Page 22 of Catch
I hear the telltale beep of a message and Silas quickly taps his phone. His smirk turns to a full-on grin as he shoves the phone into his back pocket.
“I gotta go.”
“What?” I blurt out. “No. We haven’t finished taking photos yet, and you gotta stay for another round of drinks.”
“My husband wants me home.”
“Can’t he wait?”
Silas raises one blond eyebrow. Right.
“Go on, you fucking horndog.”
This time, it’s Silas’s turn to laugh.
“Look who’s talking.”
“Hey, I’m not the one dumping my teammates for a quickie.”
He shakes his head.
“First off, I’m not dumping anyone. We came to fulfill the bet and it’s done. And what do you mean, a quickie?”
His comment is followed by a raspy chuckle, and then a sappy look crosses Silas’s face—the expression he can’t hide when he’s thinking about Damien. Jesus. There are too many loved-up couples on this goddamn hockey team.
“Fine,” I grumble and cross my arms. “You can go.”
“Thanks for your permission, Coach Ethan.”
I rub my chin in a meaningful manner.
“Such a fucking smart ass.”
“That’s right. See, love hasn’t changed me that much.”
“Don’t even start.”
Silas nudges my shoulder. “You might like it.”
“Say what?”
“Love, Ethan. You never know. Someday, some way, it may surprise you out of nowhere. It sure as fuck turned my world upside down.”
“I prefer to stay right-side up if it’s all the same to you,” Iscoff. “Look, the only things I love are hockey, my friends, and my family—even though they’re impossibly chaotic. But that’s it. No, wait. I also love parties, and beer, and having sex too.”
“Whatever you say.”
Silas’s tone is smug, and I roll my eyes so hard they’re hurting. He has no idea what he’s talking about.
“You don’t know shit,” I declare. “I’ve fucked a lot of women and not one of them has made me interested in anything else. Not one. Ever.”
Silas shrugs. “I’m not arguing that point, but?—”
He pauses and takes a breath, like he’s about to say something else. Instead, he shakes his head.
“But what?” I ask him.
“Just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it won’t. The right person, or persons?—”
