Page 29 of Just my Puck (Love & Laughter #1)
STEELE
“O kay, she is...unpleasant,” I remark, as I lead Lucy away from that woman harassing her and Jason.
As we head towards the Jeep, parked at the curb, I sense Lucy withdrawing into herself, biting her lower lip, and fidgeting with her fingers.
Reaching out to grab her hand, I give it a gentle squeeze.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I say softly, pulling her into a side hug. “That woman is just jealous. She has no right to make you feel bad about anything.”
Lucy sniffs, wiping away a stray tear that falls down her cheek. “I know,” she mumbles. “It’s just...hard sometimes. Dealing with people like that. I don’t usually do confrontations, and that was shocking. She was supposed to be my friend.”
Nodding, I press my lips against the top of her head. “I know, little one. But you’ve got me, and Jason. We’ll protect you from anyone who tries to hurt you.”
Lucy looks up at me with those big brown eyes of hers, full of vulnerability and trust. It’s up to me to keep Lucy safe and happy, to be her knight in shining armor.
I want nothing more than to protect her always, but we have to leave her now and go to hockey practice.
First, I need to tell her something as we get back to the Jeep.
“Hey, little one,” I say gently, holding her at arm’s length. “Jason and I are going to be playing away in a couple of days. We won’t be able to see you for a little while.”
Her face falls, and the anxiety starts to creep back in, but she smiles bravely. “Oh, of course.”
“I promise we’ll call you every day, and we’ll be back before you know it,” I reassure her, giving her another hug. “And besides, we need to win these games for you. You’re our lucky charm, remember?”
Lucy smiles weakly, but she’s still worried. I hate leaving her like this, but we don’t have a choice.
“We’ll drive you home and then we have to get going.”
“No, it’s okay, I’ll walk. It’s not that far.”
“We’ll drive you.” My tone leaves no room for argument, so she smiles and climbs in before I close the door behind her.
Heading towards her apartment building, I wish I could tell her how deeply I feel for her.
I want to tell her that I can’t stop thinking about her, that every moment spent away from her is a moment wasted. But I know better than to put her on the spot like that, especially when she’s already feeling anxious. So instead, I focus on making her feel safe and comfortable.
As we pull up in front of her building, I turn to her and say, “We’ll be back soon, I promise. And until then, don’t hesitate to call us if you need anything.”
She nods, a small smile playing on her lips. “Thank you,” she says softly.
Leaning in, I press a chaste kiss on her lips, hoping she grabs me and deepens it.
She thrusts her tongue into my mouth, I groan softly with longing, cupping the back of her neck as my tongue dances with hers.
“What about me?” Jason asks when she eventually lets me go.
Smiling, and looking less worried than she did before, she kneels on the passenger seat and grabs Jason by his tee, pulling him towards her.
She plants her lips on his and they kiss, passionately and definitely as if they’ve done it before.
Jase was very cagey about his time spent with her last night, which is fine for now.
That bullshit won’t fly when we are all together properly.
We need to be open and honest, or it won’t work.
Feeling my arousal spike, I grip the steering wheel, wondering if it’s too early to suggest taking Lucy up to her apartment to ravage her senseless, but reality slaps me hard.
“We have to get to practice,” Jason murmurs. “We have a game tomorrow. Please come.”
“I will,” she whispers, and then with a wave, she’s gone.
“You glad you took the plunge?” I ask, pulling away once Lucy is through the building doors.
“Yeah,” he says, sitting back and staring out into the distance. “She’s special.”
“She is.”
“What are your thoughts on the three of us?”
“That we are with her together.” I wait for the questions but there aren’t any. Just a ponderous silence.
“Like a three-way?”
“More than sex, Jase. Everything. But you have to be sure and so does she.”
“I’m sure. After last night, I couldn’t be more sure that I want to be with her. She is…”
“Everything?”
“Yeah.”
Smiling to myself that this might work out, after all, I head to the rink.
A few minutes later, as we lace up our skates and hit the ice, my mind keeps wandering back to Lucy. I don’t know why I feel so protective of her. Maybe it’s because she’s so sweet and innocent. All I know is that I’ll do anything in my power to keep her safe.
Pulling my focus back to the practice as we skate back and forth, passing the puck to one another, my mind drifts back to Lucy and the possibility of the three of us being together. It’s an exhilarating thought. The chemistry between the three of us is undeniable.
As we finish up practice and head to the locker room, I catch Carter’s eye and he nods towards the showers.
I know what he means: he wants to talk privately.
So I hang back as Jason heads into the locker room, then I follow Carter into the shower area.
The sound of the water echoes around us as we stand there, facing each other.
“What’s going on with you?” I ask bluntly. There is a bug up his ass, and it needs dealing with, stat.
Carter hesitates before answering. “I don’t know. Just trying to figure things out.”
“What things?”
He sighs, running a hand through his wet hair. “Just...everything. You, Jase… Lucy. This whole thing.”
“What about it?” My interest is definitely piqued.
“I don’t know,” he sighs with frustration. “It’s just...complicated.”
“What is?”
His troubled gaze meets mine. “I’m trying not to, but I see what you see.”
Narrowing my eyes, I get it. “In Lucy? Not surprising. She is incredible.”
“Yeah.”
“So what are you saying? You want a shot with her as well?” I’m not opposed to the idea, but Lucy might be more difficult to convince.
“Maybe, I don’t know.” He shuts down as I half-expected him to do.
“Just be honest with yourself, the rest will come.”
“I don’t even know what I’m saying.”
Slapping him on the shoulder, I say, “Yeah, you do.”
“What about Jason?”
“What about him?
Carter shrugs. “Forget it. This was a bad idea. I knew my mom was meddling when she said to bring it up.”
“Your mom is pretty smart. She knows when something is bugging you. You want Lucy.”
“I don’t know her. I know I find her attractive, and she is super sweet and different from the usual girls that flock around us.”
“All true.”
“So how do I get to know her?”
Squinting at him, I sigh. “Talk to her. No other way, bro. She doesn’t bite.”
“No, but you might,” he growls.
“Nah, all bark.”
“Fuck off.”
He has gone moody and now there’s no talking to him. But I couldn’t think of a more perfect situation than the three of us with Lucy. She would be worshiped the way she is meant to be.
“She’s coming to the game tomorrow, and hopefully back home with us. Use the opportunity I give you, Cart, or you will end up regretting it.”
“How are you so cool about this?”
“It’s natural for me and finding a woman who can also be with my best friends has always been where I wanted to end up. It just is.”
“Fuck, I wish I had your outlook. I find it cringe and disgusting of me to lust after your girl.”
“Don’t be a cock, Cart,” I chide him for his self-deprecation. “You’re a great guy with a big heart. Lust away. Who knows where it will lead you?”
“Hopefully not to Jason’s fist in my face.”
“He punches like a girl, I wouldn’t worry about it.”
He laughs at my joke and nods, slowly. “If you’re sure?”
“Are you?”
“Yeah, I want to know more.”
“Then I’m sure Jase will fall in line. But at the end of the day, it’s up to Lucy. She is the one you need to convince that she can’t live without you.”
“Yeah.” He walks off, lost in thought and I smile before I head off to get changed and speak to Jason about this interesting turn of events.