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He shrugged. “I know nothing about what you do. I just know you’re not dumb enough to get caught doing it.”
“Fair enough.”
“Are you two going to get your heads out of your asses and maybe actually fucking warm up with the rest of the team?” Nico yelled at us from where he was in line as everyone started taking shots on our goalie.
Lincoln looked over at me and rolled his eyes before skating off to where the rest of the guys were. Chancing a glance back in her direction, I looked back to Juliette and caught her staring. The corners of my mouth lifted as she quickly diverted her gaze over to the other side of the arena, tearing her eyes from me when she knew she had been caught.
A soft laugh escaped me and I shook my head as I headed over to grab a puck. We ran through our warm-up and it was soon time for us to head back down the tunnel so they could cut the ice again before the game. I skated over toward the bench to get a drink but I didn’t dare look at her. Not right now… not yet.
Standing on the ice, I leaned over the boards and grabbed one of the water bottles. I tipped my head back, squirting some into my mouth before wiping away the droplets of water with the sleeve of my jersey. As I straightened my neck, I stared straight ahead at Juliette. She was already watching me and this time, she didn’t look away.
She leveled her gaze on mine and I was locked in on her. Everything around me faded into the background. I watched her lips as they slowly pulled into a smile. A blush crept across her face and my throat bobbed as I swallowed roughly.
Fuck.
Everyone was beginning to crowd around the bench and I quickly hopped over the boards. I stepped over the bench and my lips parted as I went to talk to her through the glass.
“What brings you to a hockey game tonight?”
Juliette stared at me for a moment, her eyes slightly wide. “My father invited me. He thought it would be good for me to come watch one.”
I laughed softly and nodded. “Ah, so you’re just here because Daddy invited you? No other reason?”
Mischief danced in her eyes and fuck me for missing that look. Juliette shook her head. “Nope, no other reason.”
She was toying with me, and I fucking loved it. Not seeing her for two whole weeks felt like pure torture. I knew she was avoiding me, but none of that even mattered anymore. She was here, right in front of me, smiling at me like the sun shined out of my fucking ass. I would take whatever I could get from her, even if she was off-limits to me.
Lincoln grabbed my arm. “Yo, let’s go.”
I looked over at him and realized that the rest of the team had cleared out and he was waiting for me to head back into the locker room with him. Turning my head, my gaze met Juliette’s once again.
“Run along.” She laughed, waving her hand, motioning for me to go. “Looks like you have a little game to play.”
“Don’t worry, baby, I play to impress.”
“We’ll see about that,” she replied with amusement and not a single ounce of disbelief.
“Mac Sullivan,” Lincoln practically yelled at me. “Now.”
I winked at Juliette before turning my back to her to follow after Lincoln. We were the last two and right before we reached the locker room, Lincoln abruptly stopped. I collided into his back, a huff of air escaping me as he spun around, stepping into my space. He had me cornered where no one else could see or hear us.
“Dude, what the fuck was that?” His voice was low and harsh, lacking his usual playfulness.
I let out a deep breath, shaking my head. “I don’t know, man. I couldn’t help myself.”
“Do you want to give everyone a reason to be suspicious?” He paused, his eyes boring holes through mine. “You need to get it together, Mac.”
He was right. I needed to get my shit together. I couldn’t be openly talking to her in public like that unless I wanted someone to ask questions. Hell, Lincoln, Wes, and Nico already knew more than they should have. I could trust the three of them not to say anything to anyone about it, but still. It was risky and I was not treading lightly.
“I fucking know,” I told him, the frustration heavy in my tone. I pushed him away from me and took a step toward him. “Is it really that big of a deal, though? She’s my neighbor, so we know each other because of that.”
Lincoln ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “You know what, fuck it. You go ahead and do what you want. I have your back regardless, but when you slip up, that’s on you. I can’t protect you then.”
“I don’t need you to protect me.” I paused and collected myself, trying to understand where he was coming from. “I appreciate you looking out for me, I really do. I’ll be more careful.”
Lincoln huffed out another breath just as the guys started to come back toward us. The sound of the announcer from the arena began to echo down the hall. “Jesus, take the wheel.”
“What wheel is Jesus taking now?” Wes asked as he walked over to the two of us. “I don’t think the guy has enough hands for all the wheels we’ve been handing over to him.”
