Face Offs & Cheap Shots (CU Hockey #2) - Eden Finley Page 0,7

least as much as me.

“What?”

“Nothing. You got really angry about that all of a sudden.”

“I’m not angry, you’re talking shit.”

“Right.” His eyebrows lift a little, making me want to smack that expression off his face. “That totally explains why your hands are clenched.”

I hurry to release my fists. “Turns out, anything more than a few hours with you is more strenuous than first practice of the season.”

“You going to throw up now too?”

“That was one time, freshman year. Let it go.”

“Sure thing, Topher.”

I groan and try not to lash out at him. The thing is, from anyone else, I’d tell them to shut up and move on. They’d call me names, I’d throw them right back, then we’d get the fuck over it.

But Beck has somehow managed to unearth all the little buttons that drive me crazy, and even more annoying is that I let him get to me. This summer is about working on the team, finding new talent and future CU students, and proving to everyone I’m the captain they need. If I keep letting Beck piss me off, none of those things are going to happen. I’ve managed to keep my cool the past few years, but I’ve also never had to deal with him in such close capacity before.

And when I find that stupid smirk back on his face, I know this summer is going to kill me.

I need to find a new way of handling him.

Otherwise I can kiss being captain goodbye.

4

Beck

Topher is playing a new game. It’s the let’s see how long he can ignore Beck game. Honestly, I’m surprised he’s managed to last three days.

When I provoke him, he smiles at me and walks away.

What the hell?

This is not how things are supposed to go.

I want to get under his skin.

“Hey, kid,” I say to one of the high schoolers I’m mentoring.

“Tamm.”

Right. Whatever. “Yeah, I need you to do me a favor. Can you start calling that guy”—I point to Jacobs—“Topher? Oh, and if you get all the other guys to do it, there’s a six-pack of beer in it for you.”

“R-really?”

“Yup.” Light beer. To share with the other guys. But I’m not pointing that out.

“Deal.”

Now to wait.

We finish out the practice session with the high school kids doing some easy and light skating drills. Jacobs and Rossi stay back to run through it with them while the rest of us are told to hit the showers.

As I leave the ice, I hear one of the kids call Jacobs Topher, and I am loving it. Until I hear his laugh.

I spin to find Jacobs shaking his head, but he’s still laughing.

Unacceptable.

And so not worth a six-pack of beer.

All throughout my shower, I try to come up with other ways to get to dear old Topher, but I’m drawing a blank. It’s only when Jacobs and Rossi enter, I realize I’m the only one left and I’ve been in here for about twenty minutes.

I shut the water off and wrap my towel around me to go back to my cubby. I change into jeans and a T-shirt and then throw my CU hockey jacket over the top, but I’m stopped by Cohen on my way out.

I glance around the locker room. All the guys have wide smiles on their faces.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Cohen asks.

“It’s Friday. So … McIntyre’s?”

“Nuh-uh. Go sit your ass down.”

“O-okay.” I sit on the bench in my corner of the locker room. “What’s this about?”

Cohen and Martin roll the giant whiteboard from the corner and spin it around.

CUM CAPTAIN CHALLENGES, it reads across the top. Then it’s numbered down the sides with Post-it notes covering the actual challenges.

“Uhh … what the cum?”

Everyone snickers.

“Colchester U mountain lions,” Cohen says. “Duh.”

“Okay, but you do know mountain lions is two words, right? Otherwise I might have to question how you got accepted into this school.”

Cohen huffs. “Fine.” He grabs a marker and turns it into CUML. “Happy? Take all the fun out of it, why don’t you.”

“What’s going on?” Jacobs asks as he comes from the direction of the showers.

My gaze catches on the water dripping from his brown hair down his muscular torso. His muscles rival my own.

I’m bigger, maybe have a tiny bit more definition, but his arms are fucking veiny. Not, like a super-ripped bodybuilder, but there’s this one prominent vein from his shoulder to his elbow, and when did that happen?

Okay, that’s a weird thing to notice.

I avert my gaze to the stupid CUM board. Even with