Puck Pact: A Marriage of Convenience Hockey Romance (East Coast Series)

The only thing better than being in Greece is seeing Giuliana’s reaction to being in Greece.

The wedding ceremony took place atop a balcony draped in white overlooking the Aegean Sea. Giuliana’s wide eyes bounced around, so different from our home in the city. I love getting to see the world from her eyes, like everything is a wonder.

In her pale-pink dress, she performed her flower girl duties with a smile—which she’d practiced before we left, sprinkling fake flower petals all over the house.

And now, she’s hopping around the dance floor with Annie and Aarya by her side, having the time of her life at her very first wedding.

Aarya is different here. Carefree. Since the moment we stepped off the plane, she seems more relaxed. It makes me wonder if she’s ever been on a vacation prior to this. From the stories she’s shared with me about her past, it doesn’t seem likely.

“How is everything going between you two?”

I glance down at Cassidy beside me. “Great. Better than I expected, actually.”

“She seems to be getting along really well with Giuls.”

“She is.”

“And how are you doing?”

“I’m fine.”

She arches a brow. “You forget, I was in a fake relationship too. I know how blurred the lines can get.”

“They’re only blurred when you act out scenes for your romance book.”

Her eyes widen as she swats at my shoulder. “You’re not supposed to know about that.”

I chuckle as I dodge her hand. “Your husband was very excited to share that with the team.”

“The whole team knows?” She groans before shooting Trenton a glare across the dance floor. “He’s lucky I love him.”

My eyes flick back to Aarya. “The lines aren’t getting blurred. I’m making sure of it.”

Maybe if I say it out loud enough, it’ll become true.

“Would it be so bad if they got a little blurry?”

“I have too much on the line to let that happen.”

“Giuliana,” she says.

And my heart.

Watching Aarya with Giuliana only makes me like her more. The way Giuliana lights up when she’s with her; how patient Aarya has been with her; living with this beautiful woman, having her in my space every day and not being able to touch her and kiss her and hold her the way I want…it’s all eating away at me.

It feels like I’m drowning, but I don’t want to swim to the surface. I don’t want to fight this. I want to slip under the surface and let Aarya consume me.

But I can’t. I have to stay afloat—not only for me but for Giuliana.

“Sometimes things have to get a little blurry before you can see properly.” Cassidy squeezes my shoulder before she leaves and makes her way over to her husband.

The music changes, and couples break off from the groups on the dance floor.

I head for my girls.

I kneel down to Giuliana’s height and hold out my hand, palm facing up. “May I have this dance, young lady?”

She giggles as she throws herself at me. “Pick me up and spin me around.”

Aarya smiles as she turns to leave us, but I reach out and clasp her hand, tugging her close to me. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Her eyes dart to Giuliana before returning to me. “I was letting you have a dance with your daughter.”

“Dance with us, Aarya,” Giuliana says as she lays her head on my shoulder and yawns.

With one arm around my daughter, I wrap the other around Aarya’s waist, sandwiching Giuliana between us. Aarya surprises me by lowering her head to my other shoulder and resting her palm against Giuliana’s back.

My heart nearly bursts from my chest with how full it feels in this moment.

To Aarya, it’s just a dance. To me, it’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

One slow song bleeds into the next, and Giuliana’s body hangs limp in my arms.

“She’s asleep,” Aarya whispers.

“I should get her to bed.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“No, stay. Enjoy the rest of the party.”

Annie appears beside me. “Both of you stay. I’ll take her to bed. This old lady is tired too.”

I give her a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

She shoots me a wink as she carefully lifts Giuliana into her arms.

I spin Aarya out before pulling her back in, holding her body against mine as we continue to slow-dance.

Her eyes are on the newly married trio as they dance together several feet away from us. “I’m so happy everything worked out for them.”

“Me too. It would’ve sucked if Jason got traded.”

Someone tipped off the team’s General Manager, and sent him videos of Jason, Kourtney, and Celeste having sex on Kourtney’s website. Their faces were covered, but the rumors were enough to do some damage. Jason was about to be traded until we came together as a team, and figured out a way around it.

Aarya smirks. “I’m still in shock that the team posted videos of themselves on Kourtney’s website.”

“It was a great plan. The GM can’t trade the entire team if we all post a video, right?”

She laughs, but then her eyes snap up to mine. “Wait, we? You posted a video?”

I nod. “Why do you sound so surprised?”

Her mouth flaps open. “I didn’t think…I figured…”

“I had to do it in solidarity.” I hike a shoulder. “I’m the captain, after all.”

Her eyes bounce between mine. “Who did you have sex with?”

Heat trickles in to my cheeks. “Myself.”

Her words come out in a hushed whisper. “You jerked off on camera?”

“I didn’t want to show my face in case it somehow gets back to Giuliana when she gets older.” I glance around to make sure no one can hear us. “But, yeah. I guess I can check off star in a porno off my bucket list.”

Aarya’s head tips back as she laughs. “Oh my god. I told you: You have a wild streak in you, Big Man.”

I grin. “I just did what any good friend would do.”

The smile drops from her face. “Is the video still up on the site?”

I hike a shoulder and avert my eyes. “Maybe.”

She lets out an exaggerated yawn and tries to pull away from me. “Well, I’m super tired. I’m going to my room now. Goodnight.”

I yank her back to me. “Uh-uh. No way are you looking up that video.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“I didn’t say I was looking up your video.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m just really tired.”

I smirk. “Tired my ass.”

“You do have a great ass.” She pauses. “Is that in the video too?”

I laugh. “You’re relentless.”

“Come on, Big Man. I’m celibate because of you. You’ve gotta throw me a bone here.”

The song ends, and I flick her nose with my index finger. “You are not watching me jerk off. End of conversation.”

As much as the thought of her touching herself while watching that video makes my dick jump.

We hang out with our friends for another hour, and then we drag ourselves back to our hotel rooms.

I swipe the card over the lock, but stop when the door cracks open.

“Shit.”

Aarya peers around the door of my hotel room. “What’s wrong?”

When I booked the rooms, I got two adjoining rooms: one with a king-sized bed, and the other with two queens. I figured I’d sleep with Giuliana in one bed, while Annie and Aarya shared the other room.

But it looks like Annie didn’t get that memo, as my bed is completely empty.

“Annie must have taken Giuliana back to her room instead of leaving her in mine.”

Sure enough, when I crack open the door that connects our rooms, I spot the two of them sound asleep in each of the queen-sized beds.

Aarya shrugs. “It’s okay. We can share a bed, Big Guy.”

“Are you comfortable with that?”

“We’re about to be married. I think I can handle sleeping next to you.”

Well, that makes one of us.