Puck Drills & Quick Thrills (CU Hockey 5)

When we’re done, he carries our dishes back to the kitchen, and I follow him, wrapping my arms around him and watching as he rinses everything.

“I’m going to head home.”

He drops his head back on my shoulder, and I can’t resist running my lips over his exposed throat. “Is it pathetic that we’ve had two days already and I don’t want you to leave?”

“Very, but I’ll allow it.”

And even though I’ve said I’m going to go, I don’t make a move to leave. Just a minute more.

Maybe two.

Then we hear a voice that has us both springing apart.

“What the hell is this?”

27

Westly

Of course Asher is back early. The one time he’s early to anything, and it had to be this moment.

I don’t move and whisper to Jasper, “If we stay completely still, he might not see us.”

“West, what the hell?”

“Okay, that didn’t work.” I sigh and turn to my brother. Where I’m expecting to be met with ire, I’m met with something so much worse. He looks utterly betrayed.

“Funny story—” I start.

“Where the punchline is you’re fucking my professor?”

“You fucked my boyfriend.” Great argument, West. Really.

“You weren’t even together. And I didn’t even know you’d slept with him.”

“That makes it so much better?”

“So, what, is this payback?”

“I’m not like you. I don’t have sex with people to make others angry.”

Asher’s mouth opens, but nothing comes out. He can’t argue that point with me. Until he got together with Kole, his whole life was about making others frustrated with him. He’d pick fights, he’d practically beg to be punched in the face, and it all somehow made him feel better about the lack of control he had on his life. Since Kole, he’s become settled within himself a bit more, but he’s still a hothead. He will probably always be one.

“Then what is this?” he asks.

“We’re together.”

“Why? He hates jocks, and you are the epitome of a jock. A professional one.”

Beside me, Jasper shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “I might go and let you two have this out.”

“No, stay,” both Asher and I say at the same time.

I glare at my brother. “Jasper may have had some biases against athletes, but he has his reasons, and none of them are any of your—”

“Hockey players in high school broke my nose and beat me up almost daily,” Jasper says.

“So you punish all your students for things some assholes did to you thirty years ago?”

Jasper turns to me. “Should I be more offended he thinks I can’t be impartial or that he’s under the impression I graduated high school thirty years ago? Excuse me while I go find some wrinkle cream.”

I grab Jasper’s hand and pull him toward me. “Look, Asher, I get why you’re mad, and yes, Jasper was wrong to jump to conclusions when you asked for extra credit, but he gave it to you, didn’t he? And didn’t you end up doing well in his class?”

“Oh, so you’re pimping out your ass now for my grades?”

“You earned that grade,” Jasper says. “And I don’t appreciate the implication I can be bought.”

“Can’t you? I couldn’t figure out why you were so adamant one day not to give me extra credit, and then you turn around and offer it to me out of nowhere. What am I supposed to think?”

“Cut the shit,” I say. “You know that’s not what happened. Bottom line is you can’t be pissed I’m dating your professor. You slept with Ezra and then put my job on the line when you went after Kole. This is in no way payback, and even the thought of me doing this to spite you should tell you how narcissistic that line of thinking is.”

“Oh, I’m the narcissist? Me?” Asher shrieks. “Mr. Perfect At Hockey, Mr. Golden Child, the one I have to live up to, the one whose shadow I will always live behind … I’m the narcissist?”

I throw my head back in defeat and let out a long, slow breath. “Jasper and I are dating. Get over it.”

“Just when I thought I was done ever having to deal with him again.” With a last muttered curse, Asher spins on his heel and trudges down to the basement.

I purse my lips. “Could’ve gone worse.”

“Worse? Your brother despises me. I think he was mentally listing off ten different ways to kill me while you were yelling at each other.”

I wrap Jasper in my arms. “I won’t let him kill you.”

“I should go and let him calm down.”

“It’s cute you think it’s that easy for someone like Asher to calm down, but he will. Eventually.”

“Are you sure the whole living in your shadow thing is his issue?”

“Honestly, no.” I pull away and lean against the kitchen counter. “You remember how I said our dad unwittingly praised me a lot and it made Asher feel inferior? When Asher started playing hockey and showed promise, the whole hockey world started doing it too. Comparing our stats, pitting us against one another. Even the media was salivating over the idea of us going head-to-head in an NHL game. It was all set to happen too, and I think he was looking forward to showing Dad exactly how good he could be, and then …”