Phoenix Rising Page 9

  She stepped back from me and crossed her arms over her chest. “John, just remember that you don’t need to be the strongest man out there. I just need you to come home to me and the kids.”

  She walked away and Knight snorted in amusement. “You don’t need to be the strongest, John,” he mimicked. “Does she realize that if you’re not the strongest, you go home in a body bag?”

  I grunted. It was hitting a little too close to home right now. I walked away from Knight and headed to the locker room. Even if I wanted to keep training, I couldn’t do it right now. My body was beaten to hell. I grabbed my shit from my locker and looked around, making sure no one was around, then slipped toward the back and out the other door. I used the back hallway to make my way to the hot tub that was waiting for me.

  I grinned when I saw the tub currently running and completely empty. Someone had already warmed it up. There were floofy scents on the side of the tub and I picked a few up, smelling them to find one I liked. I poured in a generous amount and then stripped down. Slipping inside, I groaned at the instant relief my muscles felt. I closed my eyes and tried to relax, but Knight and Lindsey’s words kept running through my head. Glancing around, I saw one of those Alexa devices. That’s what I needed. Music.

  “Alexa, play Sam Tinnesz.”

  I waited as it was searching and cringed when Mmm Bop by Hanson came on.

  “What the fuck? Alexa, play Legends Are Made by Sam Tinnesz.”

  Alexa searched again, this time playing John Legend.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I just want something good to listen to. Alexa, play Hold On For Your Life by Sam Tinnesz,” I said slowly, accentuating every word.

  “Searching….”

  And then the opening strands of Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On started to play.

  “Fuck it.” I sloshed back down in the water, trying to ignore the girly song that was playing while I was trying to relax. I actually found that it was working. The soothing melody had me sinking into such a relaxed state that I didn’t even notice the door opening.

  “What the hell are you listening to?” My eyes flew open in surprise. Chris was standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face. “Want me to get you a cocktail?”

  “Actually, I’d love one,” I retorted. “I tried to get the fucking thing to play something else, but like any woman, she just did whatever the fuck she wanted.”

  “Alright, let’s see what we got here.” He walked over to a mini fridge in the corner. I had expected to find water, but instead saw some kind of girly cooler.

  “Toss me one.”

  Chris popped the top and handed one to me and then got one for himself. After draining half of it, he got undressed and got in with me. “Is this weird?” he asked as he settled in.

  “Sitting in the hot tub together?”

  “Yeah. You know, it’s kind of like bathing together. You’re sweaty. I’m sweaty….”

  I nodded. “I gotcha.” I reached over to the ledge and grabbed a bottle of body wash, pouring in a generous amount. Bubbles filled the tub and I grinned, pleased with myself.

  “Yeah, that’s not at all weird,” Chris muttered. “Now we’re taking a bubble bath together.”

  “But we’ll be clean,” I pointed out. “What’s worse? Sitting around in each other’s filth or sitting in soap together?”

  “Soap is only clean as long as it’s in the bottle. Once it’s in the water, it’s just dirty soap.”

  “It’s self-cleaning.”

  “Oh, God.” Chris and I turned to see Jules standing in the doorway with Alec and Rocco. “Are you two taking a bubble bath?”

  “It’s a hot tub,” I corrected. “The bubbles are just to get us clean.”

  “That’s what a shower is for,” Jules pointed out.

  “Hot tubs are very good for the muscles,” Rocco said as he yanked off his shirt. “I’m in.”

  “Grab me another cooler before you get in,” I said.

  Rocco stripped down to his shorts and climbed in with a cooler for each of us. “Ah, this is great. My body is killing me today.” He closed his eyes and then opened them, narrowing in on me. “Are you fucking listening to Celine Dion?”

  I shrugged. “You get the bitch to play something else.”

  “Alexa,” Rocco shouted. “Play Michael Jackson.”

  “Playing Spiderman Theme by Michael Bubble.”

  “Who the fuck is Michael Bubble?” Rocco asked.

  “You don’t know Michael Bublè?” Chris asked incredulously. “He’s only like the best singer I’ve ever heard. Jazz, really good shit.”

  “Jazz?” I asked.

  “Hey, Ali listens to him. That fucker can sing.”

  “He’s alright, but he’s a jazz singer. I mean, come on, it’s not very manly.”

  Chris grinned at me. “Alexa, play Call Me Irresponsible by Michael Bublè.” The song came on and it was just another fucking jazz song.

  “Yeah, it’s good, but… it’s still fucking jazz. And frankly, I don’t know how you hold a gun and listen to that shit.”

  “Fine, try this one…Alexa, play I’m Your Man by Michael Bublè.”

  “Why does she listen to you and play what you want to hear?” I grumbled. “I’m gonna need more alcohol if I have to keep listening to this.” I stood and went over to the fridge, popping a few more bottles to set on the table by the hot tub. I climbed over the edge, just barely making it in. “This is just a little too close for comfort.”

  “Relax, no one’s touching anyone else. It’s all good,” Jules assured me. “Besides, we all have underwear on.”

  “Right, that doesn’t make this any less weird,” Alec mumbled.

  “You got in the tub, fucker.” Rocco sank down further and snatched one of my coolers.

  “Hey, I didn’t get that for you, asshole.”

