Page 10 of Eight Count Heat
"I don't know what you're talking about," I say, but there's a strange feeling in my chest. Like being caught with my hand in the cookie jar.
Gray watches our exchange with narrowed eyes. Calculating, always calculating. The man never relaxes.
"So," I redirect, "Callahan. Single?"
"That's enough," Gray cuts in.
"What? Team bonding, right? Getting to know our new cox."
"My relationship status isn't relevant to my ability to steer a boat," Reese says coolly.
"It is if you're dating another rower," Cameron speaks up for the first time, his quiet voice carrying unexpected weight. "Conflicts of interest."
Reese's spine straightens. "I'm not dating a rower. Or anyone. And I won't be."
"Tragic waste," I say, flashing another smile.
She looks at me, really looks at me, and for a moment I feel stripped bare. "You know, beneath all that charm, you're actually watching everything, aren't you?"
The table goes quiet. Even Gray looks surprised.
I recover quickly. "Sweetheart, beneath all this charm is just more charm. All the way down."
But her words hit closer than I'd like. Beckett Monroe, party boy and professional flirt, is what everyone sees. Beckett who notices everything, who catalogs reactions, who reads people like books—that guy stays hidden.
"Food's here," Eli announces as plates arrive.
Conversation shifts to safer topics – upcoming races, classes, campus gossip. I catch fragments from nearby tables: students complaining about midterm schedules, a couple of lacrosse players debating weekend party plans. The usual Friday morning chatter that fills The Griddle.
I watch Reese pick at her food, answering questions with minimal detail. She's guarded. Hiding something.
"You transferred from Westlake, right?" I ask when there's a lull. "Their women's program is top-ranked. Why leave?"
Her fork pauses halfway to her mouth. "Better opportunities here."
"Bullshit," I say, using Gray's favorite word. "Nobody leaves a championship team mid-season for 'opportunities.'"
Reese's eyes flash. "Maybe I got tired of toxicity."
"What kind of toxicity?" Tyler asks, finally looking up from his phone.
"The kind that makes someone change schools," she says curtly. "Can we drop it?"
"Sure," I say easily. Too easily. I can practically feel Gray's suspicion radiating across the table. "So then, Cox, who's your favorite?"
"Favorite what?"
"Rower," I grin. "On the team. Rank us."
Zane groans. "Don't feed his ego, please."
Reese looks around the table, her expression unreadable. "Currently ranking at number one: no one. You're all equally annoying."
"Harsh," Bo chuckles.
"But fair," Eli adds.
I place a hand over my heart in mock hurt. "After I shared my hash browns and everything."
