Page 125 of Top Shelf

Lucian bumps his shoulder lightly against mine. “Told you there was venom in you.”

I shake my head, trying to laugh off the sudden tightness in my chest. “You three areridiculous.”

“Maybe,” Ronan says easily. “Doesn’t mean we’re wrong.”

Before I can recover from that, someone jogs toward us from across the concourse.

“Wren!” one of the media coordinators calls breathlessly. “The local news crew is here early, and they’re asking where you want them set up for the exhibition game announcement.”

The exhibition game.

My pulse jumps instantly, excitement splitting my face into a wide grin. I’ve been impatiently waiting for this part all weekend.

I glance instinctively toward the covered entrance leading down toward the private player access tunnel beneath the arena. Hidden behind those doors is the surprise I’ve spent the last two weeks desperately trying to pull together without anyone leaking it to the public beforehand.

Straightening my shoulders, I turn back toward the coordinator.

“Can you get them set up in section sixteen for me? I want the cameras angled toward center ice when the players come out.”

The coordinator nods immediately and rushes off.

Beside me, Ronan studies me carefully. “You’ve got that look.”

“What look?”

“The one that says your brain is operating twelve steps ahead of the rest of us.”

Lucian smirks. “It’s terrifying, honestly.”

Silas flips to a fresh page in his notebook.

Sexy as fuck, though.

I choke on my coffee.

Lucian bursts out laughing while Ronan looks entirely too pleased with himself.

“Stop flirting with me and go get ready for the exhibition game,” I tell them off, pushing on Ronan’s chest to get him moving. The other two will follow their captain.

Of course, it’s not that easy to get rid of Lucian. Instead of leaving me in peace, something wicked dances in his eyes as he smirks down at me.

“I think I need an incentive to get in the right headspace for this game. What do we get if we win?”

Rolling my eyes, a smile plays at my lips. I can’t help it. Lucian’s antics are amusing, even if they drive me insane half the time. “You get the satisfaction of knowing you won.”

His nose scrunches in this cute way that looks impossibly childish on him. It makes me want to kiss him.

“Not quite the prize I was thinking of,” he purrs, voice tipped low and dripping with innuendo.

With heat coursing through my system, I glance from him to Ronan and Silas, who are both watching on with matching looks of desire and intrigue.

“How about the prize of seeing me naked?”

Lucian’s eyes flare with hunger. Silas chokes, completely taken by surprise at my words, and Ronan groans. I smirk when he subtly shifts, dropping his hands to cover his crotch. “There are children around,” he gripes.

“Just seeing, or do we get to touch?” Lucian rasps, voice thick.

I bark a surprised laugh. “Give you an inch, and you take a mile, Lucian Caulfield.”