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"One that doesn't involve you."
"What story, Leia?"
"One about a bossy hockey player who gets ejected from games and destroys locker rooms," I snap, rolling my eyes. Until he accused me of being a puck bunny, I fully intended to recruit him to help me. But now? No thanks. "Is that what you want to hear? That I'm writing a story about you? Well, too bad because I'm not. My story has nothing to do with you or your giant ego."
He narrows his eyes at me, growling softly. "I like that smart fucking mouth, Trouble. The more you sass me with it, the more I want to fill it."
"Too bad for you because I'm not a puck bunny." I poke him in the chest. "And another thing, buster, I don't even like hockey!"
He throws his head back and laughs.
I consider punching him in the throat, and then decide I probably shouldn't. He's already been in more than enough fights tonight. Besides, violence never solves anything. At least that's what Adalynn, my older sister, keeps telling me.
I decide she's probably right. Instead of punching him, I just growl at him and stomp toward the doors.
He grabs me before I make it two steps, hauling me up against his chest. His lips touch the side of my throat. "I'm going to find out what you're up to, Trouble. Don't think I won't."
"Well, good luck with that because I'm not going to make it easy for you, Bossy."
His rough hands glide across my chest, sending waves of heat through me.
My core clenches. I fight the urge to whimper, refusing to fall under his spell. He's grumpy and bossy and I'm not entirely sure I even like him all that much.
Liar, liar, pants on fire, a little voice whispers.
I imagine myself smothering it with a pillow.
"Yo, Colter, is everything…?" The security guard who was stationed outside pokes his head inside the locker room, takes one look at me in Colter's arms with his hands on my boobs, and snaps his mouth closed. He slowly pulls back, disappearing from the doorway.
"Shit," Colter whispers into the ensuing silence.
My cheeks blaze with humiliation. The security guard now thinks I'm a puck bunny too. He probably believes I came back here to have pity sex with Colter after he got kicked out of the game.
This is Silver Spoon Falls. Gossip travels at the speed of light around here. By next week, it'll be all over town. Razor, my brother-in-law, will find out, and then my sisters, and my brother. It'll be the Grand Inquisition. And any chance I had of settling quietly into this town will vanish in a puff of smoke. Everyone will think I landed this story by sleeping with Colter and not through my own hard work.
"Leia, wait," Colter growls, reaching for me when I jerk out of his arms, trying to put distance between us.
"Getting caught naked with a woman in a locker room may make you look good, but it doesn't make me look good, Colter. I came here to do a job. Leave me alone and let me do it!" I cry, stomping toward the doors. "And for the love of God, put on some freaking pants!"
"This isn't over!" he shouts as I rush out of the locker room with my head down.
Chapter Two
Colter
"This is such bullshit," I growl to Coach Grayson Marrow, shoving my stuff into my bag. "You know Gordon started every single one of those altercations."
"I know," Coach says, clasping my shoulder. "Jordan knows it too. But you got a game misconduct. We're the new kids on the block. We have to play by the rules."
"Well, the rules are bullshit." I slam my locker before looping my bag over my shoulder. I've been playing professional hockey long enough to know there is no fighting this suspension, though. Our next game is Saturday. If I don't take the suspension on the chin, the President of the League will lengthen the suspension after his review. We can't afford that. I'd rather be out one game than three.
But fuck Bruce Gordon, for real. I don't know what his problem is, but he's a menace.
"Any idea why he was gunning for you so hard?" Coach asks, walking me toward the doors.
"Not a fucking clue." I rake a hand through my hair, still not sure what I did to piss in the man's Cheerios. Five years ago, we played on the same team. We were never close, and he's always been a douche. But we were never enemies either. Whatever crawled up his ass last night felt personal, though.
Coach lifts his chin in a nod. "Guess he had something to prove."
