Arrogant Puck: A Friends to Lovers Sports Romance (Hockey Heartthrobs Book 2)

by Vanessa Winters

  Not that the couch is all that adventurous. I mean, it’s just a couch. Damien doesn’t have any roommates who could’ve walked in uninvited.

  Still, I found it exciting.

  Damien seemed to enjoy my blowjob, too. I’m glad to have even more confirmation.

  I squeeze my legs together. I’m getting horny again just thinking about all of this.

  I climb out of Damien’s bed. There’s no point in me running away this time. I don’t have work today because I gave my shift to a colleague with kids. She needs the money more than I do.

  Damien’s bathroom is out in the main part of his apartment. I head out there to relieve myself. My clothes are still in the living room. After our second time together last night, Damien gave me a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt to wear. I lost them once more before we finally went to sleep.

  I’m impressed that he could go that many times. He clearly takes care of himself. I remember Mike could only have sex once or twice a night, and then he needed a couple of days to recover.

  Being with Damien has made me realize just how not great things were with Mike. I don’t know why I stayed with him for as long as I did.

  Actually, I know exactly why I stayed. Mike was easy. He was comfortable. He was everything I thought I wanted.

  Now, I know better. I’m never going to settle for someone easy again.

  Damien definitely isn’t easy. This is going to be very difficult. I’m hoping last night proved something to him. He may have been hesitant before, but there’s no way he can be hesitant now.

  I finish using the bathroom and return to Damien’s room. He’s sitting up when I come back.

  “Oh, good, you’re still here. I thought you left.”

  “Not this time. Do you have a game today?”

  Damien laughs. “I sent you my game schedule. Yes, I have a game today.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t really pay attention to it.”

  That makes me a bad friend, I realize. Hockey is everything to Damien. If I had something like this, he would’ve put every event into his calendar. In fact, he already saved my anticipated graduation date so he won’t miss it.

  “It’s fine,” Damien says. He doesn’t seem annoyed with me. If we start to get serious about each other, I’ll have to make more of an effort with his hockey. I’ve never been to a single game of his. The least I can do is go to one this season, especially if I’m his girlfriend. I’ll even get a jersey with his name on it.

  “What time do you have to be at the arena?” I ask.

  “Call time is one. Don’t you have work?”

  “Not today. Judy wanted an extra shift. I guess her son needs braces.”

  “That sucks. Braces are expensive. Nice of you to give up a shift, though.”

  “Yeah. So, I’m free all day. If you want to do something.”

  “How about we start with breakfast? I have eggs and stuff in the fridge. We can make something here.”

  I grin. “That’d be great.”

  It’s a good sign that Damien wants to have breakfast. I know he claims to not be a one-woman kind of guy, but it seems like he’s warming up to the idea.

  I hope he is. I want to be his one woman. Last night solidified that. I like Damien, and I want to see how things work out between us.

  “That’d be great, yeah.”

  We head to the kitchen. I work on frying some eggs while Damien handles toasting bread for sandwiches. Once finished, we go into the living room to eat. Damien puts on some random TV show for background noise while we enjoy the sandwiches.

  It’s so domestic. I love it. I could get used to mornings like this with Damien. I could also get used to nights like we had last night.

  “This is great,” I say. “Thanks for breakfast.”

  “You did most of the work. But I do toast great bread.”

  I laugh. “You provided the ingredients, at least. I’m surprised.”

  “Breakfast is about the only meal I’m always prepared for. I need the protein before working out. I eat lots of eggs.”

  “That explains the muscles.”

  Damien smiles. “You really like my muscles, don’t you?”

  “I do. I really like you, Damien. I think we need to talk about what happened.”

  “I agree. Listen, Jenna…”

  “Can I say something first?”

  Damien is taken aback, but he nods. “Go ahead.”

  “I know you’re not used to relationships. I’m not trying to push you into something you’re not comfortable with. But I think you and I could be great together, if we give it a try. I mean, we’re obviously sexually compatible. That’s the first step.”

