Page 17 of The Puck Player

“And you’re adorable when mad,” he responds, pushing away from the desk himself and pulling out his phone. “Now we should arrange the best time for our future sessions. Ihave practice Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and Saturday mornings, and most of the time games on Fridays,” he continues, studying his phone. “Evenings work best for me as I usually have classes all day, and then my mornings are spent working out, but if you prefer mornings I can switch things around for you.” His eyes lift from his phone and look at me expectantly, but I’m honestly not sure what to say. No one has ever offered to accommodate me in this way.

“Evenings are fine, just whenever you can fit me in, you’re the one with the busy schedule so I’ll work around you,” I tell him, knowing he must take hockey seriously to still be playing it when he already has his own businesses to run.Where does he even find the time?

“Just because I’m busier than you doesn’t mean your time is any less valuable, Aubree,” he scolds, and from the way his brows crease as he stares at me, I can tell he really means that.

I drop his gaze as I reach for my bag and pull out my timetable, glancing over it before I say, “Okay then can we stick to Monday afternoons, and maybe Thursday evenings after you’re done with practice? My classes run late on Wednesdays and I don’t really want to commit to doing more work.”

Alexander is already nodding, tapping away in his phone. “It’s a date,” he states, and I stifle my groan as I heave my bag onto my shoulder.

“No it’s not, it’s a study session,” I warn him, and the smirk I have been accustomed to seeing over the past week returns in full force.

“If you say so, Trouble,” he smiles, leading me out of his room and passing me his phone. “Here, put your number in so we can reach one another, just in case we’re running late or anything.”

I take it but then eye him sternly, as we move towards the stairs. “So I give you my number and you promise to only use itto talk about tutoring, and not to send me unsolicited pictures of your dick.”

He barks a laugh as we descend the stairs, shaking his head at me in amusement. “Please, I would never do that,” he confirms, sounding nothing but sincere, especially with that accent of his, but as he reaches the bottom he turns and adds, “It wouldn’t fit on the phone screen.”

I stare after him in shock, but then the smile I was repressing spreads across my face, as I type in my number and save it, before calling my phone and doing the same. Only then do I follow after him, finding him in the kitchen with Archer and Daemon. Alexander is rummaging around in the refrigerator, as Daemon cooks, and Archer sits on the counter beside him.

“Bree, you’re still here,” Archer beams, like he is genuinely excited to see me. “It’s good to see you again, sorry about before,” he adds, and I stare between him and his boyfriend with a tight smile.

“Nice to see you too, especially fully clothed and you know, separate.” I gesture between the two of them, trying not to blush, and Archer throws his head back and laughs, as a small smirk pulls on the corner of Daemon’s mouth.

“Are you staying for dinner?” Archer asks, looking between me and Alexander, but Alexander says nothing and just looks at me expectedly, like he wouldn’t mind either way.

“Oh, no, I don’t want to impose,” I start, but much like his roommate, Archer is already shaking his head as he interrupts me.

“Nonsense, you’re not interrupting anything, not in the kitchen anyway,” he winks. “Besides, Daemon’s only talent isn’t just fucking me, he’s an amazing cook too.”

Daemon stops what he’s stirring and glares at his boyfriend, but there is nothing but love behind it. “Baby, I think she saw enough before, stop embarrassing her.”

Archer holds up his hand in mock surrender. “What? I can't help it if I like your cock and your cooking.”

I shake my head as I smile at him. “Well, just to be clear, I’m only staying for the cooking,” I reply, letting my bag fall to the floor, as Alexander moves to pull out a chair at the counter for me.

“Good because the cock is taken,” Archer muses, grabbing Daemon by his shirt and pulling him in for a kiss, and then it’s like the rest of us disappear as they melt into their own little world with one another.

It’s a strange display, because I can honestly say that until I got here, I don’t think I have ever seen people in love like this up close. Not in the way I’m used to anyway. I mean back home there is no PDA, not like what I’ve seen since being here. It’s all hand holding and kisses on the cheek, not passionate displays because you can’t keep your hands off one another. I saw it first with Evie and Jake, then again on Friday night with Nova and Maddie, and Josh and Hallie. Now these two. Even before, when we walked in on them fucking on the sofa, yes it made me feel mortified, but there was also something else there too. A deep yearning for that kind of love and affection, and for some reason I’m not sure Ben and I will ever be like them.

“Don’t worry, you get used to them,” Alexander tells me, sliding into the stool beside me, and when I flick my stare to him, he is holding out a can of pink lemonade.

“Don’t think just because you agreed to be my tutor, and that you got me my favorite drink, that it means we’re all of a sudden friends,” I warn him, snatching the can from his hand, and that insufferable smirk of his returns.

“Good,” he grins, and I blink back in confusion.

“Good?”

“Yeah, good, because my intentions when it comes to you are the opposite of friendly, Aubree.” He pairs his words with theslow appraisal of my body, and I have to fight the urge not to squirm.

“I have a boyfriend, remember?” I tell him, my voice coming out a little more breathy than I intended, and his eyes darken.

“I remember,” he grits, his jaw tightening, and before he can say anything else, Archer cuts in.

“What’s your boyfriend’s name, Bree, does he go here?” I flick my stare back to the man in question, as Daemon goes back to cooking, and Archer watches me, his gaze bouncing between his roommate and me.

“His name is Ben, and no, he lives across the state,” I start, smiling politely. “Plus he already graduated last year, he works as a youth pastor now,” I add, and at my words all three of them share a loaded look, and I shift slightly, expecting some judgement, but none comes.

“Nice, how long have you been together?” Archer asks, and I get a feeling that he’s the type of guy who likes to be friends with everyone, like an excited golden retriever.

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