Page 20 of Coach's Temptation

A roar from the TV catches our attention. Pittsburgh's goalie throws his gloves, launching into a brawl at center ice.

"Damn, look at that right hook," Logan whistles, eyes glued to the replay.

When we return to the game, Logan finally breaks my streak, dragging the pot toward himself with a satisfied smirk. "About time someone took you down, Coach."

I shrug, shuffling the deck. "Don't get used to it."

The pile of chips next to me grows bigger. I get the next two rounds, and suddenly none of them are looking like the smug assholes I watch every day on the ice.

"And,anotherstraight flush."

I lay another hand down and watch their heads fall.

"This is rigged," Ryder mutters, reaching for more wings. "Coach has to be counting cards."

"Twenty years of strategy, kid." I stack my chips methodically. "You learn a thing or two."

Logan deals the next hand, the cards snapping against the felt. Blake shifts in his seat, his eyes flicking between the game on the big screen more than the others.

After a few minutes, he leans back, stretching his arms behind his head. “Speaking of winning… Lucy’s been around a lot lately.”

Connor perks up instantly. “You mean the ridiculously hot graphic designer Big Mike has rewarded us with?”

I shake my head as Blake winks at me. He's got a knack for stirring the pot, and he knows exactly what he's doing right now.

Blake shrugs, grinning. “Just saying. Someone might wanna shoot their shot before it's too late.”

“Already on it,” Ryder announces, tossing a chip into the pot.

Connor chokes on his beer. “Jesus, that was fast. Does Mia know about this?”

Ryder shrugs and rolls his eyes. "Fuck, man. Do we have to do this every time? We're justfriends."

A collective groan fills the room.

"Dude, we've heard this before." Logan tosses a chip at Ryder's head. "You and Mia arejust friendswho spend every waking moment together."

"And text constantly," Blake adds.

"And share food." Connor mimes gagging.

"And ogle over each other like lovesick puppies," Logan finishes.

Ryder's face flushes red. "Fuck… you guys are worse than my mom."

"Speaking of lovesick puppies..." Connor shuffles the deck and lays the next round down. "Lucyhasbeen asking about game schedules. Think she might actually show up to watch me play."

"She's definitely into you," Blake says, still stirring. "But fair warning - she's got opinions about everything. Including your gear setup and how it should look on your Instagram posts."

Connor's eyes light up and he strokes his ridiculous ever-growing beard. "I think I can handle that. But she's still no-"

Logan's eyes grow wide. "Don't say it-"

"Natalie."

Connor grins and leans back in his chair, slapping his cards down with an enthusiastic smack that makes me want to pick them up and throw them at him.

"She's no Natalie. Now that's a woman I would-"

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