  “You’re right. That’s important. But Jenna, that’s not enough. It’s not that I’m not used to relationships. It’s that I’ve never really wanted one.”

  My heart sinks. “Do you mean that?”

  He looks hesitant. That’s a good sign. “I do, Jenna. I don’t want to hurt you, but that’s how I feel.”

  I blow out a breath. “It’s okay, I get it. You’ve never been in a relationship before, though. How do you know it’s not what you want?”

  “I’ve never jumped out of a plane, either, but I can tell you for sure I don’t want to.”

  I can’t help but laugh. Damien is terrified of heights. He doesn’t even like looking out second story windows.

  “That’s different. The stakes are way lower with a relationship.”

  “Not with you, they’re not. You’re my best friend. I don’t want to do anything to risk that.”

  “I get that. I’m scared, too, but I think we owe it to ourselves to give it a shot.”

  “I’m sorry, Jenna, but I can’t. I don’t regret what we did. But it can’t happen again. It probably shouldn’t have happened in the first place. The risk is too great. I won’t lose you because we tried to have a relationship and it failed.”

  “Why are you so sure it’ll fail?”

  “Because I know myself.”

  This conversation is going nowhere. It’s no use. I’m not going to convince him right now to give us a short. However, I might be able to convince him later.

  “What are you doing after your game?”

  “Uh. Nothing. I usually just come home and go to bed.”

  “Let’s go out for dinner, then.”

  “It’ll be pretty late.”

  “That’s fine. Just text me when the game is over and we can meet at a restaurant near the arena.”

  Damien shrugs. “Alright. Works for me.”

  If I stay here any longer, I’ll want to talk more about us. Damien is shutting down. He’s steadfast in his assumption that we’ll never last. I’m disappointed, but I think I can work on him. We like each other. I don’t need Damien to say the words for me to know its true. I understand his hesitation, and I respect his fear, but I’m not giving up on him. Not without knowing what might have been.

  “I should head home. I have a paper due Friday.”

  Damien pulls me in for a hug. “Alright. I’ll see you after the game, then.”

  “See you then.”

  I gather up my clothes from last night and head out. Damien can take back his sweatpants and shirt some other time. He has plenty. He won’t miss these. Besides, they smell like him, and I like that.

  Back at home, I try my best to focus on the paper, but it’s hard when my mind keeps wandering to my night with Damien. How can he not see we’re perfect for each other?

  I admit that I hadn’t thought of him as boyfriend material until recently. I took his anti-relationship position to heart. However, he also had a one-time only rule with women. He never slept with the same girl twice until me.

  That shows that people can change. I think Damien has been afraid of relationships because he hasn’t met the right person yet. Maybe the right person was in front of us this whole time. Damien is a million times better than Mike. Instead of ditching Damien for my ex-boyfriend, I could’ve spent more time with Damien.
I would’ve realized we were right for each other earlier, before Damien got so set in his ways.

  It’s fine. I’m going to make this work. Damien will see that we should date each other in no time.

  Tonight’s dinner will be the start. The restaurants around the arena aren’t ideal, but there’s one place with really good food. It’s not as fancy as I’d like. I still plan on dressing up. If I’m going to win Damien over, I’ll need to play to his sensibilities. Damien can’t resist an attractive woman.

  I know exactly what to wear. I have a dress with a plunging neckline that I rarely wear. That, paired with a pair of ankle booties, and I’ll have Damien’s undivided attention.

  It’ll be the perfect first date.

  Sure, I didn’t actually say the word ‘date’ when I asked Damien out, but he has to realize that’s what it is. Why else would I have dinner with him after his game? It’ll probably be after ten when he even texts me saying the game is over. People don’t go to dinner that late unless they’re looking for something. In my case, it’s a chance at a relationship.

  My stomach growls. The egg sandwiches were good, but they won’t tide me over until dinner time. It’s a little after one now. I managed to work on my paper for a little while before giving up on it.

