The conversation is short and easy to follow, the extent of which she’s going to be traveling through Arizona in October and wants to visit for a few weeks. They make tentative plans, talk about mutual friends, and he warns her to be careful in her travels.
When he hangs up not five minutes after the call started, I look over the current box in my hand. “Noodle?”
There’s a sappy smile that comes to his face. “Yeah… nickname she earned in college one night after she got too drunk at a party and passed out. I had to carry her three blocks back to her apartment, and she was limp as a noodle. And so was born her nickname.”
“Aaah,” I say in understanding. “Old college flame.”
“Nope,” he replies with a shake of his head. “Best friend from college.”
“Your best friend from college is a woman?” I ask in disbelief. Not that men and women can’t be friends. Or best friends for that matter. It’s just not common, so it’s shocking.
“Best friend period,” he corrects. “That number-one spot has remained hers.”
I stand there, absolutely still, even more jolted by his proclamation. I try to reconcile that… two extremely attractive people being only friends.
It’s just weird.
“And you and she never…” I let the implication hang there.
A slow smile curves his mouth. “Once… in college. There was alcohol and a bad breakup with her boyfriend. It was a bad choice, and we went back to the friend’s only category after.”
Taking a step backward, I sit on his couch. I can feel the frown heavy on my face. “I don’t get it.”
He bends over, picking up a box. “What don’t you get?”
“Just… she’s gorgeous. You’re okay looking for a dude, and you’re a professional athlete. People like you two belong in a category other than friends.”
“Not true,” he counters.
Nope. Not buying it. “You mean to tell me that you’re not attracted to her in the slightest?”
He shakes his head, but there’s enough of a hesitation there that it confirms all I need to know. “Not interested in her like that.”
“That’s good to know,” I drawl, pushing up from the couch again. “Maybe I’ll take a crack at her when she comes to visit in October.”
Fury blazes in Kane’s eyes, and I can see the struggle on his face as he tries to quell it. “Don’t make me kick your ass,” he warns in a low voice.
“I knew it,” I exclaim, pointing an accusing finger. “You’ve got it bad for her.”
“I do not,” he snaps back. “She’s just a friend.”
“Best friend,” I say, correcting his attempt to put her in an unimportant category. “Seriously… what’s the deal? You two clearly care for each other.”
Kane sighs, dropping the box he was holding and raking his fingers through his hair. “Look… it doesn’t matter. We were clearly never meant to be anything but friends—the best of—because here we both are, leading separate lives.”
“So change it,” I suggest.
“That ship has sailed,” he replies glumly. “She’s a travel blogger… a nomad. She travels around North and South America in a converted, tricked-out van with her dog, Samson. Her home is on wheels, and she goes where her whims take her. She’s not the settling-down type, and I’m not into long-distance relationships.”
“But—”
Kane holds his hand up. “Best friends work for us, okay?”
It’s clear he doesn’t want to talk about it, and I feel bad for the dude. He clearly has it bad for his Noodle, but if what he says is true about her and her nomadic lifestyle, then I don’t see how they can be together unless Kane wanted to leave hockey and travel with her. He still has a lot of career left ahead of him, so I don’t see that happening.
On top of that, I have no clue if this woman feels anything for him in return. It could be a moot issue.
Which makes me think about Clarke.
And the way Kane has pointed out that since meeting the woman, I’ve not shown a single bit of interest in tapping a piece of random ass. I can’t figure out why not, because I sure as fuck like sex.
Like having it a lot.
And yet, it’s only Clarke I’m interested in right now and while I’d give anything to get her into my bed, that’s kind of a secondary goal right now.
Why is that?
I know virtually nothing about her other than she makes my blood race when I’m near her, and she’s so very different from any woman I’ve ever been with. More than anything, I think I’m attracted to the way she’s not overtly attracted to me. Yes, that makes her a bit of a challenge, but not in a way I need to win this game.
More like I want to make sure we both win, but first I have to figure out exactly how hard I’m willing to play.