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Thank you for reading Major Penalty ! Follow me and don't miss the first book in this series, Damien's story.

If you enjoyed this book you'll love Stick Handled

If my best friend's little sister is ready to pop her cherry, it's gonna be on my stick.

I’m the Enforcer who breaks every rule on and off the ice—except one: Avery DiMarco’s off-limits.

The only problem, she’s always been my weakness.

Now Avery’s home from college and living next door with her brother, my best friend and team captain.

She’s still the shy, bookish smokeshow I remember.

But under that quiet sweetness is a strong, intelligent woman who doesn’t know how sexy she is.

She wants to break out of her shell and sharpen her flirt game — on me.

Her idea of flirting? Clumsy. Adorable. And completely dangerous.

But as long as she’s flashing me that cute smile, I’m shooting my shot.

I may be obliterating the Bro Code, but our scorching secret nights are worth every risk.

I’ve spent my career skating through puck bunnies and bad decisions.

Now I’m ready to clean up my game — for good.

But I’m in for the body check of my life when her brother finds out his sister’s getting stick-handled by his best friend.

To start reading this steamy Brother's Best Friend romance CLICK HERE

~AVERY~

LAX is loud and crowded. I already can’t wait to get the hell out of here.

“I’ve never flown first-class before,” Sarah muses next to me, scrolling through the dozen pictures she took while we were on the flight. I accidentally spit my gum in her hair in fifth grade and we’ve been best friends ever since, returning from college together. Funny how life works.

“It’s so kind of your brother to upgrade my ticket,” she continues.

“That’s Rowan for you,” I toss back as I scan the passing cars for my brother’s. “He wouldn’t let you fly with a crying baby behind you.”

“I haven’t seen Rowan in so long. If he gets any hotter, I might fold and break the girl code.” She giggles, still looking at her phone.

“Sarah, gross.” I scrunch my nose at the mention of my brother and the word ‘hot’ in the same sentence.

“Would it be so bad to have me as a sister-in-law?” She finally looks up from her phone with a playful glint in her eyes.

“Don’t even make me imagine it,” I reply and feel my phone buzz in my hand.

Blood suddenly rushes in my ears as I stare down at it. My brother's text glares up at me from the screen.

ROWAN : Something urgent came up. I sent Damien to pick you up. 5 minutes.

My stomach tightens. Damien.

I don’t have time to dwell on it before Sarah catches on.

“What’s up?” she asks, her tone breezy as always. Her sleek light brown hair falls perfectly into place, and she’s standing there like she’s posing for imaginary paparazzi. Nothing ever rattles her.

“Rowan can’t make it,” I say, biting down on my lip. “He sent Damien instead.”

Sarah’s eyebrows shoot up. “ Damien Damien?”

I nod, feeling the familiar anxiety creep in.

She stares at me for a second, then grins like a cat. “Oh, this is going to be interesting.”

“Don’t,” I mutter, shifting the weight of my bags. The last thing I need is her poking at this. “Don’t start.”

“Damien,” she purrs. “He’s all over the media right now. The man is a walking thirst trap. Have you seen all the edits of him on the ice?”

“I haven’t,” I blurt out, tasting the lie on my tongue. Damien is… Damien. Rowan’s best friend, the guy who probably hasn’t thought about me twice since the last time I tripped over my own feet in front of him.

“You should use the opportunity,” she says in a tone like she’s giving me advice on which shoes to buy. “You wanted to feel more confident with men. A summer fling with one of the most successful and hot hockey players in the world right now might be what you need.”

“I know you did not just suggest that to me.” My mouth falls open. Did she just suggest I flirt with one of my brother’s best friends?

“You need to toughen up and come out of your shell a little—your words, not mine. Just test the waters. See if you can finally flirt without combusting.” She nudges my shoulder with her own.

I roll my eyes, but my pulse kicks up a notch when I spot a black G-Wagon pulling up outside. I don’t know enough about cars to recognize the model, but I know it’s the kind that’s built for power and looks as dangerous as the man getting out of it.

My heart hammers in my chest as Damien’s huge silhouette comes into view.

He doesn’t just walk. He owns the space like it’s bending to him. His black shirt clings to muscles that definitely weren’t that defined the last time I saw him. People immediately turn their heads his way, whispering and pulling out their phones to take pictures of him. And when his eyes—hazel with flecks of gold and green—land on me, they do that thing. That casual, detached sweep like he’s assessing the situation, and everything in it is his to play with.

I swallow hard. I’m not prepared for this car ride.

Sarah leans in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “If you don’t make a move, I will.”

“Go for it,” I mumble, though I know she’s kidding—kind of. My feet stay rooted to the spot as Damien strides over, and I brace myself.

Damien’s smirk is already in place by the time he stops in front of us.

“Red,” he says, using the nickname he made for me years ago. “It’s been a while.”

I force myself to meet his gaze, but it feels like a slow-motion car crash. “Yeah,” I manage, feeling my pulse speed up in all the wrong ways. “It has.”

He glances at Sarah, his expression barely shifting. “Sup,” he tosses her way.

Sarah, of course, is completely unfazed. She gives him a slow, deliberate smile. “Thanks for coming to pick us up.”

Damien doesn’t linger on her long, though. His attention snaps back to me like he’s got better things to deal with. “No need to thank me. Rowan’s tied up, so I’m your ride,” he says, tossing his keys from one hand to the other, casual as ever.

