Page 52 of Pucking the Team

“So what do we do?” Alex asks. “I mean, I don’t think either of us wants this to be just a one-time thing…”

“Or even just sex,” I add, the words feeling strange on my tongue. Look at me, ready to toss my bachelor ways in the trash. For a chick.

We’re both silent for a moment, absorbing the magnitude of what we’re confessing here in the wee hours, punch drunk on lust and something even headier. Something suspiciously like love.

“We date her. Together,” Alex says finally, decisive. “Let’s be honest, there’s no way one of us backs off now. You and I both know that Ryan is probably already dating her properly. We should do the same. I think we can make this work, the three of us. If she’s game.”

My mind boggles a bit at the logistics but…he’s not wrong. Walking away from Emma isn’t an option. Not for me.

“Okay,” I say, resolve hardening in my gut. “Okay, yeah. We do this. But we gotta do it right, have a real talk with her in the morning. Make sure she knows this isn’t just an extended booty call.”

Alex nods solemnly. “I’m all in if you are.”

I clap him on the shoulder, sealing the deal. “Let’s get our girl then. Together.”

After the bathroom, I slip back into my room where Emma is still dead to the world, her hair a dark tangle on the pillow, one creamy shoulder peeking out from the rumpled sheets. I let loose a sigh. Damn, I’m in deep already.

Sliding under the covers, I press myself against the warm length of her back, draping an arm around her waist to pull her close. She stirs slightly, mumbling something unintelligible before burrowing deeper into my embrace. I bury my nose in her hair, breathing in the lingering scent of her shampoo and the unmistakable musk of sex. Of us.

As I lie there in the dark, the even cadence of her breathing tickling my neck, the doubts start to creep in. I’m Lukas Fucking Dvorak. I don’t do relationships. I definitely don’t do love. It’s been my cardinal rule for years now—never let a person close enough to touch my heart.

Too messy, too complicated.

But Emma’s different. Special. And not just because the sex is mind-meltingly phenomenal, though that certainly doesn’t hurt. No, there’s something about her that just fits. The way she sees through my bullshit, challenges me, makes me want to be better. The way her smile lights up her whole face, and I feel like the luckiest bastard alive to have put it there.

Fuck, I’m turning into such a sap. If the boys could hear my thoughts right now, I’d never live it down. But maybe that’s just it—maybe I’m ready for more than just the next puck bunny, the next meaningless hookup.

Maybe I’m ready to risk it all—my heart, my pride, everything—for a shot at something real with Emma. And with Alex. This wonderful, weird, exhilarating thing blossoming between the three of us.

Tightening my arms around Emma’s pliant body, I press a kiss to her shoulder and let my eyes drift closed. Tomorrow, we’ll figure it all out together.

For tonight, I just want to savor this feeling, this moment. The moment I realized I might just be falling in love for the first time in my life.

And damned if it doesn’t feel like flying and falling all at once, the greatest rush I’ve ever known.

CHAPTER 24

EMMA

I stretch lazily, the morning sun warming my bare skin as consciousness slowly returns. The scent of Lukas’s cologne clings to the pillow, triggering a flood of memories from last night. Flashes of eager hands roaming my body, hungry mouths exploring every inch of my skin, the exquisite fullness of having Lukas and Alex inside me at the same time…

I flush in delicious recollection, my body aching in all the right places. Rolling over, I glance at the clock and jolt upright. Shit, it’s late!

Thankfully, it’s an off day, so I don’t need to worry about strolling into the office in yesterday’s dress and raising a few eyebrows. But Selena is going to have a lot of questions for me if I linger here any longer, and I’m definitely at risk of missing our regular Saturday morning yoga date.

I’m hit with the aroma of fresh coffee and…pancakes? My stomach growls. The guys must be up already.

I grab a men’s shirt off of Lukas’s floor and pad into the kitchen, hoping to grab a quick bite and make my escape. But I freeze when I see who’s manning the stove, wearing nothing but a pair of low-slung sweatpants.

Slade Harrison.

Slade’s broad shoulders and muscular back flex as he flips pancakes, humming to himself. Of course he lives here too. Because the universe just loves messing with me.

I start to back away, praying he won’t notice, but he chooses that moment to turn around. His eyes rake over my sleep-mussed hair and borrowed T-shirt before a knowing smirk spreads across his criminally handsome face.

“Well, well, well,” he drawls, voice still gravelly from sleep. “Looks like someone had a good night.” Heat floods my cheeks as memories of our charged first meeting mingle with my current mortification.

I lift my chin, trying to look unaffected even as though I am. “I was just looking for the guys, I’ll get out of your hair.”

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