Page 79 of Puck Lust

He winks at me and opens the door. “Have some cake and imagine all the things we can do with the leftovers. Hopefully, your mom made lots of that frosting.”

My cock strains against my jeans. I swallow a groan and adjust myself.

I just need to get through a few more hours.

We head back downstairs to the party and Ally immediately grabs Jack and pulls him outside to the deck so he can settle in next to Gram. It’s obvious he loves the attention, and based on what I know of him, it makes sense why he craves it so much.

I sigh, staring at him through the glass and absentlyrunning a hand over the smooth marble island top. When I think about everything he’s told me about his past, I’m consumed by such an intense anger. How the fuck could a mother completely abandon a child? How could a father disregard his own kid? And I don’t even have the full story. It’s probably so much worse than anything I’ve even conjured up in my mind.

“You look pensive,” Mom says before turning to pull a cookie sheet out of the oven.

“Nah, I’m just thinking,” I say, picking up a chocolate chip cookie from a nearby plate.”

She turns around with a smirk. “Smartass.”

I smile. “Always.”

“How’s Jack holding up after the scuffle?” she asks.

With a shrug, I nibble off a piece of the cookie. “Oh God, that’s so good. I can taste the caramel in it.”

“Secret recipe,” she says, holding a finger over her mouth.

I chase my bite with a sip of the water she just placed next to me. “Honestly, it pisses me off that people are so anxious to tear someone down without bothering to find out the reason behind the actions.”

“Well, it was a pretty aggressive action, yes?”

“The guy was a total prick, and Jack believes he’s abusing his kid. He’s, ah, very sensitive to that kind of thing, and he didn’t feel like the kid was safe. So when he confronted the dad, he said some things that triggered Jack. And it escalated.”

“Celebrities need to maintain their composure more than regular people because they’re always in the public eye,” Mom says, piling shrimp rolls onto a plate. “People will always be more critical of their actions and it can result in big problems.”

“I know. I just…there’s a lot more to Jack than people know. He’s a superstar, sure, but he’s got a past and it isn’t pretty. There’s a lot of baggage there, stuff I don’t even know because he doesn’t like sharing that part of himself.”

Mom gives me a long look. “You don’t want that baggage to become yours, Carter. I’m a little nervous about what it all means for you. I can appreciate the fact that he’s your friend and you want to help him, but you don’t want to get sucked into his drama. It’d be very hard for you to claw your way out of it.”

“He doesn’t really open up to people. I feel like I might be someone he trusts. I can’t just turn my back on him.”

Mom casts a glance at Jack outside the window. He’s laughing and has the entire party hanging on his every word. Shining bright as usual.

She turns back toward me. “I’m only saying all of this because I’m concerned about you, sweetie. It sounds like he might need some professional help. You should be the supportive friend but know your limits. Know when to walk away.”

I nod, the stress knot at the base of my skull tightening because I know I’ve already been sucked in to everything that is Jack Larson, and there’s no way in hell I can walk away now.

TWENTY-EIGHT

jack

The afternoon sunbeats down on my skin where I recline on one of the deck chairs. Gram has kept me close all afternoon. It’s hard not to smile when she’s around. She clearly loves being the center of attention and having everyone make a fuss over her. And it’s cute how she keeps her hand on my leg, like she doesn’t want me to leave.

Flattering, too.

Why the hell is it that I can get more attention from strangers than I ever could from my own blood?

I know I can be charming and people generally like it when you show interest in them. My hockey abilities always drew people in, and as I got better and then famous, they became attracted to the rest of the package, too.

Carter’s family and friends are no exception. They want to hear all my war stories, how I got started with hockey, my experience in getting drafted to Oakland, how it was dating my NFL superstar ex, Sam Hartley. It’s all glitz and glam, stories I don’t mind spinning at all. They take attention away from all the bad shit that hides behind them, the ugly shit nobody knows, that I can barely stand to think about.

Hours later, once the party ends, I walk Gram into the living room.

---