Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
CRUZ
I shoved the door open, making the bell above the door tinkle. Dean, Shaw and Easton followed me inside the Opal Café. Every eye in the place on us, we stepped over the worn but clean tiled floor to the front counter.
"What can I get you boys?" Henry, the owner, stood behind the counter, worn apron over his pale shirt and outdated jeans. He wiped his hands on the apron and pressed the keys on the register when we all ordered black coffees.
My gaze lingered on several cakes behind the glass to the side of the counter. Chocolate, carrot, cheesecake. Fuck, it sucked that cake was off the menu for now. There was a lot more at stake than satisfying my sweet tooth, but I could look.
I glanced around. We were used to being gawked at everywhere we went. Most people in town knew who we were. Being a local celebrity wasn't enough. The ambition to turn professional itched at me like a motherfucking rash. We were good enough, we'd prove that, shut the doubters up once and for all.
"Isn't that—" Easton. The Ghouls' right winger smirked in the direction of a table in the corner.
I locked eyes on the redhead and curled my lip. "Yeah, the little Princess from the rink."
The fucking bitch who thought a fun morning skate was more important than our training. She didn't seem to have the first clue who she was dealing with. She would if we crossed paths again. She'd know all about me and what I was capable of.
I won't lie, those soft pouty lips would look good around my cock.
I thought that this morning when she was mouthing off about whatever she was on about.
I wasn't really listening. My mind was on training and how to get her out of the way.
Most people stepped right off the rink when they saw us coming.
Five minutes, ten minutes, who gave a shit?
Considering how much was at stake, I didn't.
"What's her deal anyway?" Dean asked. The goalie leaned against the counter and regarded her with half lidded eyes.
"Who gives a shit?" My eyes were still on her. So what if she could hear us? That was her problem, not mine.
"Not me," Shaw said. "Women like her think they're so fucking perfect." The team's left defenceman gave her a look like he’d happily throttle her. He had the patience of a fire ant in a jar of honey. And the bite, but he was a fucking good defensemen.
"Rhonda said something about her being Doctor Ryan's daughter." Easton shrugged.
"Really?" Dean narrowed his eyes at her. "I guess that means we better be nice, in case one of us gets injured."
I turned my attention back to him. "I'm always nice. When am I not nice?" I was very accommodating to women who wanted to fuck me because I was a hockey player. I didn't want to disappoint them by turning them down. After all, that would be rude to them and my dick.
Easton laughed. "That's some bullshit right there. Cruz Brewer, nice guy. Remind me to check the weather report, I didn't realise hell froze over."
I gave his bicep hard flick. "Fuck off. I can be nice if I want to."
"So you make a conscious decision to be an asshole?" He flicked me back.
"Sounds about fucking right," Shaw grumbled.
"I'm only an asshole to people who deserve it," I said pointedly. Easton and Shaw were both a pair of pricks. At least I owned it. Most of the time.
"So you say—" Easton was interrupted by Henry placing our coffees on the counter.
We nodded our thanks and took our cups over to the side of the café. I flopped into a chair where I could still see Princess Ryan.
"What’s her first name?" I asked.
"Why do you care?" Dean asked carefully. If any of the four of us was nice, it was almost him. He had the closest thing to a conscience, if you could call it that.
I sipped my coffee and watched her over the rim of my cup. "I don't." My scrutiny was starting to get to her. I saw it in the annoyed glances she gave me every few moments. She'd shift in her chair, press her lips together and turn back to her friends.
I'd seen Marley and Eden around Opal Springs, and Princess looked familiar, but I couldn't place her. Had I fucked her at some point? It was possible, but I was almost certain I'd remember her if I had. She'd definitely remember me.
This morning I got the distinct impression she had no idea who I was. That knowledge added to my irritation. Everyone who frequented the rink, knew who the Ghouls were, and who we were going to be.
"If you didn't care, why would you ask?" Easton asked. "I think you do care." He swivelled around in his chair to scrutinise her. "She's cute."
"If you think she's so cute, why don't you go and talk to her?
