Page 88 of Body Check

Gavin’s breath hitched, eyes stinging. God, how hadeverythinggotten so fucked up? How had he and Thad gone from what they’d been to what they were now? How had their whole family come apart at the seams?

Gavin rubbed at his aching chest, because he knew how.

And it was all his fault.

“Oh my God,” Violet hissed. “You’re fuckingGavin Racine? I thought you were involved with a trainer or something.”

Dakota sighed, running a hand through his hair. After he’d gotten off the ice, his sister had dragged him off to his yoga/Pilates studio in the arena and he hadn’t had a clue why.

Apparently, this was it.Fuck.

“How’d you figure it out?” he asked, leaning against one of the reformer machines.

“I saw the way you and ‘Santa’ were flirting.” She rolled her eyes as she made finger quotes. “I could read it from a mile away.”

“Ahh shit,” Dakota said.

“You do this thing with your hair when you’re interested in a guy. You tuck it behind your ear while you look up through your lashes at him.”

Dakota made a face, but he couldn’t deny it. He hadn’t realized he was doing itthen. “So you don’t think everyone else can tell we’re involved?”

“Hopefully not. But even if they don’t figure it out, that’s a hell of a risk. What were youthinking, Dakota? I know you have bad taste in men, but I can’t believe?—”

“Hey,” he protested. “Uncalled for. Yeah, Bryce was awful but that wasoneshitty relationship. Gavin’s a good guy and we’re just?—”

“Just spending all of your time together.”

“I haven’t even stayed the night at his place!” he protested. “It’s casual, you know?”

Her tone was sarcastic as she said, “Oh grow up, Dakota. It doesn’t work like that. Are you really telling me you don’t feel closer to him than you did when this started?”

Dakota hesitated. “I mean, maybe a little bit. We’re getting to know each other better.” Not that the conversation had gone particularly well, but …

“And you aren’t falling in love with him?”

“No! I’m not. Yes, I like him as a person. At first, I had an impression he was, you know, kinda arrogant and stuff, but I realized I was wrong about that. He’s a good guy. He’s … thoughtful.”

Violet arched an eyebrow. “Oh really?”

Dakota quickly regretted his words. “I mean …”

Dakota thought about the fruit salad, and the sushi, and the matcha crème brûlée. The spare key to Gavin’s place still on his keychain.

“Look, it doesn’tmatter,” Dakota said firmly. “We were clear about what the expectations were for this from the beginning and we’re both on the same page.”

“And what about your fucking job? What aboutmyjob? Did you ever stop and think about that?”

Dakota winced, taken aback by his sister’s vehemence. “I mean, I probably could lose my job, yeah. Butyourswouldn’t be in danger.”

“Are you sure?”

Dakota opened his mouth to say he was, but then he closed it again. Could it be at risk? But no, that was crazy. “Gavin would never?—”

Violet sighed. “No, I don’t think Gavin would either. Despite the way he put his foot in his mouth last fall, I genuinely believe he’s a good guy. I worry you two are setting yourselves up for trouble, however. I understand love being worth the risk, Dakota. But for some casual sex? How can thatpossiblybe worth it?”

Dakota swallowed hard. Maybe Violet had a point.

“Look,” she said more softly. “Maybe I’m wrong. And maybe I was out of line for what I said about my job. It’s … I love it here. I’ve worked so hard to get here. You know how rare it is for a woman like me to find a job in sports. You joke that everyone here loves me, and they say they do, but I—I always worry about how that might change if they found out about me.”

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