Page 7 of Thunderstruck
He’s also insanely handsome, but his glower is enough to dampen any attraction in that direction. Besides, I shouldn’t be looking at any of these guys with attraction because they are, hopefully, going to be my patients in a few days. Colleagues? Regardless, I willnotfall into the same problem that got me here in the first place.
“You know,” Darcy says to the group, “you only have to be worried about me if you have something to hide. But like I said, I don’t do that anymore.” She says that last bit to Malcolm, her smile growing. “I was hoping to talk to Coach Galvin.”
“He’s not here.” It’s the grumpy one who says that, his gaze growing harder.
“The coach isn’t at practice?” I ask in surprise. I immediately regret it when half a dozen pairs of manly eyes turn to me, all of them assessing my sweats and messy bun. A couple of them, I notice with a spike of pleasure, seem to like what they see.
That doesn’t matter!I remind myself. I am keeping a strict professional boundary between me and these ruggedly handsome men because I can’t afford a repeat of Philadelphia. How many times am I going to have to tell myself that?
Based on how beautiful all these men are, I’m guessing it’ll take a lot.
“Galvin had something to take care of today,” Malcolm says, as much to me as to Darcy. “But if you’re insistent on talking to someone, you can talk to me. I don’t want you wandering around where you shouldn’t. Your…” He eyes me, his eyebrows dipping low.
Darcy cups her hand around my shoulder. “This is your new rehab specialist, Carissa Paxton,” she says.
A murmur ripples over the team, and their smiles of interest spark a dangerous fire in my belly.No, Carissa. Bad Carissa!
Malcolm, unlike his teammates, frowns at me. “Mel had a family emergency, so she isn’t here to show you around.”
“Mel’s the athletic trainer,” Darcy explains to me.
“Isanyonehere?” I ask.
Several of the guys laugh. Malcolm’s expression is more of a grimace. “You picked a bad day. I’ll have one of the guys show you around while I talk to Park.” He glances behind him as the guys all raise their hands eagerly to offer their services.
All but one. The grumpy one looks like he’s regretting coming over here.
“Evanson,” Malcolm says to him, much to the dismay of the other guys. “Mind showing Miss Paxton the facility?”
The grump’s scowl deepens, and he looks like he very much minds. I wonder if Malcolm picked him because he was the only one who didn’t look excited by the prospect of talking to me, though I can’t imagine that’s actually Malcolm’s reasoning.
“I’m sure Bean would be a better fit,” Evanson says, his voice a deep rumble.
The guy I assume is Bean, one in front with a goofy grin and the least amount of muscle mass, nods eagerly. “I got you, Cap,” he says and steps forward.
Malcolm holds up a hand. “You still owe me sprints, Bean.” Bean’s smile drops into a disgruntled disappointment. “Cole, it won’t take long, and you need a breather.”
Evanson grumbles something but steps forward. “Fine.” He holds his hand out to me. “Cole Evanson.”
Though I still think I would rather walk around with Bean, I take hold of Cole’s hand and try not to make a comment about how it dwarfs mine. He knows how big he is. “Carissa. But you can call me Rizzo.” I say that to the guys in general, hoping it helps them see me as a friend. With muscles like theirs, I have a feeling I’m going to be spending a lot of time up close and personal with these men, and muscles are easier to loosen when they’re relaxed.
A chorus of hellos follows my comment as the men wave at me and tell me their own names all at the same time. I didn’t catch most of them, but I’ve got time to learn.
“So,” Darcy says, holding her phone out to record Malcolm. “How are you feeling aboutyour season so far?”
“We’ll go this way,” Cole grunts and starts walking without waiting to see if I’ll follow.
I should probably keep up with him, but I can’t help but turn to Bean and ask, “Is he always that grumpy?”
Bean snickers as his teammates laugh. “Always. Rihanna is our biggest diva.”
Moxie, Bean, Rihanna… Apparently this is a team full of nicknames, and I’m extra glad I introduced myself as Rizzo. Maybe this new gig will work out better than I thought.
Chapter Three
Cole
I know what Moxie’sdoing. With Coach who knows where, the captain asked me to run drills with the forwards in an attempt to get me to bond with them, but it has turned into a morning of tense arguments and my teammates resisting anything I say. The guys don’t like me being in charge of anything, muttering things about my questionable knowledge of the game because my head’s too full of “princess play” from my years of playing football.
