Page 63 of Pucking the Enemy

I cocked my head to the side. “You don’t seem terrible. I think we could get along. You’re just going to have to make peace with the fact that you’re going to be the worst hockey player in this house.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened as he spluttered. “I am not as bad as Hazel! She can hardly walk on solid ground. How do you think she copes on ice?”

“I don’t know. I remember that goal you missed last year in the final game…” I was smiling as I spoke, so there was no real heat behind my words.

He was struggling to hold back a smile as he shook his head. “Of course, you remember that. Conveniently, we can’t get Hazel on the ice to prove how bad she is. There’s no way in hell she’s allowed within a mile of the ice while she’s pregnant.”

I grimaced. “Agreed.”

“I’ve only got one more box to pick up, so go wake Sleeping Beauty,” Sebastian said, reaching down and grabbing a few more books.

Shaking my head, I strode out of the room.

Was it possible I could get along with this guy?

Chapter 22

Hazel

“What are your plans for the holidays?” Roman asked as he lightly rubbed my back while I sat between his legs.

It had been a week since I had moved into the pack house, and everything had been shockingly easy.

With four alphas around, seeing to my every need, I hadn’t wanted for anything. There were even times I could have sworn they knew what I wanted before I did. I would be sitting in the nest, absorbed in my studying, when Phillip or Seb would appear next to me, a drink or snack in hand.

And it wasn’t until I was looking at the food that I realized I was ravenous. The constant snacks and care had also led to me feeling the best I had in months. Other than the odd bout of nausea, I felt downright normal.

Which was impressive, considering my pregnancy was starting to progress. A few weeks, and I would be entering the second trimester.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “My parents usually throw a big party, but I don’t think I’m really up to that this year.”

“Have you spoken to them at all since you moved in?” he asked.

I shook my head, groaning as his hands hit a particularly tight spot on my back and continued to rub, working out the knot. “I haven’t told them about the baby.” My hand absentmindedly went to my stomach as I spoke. At almost three months along, my stomach was ever so slightly rounded, but I wasn’t obviously pregnant yet.

“I get the impression, from what you’ve said about them, that they won’t approve.”

I snorted lightly. “That’s putting it mildly. I’ll probably get disowned. They have strict expectations of how my life is going to go, and this nugget is throwing a wrench in those plans, big time.”

Roman rested his chin on my shoulder, his dark, fruity scent billowing around me with the movement.

“I, for one, am excited for the nugget to make an appearance.”

“Even though they’ll be cramping your style?” My voice was teasing, but it was a genuine worry of mine.

“I’m so excited, Duchess. Seeing them learn to crawl, to walk, to say their first swear word?—”

“I’m guessing Cormac will be responsible for that.” I laughed.

Roman hummed. “You would think, but Phillip can swear like a sailor when he’s pissed.”

“I believe that.”

His hands slid around my waist from behind, resting on my non-existent bump. “When you’re ready, I would love to tell my family.”

“Really?” I asked, turning to look at him. Roman’s parents were well-off society types. Even more so than my own. My parents had a little bit of money and liked to pretend they were high-class, high-society people, but they were upper middle class, at best.

The Kingswood family was society. They had fuck-you levels of money and were known for their social standing.

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