Page 6 of Puck Shots (Love The Game #6)

“You better get that back and claim your prize then.”

“I didn’t hear anything about a prize,” he says, turning that cute, curious smile on me, and my stomach does a flippy thing.

“Well, there should be. What would you ask for? You know, if you could have any prize in the world?” I ask, stepping closer, my heart doubling its pace when his gaze locks on mine and he licks those pretty little lips.

“Anything I want?”

“Anything… anyone…” I say, and his cheeks blush a little, and he looks away, and somehow that makes my heart race faster.

He shrugs. “I guess, if I could have anything in the world. I’d want to know how to fit in. Be…normal.”

“Normal is overrated.”

“If you say so.”

“I do, actually. I can’t think of anything more boring. You’re…” I pause as his small smile picks up a little on one side, showing off that adorable dimple in his right cheek again.

“I’m what?” he asks, stepping closer, and I swear it just got ten degrees warmer in these woods.

“Not boring,” I finish, turning before I do something stupid, like shove him up against that tree myself and kiss those pretty lips. I make a start toward the house. “Come on, pledge. You better get that stick back on the mantle before the Pres gets home.”

I don’t turn around, but I can hear him following behind, the dry leaves and twigs crunching under every step.

I reach the back of the house and spot the President walking along the path. He’s almost back.

I turn to Eli.

“Go on, I’ll distract him,” I say and jog around the side of the house.

“Hey, Pres, got a sec?”

“What do you want, Flash?” Sam, President of the Kappa Omicron Kappa house and captain of the University Lacrosse team, asks.

He stops on the path and folds his arms over his chest, making the muscles in his arms bulge.

He probably thinks it makes him look all authoritative and superior, but when you’ve seen a guy running around a field with a glorified butterfly net, it’s hard to take anything about him seriously.

“I was just going to ask how many brothers we are accepting this year. The house is pretty full, and I was really hoping to score myself one of the single rooms this year.”

He scoffs. “Riley said you were keen to take the dump upstairs again this year. What happened? Did you and Luka break up over the summer?”

“Funny. No. I just figured it was worth a shot. It’s not exactly cool bringing guys back when I have to share a room.

I hate having to try to be quiet so that he doesn’t hear us.

I mean, I’ve had my fair share of three ways, but Luka wasn’t really into that last year, what with being straight and all. ”

“I don’t remember you having any concerns about what noise you make.”

I chuckle. “I said I tried to be quiet. I never said I succeeded. But since you brought it up, did you like what you heard?” I ask with a cheeky grin. Surely, Elli has gotten the stick inside and back on the mantle by now. Time to wrap this up.

“I don’t date KOKs,” he replies, and I laugh.

“Your loss,” I say, walking backwards towards the house. “See you in there.”

The lacrosse stick is back in its place on the mantle when I walk through.

Eli’s standing off to one side, smiling wide, talking with Luka, Reddy, and Colton.

Colton is on the soccer team, but I don’t hold that against him.

He and I make it a habit to visit Reddy’s mom at least once a week.

She makes the best samosas. Usually loads us up with a to go bag as well when we leave.

Why Reddy would choose to live on campus instead of with her and getting fed like that every day is beyond me.

My stomach growls at the thought of food, but I catch sight of Toby and his friend on their knees by the stairs and it’s enough of a distraction, so I head their way.

“Can we get up yet?” Toby asks, and I shake my head.

“Ask me again in an hour.”

Seeing Eli smiling and chatting with the guys while those two dicks are on their knees being laughed at brings a warmth to my chest and a smile to my lips.

“Yo, Flash,” Luka calls, and I weave through the crowd, greeting almost every brother on the way. “Looks like you’ll need to hide it better next time.”

“No idea what you’re talking about,” I say.

“What’s up with those two?” Colton asks, nodding towards the stairs.

“Broke the rules, so they’re paying a very public price for it,” I reply with a wink Eli’s way.

“So what should your punishment be for stealing Pres’s stick?” Colton asks, and only then do I notice Reddy is crocheting something red and white beside him.

“I didn’t steal anything. There were a bunch of butterflies out back, maybe one of the brothers wanted to try and catch them.”

Reddy chuckles, his fingers moving the crochet needles at a steady pace without him even watching. He’s actually really good at it. Created a bunch of animals and things for the guys. Mine was a turtle that sits on my bookshelves in my room.

“What are you making there?” I ask him.

“A Pokémon Ball for West.”

“He’ll love that,” I say, thinking about the numerous times he’s bailed on hanging out on the weekends to attend some trade show thing to try to complete his sets of cards.

He’s also got a calf tattoo of Umbreon on his right leg.

I think that’s what it’s called. It’s full color and looks pretty awesome.

I want a tattoo, but I can’t decide what to get.

I thought I would be able to convince my brother Brent to tattoo us all when he visited a few months back, but it’s even harder to pick a tattoo when four people have to agree on what it is.

Luka nudges my arm.

“I’m sure if Sam finds out it was you; he’ll have you doing more than crawling around the house on all fours.”

“The net’s back on the mantle. Can’t prove it was ever not there.”

“Eli here could tell him where he found it.”

“I wouldn’t,” Eli replies, the blush back to his cheeks.

“Because there’s nothing to tell, right?” I say.

“Right,” he replies with that adorable lop-sided grin of his.

The guys leave us to grab drinks, and I lean against the wall beside Eli, watching the room.

“So I was thinking about your…reward,” I say, and Eli turns toward me, but I keep my gaze on the guys in the room, talking and laughing and every few minutes pointing at Toby and what’s his name, still on their hands and knees.

“Me and some of the guys are going to the hockey rink later, you should come.”

“I don’t play hockey.”

“I know, but we’re just going for an hour or so to do some speed drills, and we usually hang out at The Rook, this small pub beside it afterwards. They’ve got a band that usually plays, and we rarely get carded.”

“I…guess.”

“It could be a good way for you to get to know some of the guys, you know, make it easier on you through rush.”

“Yeah. Umm, that would be good. Okay, sure.”

I try to dismiss the way my stomach stirs when he says he’ll come. Calvin asked me to look out for him. That’s what I’m doing. Aren’t I?