When I Need You (Need You #4)(69)

"What's this Simone chick like?" 

"A ball-buster who carries a grudge against athletes."

Great.

"Get moving, we wanna show off our soon-to-be hippest bar in the Cities."

"Do we drink free since you own it?"

Ash snorted. "It doesn't work that way."

"While you're showering, I'm going through your closet," Nolan said. "You will wear the clothing I lay out for you."

I stood. Best not to argue. But I sure as hell was scoring at least one free drink for my trouble tonight.

• • •


I emerged from my bedroom fifteen minutes later.

Both Ash and Nolan stared at me.

Then Ash peeled a fifty from his money clip and handed it over to Nolan.

"What was that about?"

"Ash is pissy because I nailed your style-Men's Health meets Abercrombie-on the first try. He said you'd ignore my suggestion and wear a hoodie and jeans."

"Like The Rocket needed more fuel. Jesus, Nolan, he looks a million times better. You've created a monster."

I'd been skeptical of the "look" Nolan had put together for me. My navy suit pants with the subtle gray stripe, which had a slimmer cut-but nowhere near skinny jean territory because I'd never found a pair that'd fit over my thighs. Without the matching suit jacket, the pants could pass for jeans. Nolan had picked one of my shiny, skintight sleeveless workout shirts in electric blue. The bottom hung long enough to cover the waistband so I could skip the belt. I hated having my arms exposed, so I'd been relieved to slip on a collarless warm-up jacket in light gray cotton-more fashion than function since it didn't have pockets or a hood-but it looked dressier than it was paired with the pants. I'd ditched the tasseled loafers Nolan had chosen in favor of my Sperry Top-Sider boots.

The result of all this fussing? I did look damn good. Most importantly, I looked like me, not like I was trying to fit into someone else's skin-and clothes.

"Thanks for rearranging the packaging," I said to Nolan. "I'll grab a hat and we can go."

"No hat, Jens."

I faced him. "I have to wear a hat."

"It's a habit," Nolan argued. "A hat doesn't mask you as well as you think it does, especially if it's sporting a football team's logo."

"Since my injury I only wear team gear when I'm required to. But I always wear a hat in public. Always."

"When was the last time you were recognized?"

"Wednesday. I ran to the convenience store by the school to grab a package of Oreos for snack time and some chick snapped a pic of me. Later the Twitter caption said, ‘The Rocket can put his hand-or his whole face-in my cookie jar anytime he wants.'" I paused. "Oh, and I was recognized . . . because I wasn't wearing a hat."

"Give it up, Nolan," Ash said. "We've been out with him enough times to know when he gets recognized, he gets mobbed and it's not fun."

Three knocks sounded on my door. My gaze winged from Ash to Nolan. "Did you invite Brady and Walker?"

"Uh. No."

I opened the door.

Rowan stood on the other side.

Not the Rowan I saw every day. This Rowan wore a dress that exposed her long neck, smooth shoulders and a great deal of great cleavage. This Rowan was taller in the leopard-print stilettos. This Rowan had softly curled hair, bright red lips and some smoky-colored stuff on her eyelids that hinted those hazel eyes held all kinds of dirty secrets.

I'd been so busy eyeballing her that I hadn't noticed she'd been doing the same thing to me.



       
         
       
        

At the time I said, "What the hell, Coach?" Rowan said, "Damn, Lund."

Nolan said, "Who's at the door?" before he barged in next to me.

I watched him leer at her-the fucking pervert. Starting at the tips of her red toenails in those sexy-ass shoes, up her shins, pausing to gawk at her muscular thighs where the hem of the black dress ended. Then up over her curvy hips, briefly taking in the nipped-in shape of her waist, lingering way-too-fucking-long on those sweet tits, to finally rest on the breathtaking beauty of her face.

"Hello, gorgeous," he murmured in that seductive tone. "Hey. I know you. You cheer for the Vikings."

Jesus, really? Even Nolan had noticed Rowan?

Not everyone is as blind as you, dude.

Well, the blinders had come off and it was on.

"Actually, you're the best cheerleader they've got," he continued. Then he elbowed me out of the way-seriously, he elbowed me out of my own damn doorway to get to her-and offered his hand and a charming smile. "Nolan Lund."