Just my Puck

JUST MY PUCK A WHYCHOOSE HOCKEY ROMANCE COE BAY TITANS BOOK ONE EVE NEWTON LIZZIE SAWYER CONTENTS 1. Lucy 2. Jason 3. Steele 4. Lucy 5. Carter 6. Lucy 7. Steele 8. Jason 9. Lucy 10. Jason 11. Lucy 12. Steele 13. Carter 14. Lucy 15. Lucy 16. Lucy 17. Jason 18. Lucy 19. Carter 20. Steele 21. Steele 22. Lucy 23. Jason 24. Lucy 25. Carter 26. Lucy 27. Lucy 28. Lucy 29. Steele 30. Carter 31. Lucy 32. Jason 33. Lucy 34. Steele 35. Lucy 36. Carter 37. Lucy 38. Jason 39. Lucy 40. Steele 41. Carter 42. Lucy 43. Jason 44. Steele 45. Lucy 46. Carter 47. Lucy 48. Jason 49. Lucy 50. Lucy 51. Steele 52. Carter 53. Lucy 1 LUCY “Storm, Storm, Storm…” The nickname of the Coe Bay Titans star hockey player echoes around the arena, and I shiver. Pulling the sides of my black jacket closer together, I wonder why I’m even here. Hockey isn’t really my game, but my friends insisted I join them. Mae has the hots for, well, everyone on the team and tries her luck at every game. Me? I’m not interested in the game or the players. My eyes wander, glazing over slightly when my gaze lands on the player in the penalty box. He is hunched over, but when he senses me staring at him, he looks up with a fierce frown. Steele, I think his name is. Not sure if that’s his first name or last name or if he’s a one-namer like Cher or Madonna. He’s hot in that rugged looking way but not my type. Preferring the more preppy, blonde type, Steele is the exact opposite of that. He’s also about six-five, which kinda just scares the crap out of me. Usually content with the comfort of my four walls and the safety of my books at home, I was determined to be brave tonight and stepped out of my shell to attend the Coe Bay Titans ice hockey game. A roar goes up around me as ‘Storm’ is fouled, and apparently, according to everyone who isn’t me, the referee has ignored it and let the game progress. The arena is alive with the energy of the crowd, and I can feel the tension in the air as I shift in my seat, trying to get comfortable. As my friends cheer around me, I attempt to get in on it, feeling awkward as fuck just sitting here. Even in my ignorance, I can tell that the game is thrilling, and the players are getting increasingly rowdy as the minutes tick on. The crowd is whipped into a frenzy, and I find myself being swept up in their excitement. “Now, you’re getting it,” Mae whispers as I stand up with everyone else and clap my hands triumphantly as the puck ends up in the back of the net. “You’ll be a puck bunny before you know it.” “What the hell is a puck bunny?” I ask bewildered, as we take our seats again. She gives me a knowing smile and makes a rude gesture with her hands, where she inserts the finger of one hand into a hole made with the other. “Oh,” I murmur, my cheeks heating up. Mae giggles, knowing she’s embarrassed me, and gives me an elbow bump to show she’s sorry. I’m not a prude, but I’m not a puck bunny, either. Or any kind of bunny, for that matter. At twenty-three, I’ve had three sexual partners, and to me, that’s plenty. I don’t give it up to just anyone, and if I did decide to throw caution to the wind, it wouldn’t be with a hockey player who thinks he's God’s gift. Everyone knows the reputation of Jason ‘the Storm’ Edwards. He plays center, so I’m led to believe, and he scores most of the goals. But that’s not all he scores. I’ve seen him out and about on occasion, and every time, he has a new girl on his arm—usually, some blonde bimbo with her tits on show. Wincing as I think that mean thought, I correct it in my mind. They might not be bimbos. Maybe they’re really intelligent and have intellectual conversations before they hit the sack to get down and dirty. Who knows? I shrug, even though this conversation is going on in my head. I do that a lot. I’m rational and conservative, and I think things through intensely, maybe too much, sometimes. It’s something I’ve had to learn because I’m not the most graceful person ever to exist. In fact, I’m probably one of the unluckiest people on the planet, so anything I can control, including my thoughts and the words that spill from my lips, I try my hardest, so I don’t make more of a fool of myself as the universe will on a daily basis. This makes me relatively subdued and quiet, and more often than not, I actively disengage from conversations going on around me. “NO!” Mae roars, followed by the booing of the crowd around me. Having no clue what just happened or didn’t, I purse my lips and sigh. This was a bad idea. Next time Mae invites me to watch hockey, I’ll be sure to have an excuse ready. That applies to our two other friends, Holly and June as well. Although June usually gets me and doesn’t offer unless it’s something introspective or quiet. When the final whistle blows, the Titans have been defeated. I think. Judging from the anger of the players, the crowd, and Mae, who is cursing like a sailor, I slump in my plastic seat, deflated. “You coming to say hi?” Mae asks as she, Holly, and June rise and gather up their belongings. Giving her an incredulous stare, I shake my head emphatically, my dark waves fluffing around my face and causing my glasses to slip slightly down my nose. “I’ll wait.” “Suit yourself,” she says with a shrug, and the