Trick Shot: A Spicy Christmas Novella (Brother Puckers Book 1)
Trick Shot: Chapter 2

Jiminy Christmas! I can’t believe this is happening to me. ME.

Boring, old Riley. Silly, old, dependable Riley. Stick up her ass, won’t go out after eight in the evening on a weeknight, Riley is now on her way to a complete stranger’s house on Christmas Eve.

Is he really a stranger, though?

I mean, he is, but he’s famous. If he kills me, he’ll never get away with it. I know that’s stupid logic, but hell—this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I’m willing to throw caution to the wind on this occasion. Call it a Christmas present to myself.

With a bit of newfound confidence, Lucas and I walk through the crowded airport while I shoot a quick text to my mom that my flight is canceled. I’ll have to send a more detailed message to my sister in the car. Stevie will be upset I’m not there for our Christmas morning traditions, but when I tell her who I was with, she’ll probably forgive me. Or never talk to me again because she’ll wish it was her.

Lucas presses one of his large hands into my lower back, and I shiver. Jesus, this man is a snack. To see him in pictures and TV is one thing—but in person? He’s like a statue, chiseled and blessed by God himself. It’s sort of hard to look him in the eye because he’s almost too perfect. Not only is he tall and built, but his textured midnight black hair just screams for me to run my hands through it. And those blue eyes!

“Everything okay?” he asks.

I bob my head, unable to form words at the moment. I’m still trying to process what I’m doing and who I’m probably going to be doing later. This kind of thing just doesn’t happen to normal everyday people. You don’t just meet a celebrity in the airport like this. He even gave me a nickname. My belly flip flops when I think of the way he calls me ‘Shortcake.’

“You sure?” he asks again.

“Everything’s good,” I finally manage to say.

“Good.” He smiles, and my body heats up. That damn one dimple is a panty-dropper in itself.

When we reach the doors, I stop to put on my red peacoat and candy cane scarf. It makes me want to gag just looking at it.

“You really know how to take festive to a new level, don’t you?” Lucas chuckles.

“This is all Chad’s fault, remember?”

He snorts, putting on his fleece-lined bomber jacket. I swallow the lump in my throat at the sight of him. While I look like Mrs. Claus, he looks like a model fresh off a winter runway. I bite my lower lip, and his eyes track the movement. He’s been doing that a lot, which makes me believe he does want to kiss me. Well, he implied he would be open to more than kissing if I wanted. But there’s also the matter of this Jace guy. Is he a roommate? And why did I get the feeling Jace would really bite me if I asked him to? That was a joke. It had to have been. Right?

My emotions bloom on my cheeks, sweat gathering at the base of my neck. If I don’t walk outside right now, I’m going to overheat.

“Is your friend waiting for us?” I ask, trying to keep my voice free of its lust-induced strain.

We move off to the side of the doors to let others walk out as Lucas taps furiously on his phone. There’s a moment where he looks upset, but then he quickly replaces it with a mask of calm and collectedness. I really hope he doesn’t have a girlfriend. The media say he’s a bachelor, but there’s got to be a ton of women lining up to sleep with him. Not just puck bunnies, but actresses and models too. My self-esteem crashes, which doesn’t take much right now after Chad took a big bite out of me earlier.

I don’t know why I let that bastard get to me. His breath smells, and he’s the biggest mama’s boy I’ve ever met. But he was my boyfriend for two years, and I can’t help but feel like his opinion of me still matters. And he just loves to put me down. My hair, my clothes, my body, my work—you name it. He always has something to say about all of it.

“Jace is pulling up.” Lucas gives me another smile, his eyes dropping to blatantly check me out. When they return to my face, there’s a twinkle in his eye that tells me he’s thinking something devious. It’s then I decide I need to knock off my horrendous inner dialogue. I’ve been working on self-love for the past year, and it’s time I put all those self-help books and morning mirror mantras to good use. I am enough. I’m fucking hot and beautiful. Men love my softness, and so do I. The reality that Lucas could have anyone and he chose me? I should take that as a huge self-esteem boost, not the other way around.

Screw Chad and his stupid words.

I’m getting laid by a sexy-as-fuck hockey player tonight. My mind is made up.