Chapter 17 #2
“You look beautiful.” Tucker’s blue eyes rove down the length of my body. “That dress looks sexy on you.” He says, looking at my mini floral dress.
Colsen leans to whisper in my ear. “I love those tiny little buttons down the front. I would love to open them one by one with my teeth.”
A shudder of anticipation works its way down my spine. Our schedules have been crazy all week between auditions and hockey practice. But if there was a chance to end the night in Colsen’s bed again, I would be more than happy.
Of course there’s also Tucker and I wonder if he’s going to make a move to take our flirtation to the next level.
But Tucker and Colsen aren’t the only guys on my mind.
All of a sudden I feel observed. A third pair of eyes is on me.
Nash is sitting on one of the couches in the living room with a solo cup in his hands and that emerald green stare zeroed in on me.
I take in his chiseled jaw, his broad shoulders. The definition of the sinewy muscles in his big hands and in his forearms that are resting on his knees.
Thick thighs and long legs complete the picture. I can’t take my eyes off him and there’s a stir, deep in my lower belly that tells me that my crush on him is alive and well.
“It’s time for a party game!” Genevieve’s high pitch voice pulls me out of my lust-induced contemplation.
Nash gets up from his chair, turning on his heel.
“Nash, where do you think you’re going?” Gen calls out.
He looks at her over his shoulder. “I’m not into party games. I’m going back to my room.”
“Everyone who isn’t outside has to participate. It’s mandatory.”
“Mandatory?” He laughs, but it’s a sardonic smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Did Coach Harrison die and put you in charge of the team?”
Genevieve’s eyes narrow in a disdainful glare. “No. But we’re going to share living and training facilities for the next six weeks. A little bonding could make life more fun. Especially for you, since you’re new to the team and you’ll be new on campus.”
Vaughn, one of the guys whose apartment we’re in, backs Gen. “She’s right, dude. We hardly know you. Come on, stay.”
Several other teammates echo Vaughn’s request and Nash relents.
“Fine.” He bites out, lowering himself back onto the couch.
NASH
I sit my ass back down on the couch with an eye roll. I’m not staying because the resident mean girl told me to, but because my teammates asked.
I didn’t transfer to Star Cove from South Carolina just because my old coach was hellbent on destroying my career; my old teammates were quick to ice me out too, when they realized that I was out of Coach’s good graces.
They didn’t care about hearing my truth; they didn’t even ask.
They chose to believe the worst of me after more than two years of seeing each other pretty much every day.
Most of them lived in the Gamma house with me too.
They knew me, and yet they didn’t doubt that I would sleep with another man’s wife.
Even the ones who were at that bar with me and saw that Coach’s new, much younger wife wasn’t even wearing a ring.
I told them that she lied about being single until I was blue in the face, but no one cared.
Last year was miserable and lonely, and this is my chance for a fresh start.
I know it’s just one year, but it’ll be much more fun and productive on the ice if I get to know my teammates.
Some people pull chairs near the two couches facing each other in the living room; others sit on the carpeted floor. There are nearly twenty people, an equal number of men and women.
“Ok.” Gen smiles, satisfied. “Fiona, do you have an empty beer bottle?”
A girl rolls her eyes. “Really? Spin the bottle? What are we, thirteen?”
“Shut up, Sam,” Gen scolds one of the girls. “We’re playing Truth or Dare and the bottle is just to pick who’s up, so it’s completely random. I’ll do the first spin, since I’m the one who organized the game.”
“As if it took time and effort to find an empty beer bottle at a party full of college students.” Talia says, making everyone laugh.
I chuckle at her dig, earning a deadly glare from Gen. “Guys, you need to take this game seriously. If you fail to complete a dare or if the majority of us thinks you’re lying, you have to streak run in front of the staff quarters.”
The announcement of the penalty is met with a few chuckles and a couple of groans.
“Are you trying to get us all kicked out of camp?” Tucker is one of the people who looks worried about the punishment in case of failure. “If Coach Harrison caught one of his players running buck naked around his building, he’s going to kill us.”
Gen offers him a little arrogant smile and a shrug. “Then don’t lie and complete your dares properly, and you’ll have nothing to worry about. Ok, are we all ready? First spin.”
Genevieve’s spin of the bottle is weird. It’s a half-ass flick of her wrist clearly planned so that the bottle lands on Mack.
“Mack, you’re up. Truth or dare?”
My roommate rolls his eyes. “Come on, Gen, really? You didn’t spin the bottle properly, you basically pointed it at me.”
Gen’s perfectly manicured hand flies to her chest, her mouth popping open in staged outrage. “I did no such thing. The bottle landed on you, Mack. Play the game or take your clothes off and start running.”
While I haven’t known them for long, I feel sorry for Mack.
He isn’t a bad guy, and he’s one of the best wingers I’ve ever seen on the ice.
I’m not surprised he’s considered one of the most exciting NHL prospects in NCAA hockey.
I’ve been wondering this whole time what he could have seen in Genevieve.
Aside from what she did to Taryn on their final audition day, every time I’ve seen her she’s been acting like a brat.
I guess she might be considered pretty if you’re into runaway model body types and an overly airbrushed, cosmetically enhanced look.
“We’re waiting, Mack,” Gen goads him. “Truth or dare? You have ten seconds to decide.”
A muscle in Mack’s jaw jumps as he grinds his teeth. “Fine. Truth.”
That must be the wrong answer because Gen scolds him. “Oh, come on! Don’t be so boring.”