  “Someone’s gonna have to get something stronger than this if we’re all gonna share a hot tub together,” Alec said. “This is just fucking uncomfortable.”

  “Hang on. I got us covered.” Chris pulled his phone and told someone to bring us more coolers.

  “What the fuck? You get on the phone and request more drinks, but you ask for coolers?” Alec said in shock.

  “Hey, they’re good. Fruity and refreshing.”

  “Who did you call?” I asked.

  “Gabe,” Chris grinned.

  “You’re lucky Hunter’s not here. He’d kick your ass.”

  Chris got up one last time and brought us what was left in the fridge and we slammed them back. They were coolers. It wasn’t like they were hard shots.

  “Damn, why didn’t anyone tell me we had a hot tub?” Gabe asked, with Chance and Jackson on his heels.

  “I thought we were doing some drinking,” Chance jerked his chin at us. “What the hell are you guys doing?”

  “Soaking,” I said in confusion. “What does it look like we’re doing?”

  “It looks like a bunch of grown men are sitting in a rather small hot tub, drinking girly drinks, and listening to girly music.” He stepped forward and peered into the tub. “You are wearing underwear, right?”

  “Of course we are,” I said defensively.

  Gabe started passing out drinks to each of us. “Why? The whole point is to relax. How can you relax when your junk is scrunched up in wet underwear?”

  “How could you relax when you’re sitting with a bunch of dudes with your dick floating around?” Chris asked.

  “It’s not that long,” Gabe rolled his eyes. “It’s not like it’s an actual sword and it’s coming to get you.” He pulled down his pants, boxers and all, and walked toward us.

  “Whoa!” Alex shot up out of the hot tub and scrambled over the side, slipping on the water on the floor. “You don’t just pull down your underwear in front of everyone. Some of us were looking!”

  “You were looking at my junk?” Gabe grinned.

  “Not directly. But there’s always a chance a side glance will
get you more than you bargained for.”

  “I’m not getting in that hot tub with my underwear on,” Gabe insisted. “Now, you asked me to go get drinks for you, and I’ve done that. I’m getting in there, so move your ass over.”

  “I’m not getting in there,” Chance insisted. “That’s a cesspool of sweaty ball-sack and dicks just waiting to get whacked.”

  “Don’t be such a pussy. It’s a hot tub and we’re all guys,” Jackson said, slipping off his own clothes and stepping into the hot tub.”

  There was no way Gabe was going to fit. There wasn’t enough space, but he didn’t seem to care. He passed out drinks and then walked over, standing right on the edge of the hot tub, his dick dangling in my face.

  “There’s no room,” I reiterated. “If you’re getting in, I’m getting out.”

  “There’s room,” Gabe insisted. “Just slide closer to Chris.”

  “I’m not sliding over. That crosses the man boundaries. Our legs would almost be touching.”

  “Alec, move closer to Jules.” Alec looked to me for help, but when Gabe kept shooing him, he finally scooted over slightly. “Alright, now it’s your turn, Rocco.”

  “Fuck no.”

  “You touched my dick when you were tucking it into my thong, but now you have a problem touching another guy’s leg?”

  “That was purely professional,” Rocco insisted. “This is a hot tub and most definitely not professional.”

  I snorted with laughter. “Yeah, knowing how to tape your dick in a thong is really necessary for field work.”

  “It is if you wear a thong,” Rocco pointed out.

  “Just move over,” Gabe said again.

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “No.”

  “Yes,” Gabe said before shoving Rocco over and stepping into the hot tub. He fought Rocco the whole time. I saw him slipping. I saw his body turn toward mine. I looked at my drink and had to make a split second decision, lose my drink or let a dick slap me in the face. I lifted my left hand to ward off the coming onslaught. I felt the little guy touch my hand and I cringed, shoving Gabe away from me. He fell to my side, his head going underwater. Chris’s eyes went comically wide and he jumped up, flinging Gabe off him as he scrambled out of the hot tub.

  “You touched my dick!” Chris shouted. Gabe pulled up out of the water, brushing the water from his face.

  “What the fuck?” Cap shouted from the doorway. “Seriously, do you guys just time this shit so that I always have to walk in on it?”

  None of us knew what to say and just sat there staring at each other.

  “Waxings, fucking, touching each other’s junk, hot tubs, wine coolers,” Cap shouted, “Oh, and let’s not forget Michael fucking Bublè! Is there anything else you guys want to throw at me?”

  Gabe pointed at all of us accusingly. “They wouldn’t fucking move over.”

  “He wouldn’t put on underwear!” I shouted back.

  “You don’t wear fucking underwear in a hot tub!”

  “I touched your dick,” I yelled. “Do you know how traumatizing that was? I’ll never be the same.”

  “I wouldn’t have fallen on you if you guys had just made a little fucking room.”

  “Enough!” Cap shouted. “Jesus fucking Christ. Sometimes, I don’t know if I’m working with grown ass men or toddlers. My office. Ten minutes. Get all this water cleaned up and get your asses upstairs.” He turned for the door and then slowly turned around, glaring at all of us. “Fully clothed.”

  And then he was gone and we were all left looking at each other warily.

  “So, I guess this would be a bad time to point out that there’s a second hot tub across the hall,” Jules said.