by Anya Nowlan
Fiona had made a compelling case in favor of someone leaking sensitive data to both other teams and gambling circles, from game strategies to team members’ injuries and possible weaknesses. That was why Lily had been hired – to track down whoever that person was and hand them over to the management.
Going over the data she and her team had gathered, Lily had to agree with Fiona’s assessment. With Fiona’s inner circle being thoroughly vetted, to the point they had voluntarily handed over their financial statements, only one possibility had emerged.
Someone on this team is not who he seems.
“How are you settling in?” Connor asked, rousing Lily from her thoughts as he poured iced tea into his glass. “You probably hadn’t had to live with your clients like this before.”
Does sharing an apartment with a woman suspected of insider trading for two months count? Lily thought, but of course couldn’t say out loud.
“No, I haven’t,” she said instead, pushing her empty glass towards him. “And I bet this is the first training camp that isn’t an all-boys club?”
“I guess we’ll all have some adjusting to do,” he chuckled. “You’ll have to go easy on us, we’ve gotten maybe too used to each other’s company. Last camp we had, I think I saw Aiden naked more than I saw him dressed.”
“Don’t remind me,” Crash interjected.
“Hey, you guys talking about me over there?” Aiden questioned from the other side of the table. “Don’t believe a word they’re saying,” he warned, pointing at Lily.
“Don’t worry,” she grinned. “I only believe what I can see.”
“You don’t want to see that,” Crash murmured.
“So, did you ever get a chance to call your mom?” Lily asked, sipping her drink.
Sal was telling some joke on the other side of the table, making most of the team burst out laughing. But Connor was entirely focused on her as they carried on talking, seeming to look right through her with those piercingly green eyes of his.
He nodded.
“Yeah, I did. She was happy to hear we’d be spending some time off the grid. Bears need their space, and there’s plenty of that here. Big cities can get stifling after a while.”
“They can also be fun. I’ve heard you and your brother take advantage of all the nightlife has to offer,” she replied, studying his reaction closely.
He wouldn’t be the first athlete to blow his money on bottle service and private tables. If he was reckless with his spending, that could lead him to look for other sources of income. It was a long shot, but it wasn’t like Lily could discredit any line of query at this point.
Even if she found herself all but eager to exclude Connor and Crash from her investigation.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a little fun every once in a while,” he shrugged. “Sometimes you just have to let loose, don’t you agree?”
The question was delivered in a way that made Lily gulp. The glimmer in Connor’s eye and the heat in his voice told her they weren’t just talking about him anymore. With only a few words, he had managed to entirely sidetrack her from what her prodding statement was meant to accomplish.
“I guess,” she replied weakly, unable to come up with a better response.
“Refill?” he asked, brushing his fingers against hers as he reached for her empty glass.
His touch was the last straw. She couldn’t remember the last time a man made her feel so out of control. Maybe never?
Her attention was supposed to be on finding her spy, but all she could focus on Connor and the effect he had on her. With her stomach clenching at having him so close, close enough that if she just leaned in, she could easily touch her lips to his, she had to do something to get her feet back on solid ground.
“I’ll be right back,” she said, rushing to stand.
Connor looked slightly confused when she got up and bolted from the table, but luckily didn’t say anything. Heading for the bathroom, Lily couldn’t believe the thoughts rushing through her head. This was not how she handled herself on a job, and with good reason. Whatever was causing this temporary insanity, she had to put a stop to it.
Shoving the door to the restrooms open, she stepped inside only to pace around the empty bathroom, taking in deep breaths.
Get a grip, she told herself, smoothing back hair that was already flatter than it had ever been.
When she felt like she had sufficiently gotten her mind back on track, she squared her shoulders and marched back out, only to bump into Crash on as soon as she got out of the bathroom.
“Hey,” he said with a boyish smile. “Got tired of Connor already?”
From one sexy twin to the next, she sighed internally, bracing herself.
“Not exactly,” she replied, acutely aware of how close Crash was standing.
Leaning on the doorframe, Crash was crowding into her space, staring at her with a strange intensity in his eyes. His lips twitched as he must have noticed how flustered Lily was, and the grin spreading over his face wasn’t exactly helping her composure.
Damn it, Lily. Stop staring at him.
“How are you liking it here so far?” he asked. “Having a good time?”
The way he said it made the question sound dirty somehow.
“I like it just fine,” she replied, running a hand over her hair again, still in a tight bun.
Somehow, that paired with her conservative outfit, helped her get a grip on herself and remember her role. The assistant Lily Douglas she had created in her head wouldn’t be swayed by a couple of hot guys.
With that, something sparked in her mind.
“So, did you get a hold of your mom?” she asked, mirroring the question he’d posed Connor earlier.
“Oh, uh…” Connor hesitated for a moment, a lot less sure of his answer than Connor had been. “We got some reception down in the kitchen but she didn’t pick up. I sent her a text, though, so we should be good,” he said, his smile wavering just slightly.
