Page 14 of Wild Pucker

"Thanks." Luke goes quiet and glances at me. He surveys my profile as if taking my measure. "You know, Chase, you deserve it too."

"Naw, I'm not a one-woman kind of guy."

"Aren't you, though?" Luke says, narrowing his eyes. "I haven't seen you take a woman home in months. In fact, I haven't seen you even look at a woman since December."

I don't respond to him. Mostly because he's right. Ever since the charity auction, I haven't been able to stomach fucking around like I used to. Oh, I've tried, but every time a woman gets close, all I can think of is Lily's lips. Her lust-hazed blue eyes and little moan when I pressed my aching cock into her belly. It's fucked me up even more than I was before.

"Look," Luke starts. "I know you had a fucked-up childhood. You never talk about it, and I know your dad's a piece of work. I don't know half the shit that went on in your house, but I knew the bruises weren't just from hockey."

I clench my fists at my sides. I don't want to talk about this, but I don't stop Luke, either.

"If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you." He claps his hand to mine and pulls me in for a bro hug. Just when I think he's going to let go, he pulls me tighter to whisper in my ear. "But if you fuck around with my little sister and break her heart, I will end you."

With that, Luke releases me and starts walking down the dock back toward the resort. He stops a few feet away and calls back to me.

"You coming? This wedding doesn't start until we're dressed and get Avery’s stamp of approval."

♥?

The wedding goes off without a hitch. Holly looks stunning in her white dress that glitters in the setting sunlight. I think Luke might lose it at one point, but he manages to get through the vows without any waterworks. Holly is another story. She cries. Avery cries. All the bridesmaids cry except Lily. She smiles so big at the bride and groom that I think her face will split in two.

She looks radiant in her navy blue gown that hugs her in all the right places. The fabric is light and clingy, stretching over one shoulder and reaches just above her knee. For a woman that's not exactly tall, Lily has stunningly long legs. They're like an optical illusion. When she walked down the aisle with her little bouquet of Northmen-coloured flowers, something squeezed inside my chest. I expected her eyes to find mine like she always seems to do when we're in the same room, but instead, she searched the crowd for someone else.

I followed her gaze to the rows of guests until it landed on Samuel McCrae, the team's nutritionist, who I know for a fact was not invited to this wedding. Which means Lily brought him. As her date.

Ollie pronounces Luke and Holly man and wife, and as they kiss, Lily glances over at the ginger dude who's preening like a fucking peacock. I know that look. He looks like he wants to claim Lily for himself. He wants to piss all over her like a dog and stake his claim, and it makes me want to launch myself into the rows of guests and rip his fucking throat out.

After the bridal party files down the aisle and makes an exit, I circle back. Everyone is laughing, hugging, and taking photos. It doesn't take me long to spot Samuel smiling and talking with Mrs. Valentine.Now he's meeting the family? For fuck's sake.

"Oh, Chase," Angie welcomes me into the conversation. "Aren't you supposed to be getting your photo taken?" I am, but she doesn't need to know that.

"The photographer is starting with Holly and Luke," I lie, hugging Angie. She's been my stand-in mom for as long as I've known Luke, and she never skimps on affection. "Samuel," I nod to the smarmy bastard. The worst part is I don't actually think he's a bad guy. He's just not the guy for Lily. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I didn't expect to be here," he smiles, and I can't help imagining what it would be like to knock his teeth out. "But Lily and I have been hitting it off in the kitchen, and I'm not one to turn down a weekend with a beautiful woman."

A vein in my forehead starts to pulse.Lily asked Samuel here, and they're spending the weekend together.I bite my tongue to stop myself from asking if this little getaway includes room sharing and try to think of a roundabout way to get an answer.

"Well, my daughter has always had wonderful taste in men," Angie laughs, placing a hand on his arm. I doubt she'd still have that opinion if she knew her daughter wanted to take a ride on my hockey stick.

"I thought Lily was coming with Riley," I say nonchalantly.

"Yes, the ladies drove up together because I had some last-minute things to finish before leaving." The knot in my gut eases a little until Samuel keeps talking. "It's lucky that Luke has the whole resort for the wedding party. Lily had no trouble changing her reservation to accommodate me, and Riley didn't mind that I stole her date."

"Riley's a darling," Angie agrees. "And let's be honest, I doubt she minds flying solo at a wedding full of handsome hockey players. It's about time that girl met someone nice."

"Aren't you supposed to discourage your daughter and her friends from chasing after boys?" Samuel chuckles, taking a sip of the champagne being passed out by cocktail waitresses. He snags an extra off a tray and hands it to Angie.Charming bastard.

"Young man, I have two full-grown children and no grand babies to spoil. I'm going to shamelessly matchmake my one remaining child until I'm holding a baby in my hands."

"Well, I think your chances of grandchildren have increased exponentially now that Holly and Luke have tied the knot," he laughs.

"Who's this young man flirting with my wife and putting outrageous ideas in her head?" a deep, jovial voice joins the conversation. Matthew Valentine seamlessly slides an arm around his wife. They are the most in-love husband and wife I have ever seen, even after years of marriage. I know they are the example Luke aspires to, and he's well on his way to becoming his parents in about twenty years.

"Matthew, this is Samuel McCrae. Lily's date. They work together with the team. He's the nutritionist we've heard so much about."

Matthew takes Samuel's hand and gives it a firm shake. The fact Lily's been talking to her family about him makes me insanely jealous.

"Ah, so this is the man my daughter keeps comparing to the guy from the TV show you watch, Angie," Matthew laughs.Fucking Outlander, kilts, and Scottish accents.Sam barely even has an accent. You can't even tell unless you listen really hard. "My daughter thinks very highly of you."

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