Page 84 of Rookie Attraction

“No fucking way,” Makela preens with a smirk. “Fans love it. They think I’m a Roman god. Of course, unlike you, I actually have a body like one.”

My colleagues groan in unison. Karson reaches for a roll and nails Makela in the chest.

“Does everyone here have a cool nickname except me?” Finn announces.

Karson points at me. “Celery doesn’t.”

My face heats as the guys laugh.

“Celery?” Finn chuckles and shakes his head at me.

“No family nicknames allowed,” I insist. “Ignore my brother, he’s a gigantic dickhead.”

“I agree with Selwin,” Makela adds.

“And you already have a great nickname.” I glance across the table and allow my gaze to linger on Finn for more than thirty seconds. “Finntastic.”

Finn waves me off. “That’s a silly college one. I need a new one for my professional career. Something different. Cool.”

“Finnomenal?” Berg suggests.

“Finnatic,” Sorensen adds.

“No to that one, Sorensen.”

“Finnmeister!” Karson suggests.

Finn sighs. “Something that doesn’t have my first name in it, please.”

Kuznetsov puts up his hand. “What about ‘The Brick’?”

Finn shakes his head and looks at me for a long moment.

“Sel’s right. I’m good with my original one.”

Hours later, with everyone gone, Karson pays the bill and walks me back to the hotel. The closer we get to my destination, the thinner the crowds of people. When we turn a final corner, there’s no one in sight. Karson taps my arm, and I pause.

“I saw the way you looked at Finn tonight,” Karson says gently.

Shit, does that mean other people…

He shakes his head.

“It’s only because I know you like I know myself,” he continues. “Are you still going to deny there’s nothing going on?”

My eyes suddenly sting. I don’t like it, but I can’t help it.

“It’s all me. I shouldn’t even think about him that way, never mind tell anyone. Finn sees me as his buddy, a mentor.”

I’m so full of shit, and judging by Karson’s eye roll, he knows it too.

“I’m being ridiculous, Kar. It’s nothing but a silly infatuation that will go away. The last thing I need right now is to let my dick take over. Not with a teammate.”

“Did something happen between you two?”

I should deny it. Instead, I release the words out loud.

“We kissed,” I confess, the memory seared into my brain. “It was… it was⁠—”