Page 25 of Daring the Hockey Player

"It's bro code," Noah quips.

"Bro code?" I repeat. None of my hockey brothers have dated her. At least, I haven't seen them bring her around to any games or after-parties.

"She's family," Noah says. "Kyler is your brother, and you can't fuck his fiancée's little sister. That is a major violation of bro code."

"I wasn't going to fuck her."

"You can't date her, either," Owen chimes. "She's off-limits. Do you want a silly fling with a college girl to destroy the team?"

I hate that he's right.

"Do you both agree with them?" I ask my teammates Asher and Parker, who are married to great girls and have experience with women. Not that Owen and Noah don't get plenty of dates—they both have regular hookups and flings—but they've never slept with the same girl twice.

"That would be a major violation of bro code," Asher agrees.

Amber is pretty great, but she's also a virgin, and there's a lot of baggage that comes with that type of relationship. Commitment isn't something I have time for with regular games, practice, and focusing on my career.

But tonight has been fun, and I don't want to push that aside, either. Honestly, I haven't felt like this about anyone in a long time. Taking my jersey off at the end of the period to give to Amber, that was a big deal for me, and I'm still not even sure why I did it.

I felt compelled to make her want to care about the Ice Dragons and our team.

It was foolish and dumb. I glance down at my jersey on the table.

"What am I supposed to do?" I ask the guys.

"Remain her friend," Noah says. "You're likely to see her during the holidays. The last thing you want is for shit to turn awkward and having to explain it to Emerson or Kyler."

Fuck, I never even considered that it could get weird for us.

"Friends," I say and nod. I can do that, but it starts with having to friend zone Amber. Even if it's not what I want, it's for the best.

"And about that kiss that she keeps ragging on you to do," Noah quips. "Don't fall into it. It's a trap."

My jaw tightens. "What do you mean?"

"The prettiest girl in the bar?" Owen gestures. "If you kiss any other girl, she's going to hate your guts."

"I don't want to kiss any other girl," I counter. The only girl I want to kiss is Amber, and the guys are telling me not to get involved with her, and I hate that they might be right.

"Precisely, and if you kiss her, she's going to get the wrong idea," Owen says. "She'll want more than friends. She likes you, and you've made it clear that you're interested." He points at the jersey on the table, reminding me of what I've done.

"Just kiss her hand or cheek if she forces it," Noah says. "And maybe suggest that her friend take her home. Get her out of here before she takes things too far, and you're forced to break her heart."

I run my fingers through my hair. It's sage advice.

Not necessarily what I want, but I'd rather have Amber as my friend than her hating me for the rest of our lives. And if I have to see her on holidays or if Kyler invites us all over for a party or get-together, I don’t want shit to be awkward.

"Yeah, got it."

The girls hurry back to the table, and Amber sways a bit as she heads for her seat. "We should probably get you home," I say, glancing from Amber back toward her friend Charlotte, who has disappeared.

"You want to take me home?" Amber asks and giggles.

She's definitely bordering on drunk. "No, I want to take you back to your place."

Poor choice of words because she puts her hand on my chest and slowly lets it glide down to my stomach. My muscles instinctively flex under her touch. I grab her hand, stopping her before she lowers it any farther. I don't need her feeling my cock twitch in my jeans.

"Okay," Amber says.