Egotistical Puckboy (Puckboys 1)

Unlike other people in my vicinity who think the sun shines out their ass.

I’m so lost in my thoughts that I don’t notice Larsen and Diedrich leave and another person enter the room until I catch sight of him in the mirror.

Ezra is leaning up against a wall not far from me, arms crossed as he watches me work out like he has all the time in the world. His hair is still damp from his shower, and he’s trimmed that ugly beard of his so that it’s actually sexy. Or maybe since sticking my dick in him, I find any small thing about him sexy.

I slow down my pedaling on the bike and come to a stop. “Yes?”

“Coach sent me to see if you were done yet. He wants to run through game tape of New Jersey.”

“And he sent you. Total coincidence, I’m sure.”

“Coincidence. Right. Fifty bucks says the coaches throw us together at all opportunities to force us to get along.”

“So you’re saying I need to get used to your ugly mug?” I grab my towel and run it over my face and neck. “Let me shower, and I’ll be out.”

“Sure.”

I’m halfway into the showers when I realize Ezra is still following me. “What are you doing?”

“Thought I’d come check you out like you were doing to me in the locker room earlier.”

Apparently, I’m not as subtle as I thought. “There you go being conceited again.”

“That’s how you’re going to play it? Would it really kill you to play nice with me?”

“I’m like ninety percent sure that would be detrimental to my health, yes.”

“Hmm, only ninety. I’ll get it out of you one day, then.”

I give Ezra a chance to leave, but he settles against the tile. Fine. It’s not like we aren’t going to be showering together weekly in the future, so why not start now? I strip off and hit the showers, keeping my focus locked in front of me and not on whether he’s checking me out.

Besides, there’s only so much attention I can give him when it’s taking all my restraint to keep my dick from getting hard.

“Anyway, we should probably try to at least get along. For the team.”

“Sure.”

“That was easy.”

I turn on the tap and step under the warm water. “What did you expect me to say?”

“I thought for sure there’d be pushback or a smart-assed comment or something. I’m beginning to worry the articles were right. Is this the start of a bromance?”

I cringe at the thought but cover it by lathering up with soap. “It depends. Are you still a douche with a big mouth who likes attention and fucks anyone who’ll have you?”

“Yes.”

“Then my feelings haven’t changed.” I duck back under the water to rinse off. When I shake the water from my hair, Ezra’s still there.

“Are you still an uptight asshole who expects people to live by your standards and not their own? You don’t need to reply, by the way. I already know the answer.”

I growl and turn off the shower before getting a towel and wrapping it around my waist. Being naked and close to Ezra is too much temptation.

When I advance on him, I swear there’s interest in his icy-blue eyes, but I am one hundred percent not going to acknowledge it. That will only encourage him.

“I’m not here for your games, Palaszczuk. We have a job to do. You stay on your side of the ice, and I’ll stay on mine. I got so close to winning the Cup last year, and I’m not going to let you stand in the way of me getting it this season.”

“You think I’m going to stand in the way? I’m hungry to win that Cup, and with you on the team, everything we’ve worked hard on in preseason will go down the drain.”

“Or with my help, you might make it to the championship game this year. But if that’s how you want to play it, how about you don’t worry about me, and I won’t worry about you.”

“Score for us the way you did for Philly and we’ll be fine.”

I let my gaze drop to run over his tight T-shirt. It really is a crime how hot he is. “We both know I can score. On and off the ice.”

And as I’m about to stalk off with the final word, Ezra hooks a finger into the front of my towel, gives it a tug, and watches as it drops to the ground. My half-hard cock is left on full display.

“I’ll stay out of your way, Hayes.” Ezra backs up for the door. “Remind your dick that you want distance next time you’re eye-fucking me.”

I scowl at his retreating back as I scoop up the towel and quickly dry off.

Sure, Ezra and I will get along.

The day he gets a personality transplant.