Page 3 of Pucking Your Best Friend

“I’m sorry, but you need more practice, not less,” she replied apologetically, ignoring the goosebumps that spread from his index finger across her back, where he was touching bare skin.

Yes, she wanted something serious, but that didn’t mean her body didn’t miss the fun sometimes. And not-so-bright athletes were good at it, right?

Oh, forget it; Matt wasn’t for her.

“Why do you owe Lucy a drink?” she asked quickly, trying to change the subject.

“I told her where to find Dax Temple.”

“What?” She didn’t understand.

“Not important,” Lucy said, gritting her teeth. “I don’t want to hear that name tonight, okay? Actually, when I think about it, I could do without ever seeing him again.”

Mercy, what had the man done? Lucy wasn’t easily upset. She was tough, didn’t shy away from confrontation, and took what she wanted – qualities that Maddie had always envied.

“That’s going to be difficult, since he’s a player and you’re the team’s PR woman,” Matt pointed out. “But hey, Dax was probably just having a bad day. He’s actually an all-right guy.”

“So, it’s true you’re best friends?” Maddie asked. At least that was what the media reported. She wasn’t a huge Hawks fan like Lucy, but her entire family used to go to a game once a month. They’d done so until her mother died. She still followed the sport casually because it gave her a warm feeling in her chest.

“Guilty as charged,” Matt said, grinning.

“Oh, Matt, your taste in men is terrible,” Lucy said regretfully, standing. “I even feel a little sick. Excuse me for a minute.” She gave him another reproachful look and then disappeared into the bar.

Matt chuckled softly, and the rough, dark tone made the little hairs on Maddie’s neck stand up. “Your sister isn’t shy, is she?”

“Oh, no,” Maddie confirmed…and then she didn’t know what else to say. Uncertain, she smiled at the far too good-looking, rich, and famous guy, and when a few terrible seconds of awkward silence followed, she pulled her phone out of herpocket. “I just want to quickly…” She didn’t finish the sentence but pointed at her screen. Then she typed the first thing that came to mind into Google.

Adonis demigod full god?

“Full god.”

She looked up, confused. “What?”

“Adonis. He was a full god. At least, according to the Phrygians.”

Maddie blinked. Extremely strange things were coming out of the mouth of the hot moron with manners. “The Phrygians?”

Matt grinned. “Yes. The Indo-European people who had a relatively large empire in the middle of Asia Minor in the eighth century BC. He was their vegetation god.”

“But…” Maddie was still having trouble connecting these words with the incredibly handsome man in front of her. “I thought he came from Greek mythology.”

“Yes, researchers are still arguing about that. The Phrygians were the first, but he is also mentioned in Greek and Roman mythology. There, however, he was neither a demigod nor a real god. There, he was merely a beautiful human born of inbreeding who fell for Aphrodite or Venus — your pick. And then he was killed by her jealous husband, Ares or Mars.”

Maddie’s mouth dropped because, damn! He wasn’t a hot idiot. He was just hot. How completely unfair. “How do you know that?” she asked, perplexed.

He shrugged. “I studied history. I found mythology to be one of the more interesting subjects.”

“You studied…?For real, with a degree?” Even to her ears, her voice sounded blunt and incredulous. Most athletes only went to college for show!

Matt grinned. “My parents insisted. That’s why I came to the NHL a little later and…” He paused, probably because he noticed her eyes widening in astonishment. “Oh, shit.” He laughed.“You’re shocked, aren’t you? You thought I was just a dumb jock.”

It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.

“No!” she said, horrified, raising her hands defensively — even though it was a bit true.

“Yes, you did.” His grin widened. “Don’t worry, you’re not the first.”

Her cheeks caught fire. “Really, I didn’t…I mean, I don’t even know you,” she stammered, embarrassed.

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