Page 82 of Running Winter

"I'll go. Does anyone want a drink?"

Everyone declined, and I made my way down the steps towards the vending machine in the player’s tunnel.

"Raven Deacon, if you need cooling down, I could always hose you down."

I almost find it hilarious that these dumb-ass guys think shit like that will work on me. This dumb ass, in particular, was just an oxygen thief.

Reese Gilbert was determined to be the next big thing in football but was yet to make the school team. His girlfriend was a cheerleader, and he thought that automatically gave him access to any woman he wanted.

As if.

"Fuck off, Gilbert. If my brother hears you, you'll be dead meat."

"But your brother is on the field. Losing," Reese scoffed, leaning against the machine beside me. "Come on, just admit you're into me. I know you aren't a lesbian like they all say."

I allowed my eyes to flicker over him before sliding my coin into the slot, selecting the bottle of water. Reese watched my fingers with interest before he turned and openly checked out my body.

Pig.

I turned towards him, letting his hand rest on my hip, the disbelief evident in his eyes.

The fucker couldn’t believe his luck.

"I'm not into girls, Reese," I whispered into his ear as he inhaled my perfume. "I'm into men. Which rules you out."

I winked at him before unscrewing my water, drinking it slowly.

Reese screwed his face up before going to say something, stopping when a shadow darkened the floor beside us.

I turned, expecting to see Rafe glowering at us. But, instead, I saw Jared Herrod, his helmet in his hand, as he took in the scene between us.

"Jared, my man. You played well out there.” Reese clapped Jared on the back before striding away. "Sorry, Raven. Got a girlfriend.”

The fucking nerve of this guy.

Jared Herrod glared at me, his ice-blue eyes and sweat-soaked hair made my stomach flip. His chest was broad, and I could make out his tattoos from where I was standing.

Fuck me. He was hot.

"You okay?" Jared asked quietly, tilting his head as I nodded. I held up my water and made a show of drinking it.

"I'm good. Just came for a drink because I'm so hot," I explained.

Jared’s eyes ran over my body, and instead of feeling disgusted as I had with Reese, I trembled with excitement.

"I'm inclined to agree.” Jared smirked, and I laughed huskily.

"Touché. So did you and my brother both get sent off or…." I asked, wanting him to know exactly who I was.

"Hmm? No, just me. I threw the first punch, so that was that."

Annoyance crept through me then, and I frowned.

"You hit my brother?"

"He fucked my sister in the bathroom of a club," Jared snapped, his eyes full of fire. "She isn't a whore."

"Did he force her?" I asked, my voice cold.

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