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There were no sounds coming through Hux’s door. I knocked, then waited and was surprised that it opened after a few seconds.

“Hi,” he said after a moment, looking from side to side up the corridor as if he was on the lookout for someone.

He was dressed only in a pair of loose grey workout shorts that hung so low on his hips, it should be illegal. My guess was that he was settling in for the night. Headphones hung around his neck, murmurs of sound coming from them.

I stood there, speechless. He looked… sexy. No wonder Cara was attracted to him. I wasn’t blind. Even I could see exactly what drew her to him. His hair was fluffy, clearly having only just dried from the shower. It curled around his ears and gave him a boyish charm instead of the scowling, angry man or cocky tease I’d seen so far. But his eyes were wary, as if he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I didn’t like that look on him—I much preferred the relaxed cheekiness I’d witnessed in Cara’s room the night before.

I ran my gaze over him, admiring the hard work he’d put into his body. I could see every workout in the flex of his muscles. He would have put in endless hours of exercise and pushed his body to the limit over and over to be as perfectly sculpted as he was.

His broad shoulders were decorated with intricate tattoos that drew my eyes down and over his pecs. The tight nubs would tempt Cara to lick and bite them. His six-pack and the set of obliques he sported were like a washboard, and both were jealousy inducing. It was the same with the perfect V that was cut off by the waistband of his obscenely low shorts. I only wished I could have them. I was fit, and my stomach was mostly flat, but I was starting to show the signs of middle age. Hux was clearly in his prime.

His thick thighs screamed power. I couldn’t wait to see him on the ice and watch the explosiveness that would come with all that training. He reminded me of a tiger—beautiful and rare with a controlled strength that was awe-inspiring. He moved elegantly with a grace that was beautiful to watch. I had a feeling that he’d be the one I couldn’t tear my eyes away from when he was on the ice.

“Grab a shirt and some thongs. We’re due at Cara’s in five minutes.”

He hesitated, looking torn, before he shook his head. “I don’t think I’m good company tonight.”

“I get it, but I’m gatecrashing your night this time, and I’m not accepting no for an answer. You need to eat, remember?”

A ghost of a smile lifted his lips, and I knew I had him. The same pride that burst inside me hearing Cara’s laugh warmed my chest at seeing him happier. “It’s an arcade. We can shoot the shit, then get room service and watch another movie. You literally just need thongs and a shirt.”

“A thong? You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” he teased, and my gut swooped.

I could definitely appreciate a beautiful body when I saw one, man or woman, and seeing him in a G-banger would be one hell of a sight, but that’s not what I’d said. He didn’t wait for me to explain, though.

“Sure, maybe having some company wouldn’t be so bad. But I might keep the shorts on.”

“Footwear, dude. Slides or flip-flops. They’re thongs here.”

Hux rolled his eyes and said, “No shit. I’m not clueless.”

A moment later he was ready to go, and we walked up the corridor together, Hux a step ahead of me. I shamelessly checked out the back of him. Those shorts highlighted his muscular ass beautifully. It was thick and round, and I could just imagine Cara’s dainty hand squeezing it. She’d leave a beautiful handprint there if she ever bent him over and spanked him.

“What’s the Entertainment Centre setup like?” I asked after clearing my throat and adjusting the semi that was tenting my own shorts. I needed to steer the conversation into safe ground away from what it’d be like to watch Hux and Cara together.

The only other thing I could think of was what went down in practice. I didn’t want the gossip, though, but just to know whether he was okay. Hux looked on edge, antsy and yet down at the same time, and I needed him to know that I’d happily listen if he wanted to talk.

“Not bad. The ice is good. The stadium seating is smaller than I’m used to playing in—even my college arena was bigger—but I know hockey isn’t as big here, so I guess you’re repurposing a building used for something else.”

I nodded. “Yeah, it’s where they do most of the city’s concerts. Except the big ones, of course. They’re at the Cauldron.” Hux looked at me blankly, and I snorted out a laugh. “Sorry, I forget sometimes that people not from around here don’t know our names for things. The Cauldron is a football stadium. It’s sponsored by Suncorp, one of our banks, so it’s known as Suncorp Stadium now, but to us oldies, it’s still the Cauldron.”

Hux chuckled, and some of that cockiness that was missing reappeared. “You said it, old man.”

Cara opened the door a moment after Hux knocked, and she grasped his hand as she put her phone and keycard into the pocket her denim jacket. She was wearing a cute little floral dress and Chucks, but what had me captivated was her hair. It was the first time I’d seen her wear it down—other than when Hux had brushed it, and she’d tied it straight back up after she’d fallen. The way the chestnut waves curled over her breasts had me wanting to reach out and run my fingers through it. Would it be as thick and silky smooth as it looked?

I paused, just wanting to watch the two of them for a moment. I liked what I saw—really liked it. While Hux was all cut lines and chiselled muscle, Cara was soft curves. He was guarded, and she was sunshine. She shot me a smile over her shoulder and held out her other hand, and I rushed to catch up.

We couldn’t stay like that out on the street, but while we were in the empty lift, it seemed that both Hux and I had the same idea. He pulled her into his arms and shifted her hair off her shoulder. Tugging down the collar of her jacket, he pressed a kiss to her throat.

I hooked a finger under her chin and leaned in close. The only place we were touching was our noses; I nuzzled hers with mine, our lips a hair’s breadth apart as I gave her the chance to pull away. But she did the opposite, pulling me closer, then brushing her lips against mine.

I groaned and deepened the kiss, tasting the sweetness of her strawberry lip gloss and the minty freshness of her toothpaste. She was addictive, and I wanted her too much to resist. I pressed her into Hux, wrapping my arms around her and finding Hux’s hip too. Cara’s breath caught, and I was instantly hard. I wanted to hear that noise coming from her when I spread her out on the bed and licked her delectable body all over. I reached for her hip, steadying myself from the lust-drenched head spin that enveloped me like I’d walked into a cyclone.

But she stopped me.

Cara pushed my hand back onto Hux’s hip, and I wasn’t sure whether the low purrlike rumble came from me or Hux. I hadn’t expected to like touching him... but I did. At least things wouldn’t be awkward when we took this further. Kissing her one after the other was one thing, but getting naked together would be a whole lot less awkward if we were all okay with accidental touches.

I staggered backward away from them at the announcement that we’d reached the ground floor. I blinked my eyes open and met Cara’s gaze. Her pupils were blown wide, her chest heaving as she sucked in oxygen. Her legs were crossed as if she needed to pee, but my guess was that she needed the friction as much as I did. Jesus H Christ, even a stiff breeze could get me off at the moment.

Hux looked like sex personified. His eyes were hooded, his lip swollen and wet from where he’d been biting it. His hands were splayed high on Cara’s sides inside her jacket, touching the sides of her breasts. I groaned, wanting to do the same thing.

“You getting out?” someone asked, startling me from my reverie. 

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