Page 45 of My Pucking Crush

It never mattered that I avoid my parents. But explaining that to a... To a lover, or someone I’m lusting after, will lead to confessing what happened to me.

My life has drilled down to one equation. No lovers, no confessions. Just secrets and railing strangers in the dark who mean nothing to me.

“Hey,” Luca says. “Where did you go just now? Your face turned... I can’t describe it.”

I watch my expressions on the ice. Now I have to control my emotions in my damn house? What if I opened up to Luca about what happened to me? I’ve met a lot of guys who were abused by male relatives, but they’re all straight. Or so they’ve let on.

At this point I’m just so tense, worrying I’ll lose everything. It’s naive to think it won’t matter. There are too many haters. It’s why Damien Carter hasn’t formally come out.

“Nowhere,” I say to answer him, and check my watch. “The limo should be here.”

“I’ll wait for you downstairs.” He heads for the door, and an ache settles in my chest.

“Why?”

He spins my way. “It’s a different company. I cleared the driver who is scheduled to pick you up. Need to make sure no one did a bait and switch.”

“I think you’re massively overestimatingRichmond.”

“When people underestimate Belova, they die. Like I almost did.”

With the final playoff schedule not set yet, a chill runs through me. “What if the Crushers match up against them in the playoffs and we win, pushing them out? You said the threat is on the ice.”

Luca goes still. “Then it won’t matter.”

“It matters to me!” I taunt him.

“I assume they want you hurt for team position only.” He rubs his chin with soft brown coils of hair. “But it occurred to me, they might try to strike after for...”

“For?”

His eyes darken to a place I’ve not seen before. “Vengeance.”

I shake my head and step back. “I... I can’t live like that. I’ll talk to Coach and the GM. They have to get into a room with this Belova asshole. Or go to the league lawyers with that evidence you have connecting Richmond to the attack.”

Luca’s phone buzzes, and he ignores me. “Limo is here. Meet me downstairs in ten minutes.”

I check my watch and shake my head. “No. We’re already going to be late.”

Luca steps in my path as I head for the door. “You’ll make an entrance.”

Laughing, I say, “I thought you wanted me to lay low.”

His throat bobs in a rough swallow, and just when I think he’ll give in, he says, “Either your ass hits that lobby in ten minutes, not a second before, or we don’t go at all.”

I grip the water jug, tempted, wanting to empty the thing over his head. Make a run for it. Only, he’ll catch me and drag me back inside.

Then do what to me? And why is my cock suddenly swelling at the idea of him punishing me with his mouth?

TWENTY-FIVE

Luca

Max struts around the ballroom, talking to mega donors who bought 10K plates for Stamford Children’s Hospital. With all the money in this room, he’s the star. Everyone’s darling.

He can never date a killer like me.Sigh.

He gave in and let me check out the driver first, who ended up being legit. Then he kept his head down, his gaze locked on his phone the entire time on the drive here. Now he’s ignoring me.

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