Page 8 of Puck Me Better

Heidi lowers her eyebrow with a sigh, "Is it really all about the money? Don't you want to find happiness—even love?"

Her words hit home, and visions of a future with Dalton, Ace, and Maverick pop into my head. No, that isn't the life for me. My life is reserved for my clients and all the money I make for them.

"First, there is no love life in my line of work. To survive, you have to crush the competition." At least, that's the advice my single mother gave me growing up.

My father left us when I was only five. I barely remember him. My mom said he wasn't strong enough to hold onto a woman who wielded as much power as she did. My mom started her own talent agency with her brother back in the day. The company took off with all the child stars needing representation.

My mom was responsible for some of the most high-profile child stars from the nineties and two thousands. Their success only fueled her desire to be the top agent in the world, leaving little room for her to love anyone.

One day, my dad had had enough. He packed his bag and never looked back—not even for his five-year-old daughter, who wanted to be an Olympic ice skater—a silly dream for a silly girl, as my mom always said.

It wasn't until her power and greed destroyed her relationship with my uncle that I realized her motives were spawned by an illness that she was able to hide from those who loved her. That same illness claimed her life ten years ago.

"Cassi, are you okay?"

I shake my head, trying to clear the ghosts of another lifetime out of my thoughts, "I'm fine." I paste on a smile and continue our conversation. "So, enough about me. Tell me why you were whispering into the phone yesterday morning when I called you."

Heidi's skin tone changes from a warm glow to a sickly ashen color. "Um, no reason. I didn't want to wake up my roommate."

Being a sports agent, I am good at reading people, and I can guarantee that Heidi shifted her eyes to the left when she answered me, hiding something. Not wanting to make her more uncomfortable than she already is, I change the subject.

"So, I hear you and Gemma are working on some new outfits to go along with the new choreography." I take a sip of my honey and chamomile tea while I listen to Heidi excitedly tell me about her new role with the Minnesota Norse Ice Girls cheer squad.

I don't know much about fashion or dance, but I'll listen to anything right now if it helps me forget about Dalton, Ace, and Maverick.

seven

Cassi

"So, I think thatpaperwork lays out, in detail," I tap the file on my desk in front of me with my lucky pen before sliding the folder toward them and setting my pen on top. "the benefits available for signing on with me as your manager." I've done it. I've lasted forty-five minutes in the same room as these sexy guys whose lips I can still feel on mine. It wasa memory that haunted my dreams last night and hasn't let up since.

They each have their own technique when it comes to kissing. Maverick's kisses were like an all-out attack on my senses. His lips demanding my full attention. While Ace's kisses were playful yet sensual as he teased my mouth open with the seductive swipe of his tongue over my lips. Then there was Dalton—his kisses seemed shy, even unsure. Until I opened my mouth and touched my tongue to his lips, his kisses became wild and possessive, as if my instigation was all the permission he needed to devour me whole.

Surprisingly, Dalton picks up my lucky pen first. Without so much as a glance at the paperwork in the folder, he turns to the last page of the contract, the signing page, and scribbles his signature on the line indicated for him to sign on. Before I can open my mouth and argue that they should have their lawyers review the contract, all three of them have signed on the dotted line, making me their new agent.

"You probably should have had your lawyers review the contract. You never know I might have thrown in a secret clause." I try to keep my voice light yet professional and fail miserably.

What is it about these three young guys that have my tongue tied in knots?"

"We trust you, Cassi. We've seen what you've done with our teammates contracts, we know you won't try to screw us over." Maverick's comment is innocent enough but it has my pantiesready to burst into flame just thing about how I want to screw them over, under, backwards, even upside down.

I clear my throat and stack the paper on the table to calm my racing thoughts before I try and speak again, "There is that. But I still think you should have a lawyer review it before the seventy-two-hour grace period expires and the contract becomes binding, and you're all stuck with me for the next five years."

The look that passes between the three of them is something I can't explain—part longing—part desire—with maybe a hint of disappointment. Whatever it is, it doesn't make sense. Now that I'm their agent, nothing romantic can happen between us. I specifically added it to the contract I stated up half the night typing up.

Finally, Dalton says, "There's one thing we would like added to the contract." He pauses, and I hold my breath. What could they possibly want that I haven't thought of? Granted, they haven't read the contract, but I know it inside and out. Even though they aren't interested in me—romantically, at least—I made sure to give them the best contract any player would kill for, even Teagan.

"What Dalton is trying to say is, we want the chance to date you." Maverick cuts in.

"Wait, what?" I'm so shocked by his comment that I miss Ace standing and striding over me before squatting beside me on the floor.

"What these two have completely botched is that we are young, and you're more mature. We're not sure how to navigate the dating life of a pro hockey player. And someday, we want to have a real relationship. We want to know how to treat a lady right. And since you're older than us, we thought you would be the best one to help us out."

You've got to be kidding me. They want me to train them for a future wife or girlfriend. And what the fuck calling me older? I mean, yes, I'm older than they are, but did Ace really have to point that out?

"We need the full girlfriend experience—you know—on how to please a woman in the bedroom. Especially Dalton. He's a virgin."

My mind is racing with all this new information. Throwing in that Dalton is a virgin might actually fry my brain completely. "So you want to add to your contract that for the next five years, or until you find a girlfriend," I add for my own confirmation, "you want me to teach you what women like in the bedroom."

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