Dirty Pucker (Denver Bashers #2)

13. Ingrid

Chapter 13

Ingrid

“ W hat’s the deal with Del eye-fucking you in the most recent Bashers’ TikTok you posted?”

I almost cough up my sip of sangria at Maya’s question.

I glance around the massive outdoor patio space of Coach Porter’s home to make sure no one has heard what my best friend just asked me. I let out a breath when I see that no one is paying attention to us. We’re standing at the wet bar, which is at the end of the massive patio. Everyone else is gathered around the long table on the opposite side, grazing on the appetizers and engrossed in their own conversations.

I clear my throat and wipe my mouth with a napkin. “Wow. No ‘hello’? Just straight into wildly inappropriate questions to ask at a barbecue while I’m surrounded by all my coworkers.”

“No one heard me.” She steps closer to me. “And you had to know I’d bring that up. Especially after all the comments people have been leaving on that video. I mean, that’s some genius marketing on your part. Blonde or brunette?” Maya chuckles. “Well done.”

She starts to bow in front of me, but I quickly pull her back up.

“Maya, people are going to look over and wonder what the hell you’re doing.” I let out a nervous laugh.

I arrived at Coach Porter’s house for the barbecue he’s hosting just a few minutes ago and I haven’t seen Del. Almost all of the team staff and all the players are here. He might be milling around somewhere and I just haven’t seen him yet. I don’t want him to look over and wonder what the hell Maya and I are talking about, since it has everything to do with him.

“Of course I’ve read the comments,” I say, my cheeks flushing. That TikTok currently has one million views—the most views of any of the TikToks I’ve posted on the Bashers account so far.

Maya scrolls through the comments on her phone and I skim them once more.

Be less obvious with the eyefucking, Dirty Del lol

How much you wanna bet that the person filming him was a hot blonde?

I think Dirty Del has a thing for the Bashers’ social media girl

If you Google eyefucking, this is the video that would come up

I’ve never seen that guy smile like that. Ever.

Aww Dirty Del is cute when he’s smitten

I slide off the jacket I’m wearing, leaving me in a sleeveless top and jeans. It’s a pleasant sixty-eight degrees today, so I shouldn’t feel hot. But those comments, combined with the memory of how Del looked at me when I filmed him the other day, have me burning up.

Because that’s exactly how it felt when he looked at me—like he was eyefucking me.

My skin tingles at the memory of his gaze gliding along the length of my hair, that ridiculously hot half-smile he flashed, how he winked at me as he skated off.

I clear my throat and look at my best friend. “He was just being a little flirty,” I say after a moment.

“A little?” Maya laughs. “The chemistry between you guys is fiery hot. Even strangers on TikTok can see it.”

I open my mouth to protest, but I don’t. Because she’s right. Del and I are attracted to each other, no question.

“We’re just friends, Maya.”

Her head falls back as she laughs again. “So? You can be friends and still fuck each other’s brains out.”

I tilt my head at her.

She blinks her big brown doe eyes. “You can.”

I almost laugh at her insistent tone. “Maya, we work together. I’ve had this job for a total of one month. This is my first real, legitimate job where I’m working for a company that’s not owned by my family. I’m not going to screw up the biggest professional opportunity of my life by messing around with one of the players on the team I work for.”

Maya sighs. “Okay, fair point. Maybe I was being a little crude by suggesting a straight-up friends-with-benefits arrangement. But it’s not like everything is off-limits. You could date him. Xander and Sophie worked out, and they started off in a similar dynamic as you and Del.”

I think about what Maya says. She’s right. There are no official rules for the Bashers team organization when it comes to dating. Sophie, the team doctor, and Xander, the star player, have been in a serious relationship for months and everyone associated with the team is fine with it.

A sliver of doubt lingers in the back of my mind though.

What if Del and I dated and it didn’t work out? That would make working for the Bashers insanely awkward. If we couldn’t get past the awkwardness, I’d probably end up having to quit…and then I’d be known as the spoiled rich girl who couldn’t keep a normal job.

“You shouldn’t write off Del completely,” Maya says. “It could turn into something amazing.”

“What’s amazing?” Theo says as he walks up to her and slinks his arm around her waist. He pulls her in for a quick kiss.

She grins at him and holds up her glass. “This sangria. So amazing.”

I shoot her a grateful smile for not bringing up Del. Even though Del defended Theo during their last game, I know Theo still doesn’t like him. He’d give me an earful if he knew just how into Del I am.

Theo grabs Maya’s glass and takes a sip. “Damn. That is good. Hey, who made this?” he turns and hollers to everyone at the barbecue.

“I did,” Del says as he stands by the massive grill a dozen feet away from us.

Theo’s expression instantly sobers. “It’s decent.”

