Page 8 of The Puck Player

Archer Gray is one of my best friends, but he’s also a chaotic little dick, who I am almost certain has a death wish, especially given his choice for his new found relationship. He and Daemon verbally edged each other for three fucking years before they had the balls to finally admit their true feelings, and while it was fun to watch, now they are slightly insufferable to be around.

Still keeping my face blank, I flick my stare from Archer to Daemon. “Forbes, put your fucking dog on a leash,” I grunt, as the former playfully rolls his eyes at me, while the latter allows a dangerous smirk to pull at the corner of his mouth.

“Can’t, when he acts like a brat it means I get to punish him,” Daemon purrs, more comfortable around me in recent weeks given we spent Christmas together, and much to my dismay, my eyes flick back to the tempting piece of trouble that started this.

I wonder how I could punish her?

She and Evie are still surveying the food options, but as if my sinful thought summons her, Aubree’s eyes finally dance across the cafeteria and meet mine. Evie is still talking to her, no doubt giving her the lay of the land of FU as they pick something to eat,but when her eyes collide with mine, she freezes. It’s just for a fraction of a second, but it’s like my entire world tilts on its axis. Just one second and I know exactly what I knew in the bar when I first laid eyes on her.She’s fucking perfect.

I keep my stare on her, even as she breaks contact, and I watch as she takes her time picking out something for lunch, a sandwich and a bag of chips, a bottle of iced coffee, and then a pot of fruit, but every few moments her eyes flick back over to mine to see if I’m still watching. I am, of course I am, how could I not, she’s the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on, but every time she meets my stare she seems more and more bemused. Almost annoyed even, as if she can’t understand how she could consume so much of someone’s attention, and it just makes her even more desirable.

Growing up with money meant I always had people falling at my feet for my attention. Whether it be for the money, or just the pleasure of saying they had me, it was always a battlefield of separating the people who wanted just me, Alexander, and the people who wanted Alexander Reign, son of CEO billionaire Parker Reign and supermodel Striker Reign. Most of them were the latter, which I didn’t mind, better you know where you stand with someone if they make their intentions clear from the beginning, and I plan to make my intentions very fucking clear when it comes to Miss Aubree Callows.

The moment they have all their food, Evie begins leading Aubree right this way, and I can’t help but smirk as the latter once again meets my eye. That’s it, trouble, come and walk right into the lion's den so I can take a bite, yet as soon as that thought crosses my mind, her hand flies to Evie’s arm and halts her in the middle of the cafeteria. They’re too far away for me to hear what she says to her, but whatever it is has Evie throwing her head back and laughing, before she nods, leading them off to a free table where they both take their seats.

What the fuck just happened?

My head flies to Jake as his phone vibrates on the table, and I see him read the message on his screen before his head pops up and searches around, until he finds Evie and smiles with a nod of his head, before going back to his conversation with Nova. Clearly she must have communicated with him why she isn’t eating lunch with him, and he seems perfectly fucking fine with it. What the fuck is wrong with him? Why isn’t he getting up and going to get his fucking girl? What kind of shitty boyfriend is he?

I open my mouth to protest when once again Aubree’s stare collides with mine, and it’s me who freezes, because she doesn’t just look at me, she looks at me and smirks. A smirk that is soft and feminine, and almost fucking innocent, like she has won something, and it’s only then I understand what she is doing. She thinks keeping her distance will stop me, as if I didn’t drop two fucking grand just to find out her name, and I would have happily paid ten. I’m not sure what fucking idiots she is used to, but clearly they are cheap and pathetic, and don’t know her worth.

Abandoning my food, I rise from my seat and stride smoothly towards them, making her smile drop, as her eyes flick nervously down to her lunch. Hmm submissive, yet I know that’s not her, she might think it is, but I see her for what she really is.Trouble.

“Afternoon ladies,” I purr, sliding into the seat beside her, closer than we were in the classroom, and just like on Friday night I am assaulted with her sweet, flowery scent. “Didn’t our dear Evie here tell you that she normally eats lunch with us today?” I ask, keeping my focus on Aubree, which means I catch the tightening of her jaw at my presence beside her.

“I did, but apparently she isn’t in the mood to eat with a bunch of conceited dickhead jocks today,” Evie muses, and when I flick my gaze to her, she is watching me with a knowing smirk.

“Hmm, conceited dickhead jocks, is that right?” I ask, returning my stare to Aubree, only to be delighted by her delicious blush. “I mean, I know you like to keep the company of jocks, so consider me offended,” I drawl, referring to the incident in which we met, and just like I knew she would, she holds my stare, her eyes narrowing in anger.

“Why? Don’t tell me, Prince Charming is here to refute my statement?” she asks sweetly, pairing her words with the stab of her fork into a piece of fruit, and my smirk only widens.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Aubree,” I purr, her name sounding too perfect coming from my mouth, and her face only reddens.

“What do you want, Alexander?” she huffs, throwing down her fork as she sits up in her seat, and I can feel Evie’s stare bouncing back and forth between us, but the only thing I can focus on is the way Aubree just said my name.

It wasn’t the same way girls usually say it, which is either with disgusting desperation or better yet, a moan. No, Aubree said it with exasperation, like she already knows me and is sick of me, and nothing has ever sounded more perfect.

“Ah, well, I’m glad you asked, love.” I clear my throat and lean on the table, not letting my eyes fall from hers. “What I want is to get to know you.” My answer is probably the closest thing to the truth I can manage without admitting to my casual stalking, and even her answering scoff doesn’t deter me.

“You mean you want to get into my pants,” she claps back with a shake of her head, like she is more than used to my type, and honestly it delights me.

“Only if you’re offering,” I wink, and she rolls her eyes in disgust, as she reaches out and pops a strawberry into her mouth.

“Okay, please just stop, this isn’t going to work on me.”

“This?”

“Yes, this,” she repeats, gesturing between the two of us. “This thing you’re doing, the flirting, the chasing, it’s not gonna work on me. I know guys like you, with the princely looks and the charm to back it up, and you’re wasting your breath on me, because I know you don’t care.”

“Is that right?” I ask, the smile on my face now hurting my cheeks, and I can see Evie hiding her own behind her drink.

“Yes, that’s right. I mean, do you honestly expect me to believe that you care about my interests? Whether my star sign is compatible with yours, how I like my eggs scrambled in the morning, or how my favorite flowers are daisies because they were also my mom’s, and they remind me of her.” Every word out of her mouth is filed away into my brain, as I sit mesmerized by her beauty. I mean, clearly she is trying to scare me off, but all she is really doing is giving me exactly what I want, telling me about herself. She wants me to know these things, so obviously my methods are already working and we are finally getting somewhere.

“Well I’m guessing you’re a fire sign,” I start, reaching over and stealing one of her grapes, tossing it into my mouth. “I’m a Sagittarius myself, and I also like my eggs scrambled. My housekeeper Glinda’s are my favorite kind, and I have never looked at flowers enough to pick a favorite, but I’ll do some research and get back to you.”

From the look in her eyes she isn’t impressed, but that’s because we haven’t spent enough time together yet, but we will.

“You struggle with the word, no, don’t you, Alexander.” She is still holding my stare, and I don’t think I have ever seen eyes as green as hers. I can’t decide if they are emerald or tourmaline, but I’ll just add it to my research list once we are done here.

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