Page 76 of Offside Devil

“Nathan is a flirt,” I decide with a laugh.

Daniel nods. “True, but he’s a good guy. He and his ex split custody of their kid, so he doesn’t get out as much as he used to. Let’s just say he makes the most of it when he can.”

“Oh, how old is his kid?” I ask.

But Daniel’s mouth goes slack instead of answering. His eyes widen and I swear there are cartoon hearts throbbing in his pupils.

I don’t need to look over my shoulder to know Taylor is making her way towards us.

My bestie definitely got the awe-inspiring grand entrance she was hoping for when she showed up in her plunging silver princess gown. She keeps getting the same reaction from Daniel every time she’s away from him for five minutes.

Which might be why she keeps finding so many reasons to excuse herself.

“Keep your tongue in your mouth, Patterson.” Jemma Austin—must go to the gym-a-lot because she’s the fittest woman I’ve ever seen in my life, I intone in my head—joins our group, tugging her husband, Reeves, along with her. “At least try to play hard to get. Her dad owns the team you work for; you don’t want to look pathetic.”

He lifts his chin stubbornly. “I’m admiring the most beautiful woman in the room. I can’t hear what any of you less important people are saying.”

With that, Daniel cuts through the group and offers a hand to Taylor. She plays it off casually enough and accepts it like she’s indifferent, but I think I’m the only person here who knows she is swooning mega hard.

Daniel Patterson cleans up nice in a suit and he’s giving Taylor the attention she craves. If they don’t go home together, then I don’t know my best friend.

Right on cue, Davis Ray whispers to Reeves, “Danny Boy is getting lucky tonight.”

It’s been hours of this—dancing, drinking, talking—but none of these people seem to get tired of each other. And no one is fighting. I didn't go to many big functions outside of family reunions when I was a kid, and even those always ended with someone bloodied in the front yard and police lights flashing. But all of Zane’s friends seem to like each other.

And me, by extension.

I’m not sure what to make of that.

Zane is still at the bar talking to Hanna, and I’m super duper not jealous. The swirling feeling in my stomach is just because Zane has kept my glass filled all night, and I haven’t eaten enough to keep up with it.

That’s it. That’s all.

I shove an entire cucumber sandwich into my mouth, which I immediately regret when Jace Cannon slides into the circle next to me. “You having a good time?”

“Mmfyep,” I garble, cupping a hand over my mouth so I don’t spray crumbs all over the Angels’ team captain. “It’s great.”

“Is this your first time?”

I swallow prematurely and it hurts on the way down. “My first time eating? No, it just looks that way.” I turn away, trying and failing to discreetly wipe my mouth. “God, sorry about that. Embarrassing.”

He laughs. “I meant, is it your first time to the opening day party?”

My face flames. “Oh, right. Yes. I just went to my first hockey game ever last week, so this is all new for me.”

Jace smiles through a wince. “I remember. You had Zane’s head a mess. Don’t judge him based off that game. He’s usually better.”

I’m not sure what to say. Mostly because I know Zane was actually a mess because he was worried about Aiden. But Aiden’s existence isn’t common knowledge. It’s why Zane had to ask Evan to babysit at the house tonight while we went out. I’m not sure if Jace knows about Zane’s son or not, but I’m not going to be the one to spill the beans.

Suddenly, a tall, goddess of a woman with honey blonde waves loops an arm around Jace’s waist from behind, her cheek pressed to his shoulder. His wife, I’m guessing, though we haven’t met yet. “Don’t blame Zane’s date for him playing like shit last week, sweetheart. It’s not her fault he’s in love.”

The kind of demented laugh you don’t hear outside of a hyena exhibit at the zoo or a haunted house bursts out of me before I can stop it. I clap a hand over my mouth for the second time in as many minutes. “Sorry. I just—It’s not—We just started?—”

“It doesn’t matter how new it is,” she interrupts. “Zane has never brought a woman to this party. Not once. He’s left with them, but that’s different. Even then, he didn’t look at those women the way he’s looking at you tonight.”

She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. If she knew the truth, she wouldn’t be saying this.

Then I look over and see Zane moving through the crowd towards me. When our eyes meet, his face softens. His mouth tips into a smile and it feels like there’s carbonation in my chest.

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