Arrogant Puck: A Friends to Lovers Sports Romance (Hockey Heartthrobs Book 2) Read online

  Arrogant Puck

  A Hockey Heartthrobs Novel

  Vanessa Winters

  Contents

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  Arrogant Puck

  1. Jenna

  2. Damien

  3. Jenna

  4. Damien

  5. Jenna

  6. Damien

  7. Jenna

  8. Damien

  9. Jenna

  10. Damien

  11. Jenna

  12. Damien

  13. Jenna

  14. Damien

  15. Jenna

  16. Damien

  17. Jenna

  18. Damien

  19. Jenna

  20. Damien

  21. Jenna

  22. Damien

  Epilogue

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  Copyright © 2020 by Vanessa Winters

  All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America.

  Disclaimer: This book is intended for adult readers 18+

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  Arrogant Puck

  ‘Single and ready to mingle.’

  God, I hate that cheesy as sh*t saying, but to be honest, that’s where I’m at. Burned by my high school sweetheart, I’m done with games and ready for something real.

  So I enlist the help of the one man I still trust.

  Damien is a major league hockey heartthrob—thorough womanizer—and my best friend. Now that he’s moved back to town, he’s going to help me find the perfect boyfriend, whether he likes it or not. Surprisingly, my plan is working—but the more time I spend with Damien, the more I question if there’s something else between us.

  But Damien doesn't do relationships, and even if we’ve shared some hot nights together, he’s not the ‘settling-down’ type.

  I’ve got to shake these feelings . . . whatever they are . . . because being anything but friends with Damien, will only lead to heartbreak.

  Will these Hockey Hotties lose in the game of love? Arrogant Puck is the second book in the ‘Hockey Heartthrobs’ Series from author Vanessa Winters. Each book can be read as a standalone. HEA Guaranteed.

  Jenna

  I pace around Damien’s apartment feeling like such an idiot. What was I thinking, going on a date with some random guy I met on the internet? I should’ve known better. Those kinds of things never go well.

  “Wait, tell me again, what happened?”

  “He asked me to check his teeth!”

  Damien sputters out a laugh. Coming here was my second mistake. I thought having my best friend living in Connecticut with me would be a good thing.

  “You are no help.”

  He tries to collect himself. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But come on, Jenna, this is hilarious.”

  “It’s not! You don’t get what it’s like. Every time I explain what I do, this same thing happens. We were at a really nice restaurant, and he just opened his mouth wide and asked me to check on a tooth that’s been giving him problems!”

  This is what I get for trying to become a dentist. I’ve always had a fascination with teeth. It seemed like a natural fit, me going to school to be a dentist. I didn’t realize how long it would take. Lucky for me, I’m able to work as a dental assistant while I’m working on my degree. I finished my B.S. last year, and I still have three more years before I have my DDS. Which means three more years of guys asking me to look at their teeth when we go on dates.

  Oh, no. It won’t stop once I finish dental school. It’ll continue on until I retire, and even then, maybe after that.

  I’ve made so many terrible mistakes.

  “Every time I tell anyone what I do, they ask for free tickets.”

  I roll my eyes. “Oh, yes, the perils of the professional hockey player.”

  “Don’t act like you don’t love me.”

  “I do love you. I’m so glad you’re in Connecticut.”

  “Me, too. It’s kind of weird, though.”

  “I know, right? What are the chances?”

  I’d say the chances are slim to none. Damien and I grew up together in Florida. Our houses were right next door to each other, and our parents were best friends.

  We didn’t get along at first. We’re the same age, so there was always some competition there. I actually got along better with Damien’s younger brother, Dylan, until I was eight. That’s when I realized Damien and I had way more in common than Dylan and I did. Dylan likes riding dirt bikes and climbing bridges. Damien is active, but not a daredevil like Dylan. Damien takes his craziness out on the ice.

  So, Damien and I became best friends. I’m still in touch with Dylan, but it’s different now. He’s currently in an apprenticeship to become a steelworker. He’ll get to climb buildings and work on bridges. It’s the perfect job for him.

  Damien and I stayed best friends until about junior year in high school. That’s when I started dating this guy, Mike.

  I loved Mike. I thought we were going to get married. He had moved to our town during sophomore year, and we became close friends. After a year of flirting, Mike finally asked me out. I was in heaven! It was everything I’d ever wanted.

  Except, Mike hated Damien. He didn’t subscribe to the mindset that guys and girls can be just friends. I tried to make it work, but Mike didn’t trust Damien. He was sure Damien was trying to date me. It didn’t matter that Damien had a different girlfriend every week. Mike thought that was confirmation that Damien was just using girls as placeholders until he could have me.

