Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 104081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
He was like my annoying little brother and one of my best friends rolled into one. It wasn’t going to be the same without him.
But he’d be back.
And we’d welcome him with open arms and a long night at Boomer’s when the time came.
Shaking the thought off, I pulled Maven back into my arms, smiling as she squinted up at me with one hand shielding her eyes from the sun.
“I’m proud of you,” I said.
She beamed, standing a little taller. “Thank you.”
“And I’m excited for tonight.”
“What’s tonight?”
“Our first real date.”
She laughed. “Is that so? What, you don’t count the yacht in Baltimore?”
“No more than the dinner date I crashed when you were with that real estate prick.”
“Hey, he was nice,” she said on a laugh.
“Oh, is that what you want?” I asked, tickling her ribs as I nibbled at her ear. “A nice guy?”
“If I did, I wouldn’t be with you.”
“Ouch,” I said, covering my chest like she’d wounded me. But then I smirked and pulled her in again. “I’ll show you just how nice I can be tonight.”
“Hmm… you might have to wait.”
“Why is that?”
She pressed up on her toes so she could whisper in my ear, the feel of it making me wish we were alone.
“I don’t put out on the first date.”
I bit my lip on a grin, making sure no one was watching before I smacked her ass. “We’ll see about that.”
We Make the Rules
Maven
June
We boarded the party bus to the roar of two-dozen rowdy teammates, all of them chanting Vince’s name as he hoisted the Calder Trophy high over his head in victory. I laughed as he propped his foot on the first bus seat and did a ridiculous twerk and body roll with the trophy, but it only made his teammates get even crazier.
The NHL Awards had been hosted in Austin, Texas, and the entire team had flown out with Vince on the nominee list for the Rookie of the Year. When he’d won, we’d blown the roof off the place, and Jaxson revealed that he’d already booked us an afterparty.
A bus with a stripper pole that would take us around to all the bars and clubs in the city until we shut it down.
Vince’s family had flown in for the ceremony, as well, but while his parents had retreated to their hotel, his sister held fast to my arm as we boarded the bus behind Vince.
“It’s so loud!” she screamed over the noise.
I laughed, squeezing her arm. We paused by the driver at the front of the bus as Vince held his trophy up proudly.
“I’ve dreamed about this moment since I was in high school,” he said, and by some miracle, the guys on the bus calmed enough so they could hear him. “Back then, I saw it as a solo award, as one I would earn all on my own. But now that I’m holding this,” he said, looking at the trophy and then back at his team. “I know I couldn’t have earned it without all of you. I’m honored to be a part of this team, of this organization, and I can’t wait for us to hang another banner on our rafters when we win the Stanley Cup together.”
There was a mixture of cheers and teammates making fun of him for being a mushy princess — both of which made me and Grace chuckle.
“Alright, enough of that shit,” he said, hoisting the trophy up again. “LET’S FUCKING PARTY!”
Carter had flown in for the celebrations even though he wasn’t technically on the team anymore, and he was the first to throw a cold can of beer to Vince. He caught it with one hand, cracked the top, and poured it straight into the cup of the trophy.
Grace and I stared in half amusement, half horror as he crushed the empty can and tossed it to the floor before guzzling the beer out of the trophy to the wild approval from all his teammates.
“I hope you’re ready for a long night out,” I told Grace.
Her eyes were wide, mouth parted, and it reminded me a little of how I’d been the first time I’d traveled with the team. It really was such a spectacle.
“Come here.”
I was still half holding onto Grace when my wrist was wrapped up, and a strong set of hands tugged me into a warm lap. Vince planted a wet, beer-scented kiss on me to the tune of whistles and catcalls, the trophy in the seat closest to the window.
“Um, your sister,” I said, blushing as I pressed against his chest until there was some distance.
“Oh, shit, here, Gracie,” he said, moving the trophy and scooting over so she could sit next to us. But she scoffed, flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
“Please. I’ll pass on the third wheel.” She turned to the bus full of Ospreys next. “Who’s got an open seat next to them?”