“Believe me, I manage time for fun. I just don’t do long-term fun with one guy.”
“You have weird rules.” Greta stirred her drink. “Why not do a long-term thing?”
She didn’t want to think about how badly that had turned out the one and only time she had allowed a man into her heart. The way she did it now was much better. “Because I’ve been building my career, and men get in the way of that. They’re fun for sex when I need it, and nothing more than that.”
“That sounds cold and lonely.”
Stella laughed. “Honey, I am rarely cold and lonely. I can get a man when I need one.”
“So, random hookups? Bleh.”
“Hey, I don’t see you towing a man behind you right now, sis.”
“And you won’t. After that debacle with Richard, I need a break.”
Stella wrinkled her nose. “Richard was an asshole who didn’t appreciate you.”
Greta raised her glass. “I’ll drink to that, and enough on the topic of my dickhead ex-boyfriend. I’d much rather talk about all those hot hockey players over there. How many of them do you know?”
Stella took a sip of her beer, then smiled at her sister, who could probably use a really fun night. “Uh, all of them.”
Greta slanted her a look of disbelief. “You are lying to me.”
“I’m not.”
Greta pushed her chair back and stood. “Come on. You’re introducing me to them.”
Stella laughed. It was a good thing she and Trick were still on great terms, because she was entering the fray once again.
Not that she minded. She wanted more time to talk to Trick, and this was her way to do it without strings.
And who knows? Maybe her subconscious did bring her to this bar tonight for a reason.
Maybe it was time to hook up with Trick again. She didn’t know why they’d lost touch before, but he was the right kind of man for her—the kind who would enjoy playing, but didn’t want attachments.
She was all for that.
Chapter Two
Trick saw Stella and her sister approaching, so he put up his cue and headed their way.
“We saw you had a game going, and Greta wanted to meet the guys,” Stella said.
Man, she looked good in her tight jeans and black leather boots, and the clingy top did nothing to hide that killer body of hers. He really wanted to gather her up in his arms and take a taste of her. Too bad they were in public.
“We were at the game tonight,” Greta said, motioning to her sister. “Something Stella failed to mention.”
Trick shifted his attention to Greta, before looking again at Stella. “You came to the game? You should have texted me. I would have gotten you tickets.”
“I didn’t want you to think I was going to hit you up again after all these months just for tickets.”
“Why? We’re friends, Stell. I’d be happy to give you tickets.”
Greta elbowed her sister. “See? He’d be happy to give you tickets.” Greta gave him a hopeful look. “I don’t suppose there’s a game tomorrow night.”
“Sorry. I have the weekend off. But once you get that job, you can have tickets anytime you want.”
Greta grinned. “Awesome. Now you can introduce me to all your friends.”
“That I can definitely do.” He swung an arm around Greta’s waist and pulled her into the crowd. Stella hung back, waving at Drew, Avery, Boyd, and the rest of them. She and Trick would often go out after games and have a few drinks with the guys, before hitting up either her place or his for a wild romp of some amazing sex.
Just thinking about his hands and his mouth on her made her regret losing touch. But one of her rules was she never went back for seconds once a fling was over, because that might just mean emotional involvement, and that she just wouldn’t do.
But Trick was fun and easy and sexy and hot and not at all demanding of her time. He understood her life as a dancer, how much of her days—and often nights—it commanded. He didn’t whine or pout when she had to cancel on him. He traveled a lot, so he knew work took precedence over everything—including sex.
In a lot of ways, he’d been the perfect non-boyfriend.
So why had they stopped seeing each other earlier this year? She’d been slammed with performances for the show she’d been doing, and he’d been so busy with the end of hockey season, trying to make the playoffs. They hadn’t had much time for each other and had to keep canceling. That much she remembered. They’d just drifted apart.
It happened.
After her show ended she’d taken some time off—but only a couple of weeks before she’d started auditioning again. There was no such thing as time off for a dancer. If you didn’t work, you didn’t eat or pay the rent. She really liked eating and enjoyed having a roof over her head.
She’d auditioned for a lead dance role in a new show on Broadway, and after a ridiculous amount of auditions, had gotten the part. Now she was even busier, but still . . . it had been a long time since she’d played with a hot guy.
Trick was definitely a hot guy. She watched him as he shot pool with his friends. He was tall, muscular, but not too much in that body-builder way. Just enough that he was strong. He wore jeans and a long-sleeve Henley, which showed off every one of those muscles, especially his biceps.
Plus, he had a fantastic back. Being a dancer, there was just something about a man’s back that she found enticing. So much strength there, and in the arms and legs.
She’d seen Trick naked, knew everything about his body.
A flash of heat engulfed her, and after he took his shot, he turned and gave her a look that was pure sexual attraction.
Yes, it was still there between them. He grabbed his beer, laid his pool cue aside, and came over to her.
“Not playing?” he asked.
“I’m content to just watch.”
“Your sister seems happy in the mix.”
Stella’s gaze drifted over to the pool table, where Avery was helping Greta line up a shot. “My sister knows how to play pool, but she’s enjoying letting Avery put his hands on her.”
“I’m sure Avery doesn’t mind.”
Stella nodded. “I’m sure he doesn’t, either.” She shifted her gaze back to Trick. “Greta broke up with her boyfriend recently. A real jerk. She could use some attention from a nice guy.”