  I fix up some pasta and settle on the couch to watch TV and work more on the paper. Time seems to drag on. I keep glancing at my phone, hoping for Damien’s text. The game hasn’t even started yet, but that doesn’t stop me from checking.

  At nine, I get ready, just in case. Finally, at five after ten, the text comes through. Damien is about to hit the shower. I send him the name of the restaurant I want to meet at. He says he’ll be there in twenty.

  I check myself out in the mirror one last time before heading out.

  I look good. I feel good.

  Tonight is going to be a good night. I just know it.

  Damien

  The game sucked. We lost for the first time in a few weeks. None of us were on our game.

  I shouldn’t have been so off. Things are good with Jenna. I think she has let go of the notion that she and I could date. Our two nights together were great, but I haven’t changed my mind. The idea of a relationship doesn’t appeal to me.

  I’ll admit I almost gave in to Jenna earlier. If I were to date anyone, it would be her. The thing is, I’m not ready to settle down yet. I don’t know if I ever will be.

  Matt sits down next to me on the locker room bench.

  “Want to get a drink? I need one.”

  “I’m going to dinner with Jenna. You should come.”

  He eyes me suspiciously. “Are you sure it’s not a date?”

  I roll my eyes. “Absolutely not. Jenna and I talked this morning. I told her I don’t want to date her.”

  “Wow. And she accepted it?”

  “Yeah. She knows how I am. It’s not like it came as a surprise.”

  “If you’re sure it’s okay, I’ll join you. Where are you going?”

  “McGregor’s.”

  Matt grins. “Even better. Is it cool if I invite Ben and Garrett, too?”

  “Yeah, of course. I think Jenna got along well with everyone last time she met them. Invite as many people as you want.”

  “Cool.”

  Matt goes off to tell the team that we’re going for McGregor’s. I know Jenna won’t mind that I invited the guys. It’s not like we’re dating. Even if we were, she would have to accept that my team is important to me.

  She’s never been to a single game, so she clearly doesn’t get that yet. I don’t know why she thought we’d date considering she can’t be bothered to acknowledge the most important thing in my life. It bothers me that my best friend has never been to a game. It would be way worse to know that my girlfriend doesn’t come to games.

  I finish changing into street clothes and store my gear. Most of my stuff stays here for cleaning, but I do usually bring my bag home. Tonight, though, I can’t go home before dinner and I don’t want to lug it around. I’ll come by tomorrow to grab my smelly workout gear.

  “Matt, guys, you ready to go?”

  Six of my teammates assemble in front of me. Some are in street clothes but others are in sweats and t-shirts, which is why we wear to work out before games. I guess I should’ve told everyone in advance we’d be going out.

  “We’re ready. Let’s move!”

  The guys and I head out. McGregor’s is walking distance from the arena. It takes us about five minutes to get there.

  When we walk in, I crane my neck to find Jenna. The place is surprisingly packed for a Tuesday night. I’m okay with it. After that loss, I want to be around people. It’ll boost my mood. Otherwise, I’ll be going over all the ways I fucked up tonight. I do not want that.

  When I spot Jenna, my stomach fills with regret.

  She’s wearing a dress. Jenna rarely does that. It’s only a special occasion kind of thing.

  I had no idea tonight was supposed to be a special occasion.

  Fuck. Did Jenna think we were going on a date? Who the hell goes on a date at ten-thirty at night? I thought she asked me to get dinner after the game as friends. We had this conversation already. What part of “I don’t want a relationship” didn’t she get?

  “Damn. Jenna’s hot,” Garrett says. “She didn’t look that hot last time we met. Is she single?”

  “Yeah, she is.”

  I walk over to her with the guys behind me. “Hey, Jenna,” I say.

  Her face falls. “Hi, Damien. You brought friends.”

  “Yeah. We lost the game, so we all could use a drink. Hope that’s okay.”

  “It’s fine,” she says. It’s clearly not fine. However, I don’t think Jenna has any right to be annoyed with me. She’s the one who made an assumption after I told her it wasn’t going to happen!

