Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Beau, Colby, and I passed the puck back and forth, Beau taking a shot that was blocked by Calgary’s goalie. We skated back down the ice and one of Calgary’s defenders, Charlie Huntsman, tripped me. I tumbled into the boards, bouncing back up to take him on, but a ref pushed me in the opposite direction.
“Douchebag,” I muttered.
Huntsman went to the penalty box and our second offensive line took over. I glared at Huntsman from the bench as our second line scored on the power play. He was known for playing dirty. One of my teammates would even the score with him before the end of the game.
The score stayed the same until the clock ticked down the final seconds of the game. We celebrated as a team at center ice, putting our sticks in the air and waving at the fans.
After a rocky start playing professional games at a college arena, security seemed tight now. Our season ticket holders had clamored to pay full price to see our games here, though there weren’t nearly as many amenities. I never missed a chance to do meet and greets with fans, because they were the ones who made all of this possible.
Back in the locker room, the mood was light. We were finally gelling as a team and playing games we could be proud of.
“We going out?” Seth asked me as I walked out of the shower.
“Not me. I’m beat and we have to be up early tomorrow.”
“Come on, pussy,” Dom said, snapping me in the back with a towel.
He was a pro at it, and my back burned where the end of the towel had hit.
“That fucking hurt, asshole,” I said.
“Is it that time of the month? Are your nipples feeling extra sensitive, too?”
I ignored him, not in the mood to engage. I’d considered inviting Elle and Luke to tonight’s game, and I regretted not doing it. We were leaving tomorrow for a long road trip, and I wouldn’t get another chance to invite them to a game for a while.
Luke was a cool guy and I enjoyed hanging out with him. I’d figured he could use a friend, so I introduced myself when I saw him out running. I hadn’t expected to get a home-cooked meal and a fantastic view of Elle’s chest in a wet shirt out of it.
The way her nipples had looked was etched into my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I’d jerked off in the shower at home this morning imagining her unbuttoning the shirt and taking it off.
“Did you guys hear our captain’s planning something special if our streak gets up to ten games?” Dom said.
Most of the heads in the locker room turned my way. Fucking Dom.
“Uh…yeah,” I said. “I’ll do something if we get to ten games.”
“What will you do?” Colby asked.
“You mean like a party?” Ben Hogan asked, looking confused.
“No, like he’ll shave his head,” Dom said.
I shot him a scowl. “I’m not shaving my head. But I’m open to other ideas.”
“Can we put a snake in bed with you?” Seth asked. “And you have to stay in bed with it for at least five minutes?”
I hated snakes, and my teammates knew it. I’d rather crawl through a dark tunnel full of spiders than touch a snake.
“Fuck no.”
“He’s not willing to do anything good,” Jordan Carter said.
Carter was hanging on to his spot on the team by a thread, but it didn’t stop him from running his mouth. I shot him a look.
“Why don’t you get everything below your waist waxed?” Seth suggested.
“Yep.” Dom grinned. “Smooth out the old coin purse. It’s perfect.”
“Legs too,” Seth said. “All of it.”
Jesus. I considered, silence hanging in the locker room. I really didn’t want anyone putting hot wax on my balls and ripping it off, but it would grow back. Other guys did it all the time. And if I was captain of a team that had just won ten games in a row, it would be a small price to pay.
“Deal,” I said.
The room erupted into cheers. I shook my head, wanting us to win the next five games but also dreading my fate if we did.
Later that night, I stepped off the elevator at The Pines and found Elle curled up in front of my apartment door. At least she was in the interior hallway that led from the elevator to back doors of the apartments, which only residents could access. But still, I hated to see her sleeping on the floor.
“Hey,” I said, bending down and touching her shoulder. “Elle.”
Her eyes flew open and she backed away a few inches, alarmed. She looked around, relaxing when she realized where she was.
“I can’t believe I fell asleep here,” she said, sitting up.
“Did you get lost?” I teased.
“No, I was waiting for you.”