Maya and I elbow him at the same time. “It’s delicious, Del,” Maya says.

I smile at Del, my tummy tingling as he aims his dark gaze at me. “Really, really good,” I tell him.

The corner of his mouth twitches as he looks at me, then Maya. “Thanks.”

I make my way over to him and try not to stare at him too much. I can’t help it though. He looks positively edible in the gray henley and jeans he’s wearing.

“Hey.” I bite back a smile.

His mouth is a straight line, but the heat in his gaze is crystal clear. “Hey.” He takes a sip from his beer bottle. “So you like my sangria?”

He runs his tongue along the seam of his thick lips. My tongue tingles, wishing I could kiss him.

I nod. “It’s really yummy.”

He cracks a smile. Just then Sophie and Dakota walk up to us and say hi.

Del hugs Dakota. “You made it.”

Dakota beams. “Of course I made it. You said there would be free food, and you know how much I hate to cook.”

“You’re twenty-four and you still refuse to cook for yourself?” Del jokes to Dakota. She rolls her eyes.

“You hate cooking almost as much as you hate washing your hair,” Sophie teases good-naturedly.

Dakota laughs. Her long, dark brown hair is pulled into a messy bun. “Almost.”

“Don’t worry. You still look effortlessly chic,” I say.

Dakota beams, her big brown eyes bright. “You think so?”

“Absolutely.”

“How long’s it been since you washed your hair? One week? Two?” Del asks in a deadpan tone, but I can tell by the gleam in his eyes that he’s joking around.

Dakota shoves his arm. “Shut up. You know I don’t go more than five days without washing my hair.”

“Whatever you say,” he mutters.

Dakota aims a mock-glare at her big brother. “Keep it up and I’ll make you braid my hair just like you did when we were kids.”

I turn to Del. “Did you seriously braid your little sister’s hair when you were kids?”

His stubbly cheeks flush as he looks at me. “Yup.”

“He was amazing at it,” Dakota says. “He could French braid better than all my friends’ moms could. I bugged him constantly to do it.”

“It’s true,” Sophie says, smiling. “All of us were jealous of your epic French braids in fourth grade.”

Dakota looks at Del and bumps his arm with her shoulder. “Remember how I would whine for you to braid my hair before you’d go to hockey practice?”

Del frowns before a bashful smile tugs at his lips. “How could I forget.”

“That’s hands down the cutest thing I’ve ever heard,” I say to Del.

His expression eases and the flush on his cheeks fades. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“He would even cut my hair sometimes,” Dakota tells me.

I look at Del, my mouth open in surprise. “No way.”

He nods.

“I’d never guess Dirty Del moonlighted as a hairstylist.”

He chuckles at my teasing.

“Our parents split when we were young and our dad wasn’t in the picture, so it was just our mom and us growing up. We didn’t have a lot of money,” Dakota says to me. “I’d see these cute hairstyles on TV, but our mom couldn’t afford to take me to a salon, so Del would look up tutorials online so he could cut and style my hair the way I wanted.”

I rest my hand on my chest, my heart fluttering. I turn to Del. “Are you kidding me?”

He shakes his head and smiles. I notice the adoring look on Dakota’s face as she glances up at her brother.

I remember all the times she’s complained about how overbearing he’s been with her. I think back to months ago, before Del was traded to the Bashers, when Maya, Theo, Dakota, Xander, Blomdahl, Sophie, and I were all hanging out one night and decided to head to a strip club. When I was in the bathroom, Del showed up and demanded that Dakota leave, then almost got into a fight with Xander and Theo. It wasn’t until his friend Sam McKesson, who plays pro hockey for Seattle, calmed him down and promised to look after Dakota, that Del left, before I came back to join them.

Dakota vented to us about how annoying it is that Del is so overprotective of her. At the time, I agreed with her. And even though I’ve gotten to know Del, I can still see why Dakota was so annoyed with him. Even though I don’t have any brothers, Theo and I are close, and he’s a couple years older than me. He’s pulled the overprotective act with me more times than I can count.

But it’s clear that Del loves his sister. And it sounds like he’s played a big role in taking care of her for most of their lives. I understand now why he’s so protective of her.

Coach Porter announces that dinner is set up in the kitchen, so everyone starts to head inside. Del tells Dakota and Sophie to go ahead. He and I linger outside for a moment.

I turn to him, in awe of what a sweetheart he was as a kid.

“I knew it,” I say to him.

“Knew what?”

“The first time I met you, I could tell you weren’t an asshole. Not even close. You’re a total sweetheart, helping your sister like that.”

That bashful smile is back and god, he’s SO hot and endearing when he smiles like that.

He shrugs. “It was nothing.”

I gently grab his arm. “Del. Don’t downplay what you did. It was above and beyond what a lot of siblings would do.”

