Offside (The Barker Triplets 1)

Was he an idiot?

Billie threw her hands in the air. “Of course they think we’re sleeping together. Hell, half the town thinks I’m sleeping with their husbands, or at the very least I’m banging every single Angry Pirate in sight.” She snorted. “Because, you know, I’m not playing hockey for the love of it or anything.”

Her chest heaved and a hot prickle of tears stung the corner of her eyes. Why had she let Connor talk her into donating to the auction?

She’d known it wouldn’t end well and she’d end up looking like an idiot. [i]Dammit[i]. When would she ever learn to listen to that voice? The one inside that didn’t whisper, it screamed. The one that was usually right. The one that hours earlier had told her not to touch the auction thing with a ten foot pole.

Logan took a step closer, but Billie was too wound up to notice. “Don’t you think you’re over reacting?”

“No,” she shook her head. “No, I don’t.” She closed her eyes. She had to get hold of herself. “First there was the whole car thing—all that free stuff—and now this. Hell, if I didn’t know better [i]I’d[i] think we were sleeping together.”

[i]I did not just say that.[i]

“Billie—”

“When I was in the costume shop today I overheard Mrs. Beals telling Mrs. Talbot that not only did I [i]steal[i] you from Sabrina Fairfax but apparently, I’m sleeping with Shane Gallagher too.”

“Isn’t that what you wanted your sister to think?”

She ignored his comment. Mostly because it was true.

“I’d love to know what they thought when I came to this stupid fundraiser with your brother. I’m sure by now they think I’m sleeping with all the Forest brothers.”

“Billie—”

“I bet they think Travis came home from California so that we could have a freaking Forest sandwich. A big ass orgy-fest.”

“Billie,” he tried again.

But she couldn’t stop. The words just tumbled out. “[i]And [i]apparently, all the Angry Pirates shower together so I’m like, showering with the entire freaking team.” Oh God. She pressed her hands over her eyes and counted to ten.

Only to find that Logan was so close to her, she could stick out her tongue and lick him.

“Do you even know what an Angry Pirate is?” she asked hoarsely. Shit, why had she brought that up?

Logan shrugged. “No, I don’t, but since Mike Gee chose the name I’m guessing it’s not real family friendly.”

“It’s not,” she managed to say through gritted teeth. “And the only reason I know what an Angry Pirate is, is because Mrs. Beals went into great detail when explaining it to Mrs. Talbot,” she paused for a breath, “who I think is truly horrified.”

Logan seemed concerned, but was that a twinkle in his eye? Or something darker?

His eyes were hooded, the flickering shadows making him appear dangerous…sexy…and [i]dangerous.[i]

Billie eyed him warily. Something had just changed. A subtle shift in the air. She felt it as she dragged a great gulp of it into her lungs. Which was probably the wrong thing to do because it was full of the yummy, spicy, scent that was so unique to Logan Forest.

It had been tattooed to her brain for years. Ever since that night. That night that he could never, ever, know about.

[i]Another night I should have listened to my gut[i].

She licked her lips, suddenly so thirsty that a jug of beer wouldn’t make a dent. “It’s pretty bad that someone like Mrs. Beals knows a lot more about that stuff than I do.” Okay, she could stop talking about the Angry Pirates now. Sheesh.

Logan smiled. She wished he wouldn’t do that. It kind of messed with her head.

“She probably spends all her time reading the urban dictionary.”

“The what?” she asked.

She made a sound in the back of her throat, an uncontrollable little thing that wasn’t panic really. It was…