Page 49 of Offside Attraction

They’d drag two long couches and one single couch together to form a circle at the corner of the large living room. In the middle, there’s a glass coffee table with different non alcoholic drinks on top.

Lance sits on the long couch opposite the one Hayes is sitting on. I glance around, planting my ass on the single couch while Tripp takes the seat next to Lance. Everyone’s here. Shay, Finn, Ezra, Peach, Brooklyn, Kris, and Ian and Pete.

Peach is on her phone, sitting on Ezra’s lap with Brooklyn sitting next to Ezra with his arms around her small shoulder. She seems uncomfortable, like the last thing she wants is to be here, with some other girl sitting on her boyfriend’s lap while she pretends to be enjoying herself.

“Hey,” I say to my teammate as they reply with silent ‘heys.’

“You just got here?” Finn asks. He’s sitting next to Shay whose one leg is on Hayes' thigh and her head resting on his shoulder as she stares at me, her smile flirtatious.

“Mm-mm.” I reply, not hiding the boredom in my tone.

Two weeks with the team, and I’m still not close with them. Not that I’m trying. I didn’t join to make friends—I joined to play hockey. Lance and Zach are the only guys I can talk to easily, and honestly, they’re the ones putting in the effort.

“Wow,” a voice purrs, pulling my attention away. “You are a fine one.”

I turn to find Peach staring at me, her smile openly flirtatious. It’s the first time she’s ever spoken to me.

Every time I see her, she’s glued to her phone—scrolling, typing, probably filming something. TikTok, Instagram, whatever the hell she’s famous for.

“So you’re Dakota?” she says, standing abruptly. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Before I can respond, she strides toward me and—without warning—drops herself straight onto my lap.

What the fuck?

Peach leans back comfortably, draping an arm around my shoulder. Her manicured fingers trail along the short hair at my nape.

“I’m Peach, babe,” she murmurs loudly enough for everyone to hear, drawing a round of whistles and jeers. “But you can call me whatever you like.”

My body goes rigid.

I hate being touched without permission. Always have.

I shift uncomfortably, trying to dislodge her without making a scene. My eyes flick up—and I catch Hayes watching. For the first time tonight, his expression isn’t smug or bored.

It’s something else.

“Please get up,” I say, keeping my voice calm even as irritation coils tight in my chest.

Finn snorts. “Don’t act like you aren’t enjoying my sister’s ass on your junk.”

I shoot him a flat look.

Finn and I don’t talk much—mostly because he’s Hayes’s friend. Also because he’s an idiot. Loud, crude, constantly bragging about girls he claims he’s slept with. When women turn him down, he calls them sluts. When they don’t, he claims he’s had better.

A dumb jock in every sense of the word.

I bite down on my tongue to keep from snapping back. Aren’t big brothers supposed to be protective? Not encouraging random guys to grope their little sister?

How much dumber can one person be?

Peach finally stands, a flash of embarrassment crossing her face before she smooths it away with a practiced smile. She walks back and settles onto Ezra’s lap instead.

“Don’t take it personal, Peach,” Ezra says smoothly, his tone dripping with condescension. “It’s not your fault. You’re just not his type.”

His eyes lock onto mine, a taunting smile curling his lips.

I know exactly what he’s implying.