Page 68 of Pucking Bad Boys

“In his mouth?” He chuckles. “More like where the sun don’t shine. Colsen has been mentoring him on the ice, and he’s also his big brother. He had one hell of a time keeping him out of trouble. Anyway, let’s order some food. I’m sure we’ll be hungry soon. What would you like?”

I’m so nervous that I doubt I’ll be able to eat anything, but I go along with it. Having grown up with a hockey player, I know the insane amount of calories these guys need to consume to stay alive.

“You can choose. I’m good with anything except fish.”

Macklin lifts his eyes from his phone to look at me. “I’m warning you, Talia. Never let me choose a meal unless you want to eat pizza every day.”

“I love pizza. Who doesn’t?”

“Believe it or not, your brother and the rest of my roommates during training camp were sick of me ordering pizza twenty-four-seven.”

His smile is contagious. “As long as it’s decent pizza and there aren’t any anchovies on it, I’m good.”

Macklin’s face is intent as he places the food order on his phone.

He’s so handsome that I can barely take it.

I’m thankful he doesn’t know that I’ve spent the last three years looking at him from a distance and thinking that he’s the hottest man I’ve ever seen.

Genevieve complained about him constantly, and at first, that made me think that, like a lot of hot guys, he was probably full of himself. But once I started to get to know Gen better, I realized the problem wasn’t Macklin but her crazy expectations. She didn’t want a boyfriend but a robot who would do her bidding without question.

And Gen is often impossible to please. She even finds faults in Giovanni, the Zeta House virtual butler.

“Lunch is ordered. It might take a while since this is the lunch rush. But I guess we could use this time to start on our lessons.”

While I was looking at him, I was leaning against his desk. Macklin closes the distance between us with a couple of strides.

He comes so close that the tips of our shoes are touching. “So where should we start? What areas do you think you need more help with?”

Oh, fuck. Heat rises to my face, and the more I realize I’m blushing, the more my tongue feels glued to the top of my mouth.

What was I thinking when I asked him to help me with this? In the heat of the moment, I told him that I was inexperienced. But I never got into the details of how inexperienced I really am.

When I don’t say anything, Macklin takes my hand in his. He’s so close that his breath is fanning over my lips when he speaks. “Talia, what’s up? Did you change your mind?”

Macklin

Please don’t change your mind.

My heart is beating so loudly in my ears that I almost miss when she says the one word I was hoping to hear.

“No.”

I squeeze her hand. “Then what’s wrong? You need to talk to me, or this isn’t going to work. I can show you anything you want to learn. There is nothing I wouldn’t do with you. But it has to be what you want. That’s what I’m here for.”

She’s blushing. She’s adorable, but I realize that she’s embarrassed.

“Hey,” I coax her to look at me, lifting her chin with a gentle finger. “This is a safe space. A judgment-free zone. Whatever you say and do will stay between us. You have my word.”

Her teeth come out to torment her bottom lip, and I have to stop myself from covering her mouth with mine and kissing her until she forgot why she’s embarrassed.

I hope she knows she can trust me. I would do anything for her. Even watching her walk into the sunset with my brother when this is all said and done. It’s the last thing I want, of course. But if that is what makes her happy, I would.

“Look,” I say as gently as possible when she keeps looking at me with those crystal clear, big blue eyes. The green in her irises almost disappears when she’s nervous. “If you aren’t sure where to start, let’s begin with the things you like. What makesyou come? There’s nothing sexier than a partner who’s enjoying themselves in bed.”

Her eyelids slam shut for her second, and Talia exhales a shuddering breath. “This is part of the problem, Macklin. I don’t even know what I like.”

I shake my head, confused. “If something makes you orgasm, then we can assume you like it. At least on a physical level.”