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W e watch the guys skate off the ice, and I can’t help the smile that’s been planted on my face the whole night, especially when Cash’s eyes found me the minute they won.

“Okay, I normally don’t push you, but are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and Cash? After everything the other night at Nate’s birthday, and the way he was looking at you every chance he could tonight, I’m not letting you deny it another day.”

I put my hands on my hips, matching hers. “I wasn’t going to deny it, thank you very much.”

“Oh…” Berkley’s stance immediately relaxes. “So wait, are y’all together now?”

I nod, biting back the big smile on my face.

Her eyes widen. “So, no more Tori?”

“Nope.” Thank God, she’s stuck to her word. Neither one of us has heard a thing from her this week.

The Professor Douglas scandal spread quickly across campus, but Tori’s name hasn’t been mentioned at all. Which makes me even more confident that she’ll hold up her end of the deal to keep the video I have from surfacing.

“That’s awesome, Bell. I’ve always known your relationship with him was different than Mav’s, but I didn’t know exactly what that meant for you two.”

I decide to give her a truth, since she always gives me so many of hers. “I’ve been in love with him since I was seventeen. The same summer I moved in with them.”

Her mouth drops open, likely in surprise at the length of time I’ve loved him from afar. “Gosh, Bell, I wish you would’ve told me.”

“It was easier for me not to acknowledge it. Us not being together was my decision.”

“Because of your parents?”

I nod as unease I’m desperately trying to tamp down stirs to life at her question. “Yes, but I’ve finally come to terms that, even if they don’t accept us, I can’t live without him. We’re going to tell them next weekend when we go home for fall break.”

She smiles brightly. “Proud of you. And something in my heart tells me they will understand, even if not right away.”

“Thanks, Berk,” I say, giving her a hug and doing my best to believe that.

I see her boyfriend, Nate, with Graham and Nola, waiting for us at the top of the steps.

Nudging her, I say, “Stalker boy is waiting for you.”

She laughs, and we head up the steps.

Once we reach the top, Nola says, “Alright, me and Graham are heading to the house. Tell the twins, since they both scored me a goal, I’m going to cook them up something tonight.”

Berkley and Nate walk with me over to the waiting area, where the hockey team will exit.

Ten minutes later, Cash struts out, and for the first time ever, he’s able to come straight to me. I nod, letting him know I told my best friend about us, as that was my only request before going public in front of our friends.

And just as I suspected, he wastes no time. Without hesitation, he kisses me in front of everyone.

He tugs on the t-shirt of his I’m wearing and growls in my ear, “Every time you wear this, all I can think about is the first time you wore it, and being so desperate to eat your pussy, I came all over the hotel floor.”

My core clenches at the memory, just as I hear Nate cat-calling from where he stands a few feet away beside a wide-smiling Berkley.

I turn my head, whispering back into Cash’s ear, “Maybe later, you can eat me while I choke on your cock at the same time?”

Cash runs his fingers through his long hair and shakes his head. I think my guy is at a loss for words. I smile, trailing my fingers up and down his arm until he discreetly adjusts his pants, and I decide not to tempt the beast anymore.

Nate and Berkley come over from where they were standing back, giving us a moment. They congratulate Cash and tell him Nola is cooking for everyone. Berkley looks at me, fanning herself in reaction to the hot-as-fuck kiss she just witnessed between my man and I.

Gah, I feel so giddy over all this.

“Where’s Mav?” I ask, looking around the corridor.

Nate points across the way. “There he is. He’s talking to Shay and a guy I don’t recognize.”

Cash’s eyes trail to where his twin stands. “That’s the other little Moore. Coach’s son, Joey.”

Ahh, I remember Shay mentioning she had a teenage brother.

“Oh, yeah, I meant to tell you. Mav invited Shay and her brother out to the ranch this weekend. He hangs out with Joey sometimes when he’s on campus with Coach. Apparently, Mav did some research and found that horses can be very therapeutic for kids diagnosed with autism.”

Mav and his heart of gold.

I smile, looking over at Mav with the siblings. “I love that idea. My wrist has been feeling good, so I’ll help however I can.”

A couple of minutes later, Mav joins us.

“I’m sure there’s enough food if Shay wants to come eat,” I say, noticing the slight look of disappointment on his face.

“Oh, yeah, she should definitely come over. We were just bragging about Nola’s cooking when she was at our place the other night,” Berkley chimes in.

“I already invited her, but she has plans with Jordan,” Mav shrugs.

Not sure what to say to that, because Jordan is her boyfriend, so it’s not like she doesn’t have the right to hang out with him whenever she wants too.

“Come on, I’m hungry.” Mav waves for us to follow as he starts toward the exit.

