Hat Trick (D.C. Stars, #4)

by Chelsea Curto

I wish I had the balls of a mediocre white man who thinks he’s hot shit. I’d be unstoppable.

I’m not supposed to have a favorite player on the team—and I love all the guys I work with—but Riley takes the top spot.

“I’m a good boy, Lex,” he tosses back. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

The life of every party and vivacious as hell with witty comebacks and a laugh that would bring any man to his knees. And if it were me down there, I’d wear a collar and crawl if she asked me to.

“I’m going to get him skating again,” I whisper to Piper and Emmy. “Lex, I don’t⁠—” “Hockey is his whole life.” I stare at the doors leading to the patient rooms. “I’ll work with him. We’ll do it together.” I’ve always been a determined bitch. Once I put my mind to something, I don’t stop until it happens, and I’ll be damned if Riley goes down without a fight.

I’m not asking you to give me a mile, Riley. I’m not even asking for a foot.” “I hope not. I only have one now, and it would be pretty fucking rude of you to take that from me.”

“She wasn’t finished speaking,” Riley says, deathly low. The look in his eye is murderous. A shiver races up my spine when he curls his fingers into a fist. My cheeks turn bright red when he stares at my boss and tilts his head to the side. “And her name is Lexi. L-e-x-i. That’s not difficult, is it? Treat her with respect and get it right, or I’m leaving.”

The romance books I read are right: having a guy turn a little unhinged and defend your honor is sexy as hell.

“I’m a woman in a male-dominated space. I’m the only female head athletic trainer in the league, and I’m the first to hold the title. Even if I don’t believe I can do it, I say I can. So, no. I haven’t always been this confident, but I’m getting there.”

Women in the past have used all sorts of phrases to describe me: cute. Sexy, but in a nerdy way. Hot as hell when I slide a blindfold over their eyes. The man of their dreams when I kiss their wrists, untying them from the ropes I like to use to keep them still while I eat them out.

“Of course I was fucking jealous. He had your attention. And I’m fucking desperate for it.”

I knew I was attracted to her, but after tonight? I’m fucking ruined.

“Has today been a good day?” “Yes,” I say without thinking. The word comes naturally when she’s around. “It has.” “I’m glad. You deserve all the good days, Riley.”

“Have you been good, Riley? Do you think you deserve to touch me?” “I’ve been very good,” he rasps. “But I can be better. How can I be better?” I remember the conversation we had in his bedroom when I found his ropes. He mentioned he liked being told what to do from time to time, and I wonder how far he’d go to get what he wants. “Crawl,” I say, and he gets on the floor without a second thought.

“If that’s the case, get on your stomach, Mitchell. You have work to do, and you shouldn’t be flirting with the training staff. That goes against NATA’s Code of Ethics.”

I can have two favorite things, because it involves proving to Lexi every goddamn day she’s worthy of being treated right, worthy of being told she’s special and brilliant and beautiful, and I won’t stop until there’s not an ounce of doubt in her mind that she’s one in eight billion. One of a kind, my favorite person, and the woman I’m falling in love with.