Page 100 of Daring the Hockey Player

"It's one lousy game," I say. I still have time to perfect my career, to get it all figured out before I'm waiting on offers and hoping that I'm picked up for a new contract. I grumble under my breath, "And I hate the Bruisers."

"Me too," Kyler grumbles. "Knox is the biggest jerk of all of them."

"I'm not a fan, either," Owen says. "But I mean, I don't like any team we play. They're all rivals. Now, what was that you were saying, Jasper, about a girlfriend?"

I groan and refocus my attention on the game. "Nothing. I said nothing." I refuse to give them any ammunition to be used against me because they're not about to let it go.

In the second period, Coach Malone gives Owen, Kyler, and me another chance to redeem ourselves on the ice. We do a better job of working together, focusing, and scoring three goals.

We're still down by one, but at least we've managed to catch up, and when we were benched, our teammates kept anyone from scoring against us.

There are worse positions to be in, I suppose.

By the third period, Kyler makes the goal to tie up the score, and I make the goal that gets us ahead by one.

I blow Amber a kiss in the stands, pointing at her, wanting her to know that goal-winning shot was for her.

"Jasper, why the fuck are you hitting on my fiancée?" Kyler growls, misinterpreting the kiss. He shouts at me across the ice, and for a moment, I think he's about to beat the shit out of me, but Knox Storm comes up with a disgusting smirk on his face.

"Two brothers, sticking it to the same girl," Knox says with a sly grin. He's trying to get to me and being obnoxious enough that I swear Kyler can hear him too.

Emerson and Amber are sitting beside one another. The kiss was one hundred percent meant and sent to Amber. But if I tell my asinine brother who it was meant for, I'm not sure he'll be as forgiving.

"Shove your stick up your puckhole, Storm." I slam my shoulder into his body, pinning him to the glass while fighting for the puck as it glides across the ice at our feet.

"Can't get your own girlfriend. Have to steal your older brother's?" Knox says, shoving me backward.

I throw my stick down on the ice. "Says the loser who slept with my thirteen-year-old girlfriend."

"Whoa!" Knox grunts as I land an uppercut on his jaw, and his helmet flies off. "She was legal when I fucked her."

That doesn't make me feel a lot better. "Really? I was thirteen. She ran off to go suck your dick."

That wasn't exactly how it went down. She hooked up with his younger brother, Atlas, before eventually shagging Knox when she was eighteen, or so I've heard. She followed him around like a groupie, probably begging to let him screw her. Disgust fills me like a lead balloon, my stomach heavy and nauseous as I pound my fist into Knox. He throws back as hard as I give.

"And it was amazing lips, asshole," Knox grunts, his fists slamming against my chest.

Sweat drips down my forehead, and finally, a couple of players intervene, yanking the two of us apart, keeping us from tearing each other to pieces.

We're both tossed into the penalty box, and I refuse to glance in the direction where Amber andthat assholeare seated.

Why the hell is she with him? Is it to torture me?

She doesn't know about Atlas and about our pasts as kids. How could she? It's not something I talk about. Who wants to relive their first heartache and betrayal?

It was years ago and shouldn't matter, but seeing him besidemy girlmakes my insides boil. I trust Amber. Even though I don't know what we are, I still trust her without a doubt. It also helps that we're roommates, and I've never seen her bring Atlas around.

Let it all be a coincidence. That they happen to be two people that bought tickets and are seated beside one another.

I hate myself for fighting with Knox, for letting him get to me. As punishment, I glance at Atlas in the stands. Perhaps it's a little bit of desire, too, that brings me to look in that direction at Amber.

But she's gone. She's not in her seat. Emerson is alone, and Atlas is gone as well.

Every fiber of my being aches. I could easily blame it on the punches to my chest, my neck, even a few landed to my face.

That isn't what hurts. It's the sting of Amber and Atlas alone together.

I trust her, but I don't trusthim.