Page 56 of Just My Puck
They’re all still in their clothes, probably waiting until the last moment to strip them off. And I can’t really blame them. Even if it’s sunny, it’s still far from an ideal swimming day.
“Just bringing you guys an update on the bets. I’m told that might interest you.”
“Are you kidding?” James steps forward, grinning. “It’s all we’ve been talking about for the past half hour.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Really?” My eyes flick to Caleb, who’s standing off to the side with his arms crossed, an amused look on his face. My heart does a strange flip when our eyes meet.
“You might not know this about our group,” Aaron says, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “But wagers are kind of our thing.”
James chuckles. “Yep. That’s how we got Beaumont and Hayley together.”
Maxime clears his throat, shaking his head. “Try again.”
They all burst into laughter.
“I’ll go to my grave arguing that it helped,” James teases. “We also had a long-running bet on whether or not Marissa and Miles were in love.”
“Oh, and don’t forget the charity auction,” Maxime adds.
I frown. “The what?”
“Yeah, we were auctioned off for charity,” James says with a hearty laugh. “No biggie. But what made it even more fun was our inside bet on who would bring in the most cash.”
“Which I won,” Miles says, a smug grin spreading across his face.
James rolls his eyes. “This one promises to be fun too. Naturally, we’re betting on who will last longest. You and the girls can get in on it, if you want. Though, if I were you, I’d pick me. I’m from the Midwest. The cold is my thing.”
“Well, speaking of today’s bets,” I say, whipping my phone from my pocket to check the picture. “So far—and it’s probably a done deal—the player with the most pledges is Caleb.”
“No!” most of the guys call out, but some of them break into applause.
“This thing is rigged,” Miles grumbles, crossing his arms.
“It’s not.” I let out a quiet laugh. “People just have a lot of trust in your captain.”
I risk a glance at Caleb, and the instant our eyes meet, he winks at me. I swallow hard, trying to ignore the flutter in my chest as the guys continue to argue, their voices rising in excitement.
“Well, I’m going back out there,” I say, my voice a little too tight, “but good luck.”
Most of them don’t even hear me, so with a shrug, I just turn to leave. But Caleb’s voice calls out behind me.
“Sorry.” His tone is light but sincere as he lumbers over to me. “They’re so invested in this bet, they’ve forgotten their manners.”
I swat a hand in dismissal. “It’s fine. I get it,” I say, then tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Well, good luck, I guess. Lots of people are rooting for you.”
“What about you?” he asks, taking another step closer, and my heart skips a beat. “Who are you rooting for? That’s what I’m most interested in.”
I cock my head to the side, a faint smile tugging at my lips. “I think I’ll have to go with James on this one.” I smirk, then turn to walk away. But before I can leave, he grabs my hand, pulling me gently but firmly back toward him. I stumble slightly, my hand landing on his chest, and my breath catches in my throat.
“What did you just say?” His voice is teasing, but there’s an undercurrent of something more—something charged. “I’m not sure I caught that.”
I laugh. “I’m kidding. You can’t see it, but I’m wearing Number Nineteen under my coat.”
His eyes darken as he swallows, and I feel the beat of his heart beneath my palm. “Good,” he says, his voice husky.
He takes another step closer, his presence filling the space between us, and something shifts in the air. There’s a pull, a force that’s almost magnetic. I’m rooted to the spot, unable to look away.
“Do you know what that means?” His voice is low and deliberate. His eyes drop to my lips for a second, and I can feel the heat radiating off him. “Wearing the jersey of a player you know?”
