Page 34 of Puck Yes

As he grabs a spot in the third row, I settle in, busying myself with my phone and the latest pick for Trina’s book club that we’ll discuss when I return.It’s a small-town romance set at a lavender farm, and the blurb promises the couple will bang in the bushes. Bring it on, bangathon.

I’m no less than ten seconds into the heroine learning the handyman she’s been daydreaming of is actually the farm owner when a big man is parking his ass next to me.

I groan privately. But when I look up, I give a genuine smile. “Hi, Dev.”

“Not gonna miss my chance to bond with Blob.”

I close the chapter on my phone. “Yes, team bonding with the mascot is sooo important.” I arch a skeptical brow. “Ryker sent you, didn’t he?”

Dev feigns shock. “Why would you think that?” He gives me a conspiratorial wink and I laugh. “Seriously, how’s the new gig treating you? Are any of the guys being jerks?”

“Ryker definitely sent you.”

“Of course he did.”

“So why do you assume they’d be jerks?”

He scoffs. “Because I know pro athletes.”

“Are you a jerk? Is Ryker a jerk?” I counter.

Dev hums as if weighing the question. “I plead the fifth…So, is anyone being a dick?”

Stefan strides past the galley and into the aisle with Hayes right behind him. Hayes is wearing the hell out of a slate-blue suit that’s just a touch tight in the arms. Stefan’s is a dark gray, the color of a stormy sky, and it makes his blue eyes look even brighter. I swear whoever made the rule about pro athletes wearing suits when they travel did not have to endure the view. I fight the urge to undress both of them with my eyes and focus on answering Dev’s question. “Gentlemen all around,” I say.

Stefan must have heard me. He stops at our row, scans behind him, then up ahead. “Nope. No gentlemen in sight,” he says, lifting his cup of coffee like he’s toasting to his own brand of trouble as he meets my gaze and holds it. My pulse skips one beat and then another when Hayes shoots me a knowing grin.

“Especially not the guy you’re talking to,” Stefan adds, eyeing Dev.

Dev raises his middle finger above his head, not even looking Stefan’s way.

“Aww, it’s Dev’s love language,” Stefan says.

“It’s myonlylanguage,” Dev adds.

But Dev’s a lover, not a fighter. Goalies don’t fight often, after all. Plus, he’s a fun guy, so I know he’s just teasing.

Hayes is quiet through the exchange, his expression more serious. I get that—it’s his first flight with his new team. He probably just wants to blend in.

Dev stands and stretches. “All right. Don’t cause any trouble for Ivy or I’ll have Ryker after my head. That goes for you, Viking. And forHey You.”

“Will do,” Hayes says, taking Dev seriously. Stefan just laughs.

Mayday!Where is Dev going? He was supposed to be my goalie.

“Enjoy the tenth row, aisle seat,” Stefan says to him.

Hayes lifts a brow. “He’s superstitious?”

“Like you’ve never seen before,” Stefan says, then shrugs. “But I’m not.”

Stefan drops down into the aisle seat. Well, someone is staking his claim on me. Hayes gives a chin nod. As the new guy, I doubt he wants to get into a seat scuffle. But Stefan pats the middle seat for Hayes.

The taller man scoffs. “I’ll find an aisle.”

I roll my eyes, unbuckle, and stand up. “I’ll take the middle.”

I’m a regular girl, after all, and I don’t want Hayes to feel uncomfortable.

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