Page 74 of Puck Block

He snorts. “I tried and fucking failed.”

We let go and start to head down the ice together. I’m certain the cameras are locked onto us, expecting some juicy hockey fight per usual, but instead, he drops his head and asks if there are any parties around campus tonight since they’re not heading back until the morning.

“We don’t usually party with the opposing team,” Emory adds from behind. “But that game deserves to be celebrated.”

“So, party at your place?” I quip.

“Fuck no.”

I chuckle. “You can follow us over to the football house—that’s the best party spot on campus.”

“Good shit.” Number seven throws up his knuckles. “See you in a few, but you owe me a beer for stealing that shot.” Then he pauses. “Or maybe you can make it up to me by introducingme to one of those beautiful girls up there.” He nudges his chin to Taytum and the rest of her sorority girls. My first reaction is to choke him out, but then Emory rushes past me to the locker room, and I do something drastic.

“I’ve got the perfect girl for you.”

And just like that, there goes my winning high.

“You did what?!”

Taytum tries to smack me against the chest, but I catch her wrist mid-hit. She looks into the living room for Emory, but our sparring is nothing out of the ordinary. He probably assumes I’m reprimanding her for trying to grab a drink.

“Relax. I’ve grabbed your hand plenty of times over the years when you’ve gone to hit me.” She looks for her brother again with the same expression she always wears when she’s up to something. “But if you don’t stop looking at him like that with my hand on your wrist, well then he might just find out that you rode my face the other night.”

“Ford!”

I smile at the gritty way she says my name. The apples of her cheeks turn pink, and theonlyreason I’m toying with her is because I know she isn’t mine tonight.

Or ever.

“What?” I shrug. “It’s true.”

There’s a tug from her arm, and I finally let go. She stumbles backward, and it forces me to steady her with a hand on her lower back. There’s a quick gasp from her and a rising dick from me.

Goddamnit.

I turn and reach for a drink. Any drink will do at this point.

“Anyway, he's a good guy, so I set you two up,” I say, sipping the booze.

“How am I going to get away with sneaking off with some hockey player from the other team with Emory here and what about rule number one? Remember? No sleeping with hockey players?”

She’s skeptical and has zero trust in me. I lean on the island and let the granite cut into my lower back and say, “I meant that forourteam and just watch.”

The song changes, and there’s a plethora of girls surrounding her brother. The females always want the grumpy, stoic one because they think they’ll be the one to change him. It doesn’t take long for him to take his pick by grabbing one around the waist and pulling her toward the door.

Taytum’s face is full of disgust. Her pink lip is pulled into a scowl, and she rolls her pretty blue eyes. “He’s such a pig.”

“We all are until we find the right girl,” Theo muses.

I look over my shoulder and see Theo leaning beside Claire on the other side of the island.

“Are you saying I’m the right girl?” Claire teases.

“You know you are.”

Taytum sighs wistfully. “You two are annoyingly cute.” Then she turns to me and puts her hands on her hips. “Fine, where is he?”

I chug the rest of my beer and nod in the direction of Knox. He sees me pointing him out, and I instantly rethink my decision when I watch him stop mid-conversation at the sight of Taytum.

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