Page 41 of Pucking Bad Boys

But our campus lives for hockey. The Cove Knights are the stars of the entire college and as such were given the place of honor in the rally parade. We’re on an open-top bus that goes down the main road, past the Dean’s office, and the parade culminates in Greek Row.

Fans are gathered to see us pass and scream our names. It’s a sea of turquoise and silver, our team’s colors. And right before we stop in front of the Zeta house, I spot three girls with my jersey painted on their naked chests. My number, nineteen, is drawn in silver over their tits.

“Did you see that?” Vaughn gasps. “I bet those three could be a lot of fun to go home with tonight.”

There’s only one woman I want to go home with tonight, but I know that’s not gonna happen. I have a feeling I’ll have to work hard to get Talia’s attention, but I’m up for the challenge.

And tonight might be a great time to get closer since Tucker isn’t going to be at the party we’re all headed to after the Dean rallies the crowd with his final speech.

If Tucker knew my intentions, he would make me disappear. He’s hinted a lot of times that he has connections in town and if any of his teammates tried anything with his sister, we would end up in an unmarked grave. The words “pig farms” have been uttered every time someone has unwittingly commented on how pretty Talia is.

I can’t blame Tucker for feeling that none of us are worthy of Talia.

My wild summer probably cemented that conviction in my case. The only thing I can say in my defense is that I needed a clean break from Gen. She kept hounding me about getting back together and my many public hookups were partially meant to show her that I had moved on and the ship of our relationship had sailed for good.

I’m not a hypocrite, and I’m not saying that hooking up wasn’t fun.

But while I rebounded from one hookup to the next, Talia was always front and center in my thoughts. Had I gotten one sign from her that she liked me, I would have been all in.

If anything, all that meaningless sex proved two things to me. That the thing between me and Gen had truly run its course, regardless of her cheating. And that no matter who I hooked up with and how fun the night proved to be, Talia was always my end goal.

I never promised my one-night stands more than I intended to deliver, so my conscience is clear. Every woman I was with was treated the way I wanted to be treated. With honesty, with their pleasure as my priority and safety and consent were always nonnegotiable.

Now I’m tired of hookups. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to get a chance to get to know Talia better. To see if what I’ve built up in my dreams could become a reality.

The Zeta house is fairly crowded, but the party is small compared to the crowds we just left outside.

There are going to be countless parties tonight on campus, and a couple of the houses on Greek Row have organized legit ragers.

I prefer a smaller gathering where I can keep an eye on my teammates. The Zetas have always had our backs, like we had theirs, and that’s more important than ever now that I’m captain.

Coach trusts me to make sure that no one does anything stupid that could mess with our shot at another championship.

The background music is just right in the large, modern living room. It provides a relaxed atmosphere but doesn’t make it impossible to have a conversation.

The French patio doors are open to the backyard, and people are flowing in and out of the house. Almost everyone has a drink in hand, and I’m no exception.

The second I set foot through the door, one of the sophomore Zetas approaches me with a tray of turquoise drinks. “Care totry tonight’s signature cocktail? It’s called the Frozen Knight. Giovanni created it especially for tonight.”

Giovanni is the house’s virtual butler. He manages the house security and controls a couple of cooking and bartending appliances that make the kitchen as hands free as today’s technology allows.

Whoever calibrated Giovanni’s cocktail making machine, however, set it to make the cocktails extra strong. I’ve suffered the consequences of trusting the fruity flavors created by the Zeta’s butler a couple of times, and I’m not gonna make that mistake again.

Coach wasn’t joking about going hard from the get go this year. And I can’t set the wrong example by showing up to morning skate with a hangover.

“That looks exciting, but no, thanks. I think I’ll stick to a light beer for tonight.”

The Zeta, Britney, if I recall correctly, looks disappointed. “There should be beer in the kitchen. You know how to get there.”

Vaughn and Davis come in after me and make the mistake of accepting a cocktail.

They’ve been to their fair share of parties here, so I swallow the warning that’s on the tip of my tongue.

I never appreciated the fine balance it takes to take care of the team without overdoing it when Luke Harper was captain. I have to remind myself that we’re all grown-ups, or at least we should be.

Everyone has been briefed about keeping themselves fit and game ready during the season, and they all know that Coach won’t tolerate any reckless behavior. All I can do is trust that the message sank in and be there for my teammates if they need help.

Speaking of someone who might need help, once I find the only light beer I’m going to allow myself to have, I head back into the living room and out into the backyard.