Page 24 of Ice Rebel

This time her shrug was noncommittal. “Depends on the sport. Golf? Sorry, boys. Not remotely sexy. Football? Eh, maybe.”

“And hockey?” Maybe I was curious as to her take. Or maybe I’d had difficulty getting the sexy swimmer’s face or his sculpted body out of my mind. Her smile was far too salacious.

“If you’d ask my brothers, they’d tell you hockey is the hottest reason for sweat slickening their rugged bodies ever thought of. For me, it’s a great big not a chance in hell. You forget. I lived in a house with sweaty bodies, sweaty jerseys. And smelly socks.”

“Well, then maybe I’d stay safe with a pencil pusher.”

“Bor-ring. On a scale of one to ten, a three.”

“Now we’re rating hot guys?”

Her grin was infectious. “Why not? I’ll see you sometime tomorrow, chick. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Have fun!”

She slipped from view and I returned to finishing my makeup. When her face was suddenly plastered next to mine, both staring into the mirror, I jumped. “Is there something you need to tell me?”

“No!” I said too quickly. “Why would you think that?”

“A hockey player?”

My eyeroll could be considered legendary. “Not a chance in hell. Go drool over a bunch of strippers.” I had two decent reasons to stay away from hockey players. I couldn’t lie that they could be sexy, but they had too many strikes against them.

Including being unable to keep their dicks in their pants.

* * *

As I walked by the huge purple clock in the main function room, I checked the time. At least the shift at the gym was short. I’d take an hour to myself in one of two dance studios then grab a treat for dinner. Maybe a frozen supreme pizza along with a carton of strawberry ice cream. Perfect. Along with binge watching something on the CW. I hadn’t done that in a while.

I really should take the time to unpack.

Maybe. Maybe not.

There was just enough time left for one last swing through the facility. My signature duffle strapped across my body, several bottles of water nestled inside, I set off. The afterwork crowd had started to arrive, eager beavers ready to grab their favorite piece of equipment.

I waved to a couple of regulars, noticing a local baseball hero had made an appearance. “Nice to see you again, Camden.”

As soon as he heard my voice, he lifted his head, lifting his arm at the same time. I’d remained several yards away on purpose, a little game we’d played since I’d started working at the gym. I grabbed a plastic bottle, pretending as if I was winding it up and letting it fly.

The hard snap was followed by several members clapping.

“Not bad,” Camden said. “You’ve been practicing.”

The applause began to die down. Except for one person. There were no mirrors in the room, only a bank of windows and the late afternoon sun, even covered by a row of blinds, created enough of a glare I couldn’t recognize who thought my pitch was worth a teaspoon of salt.

“Every girl needs a hobby.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “Maybe you should try out for the team.”

“Not a chance.” Why was someone else still clapping? I spun toward the sound just as a group of guys moved past whoever had just stopped applauding.

By the time they cleared the area, the offensive clapper had already turned away, providing me with an ample view of his back nestled in a tight muscle shirt.

Tall, at least six foot four with shoulders threatening any doorway, his shaggy dark hair curled across the base of his neck. My eyes traveled over the rest of him from every inch of his sculpted arms to his rounded butt that created a perfect curve in his gym shorts. Even his massive thighs screamed of hours spent with leg presses.

Or maybe just good old-fashioned hard work just like Samantha had mentioned before. Hmmm… The eye candy was surreal. I was about to turn away when the clapper stopped to talk to someone, providing me with a profile view. Wait a minute. The swimmer? Without paying any attention to my body’s reaction, I inched closer.

Whatever the conversation, he was animated, both hands moving through the air and his entire buff body working the discussion. When I dared take another step closer, all involuntarily of course, his body stiffened and damn it, he glanced to the side and directly at me.