Page 136 of The Locker Room

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earrings, and a mouth made for keeping errant men in line. Cliff adored

her—but his reputation as the most pussy-whipped man in the league

was well earned.

Chris rolled his eyes. “There"s always hotel living, right? Go

minibar!”

And Xander"s grin faded, just like that. “God, Chris… don"t. Man,

you do the dishes, you take out the trash—you do whatever you have to,

but keep that woman happy. She"ll keep you sober, and keep that shit out

of the house.”

“You worry too much, baby.” He stood gracefully, and Xander was

envious, as always, of a shorter frame and better knees. Then he threaded

his hand with Xander"s, his own palm warm and soft from petting the

dogs, and led Xander outside to the waiting car.

Xander could never remember the car ride, but he remembered the

kiss as they pulled up, and the hot, almost desperate taste of Chris"s

reluctance to leave.

The Locker Room 117

“Stay in the car,” Chris said softly, his dark eyes fathomless in the

back of the car. “I"ll hug my folks outside, and someone will get in the

car with you for the trip back.”

There were a few cameras out there, shining sleepy-bright lights

for what was going to be, Xander was sure, a big sports story for the

area. (When Coach Meyers had been fired and Coach Wallick hired in

his place, they"d run a banner on all the local stations, like a storm

warning, for nearly twelve hours.) It was better nobody saw him, Xander

knew that, and a knot of bitterness stopped his chest, like the feeling of

walking pneumonia he"d gotten the year before.

Xander nodded, and then watched, quietly, as Chris got out,

angling his body so no one could see the person behind the tinted glass

with him. Someone got his luggage from the trunk and suddenly he was

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