Gametime: A Moo U Hockey Romance by Jami Davenport (classic novels to read .txt) 📕

did I know. It was all I thought about, especially late at night alone in my little dorm room. Thinking about him constantly was part of my own personal dilemma and confusion, since I’d been so wrapped up in pursuit of his brother for so long. Just last night, I’d dreamed that I asked him to reciprocate and go down on me. Paxton’s face between my legs, giving me pleasure, while his blue eyes held mine was my newest naughty fantasy. At first, I’d convinced myself I was really lusting after Patrick, but once Paxton cut his hair and Patrick’s was still long, I knew the truth. The image haunting me was Paxton with his now-short hair and number fifteen tattooed below his hip bone.

“You should go out with him. You’ve wanted to for a long time,” Paxton pushed.

“I might.” I was telling the truth. The one way to get one of them out of my system was to date the other one and see how they compared. But the idea of sleeping with Patrick after that epic night I’d spent with Paxton didn’t appeal to me as it once had. And seemed like such a betrayal of Pax. I was such a fucking mess.

“I want to make sure we’re okay, because from where I’m sitting, we’re not,” I forged ahead.

“We’re fine.” He smiled at me. While his smile was filled with sadness, there was also sincerity. I hated to see him sad, knowing I’d played a part in his struggles of late. Instead of harping on whether we were really fine or not, I decided to test his claims by talking with him as a friend.

“You’re wearing the jersey,” he noted with a grin. I looked down. I’d forgotten that, on a whim, I’d put it on before the game.

“I am. I like it.”

“Good.” He smirked as if at some secret joke.

“What’s going on with you? You’ve altered the way you play. Any reason why?”

“Are you going to criticize me, too?”

“No, not at all. I think it’s about time.”

“You do?”

I nodded.

Paxton glanced around, as if not wanting to be heard, and lowered his voice. “Coach Garf is working with me. He has contacts with the Sockeyes, and they’d like to see me step up my game, realize my full potential, that kind of thing. They’ll have a few spots on the roster next fall due to retirements, and they think I might work out well in one of them.” As he talked, he rubbed something under his shirt, but I couldn’t tell what it was.

“So that explains it.”

“Garf thinks I’ve lived in my brother’s shadow long enough.”

“And what do you think?”

“I think I’m on the verge of not having that shadow around, and I’ll be forced to handle life and hockey without Patrick. He’s been my crutch for too long.”

“I think Garf is a smart man, and you’re not so dumb yourself.”

Paxton laughed, and I loved hearing his laugh. I hadn’t heard it nearly enough lately.

“It’s causing stress with my brother and, to a lesser extent, the team.”

“And your dad?”

“My dad never approves of anything I do.”

“Patrick’s having a hard time dealing with you not playing a supporting role?”

“I guess he’s confused and irritated. He has his own future to consider.”

“So do you.”

“I know.” His blue eyes met mine, and my heart did a little dance all around my rib cage. We stared at each other for a good long while until Kaitlyn and Lex showed up.

“Hey, sit over there so I can sit by my girl,” Lex insisted.

Paxton didn’t argue but got up to move to the booth seat next to me. I scooted over to make room for his big body. A body I was hyperaware of. A body I craved. A body I saw naked every time I looked at him.

Paxton rested his elbows on the table, and my gaze was drawn to his muscular arms, easily discernable through the sweater he wore. That man would make the worst Christmas sweater look like a million bucks.

I licked my lips and grimaced at Kaitlyn’s knowing smirk. She’d caught me looking, and I was guilty as charged. The guys didn’t notice. They were busy talking about the game, while Kaitlyn and I sipped our water. Coach Keller would frown on any of us drinking alcohol while on the road.

“Your dad is brutal, Pax,” Kaitlyn noted during a lull in the conversation.

“Yeah, he’s a little intense.”

“That wasn’t the word I’d use for it. Maybe more like asshole.” Kaitlyn’s blunt honesty didn’t bother Paxton. In fact, he wasn’t put off by her assessment of his dad. He probably agreed with her.

“You can’t pick your relatives,” was his only comment.

“Tell me about it.” Kaitlyn’s smile was kind and sympathetic. She had her own daddy problems.

We made small talk for a while longer before Paxton excused himself to get some sleep and Lex followed. Kaitlyn stayed with me.

“He’s still stuck on you.”

“You think?”

“I do, but he’s gun-shy.”

“I really burned him. I don’t blame him for not wanting to go there again. Paxton is in a bad place right now. Coach Garf is pushing him out of his comfort zone and forcing him to take more risks. As a result, his play is going downhill.”

“Needs to get worse before it gets better,” Kaitlyn said confidently.

“That’s what Coach told him.”

Kaitlyn grinned. “I am my father’s daughter.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Let him settle in. See where things go with the two of them.”

“Dad’s pushing me toward Patrick. He’s got it all figured out. Patrick will be the heir apparent to his hockey throne since he doesn’t have any sons, and I’m scared to put on a pair of skates, let alone get on the ice with them.”

“You’re afraid to skate?”

“I tried to learn to skate, but I fell down more than I skated. I had a particularly bad fall in which I broke my leg, and the bone actually pierced my skin. There was blood everywhere. I tried a few times after that to skate but had