“Great,” she replied brightly, brushing past him to get back to her seat.
Not getting your stories straight. Rookie mistake.
Her instincts hadn’t led her astray. Something was definitely going on with the Rawlins twins. The fact that she seemed to be growing more and more attracted to the both of them with every passing moment was a problem. She would rather exclude them from her investigation and avoid them the best she could, but that was not an option.
I’m going to have to keep a close eye on you, she thought, sitting back down next to Connor. You might be handsome and charming, but that doesn’t mean I won’t take you down just the same.
Nine
Connor
“You going to eat that or just admire it?” Lily asked as Connor stared at the huge steak on the plate in front of him.
“It is a sight,” he remarked, shaking his head. “And to think I was worried about the food here,” he chuckled, grabbing his knife and fork.
Crash kept throwing glances at him, but was busy talking with Graham at the moment. Connor knew exactly what his brother was thinking. He had taken the seat next to Lily on purpose, seeing as his brother seemed to lack self-control when he was around her.
Now, it was looking like he had the exact same problem. He couldn’t help that he wanted to get to know her better. There was something about her that piqued his curiosity, and it wasn’t just the fact she was drop-dead gorgeous. Lily had a spark in her that he found fascinating. And she had a certain mystery about her he couldn’t put his finger on.
It’s probably because she’s new and shiny to me, he reasoned, taking a bite of his delicious steak and washing it down with some iced tea. And that she’s not Alison.
Whatever the reason, he couldn’t deny the pull he felt towards her. His bear grumbled low in his chest, obviously pleased to be sharing Lily’s company. Connor’s animal side had never taken such an immediate liking to someone, which was odd and something he didn’t really want to think about
too much. There were implications to that he wasn’t ready to process yet.
Lily was still wearing the same shapeless outfit from before, but it couldn’t hide the swell of her breasts or her voluptuous hips, things he noticed all too well. He could pick up her scent easily over all the other smells wafting around, fresh and crisp, with a hint of sandalwood.
Everything about her seemed to be a contradiction. Either luckily for him, or only adding to his downfall, he wasn’t sure, Lily seemed as interested in him as he was in her. She talked to everyone across the table, but focused on questioning him about everything and anything.
He didn’t mind. Connor had a feeling they could talk all night and not run out of topics.
“You are all such good friends. That can’t be the case with all teams,” she said, gesturing to the other guys, chewing on their meals.
Connor shrugged.
“We’re lucky. The job can be stressful, and it’s easy to assign blame when the game doesn’t go the way you wanted it to. We try to not go that route. The fact that these guys are all great players doesn’t hurt either,” he replied with a grin.
It was all true. The Predators wouldn’t work as well together as they did if they didn’t get along, and he had great respect for everyone on the team. They all carried their weight, and if it turned out another team was better, they would work together to make sure they kicked their asses next time around.
He was lucky to be able to work alongside his friends, and his brother. Crash could be a pain in the ass sometimes, but it wasn’t for nothing. They called each other out on things no one else would, and that ended up making them both better players and better people.
“It must be cool to be on the same team as your brother,” Lily commented, as if reading his mind.
“It’s a blessing and a curse,” he laughed. “I love my brother, but all siblings have those moments where they’d rather be an only child.”
“I’m an only child, and let me tell you, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” Lily sighed. “I wonder sometimes what that kind of connection would be like, to know you have family other than your parents you can always count on.
“And growing up together, you can share experiences and memories that you couldn’t share with anyone else. Some things you only remember when someone else brings it up.”
She looked lost in thought for a moment before shaking her head and smiling at him.
“Sorry, I kind of went off on a tangent there.”
Connor didn’t mind at all. He found himself hanging on her every word.
“No, I get it. You’re right, some things only family can understand,” he replied. “But believe me, you escaped a lot of trouble by not having any brothers or sisters. I still have a scar on my leg from when Crash decided he wanted to be a doctor and thought practicing surgery on me was the way to go.”
“Hey!” Crash’s voice cut through the jumble of voices. “I heard that. And in my defense, I was four and didn’t know any better.”
“Pretty sure we were five, and that you waited for me to fall asleep before you stabbed me,” Connor countered.
“I just wanted you to stay still!” Crash demanded, as if that made it any better.
“Well, I’m glad you got off with only a scar,” Lily laughed.
“You should be glad this idiot didn’t pursue a medical degree,” Connor retorted.
Crash just rolled his eyes at him and went back to his meal, muttering something about being unfair and Connor always exaggerating things.
“You two are kind of adorable,” Lily remarked, resting an elbow on the table.
“Adorable? I don’t know whether to be offended or flattered,” he chuckled, his eyes glued to her every movement.
“You’ll make up your mind eventually,” was all she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
The way she could make him feel with just a look, he knew Lily was going to be nothing but trouble. Both for him, and his brother. They’d only just met, and already she had him all turned around.
