Free Stealing Home by Nicole Williams Page B

and team polo I wore during the season, I flew to the bath and cranked on the water. There were a few bags of fresh ice piled on the floor, so I started upending them into the tub while it filled.
    After a couple of minutes passed and I was reasonably certain I’d composed myself and would be up to the task of convincing Reynolds I’d done nothing more than perform my role of athletic trainer last night, I moved toward the door. Luke and Reynolds were still talking about the upcoming game when I pulled open the door.
    “Hey, Doc.” Reynolds’s gaze immediately shifted my way as I stepped out of the bathroom. “Morning.”
    “Oh great.” I crossed my arms and tried to ignore Luke watching me. Even just looking at me, he could fluster me. “You’re calling me Doc now too?”
    Reynolds shrugged. “Everyone is.”
    “Beautiful. Shepherd ought to love that,” I muttered, casually scanning the floor to find that, somehow, Luke had managed to kick all evidence of an all-night sexathon under the bed. Except for . . .
    Before my heart leapt into my throat, Luke moved toward the wrapper and discreetly stepped on it to hide it from view.
    “Wow.” Reynolds’s forehead creased when he took a good look at me. “You look like he rode you hard and put you out wet. Forgive the analogy.”
    Luke was behind Reynolds, so he was free to laugh silently. I didn’t have the same luxury.
    “Forgiven,” I said, moving toward my training bag to look busy. “And good for you for knowing what an analogy is.”
    “He didn’t give you a hard time, did he? Archer can be a real hardass when he puts his mind to it.”
    My fingers fumbled with the zipper as I pulled the bag open. Luke continued to chuckle to himself across the room. “He gave me a pretty hard time.”
    “Dammit, Archer, I like this one.” Reynolds lifted his middle finger at Luke. “We all like Doc. You mess this up and she leaves, my cleats are going up your ass.”
    “Is there a reason you’re here? Other than to threaten to sodomize me with your size twelves?” Luke checked the clock, a pensive look casting over his face. I knew what he was thinking, but no, we did not have time for one more round.
    “Yeah, I wanted to check on Doc. Make sure she survived the night with you.”
    “She survived the night. I think she might have even enjoyed herself a little.” Luke’s eyes flashed as he slowly licked his lips when Reyolds wasn’t looking.
    Ignoring the chills tumbling down my spine, I smiled at Reynolds. “Who wouldn’t enjoy giving a guy like Archer six ice baths in one night, right?”
    Reynolds snorted a laugh before tipping his chin at me, flipping Archer off again, and heading toward the door.
    “Hey, Reynolds,” Archer called as Reynolds was pulling the door open, “would you mind if I borrowed . . .”—he jacked his brows at me a few times, my heart calcifying in my chest—“an extra pair of socks?”
    My whole body sagged in relief. Right before I shot a glare Luke’s way for nearly giving me a heart attack.
    “Sure. No prob,” Reynolds replied. “For a minute you had me worried there. I thought you were going to ask to borrow my jock or something.”
    “Oh no. Yours wouldn’t fit me.” Luke shook his head, glancing at his jock region. “I have to special order. They don’t make them in my size.”
    Reynolds grunted. “Yeah, well, that’s what you get for wearing too tight of briefs growing up. You stunted its growth.”
    Luke smirked at him. “Come on, Reynolds. You know I grew up by a nuclear reactor. Don’t be a hater. Penis envy is a real and treatable disorder. There are professionals you can talk with about your feelings of inadequacy and impaired size.”
    Luke got the double bird that time. Reynolds left the room with a string of good-natured curses laced with comebacks.
    My shoulders slumped when the door closed. “That was close.”
    Lifting his foot, Luke bent to grab the condom wrapper before tossing it in the