Page 81 of Play Maker

I wasn’t comfortable with accolades and waved him off.

“I mean it.” Archie leaned in. “But a guy like you, who can push it hard every period, you should be rowing, not skating. Ever think about it?”

I laughed out loud at that idea. No way.

“Me, sitting in that tiny boat? Pfft. I’d sink like a stone. Plus, pro hockey, dude. Come on.”

“Why don’t you stop by the club sometime and try it out?” Archie offered, running one hand through his thick hair. “I’d be happy to take you out. I mean, obviously in the spring, when the lake isn’t frozen. And, after hockey’s done, of course.”

It sounded like fun and probably a good way to stay in shape in the offseason. I was about to reply when Jace slid up beside me, offering me a cue and a warning look.

“We’d love to,” he replied.

“We?” I turned to him.

“I’m sure the rest of the team would love to try it out,” Jace added with a polite smile. “We could make a day of it. Or, a weekend.”

“Sure, why not?” Archie replied. “Jackson’s been talking about getting the teams together for a while for a competition. That’s a great idea.”

“Super,” Jace muttered and tapped my ass with the end of the pool cue. “You’re up, Hot Shot.”

“Okay, Honey,” I teased him.

“Honey?” Archie’s eyes widened.

“It’s our team nicknames,” I explained. “Thanks to Ethan Walker. I’m Hot and Jace is Honey.”

Archie nodded in understanding and stared at me. “I can see it.”

“Are we going to stand around or are we going to play?” Jace asked as he put a hand on my lower back.

Was he even aware of what he was doing?

I leaned into him, closer than I probably should’ve, closer than I did with any other teammate, and Jace finally met my gaze head- on. I should’ve stepped away, but I didn’t. Was Archie staring at us? Did he know? I didn’t care, or rather, all I could focus on was Jace. And his proprietary gesture was hot as hell. So hot that I couldn’t move.

Not for anything.

An hour later, and the pool game was a wipeout. Archie won. I offered to buy him dinner too, but he declined and excused himself to meet up with his friends again.

While Archie headed back upstairs, Jace and I gathered our stuff to head out.

“Where do you want to eat?” I asked Jace.

“You still want to take me out?” he replied, his voice clipped.

He’d been tense the entire time we were playing pool. Which wasn’t like him.

“Of course. Or, we can go back to the dorm and order in.”

“Dorm,” he replied curtly as we stepped outside.

“Everything okay?”

“Fine. Great. Just, you know, I’m hangry.”

Snow crunched under our boots as we made our way down Main Street.

“Is that all?” I teased him, but I got no response.

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