Page 124 of The Penalty

“And you didn’t get the winning goal, so clearly, I’m not a traitor.”

He laughs this time. “I told you you weren’t a traitor.”

“That’s something the enemy would say.” In the dark it’s hard to see how bright his eyes are, but I don’t miss how often he drops them to my mouth. “You want to kiss me, don’t you?”

“So bad.”

Wolfe, the Gods goalie, walks toward us holding what looks like a blue Oreo package. “Any one over here like ‘em double stuffed?”

My hand shoots up. “Oh yeah, right here.”

Rhys snorts, and Wolfe hands me some cookies.

“Yeah, you like double the cream too.” He knuckle-bumps me as I shove a whole cookie in my mouth.

“So, so much,” I groan. “I’ve been out of cookies for like a week. I’m dying.”

“That’s blasphemy!” Wolfe hands me more cookies.

“How do you guys eat so much shit and not get sick?” Rhys glares between the two of us.

“It’s a goalie thing,” Wolfe and I say together and bump knuckles again. “You gotta get Lancelot. He’ll want some.” I look around him and find my back up. “Lancelot! Come get double stuffed!”

Everyone in the room starts laughing and Lancelot’s face turns bright red, his eyes wide.

“Hey,” Osha yells back as he drags our teammate over. “If anyone is getting double stuffed, it’s me.”

“As long as they are cream filled too.” Wolfe hands Osha some cookies, which he shoves into his mouth. “What about you?” He eyes Lancelot. “You like ‘em double stuffed too?”

Another player, I think it’s Archangel, comes over. “Who are you double stuffing now?”

“Anyone I want.” Wolfe wags his eyebrows. “Is your name actually Lancelot, or are you just chivalrous?”

Archangel growls. He must be a furry too.

“Oh, that’s a good question!” I say through a mouth full of cookie.

“Just a nickname, my name is Lance.” He shrugs.

“You should tell people you’re related to King Arthur,” I tell him.

Everyone looks at me, but Archangel nods. He knows what’s up.

“You know King Arthur and Lancelot weren’t related, right?”

I wave it off. “Pfft. Yes, they were. Everyone was in Camelot days.”

“I don’t even know where to start with that.” Osha purses his lips, then turns to Lancelot, holding up his last cookie. “Ask real nice and I’ll double stuff you. For science.”

I turn my head to Rhys, who’s fighting back a smile and winks at me. Fuck yeah. That’s happening. I don’t know what it means, but I hope it involves cookies.

Lancelot looks around the group and finally back at our teammate before opening his mouth and sticking his tongue out.

Everyone breaks out into a chorus of “Oh shit,” and Osha slides the cookie into Lancelot’s mouth. Damn, that was sexy as fuck.

I lean in and whisper to Rhys, “Why don’t you ever feed me cookies?”

Rhys turns slowly toward me. The guys standing near us turn too.

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