“Fuck you, Gen!” Mack spits out. “The game is called truth or dare, so I’m allowed to choose truth. Next time tell us to play Triple Dog Dare if you want to do just dares.”
Gen crosses her arms over her chest. “Ok, have it your way. Then I have a question for you. When are you going to stop being an asshole and get back together? You can’t throw away a five-year relationship for one misunderstanding.”
Mack’s jaw is so tight that I wouldn’t be surprised if all his teeth shattered. “Never. We’re over, Gen. What happened between us wasn’t just one misunderstanding. We want different things. The sooner you accept it, the sooner we can move on.”
“No. You’re wrong. Don’t throw it all away for some little talentless slut who won’t even make the team.” Her gaze is focused on Taryn. “You love me.”
My teammate runs a weary hand over his face.
“No, I don’t. I haven’t for a long time.
It just took me a while to realize it. You should look into your heart too, Gen.
Maybe we were together because we grew up together and our parents pushed us to date.
But we’re too different, and if we had met each other here for the first time, I don’t think we would even be friends.
And leave Tar-Tar alone. She has nothing to do with our breakup. ”
“Oh my God, Mack. You’re such an asshole.”
Mack rolls his eyes and begins to rise from his spot on the floor. “Whatever you need to tell yourself to get through it, Gen.”
“Where do you think you’re going?” His ex-girlfriend shrieks. “We’ve just started playing.”
“I’ve had my turn. I’m going outside to play beer pong.”
Gen’s voice goes up by a couple of octaves. “You can’t leave. It’s your turn to spin the bottle.”
Mack leans down and gives the empty bottle a rough spin. “Here. Happy now? Tucker, you’re up. Make us proud, dude. Truth or dare?”
Our goalie chuckles. “I guess dare?”
“Wrestle Vaughn in the Jell-O tub for two minutes.”
What happens next is hilarious. Our six foot five goalie, covered in neon blue Jell-O, trying to grab Vaughn is a sight to be seen.
For such a big guy, Tucker is surprisingly limber and agile—I guess that’s what makes him great in front of the net—he wins easily, keeping Vaughn face-down in the Jell-O until our defenseman taps out.
“Let’s hit the showers, dude.” Vaughn wipes some Jell-O out of his face. “You can use the bathroom in Haller’s room if you want.”
“Thanks, but our apartment is just down the hallway. I need out of these clothes too. I’ll be right back. You guys don’t do anything I wouldn’t do while I’m gone, ok?”
I have a feeling that leaves us with all sorts of options. I suspect that behind Tucker’s easy smile hides one hell of a wild streak. Most goalies are crazy. It’s the only explanation for choosing to be the target of hundreds of high-speed pucks for a living.
“This is starting to get fun.” Davis, one of the guys who live in this apartment, rubs his hands together. “Let’s go back in and spin the bottle.”
“Yes. Let’s,” Genevieve bites out, her tone bitter.
I follow her gaze to the inflatable hot tub where Mack is sitting with one woman on either side of him. He has his tongue down one woman’s throat, while the other one is licking her way down his thick neck.
“I’m gonna have to catch those two tomorrow. They’re not from Star Cove; maybe wherever they hail from they’ve never heard of girl code.”
“Whose turn is it to spin the bottle? It would be up to Tucker, but since he’s gone, I can do it.” Haller offers.
“No. I’ve got it.” Gen snaps. “Fiona, spin the bottle for Tucker.”
I don’t know exactly what happened between Mack and his ex, but in addition to being mean, Genevieve Berger is also a control freak. I wouldn’t last five minutes with someone who loves to tell others what to do.
I’m so distracted by my musings that I’m caught off guard when the beer bottle stops pointing at me.
“Nash, the newest addition to the Cove Nights.” Gen’s smile doesn’t promise anything good. “Truth or Dare?”
I don’t like the glint in her eyes.
In theory, if I picked truth, I should be fine.
No one knows me well enough to ask anything too personal, right?
But on second thought, because they don’t know me well enough, they might ask about my transfer.
I’m not ready to talk about what happened in Hemlock Beach.
I’d rather take my chances rolling around in the Jell-O.
“Dare,” I say, ready to get this over with.
That’s the moment when Mack comes back into the house, dripping water all over the carpet, with his arms around the two women in barely there bikinis.
For a second, I feel sorry for Gen. If she’s genuinely in love with Mack, seeing him hook up with someone else must be painful.
That pang of compassion, however, fades away when Gen smiles in her ex’s direction and issues her dare. “Nash, I dare you to kiss Taryn.”
It doesn’t take a genius to guess why Gen dared me to kiss Taryn.
She’s convinced there’s something going on between her and Mack.
I’ve been wondering the same thing too. Not that it would make a difference.
I’m here to play hockey; I have to remember that.
No drama, no distractions. And that means no women.
I’d be lying if I said, though, that I hate this latest turn of events. I’ve had a low-key crush on Taryn since we took that class together last year.
My life was just too much of a shit show for me to have the spoons to do anything about the attractive nursing major/dancer.
Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to get her out of my system without putting my plans for this year at risk.
A lot of times attraction fizzles out anyway the second you get closer to your crush. One kiss should be enough to know if that’s the case with Taryn too.
I rise from my spot on the couch and set my eyes on her. Her tits look spectacular in a little back dress with a pink and blue floral print and little jeweled buttons closing the front of it from neckline to hem.
When our eyes meet and she blushes, I can barely contain my smile. This night just got one hell of a lot more interesting.