" I asked. Why the hell did I have the sudden urge to rip his arms off if he went anywhere near her?
I gave no shits about her. If I did, it would only be because of the way she spoke to me this morning.
Like a brat who was somehow better than me. That she was above me.
I'd like to teach her who was above who.
It wouldn't be a chore to do that while I was above her.
On her knees or on her back, it didn't matter too much.
Either way, she'd have my cock inside her, slamming into her hard enough to hurt.
Hard enough to make her cry or scream. She'd fucking know who I was then. Bitch.
"Maybe I will," Easton replied. "Care to make a wager? Which one of us can fuck her first." His glance included Dean and Shaw.
"It wouldn't be you," I said. "She's seen me. Why would she settle for second best? Or third best?" I cocked an eyebrow at Easton.
"Don't fucking say I'm fourth," Shaw growled. "I don't want anything to do with her. Keep your fucking bet to yourselves."
"Scared?" Easton taunted. He cackled like a chicken.
Shaw gave him a dirty look, picked up his coffee and sipped.
"Suit yourself," Easton said, looking amused. "So, Cruzy-boy, you gonna take that bet or are you as chickenshit as Shaw?"
"Fuck off," I told him. "I'm not scared of anything." Easton gave me shit and I gave it back. We'd been like that since we started playing together. We were closer than brothers.
Dean was the younger brother who followed us around everywhere.
Shaw was new to the team, brought in to bolster the expansion application. He didn't use words to remind us of that. His glares and body language spoke for him.
Easton held out his hand challengingly, daring me to take him up on his bet.
"What are you betting?" Dean asked. Apparently he was the self-appointed arbiter of this arrangement.
Easton shrugged, pulling his hand back slightly with the gesture. "Fifty bucks?"
"What are the rules?" Dean asked. "Are we talking all the way or a blowjob?"
"All the fucking way," Easton said with a grin. "Cock in pussy."
"Consensually?" I asked bluntly. I grew up in Opal Springs caravan park, there wasn't much I wouldn't do for money. Until the team went professional, cash was light on the ground.
"Of course it would be Cruz asking that," Easton remarked.
Shaw snorted.
I sipped my coffee indifferently. "If I hadn't, you would have." Easton’s childhood was only slightly better than mine. He lived in an actual house.
"Consensual," Dean said firmly. "And if she decides not to have anything to do with you, the bet is off."
"Always the respectful one." I leaned forward. "May I remind you, she was the one in our way this morning. You want the team to go professional, don't you? Because if you don't, I'm sure they can find—"
"I do," he said quickly. "She… Wasn't in our way for long."
"This morning she wasn't, but what about tomorrow morning?
" I asked. "What if it's twenty minutes tomorrow?
Or thirty minutes? We have to train and then get ourselves off to work.
We don't have time to mess around because of some entitled bitch.
" The best thing about going professional would be not having to turn up to my regular job anymore.
Being a mechanic was only who I was right now, not who I was meant to be.
Playing hockey was in my blood. I had the skills and the drive.
I could have played for one of the existing professional teams, but I believed in the Ghouls.
Mostly, I believed no kid should grow up the way I had.
The best thing I could do to ensure that didn't happen, was to get that arena built in Opal Springs.
I wasn't going to let anything or anyone stand in the way of that. Especially not some redheaded princess with her head up her ass. Not even a cute one.
"I guess you're right." Dean shot her a narrow eyed look. "Why do you want to screw her then?"
"Good fucking question." Shaw glared in her direction.
"Why not?" I replied. "It might keep her out of the way. She might decide to be nice to us after."
"Admit it," Easton said. "You're pissed at the way she talked to you this morning and want to teach her a lesson."
"So what if I do?" I definitely did. I wanted to teach her that I could master her body and make her do what I wanted her to do, even if we hated each other. Watching her eyes flash with the same disdain she showed this morning, while she came around my hand or cock, would be sweet as hell.
Dean was right, it had to be consensual. Her surrender would be the sweetest fucking thing of all.