His gaze focuses on me and a sad look flashes in his eyes. “You think so?”

The look in his eyes and the softness of his tone make my heart ache. He’s so sweet and he doesn’t even seem to realize it.

I think about all the clips I’ve watched of him fighting on the ice. I think about the nickname he earned after years of being the NHL’s dirtiest player. I think about how the crowd chanted “Dirty Del” the other night when I watched him get into a fight mid-game.

I wonder what those fans would think if they knew he was more than Dirty Del—if they knew he used to watch online tutorials so he could cut and braid his little sister’s hair before hockey practice because they didn’t have much money growing up.

My chest aches. He is so much more than what people think he is.

“I know so,” I say to Del. “I know Dakota gives you a lot of crap, but it’s clear that deep down, she loves you. You’re an amazing big brother. And a good person. And I’m not just saying that. I mean it. You’re incredible, Del.”

He blinks and the sad look in his mahogany eyes fades. His gaze on me is clear and bright, like he’s heartened and relieved at what I’ve said.

“Thank you.”

I smile at him. Together we head into the kitchen to grab some food. I stare at the massive spread on the kitchen counter of brisket, smoked chicken and turkey breast, pulled pork, coleslaw, cornbread, baked beans, fresh veggies, fruit, and a charcuterie board.

“Help yourself,” Coach Porter says as he walks up and hands me a plate. “I’m pretty sure I ordered way too much food.”

I laugh. “I’ll do my best.”

Half of the guests end up inside the dining room and living room as they eat, while the rest take their food back outside. I end up on a patio sectional with Maya, Del, Sophie, and Dakota. Alanna and Skyler from the Bashers PR department join us too.

After an hour, the folks with little kids start filtering out. Dylan and Isaac, two other Bashers players, stop over and chat for a bit before they leave with their kids and wives.

“Hey, where did your dad get his patio furniture?” Skyler asks Sophie. He mentions that he just moved into a new place and needs to buy some stuff for his patio.

“I’m not sure.” Sophie glances around. After a few seconds, she pauses as she looks into the kitchen. She starts to smile. “I think I’ll wait to ask him, if that’s okay with you.”

We all glance over to the kitchen. There’s Coach Porter standing and chatting with a pretty dark-haired woman who looks like she’s in her late thirties wearing a Lulu’s Catering T-shirt. She says something while playing with her hair. After a second, he chuckles.

“Whoa.” Alanna’s eyes go wide. “Sophie, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen your dad laugh.”

“Yeah. Wow.” Del blinks in shock.

Sophie grins at Alanna. “He’s been chatting with her off and on the whole day. I think he likes her.”

“Do you think he’ll ask her out?” Dakota asks.

Still smiling, Sophie shrugs. “I hope so. I don’t think he’s dated much since my mom passed away. He deserves to meet someone and be happy.”

The evening winds down and we all gather our things to leave. We thank Coach Porter for the delicious meal and head out. Everyone lingers on Coach Porter’s massive driveway as we tell each other goodnight. Soon just Xander, Sophie, Theo, Maya, Blomdahl, Del, and I are left.

Theo pats his stomach and groans. “I ate way too much.”

Blomdahl winces. “Me too.”

Maya chuckles as she gently pats Theo’s chest. “That’s the most I’ve seen you indulge in a while.”

Theo grins and shrugs. “Beer and brisket are my weaknesses.”

“Training tomorrow is gonna suck,” Xander groans.

“My entire body is just alcohol and salt at this point,” Theo says. “It’s oozing out of my pores.”

“I really need to sweat this all out,” Blomdahl says.

“Wouldn’t be the worst idea.” Theo shrugs. “We have a steam room at our place. You guys are welcome to join.”

Maya says she’s dying for a steam and asks me and Sophie to join. We both say yes.

I turn to Del. “What do you think, Del? Wanna join us?”

I try to keep my tone casual and laidback, but on the inside, I’m buzzing. Because the thought of getting all hot and sweaty with Del in a steam room has me giddy…and a little turned on.

I shouldn’t feel that way. I know I shouldn’t.

We’re friends. And coworkers. We shouldn’t cross those lines.

And I have no plans to…but I’m also human. Del is ridiculously hot and I won’t pass up the chance to see him half-naked, as long as he’s into it too.

He glances over at Theo, who’s talking to Xander and isn’t paying attention to us.

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Del’s voice is low and soft, so no one else around us can hear.

God. Just the sound of his gravelly voice makes me hot.

“We’re friends. Friends hang out in steam rooms sometimes,” I say in a sweet voice.

He lets out a low, rough chuckle. “Do they?”

I bite my lip and nod. He looks me square in the eye. I don’t miss that flicker of excitement as he looks at me.

“I’m in.”