Page 105 of Suck My Puck

He doesn’t chuckle like I expect him to.

“I don’t care about anyone in this room but you.”

My breath catches at the firmness of his tone, at how he’s looking at me like I’m the only one here.

Intensity flashes in his gaze. It makes my heart skid in my chest. He’s looking at me like I’m his.

My chest expands; my heart beats faster.

I like the way he’s speaking to me, the way he’s looking at me, the way he’s touching me.

I like being his.

In that moment, my rules about never dating a hockey player and never having a serious relationship feel silly and pointless. And wrong.

I open my mouth to tell him how I feel, but before I can get a word out, someone bumps into Braden. He stumbles to the side and I take a few steps back so he doesn’t run into me.

“Oh my god! Braden!” a tall, pretty blonde dressed as Marilyn Monroe says. “I thought that was you!”

He turns to face the woman, his brow raised like he’s surprised. “Lacey. Hey.”

Her eyes are glittery as she looks at him. “How long’s it been? Over a year?”

He shakes his head and shrugs. “Uh, yeah. I think you’re right.”

I look between the two of them, trying to figure out if she’s an old friend or something more.

She steps closer to him, and places a hand on his chest. Definitely more than just an oldfriend.

Jealousy flashes through me. I have no right to feel this way. He’s not my boyfriend. It’s not like I have any claim over him.

But that doesn’t make it any easier to watch this woman glide her hand up his chest and flash him a sexy smile.

I notice the look in her eyes is dazed. She’s tipsy.

“I saw that you had a bit of a rough start this season.”

He frowns. “Yeah. I did.”

A naughty smile pulls at her lips. “I think I know why. You weren’t fucking me.”

My mouth falls open in shock at what she’s said.

She glides another hand up his chest. “I was your good luck charm for a while there, remember?” She wiggles her eyebrows.

It feel like I’ve been clobbered in the stomach.

Good luck charm.

Braden said I was his good luck charm…it made me feel so special. I should have known better than to feel that way.

Braden’s expression is neutral as he looks at Lacey; his mouth is a straight line. I can tell he’s uncomfortable. But why isn’t he pushing her away? Why isn’t he telling her to back off?

“I can keep you going on your winning streak if you come home with me tonight,” she says in a sweet voice. “I’ll do that thing with my tongue that you like.”

That flash of jealousy inside of me turns into a full-blown fire.

I’m thrown back to every single time Matt flirted with a fan in front of me, how he disregarded my feelings. How much it hurt me. How much he didn’t care.

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