Page 105 of Pucking the Enemy

“I know, I still miss her.”

“We all miss her,” Roman said, unzipping his duffel and rummaging through it. “We’ll drive straight home after the game tomorrow.”

“Good.” I didn’t like the idea of spending more than a single night away from her. “Why don’t we bring her with us next time?”” I asked. “A little hotel time with our omega could be fun.”

Phillip sank down onto the bed with a groan. “I don’t see why not, as long as she isn’t feeling nauseated anymore. I’ll be honest, I’m kind of looking forward to all of us playing together.”

“All this talk about Duchess is making me sad. I’m going to go grab dinner, and then we can call her once we’re in bed. What do you guys want to eat?”

“That Chinese place around the corner looked decent,” Phillip said around a yawn. “I can go with you to pick some up.”

Roman nodded.

Grabbing a clean shirt from my duffel bag, I made my way toward the bathroom. “I’m going to take a shower before you guys get back. I smell like sweat.”

Despite it being winter, there was something about long car rides that just made me feel gross. Even though none of my pack mates smelled particularly bad, three alphas in a car, driving for six hours, did create a certain odor.

“Sounds like a plan. Come on, Phillip. I’m starving.”

I waved goodbye as I made my way into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. It was nice for a hotel bathroom. Most of the team was in standard economy rooms, but Roman often sprung for us to get a slightly better pack room. He always said he had money, so he may as well use it to make us comfortable.

There was no way in hell I was going to complain.

Ripping off my shirt, I looked at myself in the mirror. How did Hazel see me? My body wasn’t anything to sniff at. While I wasn’t as wide as Roman, my chest was well defined and free of hair. And women seemed to like my mess of shocking red waves and curls.

Several times, I had caught Hazel running her hands through it. Part of me had been giving serious thought to cutting it short, but now I wouldn’t dream of it. Not if it made my girl happy.

Turning on the shower, I picked up my phone, intending to put some music on, when the screen flashed with an incoming call.

Sweetness.

Unable to contain my grin, I answered the call, resting the phone on the sink. The screen flashed once again, and Hazel’s face filled it. Wearing her night sky pajamas and surrounded by blankets, she was obviously in her nest.

“Hey, sweetness. How are you doing? Are you feeling okay?”

She nodded and gave me a small smile. “I’m feeling good. I had some of those ginger candies, and my stomach’s better. I was absolutely exhausted, though, so I decided to rest early.” Her eyes seemed to roam over me through the phone. “Are you naked?”

Snorting, I stood on my tiptoes so she could see the waistband of my boxers. “Unfortunately not. I was just about to get in the shower. After the six-hour drive, I’m smelling a bit ripe.”

“Oh, that’s a shame. I can leave you to it,” she said. Her voice was light, but she frowned as she said it. Did she want me to stay on the phone?

“Nah, I’m more than happy to talk.”

“Was the drive okay? Are you guys staying with the whole team?”

“We’ve got a room just for our pack. Though our pack is missing a member. Or two.”

Hazel’s eyes widened. “Please don’t tell me you left one of the guys along the road on the way!”

I couldn’t help but smirk at her accusation. “As much as that is a real possibility, sweetness, that isn’t what I meant. The pack member we’re missing happens to be an incredibly short, stubborn omega who’s stuck back in California. Plus her best friend.”

Hazel’s mouth opened and closed a few times as my words sank in, and her cheeks turned a delicious shade of pink. “Oh.”

“Yes, oh. I must admit, sweetness, I’m very proud that you know us so well.”

“You’re a simple creature to figure out, most of the time. It’s something I like about you,” she admitted.

“What am I thinking about right now, then?” I challenged.

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