  Jenna should know better. I’m a stubborn guy. When I say something, I mean it, and I stick with it.

  “Guys, why don’t you go grab some tables. I need to talk to Jenna for a minute.”

  Matt gives me a look but I wave him off. I’ll take care of this. Luckily, none of the guys know Jenna that well. They won’t think anything of her outfit. I’m the only one who knows she wore this dress on purpose.

  I’d be lying if I said it didn’t turn me on a bit. The front dips down below her breasts. If she bends over, she’s going to fall out. I’m also a sucker for legs, and hers are on display in this dress. The boots help for sure.

  It’s not enough to change my mind about dating her.

  “What’s up?” Jenna asks innocently when the guys are out of earshot.

  “Why are you dressed like that?”

  “I just felt like dressing up.”

  I roll my eyes. “Come on, Jenna. We talked about this. I’m not going to date you. This was not a date.”

  “Don’t ‘come on’ me! It was obviously a date. I asked you out!”

  “No, you didn’t. You asked me to grab dinner after my game. That is not a date.”

  “We were just talking about dating. I asked you to dinner. It should’ve been clear.”

  I sigh. “It should’ve been clear when I told you I didn’t want to date that this wasn’t a date.”

  She throws her arms up. “I don’t get it, Damien. We could be great!”

  “I believe that, too. But, I don’t want a relationship. It’s not about you. I’m not built for it. Please, try to understand that.”

  Jenna studies me for a full minute. “Fine. I get it. I’m sorry that I made a bad assumption. I shouldn’t have.”

  “It’s fine. Now, let’s go. One of my teammates has the hots for you and he’s a relationship guy.”

  Jenna laughs. “I thought I wasn’t allowed to date your teammates.”

  “You can date anyone you want. And, I don’t want you to be mad at me.”

  “I’m not mad at you.”

  “You are, and that’s okay. Now, come eat with my teammates. You can flirt with Garrett. I won’t even yel
l at you.”

  “I think I should just go home, Damien. I look like a fool.”

  I put a hand on her shoulder. “No, you don’t. You look great. Just stay. Eat some nachos. You’ll feel better.”

  “Fine. Let’s go.”

  I let Jenna go first. Truthfully, I don’t want her flirting with anyone, but if she dates someone else she’ll let go of me for good. It would be selfish of me to hold her back. Garrett’s a good guy. He might be worth her time. I’m obviously not.

  There’s already a whole round of drinks on the table when we get there. Matt even ordered something for Jenna and me.

  “Thanks, man,” I say, sipping my beer. I hand Jenna the Jack and Coke.

  “How’d you know my order?” Jenna asks Matt. She takes a long sip of the drink.

  “Lucky guess. I feel like Jack and Coke is a safe thing to order. Most people like it.”

  “It’s my favorite. Thank you.”

  “No problem.”

  I continue to chat with Matt and the other guys, but Jenna looks miserable. Maybe I should’ve let her go home.

  Three plates of nachos arrive ten minutes later. Jenna eats a few, and her mood seems to improve a bit, but she still won’t talk to anyone. I don’t know what to do. She’s usually more social than this. I mean, she did well last time the team met her. She was trying to help me out, then, but still. This shouldn’t be that different.

  Matt pulls me aside.

  “It was a date, wasn’t it.”

  “Yeah. I don’t get it. I told her I’m not interested.”

  “Well, I hope you told her again.”

  “I did. This time, it should stick.”

  “Good. Hook her up with Garrett. He won’t stop staring at her.”

  I laugh despite my aching heart. I don’t want to hook her up with anyone, let alone my teammate. I meant it when I said that was a bad idea, but if it’s what Jenna wants, I’ll help her out.

  Matt and I rejoin the group and I walk over to Garrett.

  “Hey, man, why don’t you actually talk to Jenna instead of just staring at her.”

  Garret gives me an odd look. “It seems like you have dibs on that.”

  “I don’t. She’s looking for more than I can give her. I think you’d be good together. Go, give it a shot.”