  So, I stopped being friends with Damien. I stupidly chose my boyfriend over my best friend. In my defense, I was only sixteen. I don’t think I can be faulted for my dumb choices back then.

  Except, of course, the choice I made when it came time to pick a college.

  Mike wanted to go to school in New England. I don’t know why. He’d never been to the northeast in his life. He didn’t like the heat, though, so Florida wasn’t right for him.

  His first choice was Wesleyan. He found out the guy who wrote for Broadway went there, and he was sold on it. Mike wanted to be a writer.

  Naturally, I followed him there. We both got accepted, him for English and me for Biology. It was perfect! We’d been together two years. I was almost eighteen and I thought I knew what forever would be like. Mike was going to be my husband.

  Then he broke up with me during our first semester of college.

  So there I was, a thousand miles from home, going to a school I only picked because my high school boyfriend wanted to go there. I had no friends because I had Mike, so I didn’t think I needed anyone.

  The one person I wanted was Damien.

  Damien went to school in Massachusetts. He got a scholarship for hockey, and his school had one of the best programs in the country. We were so close. Over the next four years of college, we started to build back up to our old friendship. It wasn’t the same. We’d both changed a lot since I ditched him at sixteen. But, our new friendship was even stronger than the one we lost because of Mike.

  Then we graduated. I stayed in Connecticut and started dental school, but Damien got drafted into the NHL. I was so, so proud of him and incredibly happy, but it m
eant he was going to move far away.

  Things changed once again. The distance took its toll on our friendship. On top of that, grad school is intense and I started working as an assistant at a dentist office. Damien has practice, hockey games, conditioning, and all the other stuff that comes with professional hockey. We started to grow apart. We were barely speaking when Damien called me to tell me he was being traded to the New York Rangers, and that their AHL team is in Connecticut. Now, we live in the same town again! It’s just like when we were growing up.

  “Connecticut is weird,” Damien says. “I don’t understand why you moved here.”

  “Well, you moved to Mass. It’s not much different.”

  “At least Mass has a major city.”

  “Please. Boston was about the same distance from you there as it is from you here.”

  Damien shrugs. “You’re probably right. It feels further, though.”

  I know what he means. Connecticut feels like it’s a million miles from everything, especially home. I haven’t been back to Florida since I started grad school. I can’t afford the time off. A weekend visit won’t be enough. I’ll make sure to go over the summer if I can get a vacation from work.

  My parents did come up to visit for the holidays, so that was nice. I would’ve been super lonely without them. Damien didn’t move here until January.

  “It’s not too bad, right?” I ask. “Being here?”

  “No, of course not. It’s not that much different from my last team. Even better, because I have you and Matt.”

  I have yet to meet the infamous Matt. Apparently, he and Damien went to college together. Matt had this big, dramatic romance during their senior year. I heard all about it when Damien and I would talk on the phone. If he didn’t use so many details, I’d think he was making it all up. Plus, I’ve googled Matt. He’s legit. We just haven’t met. Somehow, it never works out.

  “Good, I’m glad. I’d hate for you to be miserable.”

  “I’m not, Jenna. Don’t worry. You should worry about yourself. You’re the one going on dates with guys looking for a free dental exam. You know, that’s not the oral you’re supposed to be giving on a date.”

  I slap Damien’s arm. “Hey! For your information, I would never sleep with a guy on the first date. I don’t even kiss on the first date!”

  “You’re missing out.”

  “Well, you don’t even get to the second date. Of course, you get it all done on the first.”

  Damien winks. “That’s how you have to do it, Jenna. No drama. No broken hearts. No moving all the way to Connecticut only to be dumped a month later.”

  I fix him with a dirty look. “That was harsh.”

  “It’s been almost five years. I’m going to start making jokes about it now.”

  Five years? It seems like just yesterday when Mike was breaking up with me in the quad between our dorms.

  “Fuck, Damien. I’m a mess.”

  “Yes, you are, but I love you anyway.”

  “Screw you. I’m being serious. I haven’t dated anyone since Mike.”

  Damien’s eyes widen. “Wait, what?”

  I bite my lip. This is so embarrassing!

  “I’ve been on a few dates, but never in a relationship. No one has made it past the second date.”

  “Wait, so you haven’t had sex since Mike?”

  I bury my head in my hands. Why did Damien have to bring that up? I lost my virginity to Mike in high school and to this day, he’s the only guy I’ve ever slept with.

  “It’s not that bad…”

  Damien jumps up from the couch. “Jesus, Jenna, I didn’t realize you were in that bad of a drought. Five years without sex?”

  “The sex part is not the part I’m concerned with here, Damien. I want a relationship. Someone to talk to, cuddle with, hold his hand…”

  “Five years! No sex!”

  I snap my fingers in front of Damien’s face. “Focus, D. You’re getting out of control.”

