Page 13 of Pucking Amazing

I shrug, staring out at the crowd again. “I don’t know...maybe I need to slow my roll.”

Lila throws her head back and laughs, the sound barely audible over the din.

She leans in, her lips curling into a smirk. “Careful there, stud. You’re starting to sound like you wanna be tied down. Whatever would your adoring fans think?”

I can’t help but laugh along with her. Me? Tied down? She always knows just what to say to snap me out of my funks.

Our drinks arrive and we clink glasses. “To living in the moment,” Lila toasts with a wink.

“I’ll drink to that.” The liquor burns pleasantly down my throat.

Lila sets down her empty glass and grabs my hand. “Now, enough of this heart-to-heart bullshit. We’ve got some dancing to do.” She pulls me back to the floor as a new song starts up, the beat already melting away my strange mood.

The music throbs through my body as I spin Lila around, her curves brushing against me suggestively. But then I catch a glimpse of familiar dark hair and smoky eyes in the crowd, long limbs moving sensually to the rhythm of the music.

My heart jumps into my throat. Sydney.

Without even thinking, I extricate myself from Lila’s embrace, plastering on my most charming grin as I beeline towards her.

The alcohol has me bold and reckless.

“Well, fancy meeting you here,” I drawl, my words only slightly slurred. “Care to dance with me?”

But as I get closer, I squint my eyes and a vague realization swims through the booze: this woman isn’t Sydney at all.

It’s her twin—Selena. Coach Emma’s friend. Whoops.

“DJ Johnston.” Selena arches one perfectly sculpted brow, red lips quirking. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“All good things, I hope,” I quip back, attempting to cover my initial blunder.

I eye Sydney’s twin with curiosity, wondering how I realized my mistake so quickly. They really are identical—the resemblance is uncanny—but for some reason I can’t picture Sydney wearing something this…fussy. Selena looks like she just stepped off a runway, all curves and glamor.

“Sounds like Sydney’s been talking about me, huh?” I continue. “I’m intrigued.”

Selena flicks her perfectly manicured hand, feigning nonchalance. The diamond studs on her nails glint in the club lights. “A lady never tells,” she shoots back playfully.

“Pity.” I click my tongue in mock disapproval. “And here I was hoping to get the scoop. Guess I’ll just have to use my imagination about what Sydney’s been saying...”

I’m hoping Selena will relent—god, I would kill to know what Sydney’s been saying about me—but she just crosses her arms and gives me a long, unreadable look.

“You do that.” Selena smirks, leaning in close enough that I catch a hint of her perfume. “But I’d guess your imagination is already running wild enough as it is.”

Before I can retort, she turns on her stiletto heel and saunters away, hips swaying. I watch her go, wishing it were the other twin that I was watching.

I frown. Why? What is it about Sydney that has me so intrigued? Is it just because she’s off-limits?

My frown deepens. I’m never one to conform to society’s rule, but even I know when to draw the line. Getting involved with Sydney could jeopardize not only my career but the whole team.

We need her to get us through this mess.

The thought sobers me. The team always comes first.

Pulling myself together, I head back to where Lila is still swaying on the dance floor, watching me with a lifted eyebrow.

“Friend of yours?” she asks, half-laughing.

But I just absentmindedly wrap my arms around her, letting the music wash over me again.

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