Page 21 of Ice Bet

9

AASHER

I tossedthe souvenir hockey puck that I’d gotten when I was seven into the air. The apartment was loud, and my roommates were hyped on the promise of winning tomorrow’s game.

It was poker night—something I didn’t usually partake in because it was the one thing I wasn’t good at. Plus, it was the night before a game. If Coach knew that half the team was over at the apartment, playing poker until well after midnight, he’d lose his shit, and I would not get stuck in the crossfire of that one.

“Ford!” I glanced at my bedroom door, recognizing the high-pitched voice right away.Sutton.I listened harder, wondering if she’d happened to bring over her roommate who wholeheartedly hated my guts. I had news for her, because I hated hers too.

She bled ignorance when she stomped her foot at me the other night and said that no one had asked me to be her shadow. That was exactly what was asked of me. Was she so dense that she thought I wanted to spend the entire season focused on anything other than hockey? Her bratty remarks drove me wild, and a few times on our “jog”home, I had the inclination to kiss her just to shut her up. That would have been impulsive and a grave mistake, but I bet it would have worked.

Admittedly, when Coach asked me to watch out for her, I thought it would be easy. Riley had never shown up at a party before—or at the rink, for that matter. But now, suddenly, she was showing up in places I never expected and ruining my mood with one short glance.

I tossed the hockey puck onto my bed and strode to the living room. I didn’t expect Riley to be here, but I also didn’t expect to see her at the party either, wearing that short dress and attracting stares from every male in a twenty-yard vicinity.

“Aw, look. The boss came out to play.” Efrain slid his poker chips forward.

I took in the scene, and humor tugged at my lips. The only thing missing was a cloud of smoke and cigars hanging from my teammates’ mouths. They were smart enough not to cloud their lungs the night before a game, though.

“If Theo gets wind of this, he’s going to throw a fucking fit.” I grabbed some water out of the fridge and rested my elbows over the counter, silently thanking God that Sutton was the only girl in the living room. She was concentrating on the cards in her hand with her tongue held hostage between her lips.

“Daddy Theo will be fine,” Ford grinned. “Unless Daddy Number Two tells him.”

I chugged my water before cocking an eyebrow.

“If you ever call me daddy again, I will slap the smug look right off your face.”

Ford laughed. Sutton was still focusing on her cards, but she piped up beside him. “Aasher is too uptight for pet names in the bedroom.”

“And you know how?” I leaned my hip against the counter and shot her a flirty grin. Without Riley here, sucking up all my energy, I was actually able to have a little fun.

“Riley told me.”

I choked on my water and wheezed. Sutton failed at hiding her sneaky smile behind her cards. Each of my teammates’ mouths hung open in confusion. I popped off the counter after catching my breath.

“Don’t joke around about stuff like that. People will start rumors, and they’ll think I’ve fucked her.”

“You stare at her enough that people are probably already starting rumors.”

I glared at her, wondering what her roommate had told her.

“You practically forced her to leave the party last week. I know that Riley despises hockey players, but no one else at Bexley U knows that. They probably think you took her home.”

“I did.” I rolled my eyes. “But that’s all.”

Sutton smashed her lips. “I’m just saying, it’s pretty noticeable. If she’s anywhere near you, your eyes are on her.”

This is such bullshit.

My teammates kept their mouths shut because they knew why I was tied to Riley like her little ball and chain. I was about to march across the hall and admit that her fatherdidask me to be her shadow. I’d ruined one father/daughter relationship before. What was another?

“Where is she, anyway?” Ford questioned.

I was glad he asked, because God forbid I give Sutton any other ammunition to use against me.

“The rink.”

My water bottle crinkled beneath my grip and caught the attention of everyone. “The rink? This late?”

---