Page 84 of Keep Me Close

Then again, nothing about that woman feels simple.

Jax lets out a low whistle from across the room. “No wonder you didn’t want Callahan making moves. You had a secret fling going on.” He nods. “Sneaky. I like it.”

“It’s not what it looks like,” I mutter, drying myself off.

River snorts. “Interesting. Because it looks like you’re trying to corrupt innocent children at the zoo.”

A few guys snicker, and I ignore them.

Jax drops onto the bench beside me. “I kind of feel bad for her.”

I glance at him, knowing I’ll regret the question. “Why the hell do you say that?”

He jerks his shoulders. “Come on, McNichols. We all know how you are. She’s hot, you’re into it, and in a couple weeks she’ll be old news.” He flashes a dimpled grin. “Hope she realizes the ride won’t last forever.”

A hush falls over the locker room. Not because they disagree with Jax, but because they don’t.

Which is the problem.

In the past, they wouldn’t have been wrong. That’s always been my MO. No strings or promises. No women sticking around long enough to expect anything serious in return. They come into my life, we have a good time, then we both move on.

It’s clean and easy.

And it’s always worked just fine.

Except when it comes to Chey, none of it feels clean. Or easy. And it sure as shit doesn’t feel temporary. Which is a hell of a thing to realize in a room full of teammates staring at me like they’re all waiting for me to prove them right.

Oliver leans back against his stall. “Damn. Jax might’ve actually said something insightful for once.”

“Not true! I say insightful shit all the time,” Jax fires back.

Zane groans from his locker while dragging a shirt over his head. “Gigi was pissed the night of the event.”

I glance over, brows drawing together. “Why? Because she had you for a date?”

He scowls. “You’re hilarious. No. She wanted everyone to talk about the new dress she designed, and all anyone’s yapping about is you and Cheyenne.”

River barks out a laugh. “Poor Gigi. How devastating not to be the center of attention.”

Oliver presses a hand to his chest. “I’m not sure how she’ll recover. That’s some tough stuff.”

Zane glares. “She’s threatening to boycott Railers events if other celebrities are going to steal the spotlight.”

River and Oliver shake their heads.

“It totally makes sense now why you weren’t interested in the Cheyenne look-alike at VYCE,” Jax says.

I grab my boxers and drag them on, not in the mood for one of his fishing expeditions. “Drop it, Wilder.”

He raises both hands. “Come on, man. How long has this been going on for? Inquiring minds want to know.”

Oliver smirks. “I mean, I’m kind of curious too.”

Steele nods, deciding to jump into the conversation. “In the past, you’ve always been allergic to commitment.”

I pull on the rest of my clothing. “I was never allergic. I just hadn’t found someone I actually wanted to spend time with. Someone who fit into my life.”

The room goes silent as a dozen pairs of eyes continue to watch me.