Page 53 of Anatomy of a Player

“You lie.” The deep tenor of his voice made my stomach do a somersault, and the skeptical side-eye made my heart pitter-patter.

“Okay, I’ll probably mock them—I mean, first dinosaurs, and then you’re dressed up like a character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? That pretty much solidifies you’ve got a thing for reptiles, which I’m definitely never going to let you live down.” I flashed him an extra big smile. “Show me anyway?”

He slowly pushed to his feet, still favoring his left ankle, then held out a hand. I slapped my palm in his, but stood before he’d have to tug, because I didn’t want him to upset his injury any more than our night together already had. I wrapped my arm around his waist so he could lean on me while he walked, and he smiled at me and shook his head.

My heart swelled, and I knew I’d totally failed at keeping myself from falling for Hudson Decker. We walked down a hallway and he gestured to the first door on the right. The room was pretty much what you’d expect. Hockey gear everywhere, pictures of the team, and a few framed articles from their games and big win last year. I’d presumed there’d be a poster with bikini-clad models, but there wasn’t one in sight.

Maybe he’s got a naked girl in here so often he doesn’t need a poster.

The thought bothered me more than I wanted it to, probably because it was true. But now I was being judgmental, and when I’d asked him to slow down, he’d been way nicer about it than I’d expected.

The dinosaurs on the back edge of his desk caught my eye, and I moved over to them. I assumed they’d be more toy-like, but while they were plastic, the tiny intricate details were closer to a model or miniature museum exhibit than a toy. I reached for one, then hesitated. “Is it okay if I pick it up?”

Hudson’s forehead crinkled. “Yeah. I’m not super weird about them or anything.”

When I lifted it, though, he said, “Just be careful with the right leg. It came loose in my last move, and I haven’t fixed it yet.” The smile I attempted to smother refused to keep itself on the down low, and a hint of exasperation crept into his expression. “I think the fact that Ihaven’tfixed it yet proves I’m not super weird about them.” He gave my shoulder a little shove. “I should’ve just let the leg come loose, then you’d feel bad and stop poking fun.”

I pushed him back, a flutter going through me when my hand pressed against his rock-hard arm. “Stop shoving me or you’ll be the one who breaks it.”

After a mini stare-down that only made the butterflies spread from my stomach to my chest, I ran my finger over the rough “skin” of the dinosaur. Then I moved to feel its sharp teeth. Between the fangs and the funky crest thing on its head, it did look pretty badass—not that I’d tell Hudson that. Yet.

“What kind of dinosaur is it?” I asked.

Hudson sat on the edge of the desk and crossed his legs at the ankle, the hurt one on top. “Dilophosaurus.”

“Give me some fun facts.”

He was rather reluctant about it, so I lifted the dinosaur in front of my face and lent my voice to it. “Come on. You know everything about me. Are you seriously going to play dumb to impress a girl?”

Hudson shook his head—and there was even an eye roll—but a grin slowly worked its way across his lips. “They’re early Jurassic Period dinosaurs, they were most likely piscivorous, and—”

“Wait. I don’t know what the piscivorous thing means.”

“That they ate fish. Their teeth aren’t quite big enough for taking down larger prey”—he pointed at the needle-like teeth and then moved his finger up to the holes next to the orange crest on its skull—“and they have retracted nasal openings. Plus they’ve found swim tracks that indicate as much.”

I grinned, and he reached out and pinched my side. “Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“Looking at me like I’m adorable.” He circled the air between him and the dino. “I’m badass, my dinosaurs are badass.”

I placed my hand on the desk next to his leg and leaned in. “I’ve seen you play hockey. I know all about how badass you are.” He was also adorable, though—especially right now—and I couldn’t resist leaning in and giving him a kiss.

He lifted his hand and cupped my cheek, holding me captive in his gaze for a few seconds before returning his lips to mine. The kiss wasn’t nearly as intense as our first—just a little bit of lips and tongue, without the full-body contact—but it still sent desire thrumming through my veins.

“Okay, so how big is it?” I asked.

“Are we still talking about the dinosaur?”

I gasped, and he laughed, the full deep sound echoing through my chest and sending my pulse off and running again. I sat on the desk next to him as he rattled off a few more facts about Dilophosaurus, then he set it down next to the T. rex and Velociraptor. “I brought these three with me because they were the beginning of my collection, and they each took me months to save up for. They’re one of my reminders of how if you want something badly enough, you do whatever it takes to make it happen.” He glanced at his feet and rubbed the back of his neck. “Cheesy, I know.”

I covered the hand he had braced against the desk with mine. “I like it. It’s why I still have my first pair of Steve Madden heels, even though my feet have grown half a size since I bought them and they totally pinch my toes when I wear them.”

One heartbeat passed, then two, then three… My thoughts turned back to the sexy curve of his mouth. His rugged short boxed beard. His ridiculous body. It was like we had this stolen night, the kind of night when Cinderella got to dance at the ball and not think about her work or that she was hiding who she was. The clock would strike midnight soon—well, figurative midnight, because twelve o’clock had come and gone a good hour ago.

The temptation to simply let go and just enjoy the few hours we had left called to me, tapping me on the shoulder and practically forcing my gaze to the bed.

I knew he’d played girls before, that he wasn’t the commitment type. But I didn’t think that he let people in very often, either, and he’d shown me his dinosaurs—even if reluctantly and because I’d pushed a little. I liked pushing his buttons and I liked the way he pushed mine back.

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