Page 57 of Double Pucked

I roll my eyes at the ridiculous word. “Like I said, you’re such a show-off.”

He drops a soft kiss to my shoulder. “You like word show-offs.”

“Also, how do you even know the word for word lover?” Then I shake my head, answering the question myself. “One of your word podcasts.”

“Yes,” he says. “It’s called…wait for it…Lexiphiles.”

“Then impress me with some word thing you learned on the Lexiphiles podcast.”

In a raspy voice, he whispers, “Lexiphiles rhymes with sexiphiles.”

“Is that even a word?”

“I think the term for that is justhorndog.”

I laugh, then it turns into a yawn.

“Go to sleep,” he says softly.

It’s sweet, the way he doesn’t push for sex, just like it’s sweet how he lowers his guard with me when the lights are down.

“I will, but how’s Chase?” I ask, a little worried since his team lost. Will he want to fuck it out or does he shut down after a loss? I’ve only seen him after a win—the other night. Ryker’s team lost that game on Friday, and he was moody. Then again, I think he was moody because he didn’t want to entertain a VIP guest. Maybe they’ve been doing this long enough that they let the losses roll off them.

Ryker’s quiet for a beat, then in a resigned voice, he says, “In a bit of a funk. I ran into him outside. He’s going for a walk.”

My brow knits. “Is that what he does when his team loses?”

“Sometimes. He just beats himself up so much.”

“Does he need anything?”

Ryker shakes his head. “To stop beating himself up,” he says with a heavy sigh.

I sigh too. “I hope he does.”

“Me too.”

20

GOOD MORNING TO ME

Trina

In the morning, I don’t want to get out of bed. I’m having the most fantastic dream.

Like my body’s made of liquid and desire as some dream guy kisses me. Here, there, everywhere.

Then, I moan, and huh.

That doesn’t sound like a dream moan.

And it doesn’t sound like it came from me either. It’s a man’s moan, and that man has a thick beard that’s grazing the back of my neck.

My eyes flutter open. Chase’s side of the bed is empty. He came in late but I don’t know when. At some point in the middle of the night, I just realized he was here, a hand on my dog and me.

Maybe that was all Chase needed after his walk.

I’m guessing my dog’s in the living room, licking his food bowl hopefully. Because here in bed, it’s just Ryker and me. He’s holding me and dusting a soft kiss to my shoulder.

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