Page 1 of Chance Encounter

PROLOGUE

MADDOX

Junior Year High School

I’m high on life,and I can still hear the crowd cheering from the stands as I head inside the locker room. We are the two thousand and nine Division II, ASAA First National Cup Hockey State Championship winners.

My teammates yell and jump up, hitting the top of the door frame as they pass through into the locker room. When it’s my turn, I slap it as hard as I can and smile at the sting on my palm. Adrenaline pumps through my system, making me feel like I’m going to explode with happiness at any second. Today is the best day of my life.

It takes longer than usual for me to strip down and shower as excitement courses through my veins. Grabbing the towel from beside me, I do a quick dry off and wrap it around my hips.

When I walk out, the locker room is empty, or at least I think it is until I spy Chance Reed pulling up his sweatpants over his tight ass. Sans underwear. It’s not the first time I’ve seen his ass, but tonight is the first time I’ve wanted to act on the feel seeing it gives me.

Chance spots me as I make my way over to my locker. He flashes me a blinding smile. “Can you believe we fucking won, Blackburn?”

“Fuck, yeah. We’re the best, and you were on fire out there.” I clap him on the shoulder as I start to pass by.

Chance’s eyes flare, and I swear I see his pupils dilate as he takes me in. Am I imagining this newfound attention? I must be. Chance has hated me for what feels like ever when I’ve never done anything to him. I’ve never been able to figure out why, though.

I walk away before things start to turn for the worse. I don’t want anything to ruin this day for me.

“Are you going to the party?” He asks to my retreating back.

“Yeah, I think so. I’ll see you there.” I wave and open my locker to get dressed.

* * *

One of theguys on the team, Chris Steinbeck, is the one having the party in his barn. I’m just happy it’s heated. As I pass by the guys to grab a beer, I get the usual pats on the back and cheers. As captain of our team, it feels great to know that I helped lead them to victory.

“Hey, you made it,” Chris shouts over all the noise.

“Yeah, great party.” I take the cup of beer from him. “I still can’t believe we’re state champs. The only thing better is if we do it again next year.”

“Fuck, yeah. We’ll be unstoppable, especially with you leading our team.” He clinks his cup to mine.

We both take a long drink of our beer. When I lower my cup, the entire team is surrounding us. For the next hour, we all tell the best moments of the night and refill our beers until I can’t count how many I’ve had.

“I’ll be back. I gotta take a piss,” I tell the guys and head outside.

I’m walking back to the barn, where the music is drifting out the doors, when I spot Chance leaning against the wall.

“Hey,” I greet him as I start to walk by him, but stop when I notice he’s got a frown on his face. “What’s wrong? Have you been inside yet?” Is the beer all gone?

Even in the dark, I can see Chance roll his eyes at me. “Why? So, I can listen to them all congratulate you on how awesome you are?”

My brows furrow in confusion. I don’t understand his animosity. “They’d be congratulating you if you were in there. Hell, if you had been inside, you would have heard us talking about your awesome slap shot at the end of the first half.”

I move away from the door and stand in front of Chance. Even from a couple of feet away, I can feel the heat rolling off of him, and it does something funny to my head. Or maybe it was all the beer I had earlier. It could be the combination of the two that makes me lose my head.

Leaning in, I press Chance against the side of the barn and slam my lips to his. He’s stiff for only a second, and then his mouth opens underneath mine. I take the opportunity to slip my tongue inside his mouth. He tastes like wintergreen, and I moan. This has to be the perfect first kiss, hands down.

I tilt my head to get a better angle when Chance rips his mouth away. “What the fuck are you doing? Get your gay ass away from me,” he yells.

What? I’m confused. It wasn’t my imagination Chance was into that kiss or the way his tongue moved against mine.

“You liked it,” I shoot back.

“Are you out of your mind? No, I didn’t. I was shocked you’d have the audacity even to try to kiss me; otherwise, I would have pushed you away the second you leaned in.”

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