Page 111 of Pinkie Promise

What is it about a group of guys hearing a girls’ gentle voice, and suddenly the whole pack is pumping testosterone like a bunch of damn cavemen?

I shoot them a hard glare because I canfeeltheir pheromones God damn it, and then I turn all of my attention down to Fallon, stroking at her hair. “My birthday’s next week but it isn’t a big deal, baby. We don’t go crazy for birthdays,” I tell her calmly.

Austin snorts. “Uh,yeahwe do – you just can’t remember last year because you blacked the hell out.”

Fallon gasps and looks up at me with wide eyes.

I shove my tongue in my cheek and make a mental note to sucker-punch Austin later.

“That was for my twenty-first,” I say, caressing her waist as she stares up at me. “It won’t be like that this year.”

“Well, I ain’t sure aboutthat…” Tanner says, squinting over at me as he tries to smother his laughter.

Fallon glances at him, horrified, and I give him anI’m gonna murder you latersmile.

“What are you doing this year?” she asks him, one of her fists gripping fearfully into my jersey.

“We haven’t decided yet,” he admits. “Usually we just hit up the bars… or the frats.”

“I’ll plan something!” Fallon interjects immediately, her brows arched high.

“Fallon,” I say soothingly, even though I want to kill Tanner right now for stressing her out. “He’s just being an ass. You don’t have to plan anything.”

“But I could,” she says quickly, spinning around to face me.

Way too many sets of eyes drop down to her ass, so I splay my palms over her behind, blocking the view.

“I mean, if you would like, I could host something for you guys. I’d make it good, I promise.”

That little promise strikes me right through the chest.

“Fallon, I’m being serious. You don’t need to do anything.”

“I want to,” she says, shooting a nervous glance to the guys behind her. Each one of those fuckers is getting a right hook straight in the jaw later. “It can be, like, a surprise thing.”

I’m frowning because I don’t want to put her out of her way, but there’s also no way that I’m saying no to Fallon when she’saskingto spend time with me. We don’t hang out half as much as I’d want to so any opportunity to see her is one that I’m grasping with both hands.

“You sure?” I ask her, even though it looks likeI’mthe person who is unsure right now.

She nods excitedly. “Yes, I’m definitely sure.”

I glance up at the guys and jerk my chin at them because I don’t want them to hear the rest of this conversation. “See y’all in a bit,” I say gruffly before hauling Fallon back onto the ice with me.

When I’m sure that we’re out of earshot I tell her quietly, “I don’t want you spending any money on me, Fallon. If you wanna put something on for my birthday, I don’t want it to cost you a single cent.”

She shakes her head, smiling up at me. “Ash and I will host it at the condo. I’ll text one of your friends the details so that they know what to bring.”

The thought of giving any of my teammates her number makes me hold her even tighter.

“We’ll bring the alcohol,” I tell her, because drinks aren’t cheap, and I refuse to let Fallon spend her hard-earned cash on any of these fuckers.

“Fine,” she says, rolling her eyes playfully. “What day is your birthday?”

“Next Friday. We’ve got a game on Thursday and we’re travelling back that night.”

“Would something in the early afternoon work? I don’t have classes next Friday.”

I do have classes next Friday but for Fallon I’ll bunk every single one of them.

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