Page 14 of Puck Me Better

I make my first mistake of the night by agreeing to go out with Jake.

"Great, give me your number, and I'll call you when I have dinner reservations."

I unlock my phone and let Jake enter his phone number, feeling uneasy about my decision but ultimately knowing that this thing with Dalton, Ace, and Maverick will never last.

We say our goodbyes as Jake leaves the coffee shop, and I make my second mistake, not only tonight but also in my life. I send a text to Dalton, Ace, and Maverick telling them I won't be at the game tonight because I have a date, essentially sealing my fate for any further relationship with the three of them.

fourteen

Maverick

"This is a bunchof horse shit!" I slam my locker shut. "How can she just dump us like that? I thought we had something."

"I did, too. But she made her decision, and we have to accept it." Dalton looks as discouraged as I feel, holding his head in his hands.

"Maybe we can talk to her after the game." Ace slumps down farther on the bench, looking more like an old man than a young man, and I'm pissed as hell that she did this to us.

She broke us with no care in the world. She said goodbye, and some guy is probably already balls-deep in her sweet pussy that belongs to us—used to belong to us. "Fuck!" I slam the locker harder this time when I really want to punch someone or something, and then maybe this pain in my chest will stop hurting.

"Come on, Maverick, you need to settle down. She's only on a date. She's not going to sleep with this guy on the first date." Dalton's words don't match the worried look in his eyes.

"I don't care what you think she's going to do or not do with this prick." I grab my stick, knowing that we are the last three in the locker room. We need to get out on the ice before Coach Davis comes looking for us, "But if you're smart, you'll each grab yourself a puck bunny or two after the game tonight and fuck them until you forget you ever laid eyes on Cassi Masterson. That's what I plan to do."

"You don't mean that, Maverick." Ace grabs my shoulder, but I shrug him off.

"Like hell, I don't. It's time you both grow up and get over her. She played us. And we fell for it hook, line, and pussy." Ipush open the locker room door, needing an escape from them defending Cassi.

What in the hell was I thinking? There is no way three young, cocky guys would ever be able to hold on to someone as smart and classy as Cassi. Now that I've convinced my head of that fact, I just need to convince my heart.

"Where have the three of you been? The team has already gone through most of the warm-up drills. Go over to the far side of the rink and warm up away from the rest of the team so you don't bother your teammates who actually want to be here." Coach Davis turns his back on us after giving us hell for being late.

He seems mad enough to kick us off of the team or maybe mad enough to trade us back to the Iowa Posiden or even the Chicago Kraken. Hell, I'd even be okay with getting traded to the dirtiestteam in the league, the Indiana Freeze, if it meant I didn't have to be around Cassi anymore.

That reminds me, after the game, I need to call our lawyer and have him end our contract with Cassi since she technically broke the contract's secret clause.

"Come on, guys, let's get warmed up." I half-heartedly wave my hockey stick in the air as a sign for Ace and Dalton to follow me.

On autopilot, my eyes scan the wives and girlfriends section of our team cheering section, but all I see are the confused look on Hadley and Britt's faces as they shrug their shoulders at us as if asking us where Cassi is.

I shake my head and turn away, not wanting them to see the sadness in my eyes. All I have to do is stick it out, and then after the game, I'll be so deep in puck bunny pussy that I won't feel anything at all.

fifteen

Cassi

You're in love withthem.Teagan's voice rings in my head. She can't be right, can she? I've had a lot of fun with the guys these last few weeks, but love? I don't think so. Otherwise, I wouldn't have broken up with them or accepted that stupid offer of a date from Jake.

Then why did I cancel my date and rush to the ice arena to declare that love to them?

Because I was scared, I've never had anyone treat me the way the three of them treated me. So when Teagan pointed out that I was in love with them, I freaked out and took the coward's way out by texting them we were over. But I have to fix this if it's not too late.

Pushing my way through the crowd, I made my way to the tunnel—just my luck—I forgot my VIP badge at home in my haste to tell the guys I love them before the games started. To make matters worse, the new security guard didn't recognize me, sending me to the back of the ticket line.

Ever since the issue the team had with Gemma's ex-boyfriend who used to play for the Indiana Freeze, Colt, Beck, and Jensen have increased security so much that without a VIP badge, you're pretty much shit out of luck. But thankfully, my luck hasn't run out yet as I wave my hands to gain the attention of three of tonight's referees, who happen to be surrounding someone in a semi-secluded corner of the arena. The closer I get to them, the more I realize that someone is my friend Heidi.

"Heidi!" I call out, rushing to her side, only to be blocked by an angry-looking referee.

Until he sees my face and recognizes me as Cassi Masterson, a cutthroat agent, not the love-struck woman who needs to speak to her men immediately. "Ms. Masterson, I didn't realize that was you." His eyes travel down my body to the tight black dress that hits me mid-thigh—not my usual work attire. But at least hisgaze looks confused, not interested because I'd have to kick his ass since I'm pretty sure these three guys have got Heidi tied in knots—or maybe it's the other way around. I'm not sure.

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