Page 73 of Puck Prince

“My hamstrings are fucked,” he offers. How eloquent.

“We’ll make this fast, then. The game is about to start.” I start with Lance, applying the KT tape like last time. My mind should be focused on the work—on bones and musculature. And in a way, I suppose it is. “Where’s Owen? I assume he needs his good luck taping before the game?”

“I think he already got it,” Dax answers with a weird, sideways glance. “From Miriam.”

My smile fades as something in my stomach sinks. I recover quickly, though, shrugging it off. “His loss. My tape is much luckier.”

“You feeling better?” Lance asks. “You seemed like you were really struggling on the plane.”

“Yeah. I just hate flying.” It’s the second time I’ve tried out that lie. It still sounds stupid.

“I get that. I usually just sleep through flights.”

“Emphasis on ‘usually.’” Dax and Lance trade places. “This time he was going shot for shot with Miles.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know how you boys can do that. Drinking all day and night and then ready for a game the next day.”

“It’s a gift.” Dax winces as I stretch his leg.

“It’s overrated.” Lance adds. “You, though, seem to be a breath of fresh air.”

I look over at him. “Me?”

“For Owen, I mean. He seems better since you came into the picture. Happier. I don’t know. For a while now, O hasn’t been himself. He’s been very… distracted.”

The way he says the last word, I know it has to be linked to the woman and the baby. But I also know asking about it won’t get me anywhere.

“Well, that’s good, I guess.”

“It’s been a while since Owen has been in an actual relationship,” he tacks on.

“And you’re nothing like the girls he usually dates,” Dax says.

I arch an eyebrow. “How so?”

“Easy, tiger.” Lance laughs. “Not in a bad way. Most of the girls act all cool and chill and nonchalant, but they just want him for his money.”

Gold diggers or not, those women would have to be stupid to want himjustfor his money. There’s also his body and his mouth… and his hands…

I blink through the lusty thoughts. Even if I was considering dating Owen for real—which, to reiterate, I am not—money was never on my radar. I do perfectly fine for myself. “Well, he doesn’t need to worry about that with me.”

“You’re just less complicated,” Dax agrees as they get ready to make their way out. “And that’s probably good for him. He doesn’t need more drama in his life.”

All I can offer to that statement is a forced smile.

As they walk out of the room, I touch my stomach gingerly. Neither of them has any idea just how complicated I could make things for him.

I organize my things as the game starts. Owen has seen to it that I have a seat waiting for me in the VIP section, away from the opposing team’s fans and away from anyone that might give me shit for being the coach’s niece and dating one of the players.

I’m about to make my way out of the empty training room when Miles hobbles in, medics on both his sides. I drop my duffle bag and rush over.

“What happened?”

“Took a hard hit,” one of them explains.

Miles shakes his head, looking more annoyed than anything. “I twisted my ankle, that’s all.”

“It swelled up before we even got his skate off. I’m thinking maybe it's a sprain,” the other medic adds.

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