Page 98 of Puck My Life

I nod, sweating. “Well, nice chat.”

“Yeah, real good. Let’s do it again.” He sounds like he’d rather chew on glass. I think that makes two of us.

I stop peddling and get off. I give him an up-nod and then, with all the confusing and baffling feelings trying to drown me, I stalk out before I say something stupid and offer to paint Chase’s fingernails.

Malcolm gets up and follows me into the locker room. I kick off my clothes and go straight into the wet room and under the shower, ignoring him when he joins me.

“I’ve requested time off for us,” Mal says, leaning in and kissing my spine.

I grunt, but he’s a balm to all the jagged edges.

“Turn.”

He gets the soap and rubs it hard along my back. It feels so good.

“You better not be fucking in there, Katz.” Someone shouts from the doorway.

I hear the snickers of a few teammates who are heading out and almost smile.

“You’d like it if we were,” I snap back because there is only one person who would talk to me like that, and he’s not on the team yet.

Mal snarls and hands me the soap. He stalks out in all his naked and muscled glory. I bet he didn’t even remember to grab a towel.

“What’s it to you if we are?” Mal grumps.

I turn off the water and grab a towel, stepping out. Sure enough, Mal’s towel is sitting right there where he put it before the shower.

As I wander into the locker room, I can see who Mal is arguing with, and I light up.

“Henry, I didn’t think you were working today? I thought it was you.”

Henry looks around as if he’s confused. He swipes his mouse brown hair out of his face, the grey of his eyes glittering with amusement. “It’s the locker room, and I have to clean it. Especially after what I just heard. You players are foul.”

“So what if we are?” Mal says with a wink in my direction. “You think we are all blind and deaf. We heard what you and your boyfriend were doing after the game last week. You snuck him in.” Mal tosses out with the most playful and cocky smile I’ve seen on him in ages.

Henry splutters. “How did you know that? It’s like you have the all-seeing eye.”

I smile into my locker as I pull my clothes out and start getting dressed. Something about the way Mal interacts with people relaxes everyone.

“No one was here!” Henry whines. “I checked. Oh, God, I’m going to lose this job.”

“Yeah, you should have checked all the shower stalls,” Mal says with a wink in my direction.

“Oh, jeez. Did you guys get off on us getting off?” Henry exclaims in horror. “That’s not right, friend. Not right at all!”

“Fuck no!” Mal roars.

I stand there dumbfounded by the conversation before a treasonous laugh bubbles up. It’s just so ridiculous.

“It’s just, you know, if you did that, it would be so weird, bro,” Henry stage whispers. He puts a rouge drink bottle down beside him on the bench he’s sitting at, staring up at a naked Mal, and, to his credit, he doesn’t look down from my alpha’s face.

“I didn’t!” Mal snaps. I can hear how offended he is. But I don’t think Mal has realised he’s getting ribbed.

“Do you like peeping? Is that a kink of yours?” Henry asks curiously. “No shade, man, just curious if, you know, that’s something I need to watch out for in the future. Consent is king, after all.”

I snort and splutter with laughter. I’m sure they can hear me, though both pretend I’m not here.

Mal roars. I turn in time to see him tackle Henry.