  He takes a few deep breaths. “You’re right, sorry,” he says. “So, I get why the dental exam guy didn’t make the cut, but why haven’t you dated anyone in the last five years?”

  I flop down on the couch. Damien joins me, sitting close. This is just how we are. We’re comfortable around each other. We’ve even seen each other naked thanks to a skinny-dipping incident sophomore year.

  “It’s complicated. Every date I’ve been on has sucked. They ask me for dental advice, they come on too strong, they’re boring… I can’t win. I swear, there are no good guys in Connecticut.”

  “Maybe you’re being too picky.”

  “I’m allowed to be picky, Damien.”

  “True. But come on, Jenna. There’s no way every guy in Connecticut is terrible.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. I have yet to find the good ones.”

  “That sucks. I’m sorry.”

  “Thanks, Damien,” I say. I know there’s not much more for him to say. Damien can’t fix my boy problem for me. It’s something I need to work for.

  It just sucks that it’s taking so damn long.

  Damien yawns. I sneak a peek at my phone. It’s well after eleven.

  “Damn, I should go. I didn’t mean to keep you up this late.”

  “Never apologize for keeping me up. I don’t mind.”

  “Still, it’s time to go to bed. I have early classes tomorrow.”

  “Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow for dinner?”

  “Oh, shit, I forgot about that. Yeah, I think that’ll be fine.”

  “Cool. I’ll see you then.”

  Damien walks me to his apartment door and hugs me goodbye. I parked out front in a visitor spot. Our apartments are only a few blocks apart. I could walk here easily, if it weren’t for the frigid mid-February weather.

  I drive slowly back to my apartment. Thankfully, my parking spot is open. I’ve been in a year-long fight with my neighbor about using my spot for guests. I need to be able to park at my apartment!

  Once I’m inside, I wash my face, put on pajamas, and climb into bed. It’s been such a long day. I was hopeful about this date after talking to the guy for almost a month on a dating app. A month wasn’t enough time. I wish he’d asked about his teeth while we were chatting. It would’ve saved us both a few hours of our lives.

  At least I have Damien back. That’s the one good thing that has happened in the last few months. My best friend and I live in the same town again.

  It doesn’t get better than that.

  Damien

  Coming from California, Connecticut was a big adjustment. But moving around is practically in the job description when you’re a pro athlete. Plus, I was used to it. After all I originally grew up in Florida before I even ended up in California.

  I was only there for a year and a half when the Oilers traded me to the Rangers. The fast trade made me feel like such a failure. I’d only been playing for a few games when my agent told me it was time to pack up and move back to the East coast.

  Then I thought about it more. I did so well in those games that another team wanted me. That’s something to be proud of. I didn’t fail.

  That’s how I ended up on the Rangers’ AHL team in Hartford, Connecticut. I’ve been here for about a month, and it has taken some getting used to.

  The good thing about starting with the Condors in California was that I started at the same time as all the other newbies, and it was the beginning of the season. I got traded in January, a few months into my second season with the Oilers. I’m the new kid on the team, and not everyone is thrilled that I’m here.

  “Hey, Damien,” a familiar voice says. “You’re early.”

  “So are you,” I respond. “Sophie not keeping you busy enough?”

  Matt laughs. “Sophie’s great. She’s going kind of crazy with final wedding plans. She kicked me out of the apartment so she could focus.”

  “That sounds like Sophie. If you need any help with wedding planning, let me know.”
/>   “Please. What experience do you have as a wedding planner?”

  “Absolutely none. But if you’re going to ruin your life with monogamy, the least I can do is offer to help.”

  He laughs again. I’m so glad to be on a team with someone familiar. Matt and I played hockey together for four years in college. We weren’t best friends, but we were always friendly. Matt made me feel welcome the second I showed up at my first practice last month.

  Unfortunately, he gets married in a couple months. I tried to convince him that it was a terrible idea, but he didn’t listen. According to our buddy, Travis, Matt proposed after his first AHL game a year ago. I guess that’s romantic or whatever, if you’re into that kind of thing.

  “You’ve met Sophie. She’s not ruining my life. If anything, she’s making it a million times better.”

  I manage to hide my cringe. I don’t understand the appeal of one girl for the rest of your life. I’ve never been a relationship kind of guy. I make that clear to every woman I’m with. They either understand, or pretend they do and then get mad at me when I do exactly what I said I would. That’s their problem, not mine.

  “Just know that if you want an out, I’ve got you. I can stage your death so you can be free.”

  “You’re so cynical. You’re going to meet a girl someday who totally changes your mind about love and relationships.”

  I scoff. “I highly doubt that. I’ll stick with my current lifestyle, thank you very much. I can’t even imagine only being with one person for the rest of my life.”