Page 2 of Filthy Player

“I wish. Beaux Hale is here. I swear last time they were in he was totally checking me out. But Paulie would can me if I ever waited on them again.”

Paulie and his threats. It wasn’t necessarily Hannah’s fault she went all doe-eyed stupid at the sight of NFL players. Wasn’t her fault those men put off so much testosterone a woman’s libido jumped to attention at the mere sight of them. They wore their pheromones like I wore my independence…bright and shining like Times Square on New Years.

The men just had it.

I couldn’t lie and say I was unaffected, but the last thing I needed in my life was a football player with more plays than morals.

“It wasn’t that bad.” I reached for a tray of orders and thanked the cooks.

“I spilled four bowls of tomato soup all over Oliver Powell, Paige.”

I snorted. I couldn’t help myself. It had been funny, and the famous Rough Rider’s tight end always came across as a pretty uptight guy anyway. I didn’t exactly feel bad for him getting doused with humble soup. Besides, someone else had bumped her and balancing heavy trays was difficult.

The guys he was with had laughed their asses off and no one had cared except for Paulie who was afraid he’d lose their business.

“Okay. So that was pretty bad, but I’ll still give you all my tips if you take them for me. I’ll make an excuse to Paulie if he notices.”

I’d made hundreds in tips so far, and we needed it, but I was exhausted and serving a six-top of Rough Riders wasn’t my idea of fun.

She rolled her eyes. “Like I’d do that to you. You need it.”

See? Hannah was the best.

I didn’t hide much but I wasn’t an open book. Still, my dad had come in while I was working enough times for most of my co-workers to know his health wasn’t the best and I was the one responsible for him.

“Do you know what you also need?”

I steadied my tray of burgers and glanced over my shoulder. “What?”

“You need to get laid.” She grinned and practically bounced on her feet. “And oh look…a bunch of sexy men are at your table. I’m sure all the single ones would take you up on that.”

“You’re incorrigible,” I said and walked away to the sound of Hannah’s playful laughter.

The girl was nuts. She was also right. It’d been so long since I’d had sex I was beginning to think I forgot what dicks looked like.

But that didn’t mean I was going to be taken by a Rough Rider.

No way.

No how.

Not ever.

***

“Welcome to Ride’Em Rough, what can I get y’all to drink tonight?”

I tried to keep my voice firm and polite, a feat considering the mountain of men who surrounded the table in front of me.

Six Rough Riders, all big and strong, all grinning at me like I was their next meal.

It wasn’t the first time I’d waited on some of the players, but it was never easy to stay calm in their presence.

I’d been a fan of the team since before I could speak, had the onesie I wore home from the hospital when I was born to prove it. Twenty-six years of watching the guys on television didn’t prepare me for the visceral reaction my body had when I started working here over the summer.

It was also the first time I’d waited on Beaux Hale, even though he’d been in a handful of times. He was the starting quarterback and now he was seated next to me, close enough I could feel the heat of his body pouring off him through his shirt.

My gaze roamed the table and all eyes went to Beaux. Heaven help me, the man was undeniably sexy.

---