Cash intertwines our fingers, walking us proudly out of the building, hand in hand. Mav gets in the backseat so I can ride shotgun beside Cash.

A new email flashes on my notification screen as I get into Cash’s truck. When I see who it’s from, I take a second to read it.

Happiness coats me in goosebumps as I punch my fist into the air. “Yes!”

Cash looks over at me, chuckling. “What is it, Bobcat?”

“That child psychology project I turned in two days ago…the grade just came through. I even got the extra credit, so I received a 105 for the grade. And she said she thinks child psych is my niche.”

He smiles at me proudly, and I can’t get enough of the look in his eyes. “That’s my girl!”

“It feels amazing to hear that from her, too, because lately, I’ve really been thinking about how I want to help children who have been through different types of trauma. I truly believe that is my passion.”

Mav speaks up, “That would be perfect for you, Amy.”

I beam back at him. “Thank you.”

Once we are back at The Wolves Den, we hang around the dinner table, offering to help Nola, who keeps kicking us all out of his kitchen.

Yes, chef.

“Oooh, we haven’t filled the boys in on the tea we found out from Darby last week,” I say to Berkley.

“Darbs always has the inside scoop on shit,” Graham says, since he’s been privy to our girls’ nights more than the others.

“She really does,” Berkley laughs.

“Well, what is it?” Maverick asks. I’m pretty sure Cash is barely paying attention, since he couldn’t care less about school gossip.

“So, you know how the Howler Reports have been more unhinged this year?”

They all laugh and nod in response.

“I felt a little violated after that Gatorade commercial one,” Nola calls out from the kitchen, knowing damn well he loved the attention.

But that one was probably the funniest this year. While the guys were all doing a Gatorade ad on campus, she made a post, and it was pretty obvious she had the hots for the guys of The Wolves Den—but so does over half the college population.

“Apparently, her name was accidentally released recently. Do any of you know Peyton Whitmore?”

Graham coughs on his water. “Wait, the sophomore? Sweet, quiet, cute but nerdy? Say it ain’t so.”

“Yep! Peyton may be quiet, but she’s got a lot to say in that hot little brain of hers.” I raise my eyebrows at him.

“I don’t know her, but I want to,” Mav smirks with a waggle of his eyebrows.

I point between him and Graham. “No, no. She may be a closet freak, but she’s still sweet, and you two,” I cup my hands around my mouth and holler to Nola, “and Chef Nola, better leave her alone.”

They protest until the smell of deliciousness hits our noses as Nola starts bringing food into the dining room.

Nate helps him with the rest, and once the table is set, Maverick honors his promise to Gigi and blesses the food before we eat.

“Dear Lord, bless this food, bless the hockey puck, and the gridiron. And bless Nola’s parents for teaching him how to cook damn good soul food.” He finishes it off with a hard clap, like he always does.

We all start shoveling the shrimp and grits down, none of us coming up for air for at least five silent minutes.

I let out a little moan in appreciation for the food, and Cash leans over, nipping my ear. “I don’t like you moaning for another man.”

“Well, you better learn to cook then, Stud,” I tease, licking my lips, making a show of savoring my food.

“Fucking bet,” Nola says loudly from across the table, drawing our attention. With a big smile on his face, he points between us and asks, “Is this finally happening?”

I hide my face in Cash’s shoulder, embarrassed by the whole crew looking our way.

“It’s been happening since the minute I saw her…but yeah, spread the word. Bellamy Clark is mine.”

His words make a million butterflies come to life inside my belly.

“That’s fucking awesome,” Graham says from the other end of the table. “Now I know who you were referring to when you said your hottest sexual experience was in a barn. Kinda always had a feeling anyway.”

Cash chuckles from beside me, and I can practically feel his chest swelling when I flush pink.

I grin, shaking my head at him. “That was supposed to stay at girls’ night, Graham. You are going to be banned if you don’t watch out.”

He holds his hands up, actually looking scared. “Oh shit, forgive me.”

“Okay, okay, but I have one question.” Nola holds up his hands, and with this group, you never know what’s coming next.

“Bellamy, does Cash have a specific finger he prefers, like our boy Nate over here?”

The table erupts into laughter at his question, and my best friend’s face turns red. After a night when a dig she threw at Nate in front of everyone at a party turned into an inside joke within The Wolves Den, they’ll simply never live it down.

“I’ll get back to y’all after I try them all out on him,” I tease, wiggling my fingers, and I didn’t think the house could get any louder, but the wolves suddenly sound like a pack of hyenas. And I’m pretty sure Maverick is in tears from laughing so hard.

Cash tickles me. “You have no idea what you just started. I’m going to make you pay for that later.”

I shrug, biting my lip. “Sounds fun.”