Page 99 of Of Pucking Course

Ingrid shakes her head. “We’ll do another toast when they join us.”

The three of us drink our prosecco while we wait for Sophie and the guys to join. When the server stops by to check on us, we order a pitcher of beer for the guys and a glass of Scotch for Blomdahl, since he doesn’t like beer.

“Could we also get a Sophie Splash too, please?” I ask.

The server says no problem and walks off to get the drinks.

Bella grins at me. “I think it’s the sweetest thing in the world how Xander convinced the owner to come up with a non-alcoholic drink for Sophie and put it on the menu.”

“He’s so whipped for her, it’s the cutest thing in the world,” I say.

“All our hockey guys are pretty whipped for us,” Maya jokes. The three of them laugh.

I chuckle and think about all the sweet things Sam has done for me ever since I moved in with him. Surprising me with my favorite snacks and cooking my favorite breakfast. Ordering my favorite takeout when I’ve had a bad day at work. Spoiling me with a private luxury shopping spree and a makeup birthday lunch.

Helping me become more confident in the bedroom…

Heat blooms across my cheeks. I take another sip of my prosecco to cool myself down. Sam and I have only fooled around a handful of times, but it’s the hottest sex I’ve ever had…

I think about him coming to chat with me during warmup…the way he smiled at me when he scored that goal in the third period…

It kind of felt like he was scoring that goal for me.

Even when I admit that to myself, it feels silly. He was just doing his job. He wanted to win.

But I still can’t get the thought out of my head. When he winked at me after scoring, there was something in his gaze. He was looking at me like I was the only person in that entire arena. It was so intimate and knowing. The kind of look a boyfriend and girlfriend share.

Tingles fly up my chest. In that moment, I wished I was wearing his jersey to make things even more special. I even thought about buying Sam’s jersey at the arena and putting it on before the game. Just thinking about the look on his face made me giddy. I think he would have loved seeing me in his jersey, with his name and number on my body…

Except he’s not your boyfriend. He’s your friend androommate. And your brother’s best friend and teammate, which means he is completely off limits, remember?

I sigh as the disappointment of that reminder swoops through me. I need to stop losing myself in that little fantasy.

A minute later, our drinks arrive. Right after that, Sophie walks into the bar and joins us. She sits down next to me, and we all congratulate her on the win.

She beams. “I’m so happy for the guys,” she said. “They played their butts off.”

“And as team doctor, you made sure that their asses were intact enough so they could play, so cheers to you,” Ingrid says, holding up her glass again.

We all toast to Sophie. She chuckles before taking a long pull of her drink.

Maya and Ingrid ask Bella how things are going with her coffee shop. While they chat, Sophie leans closer to me.

“So I saw the way that Sam smiled at you when he scored.” Sophie flashes a knowing look.

My cheeks instantly heat. I bite back the giddy smile aching to spread across my face and glance down at my lap.

“Sam smiles a lot,” I say, keeping my tone light. “He’s a friendly guy.”

Sophie quirks a strawberry-blonde eyebrow. “Is he?”

I stare at my glass of prosecco and hope that my best friend can’t tell just how hard I’m trying to downplay my expression.

“Dakota, come on. I was watching it all play out on the TV in the medical room, and even from there I could tell that something was going on between you two.”

I bite my tongue, aching to spill everything to my best friend, but I hold back. Sam and I agreed we wouldn’t tellanyone about us. All the filthy things we’ve been getting up to in the bedroom? That’s between me and him only.

“It’s crystal clear that Sam has always had a crush on you,” she says, her voice soft so that only I can hear her. “I know you’ve always denied it, and I understand why. He’s your brother’s best friend, and maybe you don’t see him that way…”

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