Page 14 of Daring the Hockey Player
"I dare you," Kyler says with a wicked grin and a glint in his eyes.
I've never chickened out over a dare before. I'm not about to start now.
I'm put back onto the ice a few minutes before the period ends, and I try to keep my concentration on the game. But every time I've got the puck, and I'm down near Amber, I glance up at her, unable to look away.
It costs me the puck and possibly a point.
I'm distracted.
She's the biggest distraction, and I should tell her not to come back and to stay away from the arena because her wearingthathideous ensemble is killing my mojo. But if she's an Island Bruisers fan, then all it's going to do is make her more tenacious to ensure that we lose.
The clock runs down, and the minute the period is over, I skate over toward the glass where she's seated.
Amber stands and gives me a nervous smile. "Hey," she says.
She ought to be nervous. She's been caught supporting the opposing team.
I remove my helmet and pull my jersey off. "You look ridiculous. Put this on," I say and toss it over the glass at Amber.
Amber stares at me but catches my jersey. Good, because I wouldn’t want anyone else getting their hands on it.
She's either speechless or appalled by my suggestion.
Her friend beside her quirks a grin. "And if we say no?"
"We?" Who the fuck is this girl? They're wearing matching Island Bruisers jerseys in a sea of Ice Dragons around them. They must be friends.
Just wonderful.
Was it Amber's idea or her friend's, to support the Island Bruisers?
"Wear my fucking jersey, Amber."
"She's not your girlfriend," the redhead pipes up with a smile.
"She can speak for herself," I say, staring into Amber's blue gaze.
She sucks in a breath, and her cheeks are red. I can't tell if she's mad or nervous. I don't know Amber well enough to figure her out. I consider inviting her to the Blue Line, our local tap house where the team goes after a game to unwind, but I think better of it.
We don't invite fans of the opposing team, and if she is an Island Bruisers fan, I don't want her there. Not after the fight I got into during the game with Storm.
Tension is still heated amongst the players, and I don't want Amber making this difficult when we're supposed to celebrate. That's assuming that we win. The game isn't over yet, and the score is tied.
"Jasper!" Noah shouts for me to hurry off the ice. The rest of the team has gone to the locker room during intermission, and they're waiting on my ass. Coach Malone always likes to give a short speech, some insight on what he's seeing from the other team, and sometimes a bit of a pep talk or tongue-lashing, depending on the score.
"When I come out for the next period, I expect you to be wearingmyjersey."
I skate off and head into the locker room with the guys.
"Lost the shirt off your back," Coach says as I head for my wooden locker. I grab another jersey and put it on over my pads, leaving my helmet on the bench.
"He's got a crush on a girl in the stands," Noah chimes.
I grumble under my breath. "It's not a crush." I don't have crushes. If I like a girl, I bang it out with her. Crush resolved.
My career is my focus. Hockey. Not girls.
Especially not girls who are fans of the Island Bruisers. Any other team, maybe I could look the other way.
