Page 20 of Just my Puck (Love & Laughter #1)

STEELE

L eading Lucy to my bedroom, where we can have maximum privacy; she is gnawing on her lip like crazy.

“Jase, give us a minute, okay?” I mutter as we walk past him.

He nods, but then grabs my arm, pulling me away from Lucy. “Are you seriously going to ask her to fake date me?”

“I’m going to ask what she thinks about it as an idea to calm the press.”

“But they’ve seen her with you tonight.”

He is nervous and appears worried, which is curious. He is more invested in Lucy than I realized, which in a way, is good. It means he is on his way to admitting he has feelings for her, instead of brushing it off and not going ahead with this ridiculous fake dating plan.

But it raises a question that needs answering. “Are you ready to date her for real?”

His gaze locks with mine. “I don’t know. I don’t know her and after Swann…”

“Forget all that. When you look at her now, what do you feel?”

He huffs out a quiet breath. “That I want to be with her.”

“Then there’s your answer. But this is up to her, on her terms. I won’t force her or push her. If she dumps me over it, then that’s her choice.”

It might be her choice, but I will fight to the death for her.

She is my soulmate. I know it deep down.

Not even that deep down. She is everything.

It has taken me three interactions with her to know she is the one for me.

She makes me happy; she makes me laugh. I can be myself around her and not the big badass hockey enforcer.

Jason nods and backs off, worry etched on his face. He knows this is a long shot. But he knows I won’t screw him over. I want this. I want us to be in a relationship together. It’s a weird driving force, but I know Lucy will be happy and satisfied and taken care of, and that’s all that matters.

Staring at her, standing in my bedroom, I take another step forward, but instead of engaging her, I just watch from the doorway.

She’s standing in front of my bed, her back to me, a bundle of nerves.

Wanting to reach out and comfort her, to tell her that everything will be all right, I can’t find the words, so for now, I look at her, taking in her beauty.

“Will you spit it out,” she asks after a few moments.

Chuckling, I approach her, closing the door behind me and handing her Puddles to maul in her nervousness.

“This is about Jason,” I start. “Do you want to sit?”

She shakes her head. “What about him?”

“He has a really dumb idea, but I think he’s gone off that now.”

“Okay. What was his dumb idea, and what has it got to do with me?”

“After the video, and with the speculation surrounding the two of you dating, the higher-ups at the team have decided you are a good match for him.”

“What?” she splutters, her cheeks going a dark red with anger.

“I know how it sounds but let me finish.” I sit on the bed and grab her hand, pulling her down with me. “He has a rep, as you might know, of being a bit of a fuckboy.”

She nods her confirmation.

“Well, it was mentioned that if you were dating him, it would look good for the press, the sponsors, and the fans…like he’d settled down and was focused back on his game. There has been a lot of talk about how his dick is leading the charge, and the game has gone by the wayside.”

“Oh. He wants to date me to look good?” She frowns fiercely. “Why me?”

“Because of the video and what he said, but also because you are a good girl.”

The words good girl ring through the air, making me drool a little bit. Wanting to call her that while she rides my cock is ripping at my insides, but I won’t push her to be ready to have sex with me before she is.

“A good girl?” she scoffs, shaking her head and resting her elbows on her knees. “Please.”

Chuckling softly, I grasp her chin and turn her to face me. “You are, little one. It’s a compliment, not an insult.”

“Says you.”

Contemplating my next words carefully, I narrow my eyes.

“Look,” she says before I can say anything else. “This is a really dumb idea. I like you. If you don’t like me and are dumping me so I can fake date your friend, then tough. I’m not doing it.”

“Who said anything about me dumping you?” I ask lightly.

Lucy’s eyes widen. “You are suggesting I date both of you? How dare you? Who the fuck do you think you are?” Her rage is stunning.

Taking her hand, she yanks it back and stands up, moving away from me. I’m not worried. Not yet. If she really wanted to get away from me, she’d leave.

“I don’t understand this,” she says with a sexy pout.

“He doesn’t want to fake date you, Lucy. Not anymore. He wants to date you, for real.”

Dropping that bomb makes my heart stop.

