Page 12 of Ice Bet

Graham Sullivan was attractive and had no problems getting girls. I highly doubted he was part of his team’s locker room chat. Not to mention, I knew him from Rosewood. If anything, he’d put a stop to the bet after watching my very public and humiliating breakup with his previous team captain.

“I’ve been good.” I shifted and attempted to cover my boobs by crossing my arms. All I could hear was Aasher’s patronizing voice in the back of my head, and I was slightly embarrassed. That wasn’t to say there wasn’t a burning desire to strip down even further, just to prove a point.

“You look like you’ve been better than just okay.” Sully grinned, and his white teeth peeked from behind his lips. “Last time I saw you, things were a little intense.”

I stilled. Intense was one way to describe my parting from Rosewood.

“I’m sorry,” Sully blurted. “I didn’t mean that in a bad way. You look good is all I’m trying to say.”

“You’re doing a shit job at it,” Sutton said matter-of-factly. Her hip popped out, and she gave him a look that was nothing short of annoyance.

I forced out a quick laugh. “You’re fine.” Sully was stumbling over his words because the topic was touchy.My breakup. The fall.Transferring schools.“I fled Rosewood in a hurry, and the picture I left behind wasn’t the prettiest.”

Sutton studied me closely, aware that she didn’t know the whole story.

“Have you been at Bexley U this whole time? I could totally use a tour guide. I’m still trying to get used to the campus. I see more of the rink than I do the courtyard.”

The door across the hall opened at the same time Sutton shot Sully’s implied invitation down. “A tour guide? Campus isn’tthatbig.”

Ford was the first to step into the hallway. “Sutton is right. Plus, we live in the twenty-first century. You have an iPhone with a map.”

Sully smiled. “She’s prettier than a map, though.”

My cheeks grew warm. It was nice to hear after being reprimanded by Aasher for my lack of clothing, but there was skepticism that cooled my blushing almost immediately.

Sutton’s hand found mine, and she turned her head in my direction. I could read her thoughts like they were my own. We’d both been burned by hockey players in the past, and neither of us fell for their compliments anymore, even if it was simplyjusta compliment.

“So, you said something about plans?” Ford interrupted the conversation by whisking across the hall. His steps were a little slower than usual. I pulled back out of his way, and he slipped past me and pushed on our apartment door to make himself at home.

“Hey!” I rushed toward Ford as he walked farther into our apartment. Sutton was hot on his heels.

I was stuck in time as Aasher waltzed through the door next and angled his chin in my direction. “I’ll get him out in a second. He’s tipsy and uncontrollable.”Yeah, just like my need to take my knee and ram it between your legs.

Aasher’s warm breath fanned over my face, and I blinked back the surprise of my inability to speak. I snapped out of it when his gaze slipped down to my lack of clothing again.

A bratty reply fled my mouth. “I don’t need your help. I can handle a tipsy hockey player on my own.”I can handle an asshole hockey player too.

His smooth skin gave way to zero imperfections, but just below the faint scruff of his facial hair, his puffy lips—probably from kissing that puck bunny—curved into a cocky grin. “I didn’t ask if you needed my help.”

“And I didn’t ask for you to comment on my clothing moments ago, either.”

Aasher’s eyebrow curved with the jerk of his head. A thick piece of brown hair flipped onto his forehead, and I wanted to reach out and pull it. “Oh, so you want him in here? Is that it?”

His accusation burned my cheeks. I didn’t know how to read Aasher, and it drove me wild. Was he kidding? Or was he being serious? I’d already told him hockey players weren’t my type, but his question made me trip over my thoughts. Was he manipulating me becausehewas the one behind the bet? I recognized the hint of disapproval in his tone. Maybehewas the one who said I wasn't his type because I was uptight and cold.

Aasher and I were at a stalemate. Instead of stumbling over my denial of wanting his roommates in my apartment, I turned around and left him to make his own assumption.

“Wow.” Berkley’s shoulder brushed mine. “This is a nice place. Way cooler than ours.”

“Cleaner too,” Sutton added.

Efrain came through the door after Aasher and flicked one of our twinkle lights hanging above the window. “Can I live with you instead of these two?”

Ford sighed. “If you do, can I have your room? I’m sick of the dorms, and your couch sucks.”

I was coiled so tight from my little spar with Aasher that I couldn’t keep the huff in my mouth when he ran his finger along the seam of our couch.Don’t touch our stuff.

Sutton was standing beside me, and a quiet laugh tumbled from her. She was hardly even moved in yet, and here we were, surrounded by a bunch of irritating, pompous athletes.

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