Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
I had been in three other relationships before him, and they were all with girls in high school. One cheated on me, one was too clingy for me, and the last one just fizzled out because we were about to go to different colleges. I was attracted to all of them and didn’t feel a romantic pull to any of the guys I knew, so I just figured I was straight.
But Colm came out of nowhere and made me feel a way I hadn’t ever felt before. I liked the way his body looked. I liked the way his voice hitched when he moaned. I liked the smell of his aftershave. It was hard to process at first, and it was still a bit jarring to me at times given that I had only dated women and had been convinced that I was straight.
All of this was new, but it felt right. So, I didn’t run away from my attraction for him. I accepted it and reveled in it.
“Hungry for?” Mikael chuckled as he passed by us, nudging my shoulder.
I rolled my eyes and got changed into a t-shirt repping our hockey team and a pair of jeans, listening to the guys talk about the upcoming season and all that we wanted to accomplish.
“We might have some competition for funding this year, guys,” Hugo said to us before we filed out of the locker room.
“What do you mean?” Anthony asked as he narrowed his eyes.
“Well, I met Leah Carney, the captain of the women’s team, and she seems pretty set on dethroning us,” Hugo replied as he crossed his arms.
Scattered laughter echoed around the locker room as some of the guys shook their heads. I kept silent, wondering how good this girl was if she was mouthing off to Hugo. Honestly, picturing that was pretty amusing. Hugo’s ego could stand to take a few hits.
“Yeah, right. The women’s team haven’t even been eligible to travel to any tournaments in years,” Stephen said with a scoff. “They usually have a losing record for the season.”
“I don’t think we should put so much focus on them,” Mikael spoke up. “We should focus on ourselves.”
Hugo put his hands up in an unsure manner.
“Just giving you guys a heads-up. I don’t think she’s just a talker either. She’s feisty,” he replied with a chuckle, a grin lingering on his lips.
I lifted an eyebrow out of interest before glancing over at Colm, who had the same expression on his face. He was thinking the same thing that I was thinking. Hugo seemed pretty intrigued by this girl, but it was Hugo. He could be a player and have girls in a rotation, but it sounded like Leah was more interested in challenging him than sleeping with him.
“We’ll see how she does on the ice,” Anthony said, not seeming all that worried. He headed out of the locker room with Stephen and Mikael behind him.
Hugo turned to Colm and me.
“I’m looking forward to that,” he chuckled before walking out.
Colm leaned against my side with an intrigued hum.
“Seems like our captain has found himself a worthy opponent,” he said.
I smirked.
“Or another one night stand,” I replied.
Colm gave me a light push before leading me out of the locker room and then the stadium. We walked side-by-side across campus toward the university’s large, option-filled cafeteria. Every so often, his fingers brushed mine, sending a rush of heat through me. He knew that I was keeping things on the down low for now, but he also knew that the subtle teasing drove me crazy.
“What are you getting?” Colm asked as we ventured through the busy cafeteria, checking out all of the different food stations and what they were serving today.
“Probably that black bean burger and a salad,” I replied as I eyed the vegetarian station. I focused on my health intensively, wanting to treat my body right while I played such a physical sport.
Colm grimaced.
“Gross. I’m getting pizza,” he said before heading off.
I smirked a little and shook my head, my eyes trailing him as he walked off. Automatically, my eyes shifted down to admire the way his black jeans gripped his waist. I drew in a sharp breath and headed over to the left to get my black bean burger, telling myself to check his ass out in private next time.
By the time I got my food and a bottle of water, Colm found a round table at the very back of the cafeteria for us. But he wasn’t alone.
“What the hell?” I muttered as I peered at a brunette woman sitting across from him that I didn’t recognize. I approached them and gave Colm a questioning look.
“Oh! This is Jed. My fellow defenseman,” Colm introduced me. “Jed, this is Leah.”
My jaw nearly dropped as I stared at the woman across from me, who peered at me in an unsure manner. Despite the furrow of her eyebrows and the straight line her lips made, she was notably beautiful with soft features and full lips. No wonder Hugo was hooked on her.