Her furious expression deepens, causing her glasses to slide down her nose a little bit. Shoving them back up, she lifts her chin and glares defiantly. “Is this a joke? Prey on the nerdy girl, the klutz who makes a fool of herself in front of the world. An easy target?”

Her hurt is palpable, but I shake my head vehemently, so she understands that what she says is not true.

Rising, trying not to look too intimidating as I approach her, I hold my hands where she can see them in some weird sort of strategic maneuver.

She glances at them, probably wondering what the fuck I’m doing.

“No joke,” I say slowly. “I like you, Lucy. So much. I’ve never met anyone like you, and I want to be with you. Jason…he knows what he wants now, and he wants a shot with you.”

“A shot? What if he can’t stand me? What if I can’t stand him?

I didn’t choose him; I chose you.” Tears well up in her eyes, and I feel terrible.

I didn’t know how this would go, but her being upset wasn’t really how I expected it.

Furious, indignant, telling me to get fucked, those were the things that went through my mind.

“I know you did, and I thank God you did. We’ve only known each other a few days, but I feel like I’ve known you forever, Lucy. I feel it here.” I place my hand over my heart and hope she hears me. “Do you feel it?”

She pauses in her anger and stares at me for a long time. “Yes, I do, and that’s why this is such a shock and so hurtful.”

“It’s not meant to be hurtful, Lucy. It’s meant to be a wonderful thing. Think of all the possibilities.”

She blinks. “Like what exactly?”

“Like having two adoring men at your beck and call.”

“Pah,” she snorts. “Don’t be fucking ridiculous.”

“I’m not.”

“Jason is a womanizer. He won’t want the same things as me.”

“You don’t know that until you talk to him.

That’s all I’m asking you to do right now.

You don’t have to decide anything. If you decide never to give him a chance, I hope that you will still be with me.

There are many different ways this could go, Lucy, but you hold all the cards. The ball is entirely in your court.”

“How so?”

Her interest is piqued, and that is a good sign. She isn’t telling me to suck my own cock, not running away from me.

“What you say goes. However you want to do this or not, it will be your call. You won’t hear us arguing or trying to negotiate. It’s all up to you.”

“Humph.” She folds her arms over her chest.

“What are you thinking?” I ask after a few silent minutes.

“That you are nuts.”

“Okay, I guess I deserve that.”

“Steele...I’m really confused right now. I don’t understand how you can say you want me, but then you want me to be with your friend as well. I mean, do you hear how insane that is?”

“It’s not insane. Not to me.” Pausing, I debate how much to tell her.

My family life is personal, well, as personal as I can make it in this life.

“My mother has three husbands. They are committed to each other, and it’s how they live.

My mom is the central figure, and she is only with them, and her husbands are only with her. ”

“What?” she asks softly. “Seriously?”

“Very seriously. And yes, one of them is my dad.” Chuckling as her face goes red, I knew she was wondering how that worked.

“Wow. Okay, so this is normal for you.”

“Normal is relative.” I shrug.

“True,” she murmurs. “I know that all too well.”

“Will you think about it?”

“Are you sure that this isn’t you trying to palm me off on Jason to get rid of me?”

“Absolutely not at all. I don’t want to lose you, Lucy. Please, will you think about it?”

She nods slowly. “Yes, but I have no idea what I’ll decide or anything, and really Jason needs to come and speak to me, so I can see for myself that this isn’t some cruel joke.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you, Lucy. He’ll come to you, but I think you need to decide first if this is something you can do.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Thank you,” I say, approaching her with relief in my heart. “That’s all I ask. I know you don’t know him, and he has this rep, but he’s a good guy who will treat you right. He is an idiot who finally knows what he’s missing.”

She nods, but she is wary.

“I’ll leave you to have a think. I need to call my mom now. She likes to hear I’m okay after the games.”

“Oh, you should’ve said! Of course!” she says, her compassion shining through. “Please, I’m sorry to have kept you.”

Going to her and taking her hands, I smile. “You’re beautiful, Lucy. Inside and out.” Bringing one of her hands to my lips, I kiss it gently, wishing I could devour her mouth as I’d attempted to do in the kitchen earlier.