. “And I’d prefer if we weren’t seen in public together.”

His nostrils flared. “Ashamed of being linked to a hockey player?”

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“Look, you already know the franchise is taking some heat, Brody. I don’t want to make things worse for my dad by giving the media more fuel for the fire they’re determined to start.”

He had to admit her words made sense. After seeing Craig Wyatt whispering with Sheila Houston at the arena today, Brody had no interest in stoking the fire. Best-case scenario, if he was spotted with Hayden, the press would sensationalize the relationship the way they were currently sensationalizing everything else associated with the Warriors. Worst-case scenario, a jerk reporter would insinuate that the team owner’s daughter knew of her father’s guilt and was either trying to shut Brody up because he was involved, or sleeping with him to find out what he knew.

He didn’t particularly like either of those scenarios.

Still, he wasn’t about to let Hayden get her way entirely. He had a few demands himself.

“If I agree to your rules, you have to agree to mine,” he said roughly, crossing his arms over his chest.

She swallowed. “Like what?”

“If you’re in my bed, that’s the only bed you’ll be in.” He set his jaw. “I won’t share you, especially not with the guy waiting for you in California.”

“Of course.”

“And you have to promise to keep an open mind.”

Interest flickered in her gaze. “Sexually?”

“Sure. But emotionally, too. All I’m saying is that if things between us get…deeper, you can’t run away from it.”

After a beat of silence, she nodded. “I can do that. And do you agree to keep whatever we do here to yourself?”

“I can do that,” he mimicked with a grin.

“Then what are you waiting for?” she asked. “Take off your clothes already.”

HAYDEN COULD barely contain her amusement as Brody pulled his jersey over his head and tossed it aside. He reminded her of a kid on Christmas morning. The eagerness practically radiated from his tall, powerful body, but when he pushed his jeans down his legs there was nothing comical about the situation anymore.

His cock sprang up against the material of his boxers, demanding attention and making Hayden’s mouth grow dry.

No matter how unsettling she found Brody’s terms, it was too late to reverse her decision. He wanted her to keep an open mind, fine. But she highly doubted things between them would get deeper, as he’d suggested. Their one-night stand may have turned into a fling, but she was confident it wouldn’t go further than that.

Besides, right now she didn’t want or need to think about the future, not when there were more important things to focus on. Such as Brody’s spectacular body and all the things she wanted to do to it.

An impish grin lifted the corner of her mouth as she remembered what he’d done to her body the night before at the bar. Her next move suddenly became very clear.

“The keeping-an-open-mind part,” she said mischievously. “It goes for you, too, right?”

Brody kicked aside his boxers and fixed her with an intrigued stare. “What do you have in mind?”

She didn’t answer. Crooking her finger at him, she gestured for him to follow her down the hallway. They entered the bedroom, where she turned her finger to the bed and said, “Get comfortable.”

Brody raised his brows. “Are you planning to join me?”

“Eventually.”

He lowered himself onto the bed and leaned against the mountain of pillows at the headboard.

Fighting a smile, Hayden swept her gaze over Brody’s long naked body sprawled before her.




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