“Right,” I mutter, gripping the handle of my suitcase like it might bolt if I let go. My palms have started to sweat, and I use the opportunity to wipe them on the handle as we make our way to Damien’s car.

Sarah’s grinning as if she’s enjoying this too much. “Well, this should be fun,” she says, nudging me with her elbow. “Ready for the reunion tour?”

I shoot her a look, hoping it conveys how not ready I feel. But Sarah just shrugs. “Guess I’ll be riding with you two,” she adds as Damien hauls her suitcase in the trunk.

The car ride starts off quiet, apart from the music coming through the speakers. Sarah, being Sarah, fills the silence soon enough, launching into a story about someone from our old high school getting engaged. I nod along, but the entire time, I’m hyper-aware of Damien sitting next to me, one arm lazily slung over the steering wheel, the other resting on the console between us.

His presence fills the space, and every time he shifts or glances my way, I can feel my nerves coil tighter.

“Looks like everyone’s settling down these days,” Sarah says, glancing back at me. “Except you, Avery. Still single and loving it, right?”

Oh my god, shut up!

I choke on air. “Uh… yeah, something like that.”

Damien’s eyes flick to me, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. “No boyfriends back in college?”

The casualness of his tone grates at me. It’s like he knows the answer but just wants to watch me squirm. “No,” I say too quickly. “Not really my thing.”

Sarah snickers but thankfully doesn’t add anything. I can feel Damien’s gaze linger for a second longer before he shifts back to the road, that knowing smile tugging at his mouth again.

By the time we pull up in front of Sarah’s house, I’m ready to jump out of the car just to escape the tension sitting heavy in the air. Damien gets out to help Sarah with her bags, and I follow, grateful for the brief break.

“Well, this was fun,” Sarah says with a wink as she hugs me goodbye. “I’ll call you later, yeah? And don’t forget to take my advice.”

“I’ll call you,” I say and groan internally. She’s not going to let it go.

Damien brings Sarah’s suitcase to her porch with an effortless lift, turning back to the car without so much as a glance behind him. I give Sarah a quick wave and slip back into the passenger seat, my heart thudding harder now that it’s just the two of us.

The drive back to Rowan’s place feels longer now that it’s just Damien and me. The silence stretches between us, broken only by the soft hum of the engine and the music. I’m trying not to think about Sarah’s ridiculous flirting advice, but it’s like a little voice in the back of my mind won’t shut up.

What’s the worst thing that can happen?

“I bet Rowan’s been looking forward to having you back,” Damien says, breaking the quiet. His voice is casual, and his posture is relaxed.

“Yeah,” I say, gripping the seatbelt a little tighter. “It’s been a while.”

He glances at me from the corner of his eye. “And you’ve been avoiding us?”

“What?” I twist my neck to look at him, startled by the question. “No, I haven’t.”

“You’ve been gone for two years. I figured maybe you didn’t want to see the old crew anymore,” Damien adds. Two years. He’s kept track of how long I’ve been gone.

“I wasn’t avoiding anyone,” I mutter, though I’m not sure I believe it myself.

“Well,” he says, voice dipping lower, “either way, it’s good to see you again, Red.”

I glance out the window, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach. “Yeah, you too.”

We pull onto the long, gated driveway leading to Rowan’s house, and I can feel my nerves prickling again. As soon as we park, Damien’s out of the car and heading to the trunk, grabbing my bags before I can even unbuckle my seatbelt.

“You don’t have to—" I start, but he’s already lifting my suitcase like it’s made of air. His biceps flex, and I can’t help but notice the way his shirt pulls tight across his chest.

He turns to me, a teasing grin spreading across his face. “Relax. I’ve got it.”

“Right.” I swallow hard, trailing behind him as we make our way to the front doors. The house looms large and familiar, but stepping back inside feels different now. It’s like everything’s changed since the last time I was here.

I take a deep breath as I look around.

Damien sets my bags down in the entryway, turning to face me with that same playful glint in his eyes. “You look tense,” he says, stepping closer. “You sure you’re ready for a whole summer with us?”

His voice dips at the end, sending a shiver down my arms. I force myself to stand still, even though every instinct tells me to back up. Sarah’s voice echoes in my mind: Flirt with him, just for fun .

Before I can stop myself, I blurt out, “I can handle you no problem.”

The second the words leave my mouth, I want to crawl under a rock. Damien’s brows shoot up, and his grin turns wolfish like he just found his favorite game.

Crap.

“Oh, yeah?” he asks, his voice low and teasing.

I try to laugh it off, but it comes out shaky. “I mean… yeah.”

His smile widens, eyes gleaming with amusement. “I’m going to hold you to that, Red.” He leans in a little more, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. “We’ll see how long you last.”

My heart races as I stand there, completely regretting taking Sarah’s advice.

My breath hitches, and all I can do is nod, not trusting myself to speak. Damien chuckles softly, straightening up, and the tension between us eases just a little.

“The whole summer, hopefully,” I mutter as he heads toward the door.

But before he leaves, Damien throws one last knee buckling glance over his shoulder, his grin as sharp as ever.

“I’ll be around. Try not to avoid me this time.”

The door closes behind him, and I’m left standing in the entryway. His car’s engine roars just for a few moments before stopping again. I look out the window, seeing him get out of the car and head for his own door a few yards away. I watch him as he strides into his house, my pulse still racing, already knowing that it’s going to be a long summer.