Page 40 of The Puck Decoy

Her eyes are still firmly on mine, a tempting sparkle in them that tells me she knows as always that she is pushing all of mybuttons, so, I decide to push hers right back. I close the distance between us, bringing my body just to the point where it’s almost touching hers, but not quite. Then I lean in close and bring my mouth to her ear, not missing the blush now creeping up her neck for a second.

“My wife looks like the most perfect doorstop I have ever seen,” I whisper, as my hand curls around the door handle, and I use my other to pull her away from it so I can open the door.

“You really are an asshole,” she scoffs with a huff, and I have to smother a laugh as she pushes me out through the doorway, slamming it behind us. “But it’s okay, maybe I can find a new friend at the game to tell me I look pretty,” she adds with a wink, and that anger comes flooding back.

“Only if you want to spend your evening watching him bleed,” I toss back, knocking on Daemon’s door as we pass.

Of course he opens it almost instantly, as if he was waiting for us, and he falls in line behind us silently, but that doesn’t stop my wife from flashing him her smile. “Hi Daemon.”

And unlike with any other person, he actually answers her. “Hi Hallie.”

The two of them have formed a friendship based on simple greetings, and honestly it’s nice to see him coming out of his shell a little more around her. Landon and Levi are barely here when she is, which is good considering Levi gives her a weird look every time he sees her, but at least Landon isn’t bothered either way. In fact, he seems convinced that this thing between Hallie and I has been going on for years. I guess he’s dumber than I thought. That, or we just put on a really good show.

With the others already gone, the three of us all decide to walk over to the rink together, while Hallie animatedly chats away about some documentary she watched last night. Daemon is as silent as always, but I can tell he is actively listening toher, and I make a note to thank him later for being so nice and welcoming to her.

By the time we reach the rink, I have about thirty-seconds to get to the changing rooms before coach rips me a new one, and before I can even say anything, Hallie moves to walk in the opposite direction.

“Hope you don’t fall, break your leg, and die,” she tosses over her shoulder, her hips swaying as she moves to walk in the other direction of the seats, and I am reminded of her demands earlier in my room.

So before she can go, I reach out and grab her by the belt loop on her jeans and pull her back against my chest. “If I do fall, will my wife kiss it better? Because just like every day, she looks so fucking beautiful tonight.”

I release her before she can reply, knowing I am playing with fire, because even though she has my ring around her finger, she still isn’t mine, nor does she want to be. She’s my friend, my best friend, and nothing more.

Leaving her behind I head into the locker room, praying that coach doesn’t notice my arrival, but of course he does, the man has a nose like a damn bloodhound. “Peters, you’re late,” he yells across the changing room, and I know better than to argue with him over the sake of a couple of minutes.

“Sorry coach, I was waiting for my wife to get ready,” I reply without thinking, causing some of my teammates to start hollering around me.

“I can just imagine your wife naked,” Reign quips instantly, and the glare I give him just makes the bastard laugh.

“Don’t forget hot,” Gray cuts in. “Naked, hot, and sweating, just dripping everywhere,” he drawls, taking a bite of his protein bar and giving me a wink.

I throw my bag to the floor and turn to step towards him, but Daemon is there in an instant blocking my way, and when I flick my stare to him, he shakes his head slightly.

“Last fucking warning, Gray,” I tell Archer, pointing my finger, but he doesn’t lose his smile, not until his Captain whips him with a towel that is.

“Stop fucking fantasizing about his wife you fucking creep,” Nova tells him, coming around the lockers from coach’s office already dressed and ready for the game.

Archer steps into his pants, his tattooed chest on complete display as he throws back, “Should I go back to doing it about his sister?”

The look Nova gives him is nothing short of lethal, and before I can even warn him, Nova beats me to it. “Not if you value your life.”

All the while Daemon stands between us, hands on me to keep me in place, but eyes on Archer, his stare filled with warning, and something else.

“Alright, don’t get your knickers in a twist,” Reign jokes, grabbing Archer and physically turning him away from everyone else, before lowering his voice and adding, “You really like to poke the fucking bears, don’t you kid?”

Archer only shrugs. “Maybe I have a pain kink.”

With fucking teammates like these it’s any wonder we manage to play a decent fucking game, and when I move my stare away from them, I find Nova watching me carefully.

“Got a problem, Darkmore?” I ask, because I don’t care how much my sister cares about him, I still think he’s a giant prick.

“You know, Peters? I haven’t had a problem since the moment your sister started sleeping in my bed every night, isn’t that funny?” he smiles, and it takes everything in me not to react and cause yet another fight with him.

We have butted heads numerous times over the years, but I promised Maddie I would stop starting shit with him, and right now I am finding it very hard to keep that promise.

“If you want a problem, I can give you one, Captain,” I spit in disgust, squaring my shoulders, and flexing my fists in preparation, but just as I step forward we are cursed out.

“Will you bunch of little pricks pack it in and get ready for the fucking game!” Coach Locke yells from his office, storming from around his desk. “I have an eighteen year old daughter who doesn’t gossip and whine as much as you little shits, and she’s a damn nightmare.”

---