Page 7 of Slapshot Obsession
“I’m not crying because I’m walking away, Tucker.” I rasp as more tears burn in my throat. “I’m crying because I can’t believe that you and Colsen would risk everything for me. But you’re what I want. Both of you.”
His lips press against mine. “Thank fuck.” He kisses me hard. “You have no idea how much I was hoping to hear you say this.”
Colsen is by Tucker’s side in the blink of an eye. Rather than kneeling down like his friend, however, he lifts me off the couch, pulling me into his arms. “Thank you for not giving up on us, pretty girl.”
His kiss is a little softer but just as desperate as Tucker’s. Colsen grabs my ass and squeezes, and I can feel him hardening against me.
“Hey guys?” Mack chuckles. “Get a room.”
Colsen flips him off, but he’s smiling too. “Ok, then. We’ll just need to be extremely careful from now on. I hate sneaking around, but that’s how it’s gonna have to be.”
“Yeah,” Tucker agrees. “We need to be particularly careful around Gen. But I was planning to speak to Carole about being allowed around your apartment, anyway. Talia is my sister. They can’t expect me not to speak to her, and I don’t want to be the reason why she gets cut either.”
I hadn’t thought about that. “True. Good thinking. Thatmakes me think about something else.” I look at Mack. “I don’t want to cause trouble for you either. If you don’t want to be friends anymore, I understand.”
“Have you met me, Tar-Tar? I don’t give my friendship easily. But once I do, it’s for good. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”
“Are you sure?”
Mack pulls me into a hug. “Positive.”
His loyalty reminds me of Jodie’s. “You’re like Jo-Jo’s female version.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Mack snorts. “Even though your best friend is easier on the eye than I’ll ever be.”
“Allow me to disagree. Jo-Jo is stunning. But you’re very pretty too, Mack. That’s why I was sad that there’s no physical attraction between us.”
Mack gives me one last squeeze before releasing me. “So true. It’s a travesty. I’d have fought these two idiots tooth and nail for your attention. But you’re right. Whenever we hug, it feels like when I hug my little sister.” He adds with a shudder.
“You’d have fought us for Taryn?” Colsen puts Mack into a headlock.
“You can bet your ass I would have.” Mack shoves him away very easily. “But as Tar-Tar’s male BFF, I’ll be watching you. Make her cry for any reason that isn’t happiness, and you’ll have me to deal with. Capisce?”
Tucker smiles. “I have no intention of hurting our girl.”
“Ditto,” Colsen agrees. “But as much as having you here is cool, maybe you should get back to your room? We really need to be careful. I think things will be easier once summer training is over. It’s cool to live in the same building, but without all of our coaches constantlyon site, flying under the radar won’t be as hard once we’re done with camp.”
After I hug Mack goodnight, my boyfriends walk me to the door.
“I hate that you have to go,” Tucker whispers. “I wanted to hold you all night.” He pulls me into his arms and slants his mouth over mine.
I feel Tucker’s kiss everywhere as my entire body is flooded with sparks of sensation.
When he releases me, Colsen is waiting to give me a goodnight kiss of his own.
His lips are soft and a little playful, but he keeps the kiss brief and shallow. “I already miss you, pretty girl. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast? I’d tell you that I’ll wave you good morning, but I wonder if even greetings are off-limits.”
“They might well be.” I sigh, getting a little lost in the amber and green depths of his eyes. “And we won’t see each other at breakfast.”
“You aren’t skipping the most important meal of the day, baby?” Tucker intervenes. “You train just as hard as we do, and you need to fuel your body.”
His concern for my wellbeing is endearing, and I reassure him that I’m not planning to skip any meals.
“It’s not that. To avoid any temptation to ignore the no fraternization clause, Carole informed us earlier that from tomorrow morning, we’ll take our meals in shifts. The cheerleaders will have access to the dining hall at different times than the hockey team.”
“What the fuck?” Tucker’s smile turns into a scowl. “What are they gonna do next? Segregate us into different areas of the campground and keep us apart with barbed wire and electrified fences?”
Colsen chuckles at his best friend’s words. “Yeah, don’t give them ideas. I guess then I’ll text you tomorrow morningbeforebreakfast. Spending time together will be challenging, but we’ll find a way. I’m not giving up on us.”
