Page 17 of Just my Puck (Love & Laughter #1)

JASON

R ubbing my bruised shoulder, I make my way out of the locker room, hanging back so I have time to think.

The game was…interesting.

I’m surprised that the win came so easily to us after weeks of playing like losers; we finally managed to break free from that and win the game.

Knowing Lucy was there was definitely an incentive not to play like a dick, but I’m pretty sure she didn’t notice me at all.

She only had eyes for Steele. Every time I glanced over, she was gazing at him.

It’s great for him, but I’m starting to feel like I’m not fully owning my attraction to her.

Yes, she is the ideal woman to calm the press down about my screwing around and partying, but it’s more than that.

Part of me wonders if it’s because Steele has her and got her so quickly or if it’s a genuine attraction that I need to explore.

The only real way to figure that out is to know her, and so far, staring like a chump at her through the diner window isn’t getting the job done.

Hoisting my backpack over my good shoulder and stepping cautiously into the arena, I spot Steele someway off, sitting behind the penalty box with two women: Lucy and a redhead who must be her friend.

“Great game, Storm!”

The surge of fans coming toward me is off-putting tonight. Usually, I revel in the attention, but tonight, I’m pensive. There are a lot of things I need to figure out, and I can’t do that when I can’t think straight.

Smiling and shaking hands, signing the odd autograph, I hustle my way over to where Lucy and Steele are sitting. Steele glances up and smiles.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” I mutter, narrowing my eyes at Lucy. For some reason, she makes me more nervous than I’ve ever been in my life. “You okay, princess?” I ask with a soft smirk.

She blushes, and it’s so adorable that I want to hug her.

“Fine,” she mumbles. “You?”

“I’m good.”

“I’m Patty,” the redhead chimes in, giving me a broad grin, but it’s not a flirty one, more of a she-can-see-straight-through-me-one.

“Hey, Patty.”

“Great game, by the way.”

“Thanks.” The smile I give her is genuine. “We must’ve had a lucky charm hidden somewhere.”

She glances at Lucy and raises her eyebrow before hiding her smile.

Tearing my gaze back to the woman I can’t stop thinking about, I say, “I’m Jason, by the way. Steele seems to have left his manners up his ass today.”

She giggles and gives him an adoring stare. “Lucy,” she says, looking back at me. “I’m sorry for all the bother. The universe tends to hate me.”

“It’s no bother,” I murmur, wondering why she is apologizing to me. I should be the one apologizing to her for all the disruption and social media humiliation.

So, do it, you fucking prick.

“I’m sorry for thrusting you into the limelight.”

Her eyes light up at the sincerity in my tone, which is as genuine as her smile.

“Thanks,” she mutters, fiddling with the webbed feet of a stuffed penguin.

“You could say…fate threw you together,” Patty pipes up before snickering to herself.

Ignoring the throng of people that have decided to see what all the chit-chat is about, I see Steele clench his jaw and take her hand possessively.

My gaze locks on her tiny hand in his, and I chew the inside of my lip. “Want to come back to ours?” I ask suddenly. “Get away from all these cameras?”

Catching Steele’s gaze, he appears to be less scowly than usual. This must’ve been something he was hoping for.

“Sure,” Lucy says carefully. “Uhm, is it going to be a party? I’ve work tomorrow, so I can’t stay late.”

Shaking my head, I say, “No party. Just peace.”

“Well,” Patty says, standing up. “I’ll leave you to it.”

“No, wait!” Lucy says, jumping up and tearing her hand from Steele’s.

“Are you dating Steele? Thought you were with Jason? Are you dating both of them? Or did Jason dump you?”

The questions come thick and fast towards her, which makes her wince.

“You don’t need to answer them,” I say quickly, moving up a step, blocking her away from the vultures, suddenly wishing that fame didn’t come with being a star pro hockey player and regretting all my life choices over the last couple of years.

All it’s done is bring more media attention to my door, and I see now why Geoff, Coach, and the sponsors are getting tired of the spectacle.

All I want is for everyone else to disappear so I can take Lucy’s hand and not have it splashed all over the internet in five seconds flat with a dozen different speculations.

“Steele?” she asks, biting her bottom lip as she looks at the ground.

He rises from the cheap plastic seat, unfolding his massive frame. He towers over everyone as he takes Lucy’s hand.

Ignoring the press and the fans, he leads her down the aisle between the rows of seats, causing me to scramble to catch up behind Patty, who also follows them.

“Seriously though, great game!” Patty says over her shoulder to me as we shuffle our way through the rows of seats.

“Thanks. It was a good game.”

“You took a big slamming. You okay, Champ?”

Snickering at her use of the nickname, I reply, “All good, Red.”

She stops dead, whereby I crash into her, and she turns around, stepping on my toe in the process. Lifting her hand to place on my chest as she gently pushes me away, she looks up at me from her much shorter height.

“The last person who called me Red got a kick in the nuts.”

Pressing my lips together to not laugh openly at her badass attitude, I say, “The last person to call me Champ got banned from future games.”

“Oh, ouch. You play dirty, Champ.” She punches me on the arm much harder than I expected from such a small woman.

“Ow,” I complain good-naturedly. “You hit like an enforcer.”

“Pah, you’re just a pussy,” she says and turns on her heel, giggling to herself as she marches off after Steele and Lucy, who are waiting for us at the main doors to the arena.

“I like your friend,” I say to Lucy when we catch up. “She’s got game.”

“She’s the best,” Lucy replies, exchanging a smile with Patty. “Are you sure you want me to come to your home?” She turns her attention back to Steele.

“Yeah, little one,” he murmurs, surprising me with his endearment, but it suits her. Or anyone else standing next to him, even me, and I’m six-two. “There are too many eyes out here, and there’s something I want to ask you anyway.”

“Oh?”

Raising an eyebrow as he glances at me, I ask the silent question if he’s sure of this course. I know I am. She is delicate and sweet and pretty. She is everything in a girl I didn’t know I wanted until she fell face-first into my lap.

“We’ll give you a lift,” he says to Patty as we leave the arena to more speculation.

But I don’t give a damn. Whatever happens now will be on our terms, and no one is going to manipulate the situation any more than they’ve already tried to. I want a shot with this girl. A real shot.

If she’ll have me and if she’ll date me as well as Steele.

Everything hinges on that one obstacle, but no one knows which way she will turn. Time will tell.