They kept chatting about nothing in particular as the night wound down. Before long, everyone was done with their meal and it was time to head back to the house. Lily drove back with Ben, Wyatt and Sal, with Connor and the rest of them piling into a rental van.
All the way through the dark, winding road home, Connor couldn’t keep his thoughts away from her. His silence even seemed to catch on to Crash, who was unusually quiet during the drive back. They both had a lot to think about, including the fact that they still had to deal with Alison.
Training was to start tomorrow morning, bright and early, so the team started getting ready for bed once they arrived. The whole house was lit up one second, and dark the next. He listened to the footsteps roaming the halls, perking up when he heard someone head up to the third floor.
It had to be Lily. He hadn’t gotten a glimpse of her since they left the diner, and imagining her crawling into bed in her room, alone, sent his imagination into overdrive. It was ridiculous, imagining himself there with her, the two of them barely knowing each other.
Yet that didn’t make him want it any less. He was shaken out of his daydream by his door creaking open with Crash’s head popping in, his eyes scanning the room as if he was expecting someone else to be in there with Connor.
His brother quietly closed the door behind him, looking on edge and determined at the same time. They both knew what they had to do next, and it wasn’t something they were looking forward to.
Who knew what mood Alison was going to be in? And more importantly, they couldn’t afford anyone overhearing them.
Now that’s going to be a challenge in a house full of shifters with sharp senses.
Ten
Crash
Crash and Connor had been waiting around in Connor’s room for about an hour, waiting for everyone to settle down and fall asleep. Pressing his ear against the door, Crash listened to the sounds of the house.
All seemed to be quiet on the second floor, but he couldn’t be sure every corner of the sprawling place was empty and no one was roaming around. Coach Landon was known to stay up late and work on new gameplays, so they were far from guaranteed to have some privacy.
“We have to get a move on,” Connor whispered, his eyes tight and shoulders tense.
“Yeah, I know. There are exactly two places we know of in this whole goddamn house that have reliable reception, and we have no idea if anyone is hanging around there or not.”
“So we split up. At least one of us has to get a hold of Alison.”
“Alright. I’ll take the third floor, you take the kitchen,” Crash offered hopefully, trying to make it sound casual.
“Oh, no. I am not trusting you to hover outside of Lily’s bedroom,” Connor shook his head.
“You’re not trusting me? You were practically glued to her the whole evening. I’m starting to think this whole ‘Crash can’t control himself’ issue is just something you’re using to get me out of the way so you can sidle up to her yourself.”
“No one is sidling up to anybody,” Connor sighed, rolling his eyes. “But she’s here, she’s the coach’s assistant, and we might as well get used to having her around. In a professional capacity,” he emphasized, giving Crash a knowing look.
As much as it pained him to admit, Crash knew Connor was right. This wasn’t the time to start something with a woman, especially after how their relationship with Alison turned out. As shifter twins, romance was somewhat more complicated for the brothers than for humans, or for other shifters, for that matter.
All shifters shared a biological urge to find their mate – the one person every fiber of their being would recognize as the perfect match for them. It was all a little out there, especially where Crash was concerned, with talk of fate and soul mates and some indescribable bond.
But from what he’d heard from other shifters, it was all very real. He definitely hadn’t met a woman who would make him think of being tied down to just one
person for the rest of his life, but apparently, finding your mate was a big deal and you were considered very lucky if you happened to stumble upon your other half.
With twins, though, it was a bit more complicated. Crash wasn’t sure of all the details, in fact, he didn’t know if anyone really was. But twins tended to bond with the same mate. Whether it had to do with genetics or something more intangible going on, sharing a womb also meant sharing a mate in their world.
Maybe that’s why when they had taken a liking to Alison and she seemed to be into them both, it hadn’t seemed like much of a big deal to start a relationship with her involving all three of them. There was a certain intensity to sharing a woman that felt entirely natural, and also somewhat exhilarating.
The fun didn’t last long, though. Alison revealed herself to be more than either of them could handle, making unreasonable demands on their time and blowing up when she didn’t get her way.
When they first got involved, they had all agreed it would be a casual thing. So when Alison started asking for more, Crash and Connor had sat her down and explained it might be best they end it before someone got hurt. They’d figured out quick enough that she wasn’t ‘the one’, but she hadn’t seemed to mind it and so they’d let the relationship run its course.
It had been a major mistake on their part.
Alison had seemed reasonable at first. Even too reasonable, looking back. It was clear now she had been cooking up this plan the moment the brothers told her it was over. Whether she really had feelings for them or just couldn’t take the rejection, Crash didn’t know.
It seemed like he hadn’t really known her at all. Not that he had made a great effort to get to know her, their relationship had always been more physical than anything else. But he had still thought he had some idea of what the girl he was regularly seeing was like.