ROMANCE: SPORTS ROMANCE: Bad Boys of Sports: A Complete Collection (Alpha Male, Football, Hockey Secret Baby Romance) (Contemporary Sports Romance) by Mallory Hart

subconsciously glanced at his crotch. Really ? she asked herself. Do I have to be so obvious?
    He laughed. “You sound like my daughter. I don’t know how sarcasm comes so naturally to her. Guess teaching kids rubs off on you, huh?”
    He could tell by the way she paused that he’d said the wrong thing. “My daughter’s in your class,” he blurted.
    Janie blinked. “You have a child?”
    Rich nodded. “Maddie. She’s the one who was telling everyone where babies come from.”
    Janie stared at him, then seemed to relax. “Maddie,” she repeated, and there was an adoration in her voice that did weird things to Rich’s heart. “She’s so smart. She’s my favorite student.” She seemed to think for a moment, then asked, “You’re Richard Henry?”
    He nodded. “She speaks very highly of you, Ms. Nelson.”
    “Oh please, it’s Janie,” she snickered. “It feels weird to be called ‘Ms. Nelson’ here at a club.  It’s just unnatural.”
    “Janie it is, then,” Rich smiled, relieved that she seemed to be warming up to him. “So, does the ‘Ms.’ mean you’re single?”
    “I, well, yes,” Janie said, unsure of where this was going. “Are you?”
    “I am.” Rich leaned closer. “Did you get my flowers?”
    If Janie was blushing before, her face was on fire now. She knew the tips of her ears must be bright red. “Yes, it was a very sweet gesture,” she looked away from his face. “I don’t get a lot of thanks as a teacher.”
    “But you still like it? Teaching, I mean?”
    “It’s fun,” she nodded, still avoiding his eyes. “The kids are great, even the rotten ones. It’s why I teach first grade. They haven’t had the time to develop an attitude yet.” She glanced at him, but he was all smiles and laughter. He had his head resting on a fist, elbow propped up on the bar. He should look less attractive, relaxed with his cheek scrunched up like that, but it just made him look even better. She could picture him mowing a yard, or watching a movie. Being normal, and not so tall, dark, and handsome.
    He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, maybe ask why she was staring at him, so she cleared her throat and spoke first. “I hated school. High school, I mean. I was reading children’s book when everyone else was going to parties.”
    “Children’s books?” he asked, his furrowed brow causing a crease on his forehead.
    “Harry Potter,” Janie admitted. “Plus I was just a big old nerd anyway. I had my little Gameboy, and my books, and I was happy. I even trick-or-treated until I was eighteen.”
    Rich’s smile was so big it reached his eyes. He wondered if he was giving himself away, if his laugh was too much or his smile too real. He liked this woman, this Janie Nelson. She was just so genuine. “I was never that cool in high school, either.”
    “You?” she scoffed. “You definitely were one of the cool kids, don’t even try to deny it.”
    Rich shook his head softly but didn’t try to correct her. He was a mess in high school, what with his acne and bad hair that his parents never made him cut (or wash).  All he ever did was play hockey.  No, he bloomed in college when he started noticing how the other guys kept themselves to get the girls. It helped that his hockey career had already started to take off by then too.  But high school…it was just a bad memory at this point.
     
    Miracle of miracles, Alyssa spotted Rich at the bar. He hadn’t left, just went to a different room. Maybe he was jealous when he saw her dancing and needed time to cool off?
    “Alyssa?” Janie spotted her first, but it made Rich turn around. She saw a smile fall from his face.
    “Hey,” she huffed, a little out of breath. “I got the part! I mean, I think I did. I kind of just bailed on him, but I’m pretty sure he liked what he saw.” She winked at Rich.
    He watched her for a moment, then turned to Janie, “It was wonderful talking to you, but I’d better get