Page 1 of Puck Shy

Chapter one

Lucas

“You need to get laid.”

I give one of my defensemen, Johnny, a side-eye. “Are you trying to tell me I shit the bed?”

He throws his travel bag over one of his broad shoulders before smacking me on the back so hard my body vibrates. “That’s putting it lightly.”

I check him with my shoulder hard enough that his five foot eleven frame stumbles a bit. He laughs, the throaty sound pissing me off further.

“That’s not very captain-like behavior,” he teases.

I check him again before pushing open the doors to the parking lot. When the wintery Seattle air hits my heated skin and wet hair, I relish in the feeling of it burning my skin and freezing my lungs.

Johnny puts his hands in his pockets as he walks next to me toward our cars, his shoulders up to his ears as he starts to shiver. For a man who’s almost two hundred pounds and plays hockey, you’d think he’d be a little more cold-resistant. I guess his California blood runs strong.

“I’m just messing with you, Luke,” he says, regret shining in his tone.

I let out a sigh, my frozen breath dancing in the darkness. He’s got every right to rib me. I did suck ass today. I sucked yesterday, too. Some would argue I sucked all week.

I’m in a slump. I know it, Johnny knows it, my team knows it. The entire fucking hockey world knows it. It also doesn’t help that my whole body hurts. Getting old blows. But getting older as a pro athlete blows even harder. My body has been through the wringer since I was a kid, the effect of which reared its ugly head after I turned thirty a few years ago. I try not to show it, but I have a masseuse on speed dial for a reason.

“I’m going to head home, watch some game tape. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say, not wanting to get into my personal shit with my younger teammate.

“Dude, no. You’re not going home.” He huffs, flipping some of his shaggy blond surfer hair off his face.

I take my keys out of my pocket and ignore him. But that doesn’t deter Johnny—instead, he steps in front of me, his arms crossed over his chest that’s bundled in a ridiculous winter coat. One that a person would wear for a ski trip in the mountains.

“Seriously. I’m not kidding. You’re not going home,” he says.

“And where else would I go?” I ask. “I need sleep. Rest. Food. You know, normal human shit.”

“I told you: You need to get laid.”

“Thank you for your wise wisdom, Johnny-boy. I’m perfectly fine.”

He lifts one of his light eyebrows at me, green eyes saying he knows I’m full of shit. “I know a man who’s in a dry spell when I see one. And you, my captain, are in one.”

I open my mouth to say he’s wrong. To tell him to fuck off. But I can’t. I’ve never been that good of a liar. Now Leo, my identical twin brother, who also happens to be my agent…he’s a master of smoke and mirrors. He can pretend to be me, and nobody even blinks twice. And while I can play pretend well when the stakes are low—just ask the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor sitting on my shelf at home—I’m not good at a poker face in everyday life.

“You know I’m right, Luke,” Johnny says.

Yes, he is right. And the master of smoke and mirrors is partially to blame. Two weeks ago, Leo made a public statement confirming his polyamorous relationship with his best friend and business partner, Jace, and their now partner, Riley. A woman Leo met at the airport on Christmas Eve not even two months ago.

He called me before he made the statement to make sure I was okay with it officially being out in the world. Originally, he wanted to hold off until after my season ended, but that’s not until the spring. I understand why he didn’t want to wait.

He also mentioned it being an early Valentine’s Day gift to his partners. To finally make it known who Jace and Riley are to him.

And while I’m happy for all of them, it’s made my life a living hell. Paparazzi won’t stop following me at every turn, shouting stupid and offensive questions at me about my sexuality, wanting to know if I share in my brother’s pansexuality and relationship preferences. And if it’s not about that, it’s a crude question about Leo and his partners.

While I don’t claim to understand how his relationship works, I don’t want to know. His romantic and intimate life is his business, and I fully accept him for who he is. I also love Jace, and I’m getting to know Riley, who is as sweet as can be.

Honestly, I’m glad they’ve officially come out as a throuple and that Leo is fully accepting who he is and finally showing the world how much love he has to give—but it’s also been a lot crazier than I expected. I thought, after a few days, people would lose interest since Leo is my brother and it has nothing to do with me.

But that’s not been the case.

Since the day the three of them were spotted in the Seattle sports bar after Christmas holding hands, the press has been on top of me. At first, I was able to ignore it. I was playing away games and shooting commercials and things on my downtime, and I didn’t have time to think about the press. But this week—it’s a whole new level.

---