Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 25255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 126(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 126(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Alina is grinning, having witnessed the whole exchange.
“Maybe he is sweet,” she admits with a chuckle.
I sit down with a smile that won’t go away.
He is. He’s the sweetest.
Chapter Six
Tucker
“Great game, bud,” Harris says as he slaps my bare shoulder.
We won so the mood in the locker room is festive. Normally, I’d be trying to get the fuck out of here as fast as I can, but even my spirits are up. Jane came tonight.
“Did I see you pulling your punches?” Harris asks, looking at me from the corner of his eye. He’s a brave one to ask me that. Any other time, I wouldn’t take kindly to such a question.
I did take it easy on that prick number twelve though. I didn’t want to corrupt Jane by showing her my violent side. I gave him one light warning punch and I could see in his eyes that he didn’t want any more.
Sebastian comes over before I have to answer. “Amazing goal, Mother Tucker,” he says with a grin. “I wonder what speed that one clocked in at. I barely saw it whizzing by.”
I grab my towel as Austin comes strutting over after his shower. He’s the rookie on the team, but he thinks he’s the league’s new hotshot since he was the number one draft pick.
“Hey, Sebastian,” he says as he combs his wet brown hair. “Who was that blonde sitting beside Alina? She was smoking.”
My jaw clenches as I turn to him with a fierce glare. I can feel a possessive growl rumbling up my throat.
Sebastian’s eyes go wide as he stares at Austin in horror. He starts slicing his hand over his throat like he’s pleading with him to shut up.
“What is it?” Austin asks. “Why are you doing that to your throat?”
It’s too late. My protective juices are flowing. My eyes are locked on him. I want to make that pretty boy pay for talking about my girl like that.
“Let me get her Instagram so I can DM her,” he says as he pulls out his phone. “What’s her name?”
I don’t know what DM means, but knowing him it’s probably something to do with his dick. Dick Magnet? Dick Move? Either way, he’s not getting anywhere near her.
The rage explodes out of me and I charge over with a growl. I smack the phone out of his hand and it goes flying across the room.
“What the fuck?” he says, looking at me in surprise. “What the hell was that for?”
I grab him by his wet hair and yank his head back. My face is right in his.
“That’s my girl.”
“Okay, okay,” he says, frantically putting his hands up in panic. “She’s all yours, big guy!”
Sebastian and Harris jump on me, grabbing an arm each, but I don’t let go. I want it to be damn clear that Jane is off-limits.
“Easy, Tucker,” Sebastian says, tugging on my bicep. “He didn’t know.”
The door to the coach’s office whips open and he comes charging out, barking his head off.
“Tucker, get your fucking hands off him,” he says. I give Austin’s hair one more firm tug and then I release him.
He trips over the bench while trying to flee from me.
“Are you pulling your punches in the game to save them for the locker room?” Coach Moss asks with a pointed look.
I’m breathing heavily as I stare back at him. If he wasn’t in his fifties, I’d clock him too.
His face softens as he stares back at me. “Good goal tonight, Tucker.”
I nod as I try to calm myself down. Jane wouldn’t want me fighting with my teammates.
“The rest of you,” Coach Moss yells. “Don’t celebrate too hard tonight. We have practice tomorrow and The Centaurs in two days. Rest up. I’ll see you tomorrow on the ice. Ten AM sharp.”
“What’s with you, Tucker?” Harris asks when we’re alone again. “You usually keep that aggression on the ice.”
I grunt as I grab my towel.
“So, that’s your new girlfriend?” he asks.
I glare at him too, but then I realize he might be able to help. Harris is a few years older than me. Maybe he knows more about love than I do.
“Yeah,” I say with a huff. “That was my girl. She doesn’t know it yet though.”
Harris laughs as he shakes his head. “Then you better tell her. I think she’d like to know.”
“Are you married?” I ask him. “Do you have the love of your life?”
He takes a deep breath as he pulls off a sock and tosses it into his locker. “No. I had her once. But… Fuck, I’m not the guy to ask about love advice. I’ve been caught up on the same girl for ages.”
“Why don’t you get her back?”
His face tightens as he stares at his locker for a long moment.
“It’s not that easy, okay? You want some advice from a pathetic, lonely old man? Just tell this girl how you feel. You need honesty in a relationship.”